How do you watch recorded shows on a TV that isn't connected to a PC?

[suprfli]

BTV is a perfect solution if you have a single TV and PC connected to that PC or if you want to watch all of your shows on a laptop. However, if you have many TV's that you want to watch shows on it's not as elegant of a solution. This is why I've never bought TiVO(I don't like it and prefer my own HTPC) b/c you can't share between TiVO's and you need a TiVO in every room where you want to watch something. You can't pop out a tape and put it in a VCR.

I have BTV on my main TV in the family room. I watch all of my shows using the BTV interface on that same TV which has a HTPC connected to it. Once in a while I'd like to watch my shows on a few TV's in another room. I'm trying to think of a way to accomplish this without having to hook up a PC to every TV and then using wifi throughout my house. That seems like the only simple solution. I have a few old laptops and I was thinking of getting a monitor out interface so I can essentially show my laptop on various TV's. That way if I want to watch a show I can just bring the laptop into the room, share the directory over wifi and then watch them that way.

I think I saw something about someone using some sort of modulation that broadcasts over the cable in your house on a particular channel. I didn't quite understand it when I was reading over it. It seemed like complicated solution. I was wondering if anyone has attacked this issue that I'm having w/wanting to watch BTV on multiple TV's.

[StevenR]

I have a wireless video sender connected to my PC and the receiver connected to my television. The range of these can be limited but I find it good, execept for the fact that the frequency the sender operates on is close to the WiFi frequency and I need to position the antenna on the sender and receiver to avoid the WiFi card on the computer producing a clicking sound on the television. The room with the television is close enough to the PC for the signal from the radio remote control I use to reach it, so I use that to navigate the interface.

[null_pointer_us]

You have to be careful with wifi; unlike an ethernet switch, bandwidth is shared between all wireless cards.

IIRC Snapstream once offered a WMV/BTV client box for around $99, but that role was eventually superceded by BTV Link and MPEG hardware encoders.

You can, however, recycle an older P2, P3, or Athlon box for this role to act as a sort of "client HTPC" for your other TV. With decent video, sound, and network cards; a copy of BTV Link; and a FireFly remote it should work. Of course with this solution you get the full BTV viewscape interface and there is no annoying MPEG-to-WMV transcoding time.

Of course, if you configure showsqueeze on your existing box and if it's fast enough, you could probably just get one of those Windows Media receivers for your TV.

As far as watching BTV on multiple TVs, well, I don't use TVs much anymore. Computers do so much more. With BTV Link on my PC, I can put TV in a window and work with email, read news headlines, write up a paper, etc. while listening for the commercials to end. I can also watch my recorded shows just fine.

I just wish my wifi connection wouldn't give out so easily. That's probably due to having the PC across the house from the access point and simply using the crappy default antenna.

[suprfli]

thanks for the feedback everyone.

null: watching tv on my monitor or laptop doesn't always make sense for me. when i'm in our workout room running on the treadmill or working out i like to watch a few shows.

i hate to have to use wifi but what i may do is take an old PC and put a video out card in it and get BTV Link along w/firefly and then set it up that way.

[MrLefty]

How about something like the Hauppauge MediaMVP? It's a little unix appliance that plugs into the TV. It's a wired connection, but works pretty wel.

[RiderFan]

Or do what I did, get an RF modulator and tie into your existing coax throught the house. Then you can have BTV going to every TV. You can even get an expensive modulator that will merge with your existing cable. Then you can watch TV normal on every TV, but if you want to watch BTV, then you just change the channel to...say...channel 85 (or whatever you set it to), and presto, you have BTV. I don't know the name of the expensive modulator, but it is out there as I remember seeing it, just can't remember.

[Zogg]

Actually, the frequency agile modulators aren't all expensive. You can get one for only $42 at www.partsexpress.com. The cheap ones only output mono (simulated stereo) but for watching on the bedroom TV or workout TV they work fine. Stereo modulators usually are over $100.

Z

[suprfli]

the modulators look interesting. thanks for the feedback.

[victorypoint]

Originally Posted by RiderFan

Or do what I did, get an RF modulator and tie into your existing coax throught the house. Then you can have BTV going to every TV. You can even get an expensive modulator that will merge with your existing cable. Then you can watch TV normal on every TV, but if you want to watch BTV, then you just change the channel to...say...channel 85 (or whatever you set it to), and presto, you have BTV. I don't know the name of the expensive modulator, but it is out there as I remember seeing it, just can't remember.

Wouldn't you still need access to the BTV PC to control which program is played or to watch live tv?

-AJ

[nanook105]

Originally Posted by victorypoint

Wouldn't you still need access to the BTV PC to control which program is played or to watch live tv?

-AJ

Yes - I use a Firefly

[victorypoint]

Nice. So does Firefly work if you're in another room (does it use RF)?

-AJ

[nanook105]

Yes, it uses RF and it is in another room. The configuration is all in the basement. The PC and the Firefly receiver is in the SW corner (Laundry Room) and the TV is in the NE corner of the finished part of the basement. When I sit and point the FF at the TV, the FF receiver is actually behind me about 30 feet. Works just fine.