Question about Netflix
 

Guys, I'm thinking of getting this but wondered if someone would know the answer to this question: can I stream the movies through a normal HD TV, or does it need some sort of special connection? In other words, if I sign up can I plug in a laptop and stream the content through my sister's telly, which is a generic flatscreen, so she can watch them? Or is there something else missing from this picture?

Like to hear from anyone who has Netflix and can throw some light on this for me.

Muchos gracias!
TH

I'm not sure about streaming directly though the TV (I have an old tube TV, WTF is with these newfangled flatscreens, huh? :D). But, I stream Netflix through the Wii, and also on my computer.

So yeah, if you have a laptop that can hook up to your TV (preferably through HDMI because you'll get the sound through the TV rather than the laptop), you will be able to stream Netflix through their website, when you sign into it.

Unless you have a new TV that allows you to download the Netflix app you'll need some kind of device to act as your conduit. Like BD I use a video game console but you can also use certain types of Blu-ray player and you can buy a device called a Roku which will offer up other services but I'm unaware if it is available in Ireland.

You could use your laptop, but then you'll need either a VGA to VGA cable or an HDMI cable. The HDMI is the better option as you can then use your TV speakers, whereas if you go the VGA route your sound will come through your laptop speakers, with your TV essentially becoming your monitor.

I've had no problems using HDMI through my laptop with my dad's TV (he's got a newer TV). I know you have a new TV too so you'll at least have that option if you don't have a game console or Internet on your TV.

Thanks for that guys. I don't think my laptop has a HDMI connection; probably too old. I'll have a look though I doubt it. I thought maybe some sort of wireless thingummybob might exist to do the job, no?

Your laptop probably has VGA at least, but then for decent sound (either through your TV or other speakers), you'll just need another audio connection. There are probably all sorts of gadgets available on the market for this kind of thing - you just have to shop around a bit.

I'm sure there's a slew of stuff out there that purports to do the job, but in terms of simplicity getting a device with some kind of reputable brand is your best bet. A Wii should be pretty cheap (probably cheaper than the Roku or Blu-ray player) and is incredibly easy to configure for Netflix. The only downside is you don't get your stuff in HD, but as someone whose used both the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii for Instant Netflix I never noticed much of a difference.

The picture quality of Netflix on my TV, when streamed through the Wii, is excellent. Sometimes when you start a video it's slightly pixely but that sorts itself out pretty quickly. I the the Wii has come down in price since the release of the Wii U, so this might be your best bet. It's real easy to use Netflix with it.

Woo-hoo! Just checked my laptop and it has a HDMI port! So now all I need to get is a cable and I should be away.
Thanks guys! :)

Yes, you'll be fine then. Cables are really cheap. Happy streaming!

Would anyone who has an account with netflix be able to advise if they have the series "The state within"? It's one I'm loking for and I'm thinking of buying it otherwise...

The selection for Instant Netflix varies from region-to-region, with the US having the largest selection, 'cause "'Merica, fuck yeah!"

That being said, I did a search on Netflix and I got a hit, 7 episodes, so perhaps you'll get lucky.

You can use this website to search for whatever is available through instant watch but unless you are going to use a specific region's by masking your IP then it might not be as useful to you.

Instant Watch Database - A Simple Instant Watch Search Engine

Thanks DJ: that link was very helpful! :thumb:

Almost every show & movie ever made is on line for free, so why pay netflix

Who wants pixely, YouTube quality **** when you can pay the damn $8 per month to get something that will play in at least 720p on your TV? lol

All the videos I've ever watched on youtube are in HD (reading that statement it sounds far fetched but believe me I wouldn't waste my time.)


But I wasn't talking about youtube. There are other sites that have legit copies of films that are still in the theatre so why would I pay $8 to watch it months from now when if I wanted to I could watch it now.

They might be decent quality but I doubt they are all legit. And yeah, most YouTube videos are in HD now but the sound is just horrid. If people could upload FLAC files to YouTube there wouldn't be a problem, but alas, everything has to be compressed :(

simplest easiest solution...spend the 40 bucks for a ROKU its well worth it

First of all, most of those shows are only available if you live in the USA (which I don't) and secondly I'm trying to set this up for my sister, who is bedbound and would not be able to search YT or whatever looking for shows. I want some source for them that has them, in good quality, and available at the click of a mouse, not in danger of being removed due to copyright or the site housing them closed down.

That, my friend, is why.

Let me say again...ROKU simple design, frees up the laptop, no cords all over the damn place, easy to use...One and done lol

Yeah, I've had a Roku for several years and it has worked great. Definitely worth the investment.

Greedy grasping ****ing Irish bastards! 50 dollars in the US, 139 EURO here! **** that! Check online....

Edit: calm down, Troll... breathe... that's it...
Sorry, overreacted because that was the XS version, the more expensive. The LT version, which would probably do me, is 70 Euro, which is relatively close I guess.

Cup of tea, I think...

