Legit Reviews

I need to know the best way to go with this.

I have various movies I have made thru out the years that are stored on my main computer (main storage area). I want to view these movies on my TV for when guests come over.

My computer is about 20 feet from the TV (no walls), and we have very high vaulted celings.

I have video out for my video card, but I don't want to run a hard line from the back of my machine to the TV.

Does anyone have any suggestions of what I can do? Setting a computer next to the TV and networking it would be the easiest, but is a no no per my wife, and I would really hate to have a cable run along the walls.

Thanks in advance.

why don't you record them to dvd's then? you need a software that converts your avi/divx/mpeg files to a dvd compliant mpg (like: TMPGEnc) and then another one that will author it to dvd (like ulead dvd workshop) + a dvd writing software (like nero). all that you need to know is lokated here:

http://www.videohelp.com/

the best quality for all stages is TMPGEnc but is also expensive. you can use freeware and shareware as well from other vendors.

if your dvd stand alone player is capable of playing DIVX format and the movies are in that (as they usually are), then you can just put them on cd's and skip all the authoring. other then this would be to run the cables (both audio and video) to your tv/receiver.

you could compile the movies onto a dvd then play them through a dvd player.

I have yet to have luck with that, maybe its my DVD player won't read DVD-RWs, I havn't really tried DVD-Rs due to being cheap in that department... Ya I know that sounds funny, but I have a hard enough time keeping track of my CD-Rs...

Use DVD+R disks......

OR check this out, not sure if you can get it yet?

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2005/06/03 ... fi_tv-out/

unless your player is super cool, it probably aint gonna read dvd-rw's. kinda like most cd players wont read cd-rw's. id try a dvd-r.

At my new house my roommate and i have a 802.11g wireless network with a file server and HTPC so we stream video from the file server to my HTPC right to the TV. the down side is this does require more than one PC.

You could also update your DVD player to solve your issue of not reading DVD-RWs... I recently got an Ilo brand DVD Recorder from Wal-Mart for around $100. Does the job nicely and I can record stuff from my computer to a DVD-RW and the DVD player will read it fine. Not to mention that you can then completely throw away your VHS player once you copy all your VHS to a DVD right there in your living room without the need of a PC.

This may be the next cheapest alternative... next to just getting a 20+ ft. S-Video cable. (if you have a basement, then just run the cable under the floor from the TV to the Computer)

if you do all the work to convert a movie to a dvd (takes several hours ven with a fast rig) then why would you record to a dvd-rw? all that work for one time viewing? (assuming the reason to record to dvd-rw is to be able to erase the dvd-rw). you can't view AVI (divx) files compiled on a dvd even if your player can play divx (only more recent players can). only divx recorded on a cd-r or dvd recorded on dvd-r.

The reason for the DVD-RW started as I didn't want to turn a bunch of DVD-Rs into coasters, from there seeing the sheer number of CD-Rs I have I decided a RW capable media was for me. There is really no "good" answer to it. My DVD player is a few years old, so it may be time to upgrade, and to buy a pack of DVD-Rs.

well, if you upgrade your dvd player to something that reads dvd-rw's, you wouldnt need to get dvd-r, just use the dvd-rw.

Mortious wrote:The reason for the DVD-RW started as I didn't want to turn a bunch of DVD-Rs into coasters

Thats understandable, but most dvd players don't like the format. I think it's actually cheaper to buy the -r media and get it burnt the first time and have it work.