Wow, that's insane. $50 US dollars is only 38 euros apparently.

One of the many reasons we're in the financial ****hole we are in: gimme a G! gimme an R! Two Es and a D! Plus we have VAT at 23 percent! Holy crap! NOt only that, but the idea of the Euro, used in many countries, buying the same amount for you wherever you go? Doesn't happen. You can go to Spain or Germany or France and your Euro will be worth more. Bloody country... :(

Used, they run about 20 here for the base version so probably 50 or so euros? used that is

Ok, I'm still thinking about this but can someone explain to me in simple terms about this Roku thing? I've read about it but I still don't understand what it is? Is it a transmitter, a decoder, a media player? It says on the Roku site that you can get 500 channels and so on, but is this like a free-to-air satellite dish, or how do I pickup these channels, if at all? Is the receiver somehow built-in? And if I have Netflix does that somehow give me access to these channels, or do I need to be in a specific geographic area?

My brain is meltinnnnngggg.........

It's just a way to access streaming media on your TV without all the hassle of hooking a laptop or whatever to the TV every time you want to watch something. You generally connect it wirelessly to your router, though it is also possible to use an ethernet cable. Once it's hooked up you can sit back with the remote and scroll through any streaming service you subscribe to (such as Netflix, Hulu, etc.). When they talk about having "500 channels" they're just saying that there are that many streaming services you could potentially watch via Roku, but most likely you'd only use a couple at most. On mine, for example, we only watch Netfilx, Amazon and Hulu.

Ah, I see. So you would subscribe to these channels and then have access to them? See over here it's not really done that way. Our main digital channels come through Sky, the largest digital service, and via their Sky box through the TV, though you can also hook up via the Internet. It's probably just me, but I've never had any experience at all with subscribing to internet TV channels, which is why I was asking about Netflix: it's something totally new to me.

Thanks for the info though Jansz: clears it up a bit now. For a moment I thought this Roku thing came with tiny people inside who acted out episodes of your favourite shows on demand... :laughing:

I don't think I've explained it well. They're not really channels in the TV sense of the term. They're more like apps on a smartphone. You click on the Amazon one, for example, and you can go rent or buy videos from Amazon. You go to the Netflix one, and if you're a Netflix subscriber, you can watch the movies and TV shows they have available in their streaming library. You go to the break.com one and you can watch dumb home videos of people falling down or getting hit in the balls. All the Roku is on a fundamental level is a way of connecting to the internet through your TV, but one that conveniently filters things so that you're only perusing streaming content.

Okay now I understand. So it's basically the same as having your laptop hooked to the TV so you can browse on your TV screen, but as you say it only shows the subscribed content? Gotcha! Makes sense now. Man, I'm slow. But then, I'm old...
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/i...Elda3eAvoE_5Ip

Right, it's like having the laptop plugged in but without all the hassle that entails. You can just sit on the couch with the Roku remote and easily get to what you want to watch.

Finally joined (hey, for me that's an instant decision!) but lo and behold! can't access Frasier, which I wanted this for first. How can I make this system think I'm over there in the good ol' US of A? Any ideas? IP disguise? VPN? All very complicated to me...

Thx guys

How To Watch Netflix In Europe & Change Your IP Address - JordanFried | JordanFried.com

I would also suggest looking on Youtube for tutorial videos.

Thanks Pete. I got it running.

One small, probably stupid question: can you not select episodes/seasons on this? I clicked on Frasier it loaded and then launched into episode one of season one, which is fine because that's where I wanted to start, but I won't always. Surely you can control what episodes you watch? Would that not seem vital?

Sorry, sorry! I am heir to the throne of the kingdom of idiots! I see now: click the image and it plays from the beginning, click the name and you get your choice of episodes/seasons.

Finally, I'm ready to go...!

Thanks again!
TH

Oh-kaaayyy... Does anyone know how to hack the Roku LT so that I can stream US content to my sister's TV? The Firefox addon on my PC allows me to watch US stuff but the Roku doesn't seem to have any such capability, and so little of the good stuff is available legit here. I hope I haven't wasted my money. She really wants to watch Frasier.

Any help, very much appreciated.

Thx guys
TH

I've just gone through some walkthroughs for this, but it seems that unless the Roku was purchased from the US, you won't be able to get around the restrictions that are built in the firmware.

Sorry. You just bought it recently so maybe you can return it and buy it from an American retailer.

edit:

http://www.eyeondemand.com/2013/06/0...utside-the-us/

That's where I pulled my information from. It definitely seems like a more complicated process so I dunno if it wouldn't be better to get someone with more computer expertise to help you out.

Thanks Pete but I don't think they'd take that as a reason to refund me. Shops here are very odd about giving you your money back. It would have to be faulty or something and certainly still in its box for me to get them to take it back. Even then they'd probably only give me shop credit, which would be useless. Think I'm stuck with it.

You can buy the entire discography now for 60 percent off TH. OOPS 55 PERCENT OFF.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...55i72y7FPUWLlQ