PC games on living room TV, how practical?

biggles

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A lot of times I read about folks connecting their gaming PC to a living room TV. Since any decent PC blows away the consoles this could be pretty great in terms of picture quality and framerate. But while this sounds good in theory, how does one practically do this?

Do you literally shutdown the PC, disconnect from computer monitor and other components (usb etc), move the computer case to the living room, reconnect all the wires to your TV and entertainment system, and restart the PC? Then switch back when done?

It seems like a lot of time spent with connections. Also, I can see this working fine if you play with a game controller like the 360 pad. But what about kbm games? You could set the keyboard on your lap, but what about the mouse?
 
Most people I know who PC game through their TV either have their PC permanently in their living room connected to it or put their TV on their computer desk.

I don't find either prospect all that appealing, I've connected my PC to my TV a few times and for me it's not worth the effort. I'm not a fan of lap tables either so I only bother doing it for games I can play exclusively with a controller.
 
Most people will either have the machine always connected, run cables, or have a separate dedicated machine.

There are also now streaming options (stream to a piece of hardware connected to the TV) so this can be done via just one wired ethernet connection or even wireless.

There are specific furniture options if you do want to use kb/m.

When you say practical you'll have to be more specific as that will vary from person to person. A lot of people for example are just referring to playing on a TV.
 
Separate machine for me.
When I put my latest gaming rig together I decided to put my old rig beside the living room tv. It can still play games decently well but I do need to drop the settings on some newer games.

I use a touchpad keyboard (just to launch games and open programs) so no keyboard/mouse gaming. I just use a wired 360 controller.
 
The real trick is finding a TV that doesn't have terrible input delay. Unfortunately my TV has about 300 ms of lag and makes any type of game that requires precision very annoying to play.
 
I have an HTPC with an APU for basic stuff, I have my old 5850 that I ran in it for a while but I never played anything worth it so I removed it.

Some fun stuff and two 360 controllers works fine. To set up a keyboard and mouse would just waste time and money so I keep those titles on my desktop.
 
You can do it easy enough. One option, and what I'm doing at the moment, is just get a long HDMI cable. Monoprice will sell you active cables that will go 100 feet, and there are others who will do similar. You roll out the cable when you need it, roll it back when you don't. You can do in-wall installs, if you are willing to do that.

Also you can go with HD Base-T which converts HDMI to Cat-5e/6 cable. Longer range and easier for in wall runs. Some of the units do USB as well so you get that over the same wire.

Another option is wireless. There are various wireless HDMI formats available. The long range stuff operates in the 2.4 or 5GHz range and is compressed called WHDI . Despite the compression, it looks pretty good when done right, and doesn't seem to have a whole lot of lag. I am pretty impressed with the GeFen stuff we have at work. There's a 60GHz standard called WirelessHD that is uncompressed and essentially 0 lag, but has shorter range and doesn't like working through walls.

Some of it can be placing the computer in a good location. In my case, my computer lives in a closet outside of my office, which then has pretty good access to the greatroom. I then just put a 2" pipe in the wall in between closet and room to act as a conduit for wires to the monitor, controls, etc. Also means no noisy computer in the office.
 
I use steam and stream my games to my HTPC. My house is wired for cat6, and with the new steam controller I can play kb/mouse games pretty well. I haven't tried FPS yet, so not sure how those would fare.

I'd go the steam route over wireless hdmi. It might work well for videos, but likely too much latency for gaming, and limited to 1080p (unless you can do hdmi 2.0?). Moca adapters work really well if you can go that route too. Lastly 5Ghz Wireless N works good for me on strategy games without many issues.
 
To be more specific, suppose I have an office upstairs with the desktop gaming PC. Downstairs is the living room with TV and entertainment center. I would not find it worth the time to disconnect the desktop as described in the original post.

Based on the replies so far I gather the following options:
1. Run a long hdmi cable. But then how do you get the controller downstairs? Let's assume it is a wired 360 controller.
2. Run a long ethernet cable. How does this work exactly?
3. Some type of wireless setup. How does this work? Is this the only option on this list requiring the purchase of new hardware?
 
i have my pc hooked up to my living room 55 inch tv
it only takes a few min to hook it up or you could take the tv in a different room and keep it there ill list what you might need to hook it up to your tv and what i use below !!

1 - http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_22?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=wireless+mouse+and+keyboard+combo&sprefix=wireless+mouse+and+key%2Caps%2C198&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Awireless+mouse+and+keyboard+combo

2 - http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Xbox-Wireless-Adapter-Windows-one/dp/B00ZB7W4QU/ref=sr_1_2?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1447584555&sr=1-2&keywords=xbox+one+controller+windows+10+adapter

3 - http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-One-Wireless-Controller-Without-millimeter/dp/B00CMQTUSS/ref=sr_1_2?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1447584533&sr=1-2&keywords=xbox+one+controller

4 - http://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-USB-2-0-Extension-Gold-Plated/dp/B002KNI796/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1447584622&sr=8-3&keywords=female+usb+to+male+usb+cable this is for the wireless mouse and keybord senser in case it too far way and cant read it soo you can make it closer to you !

5 - https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/180-1582590-9314232?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=lap+desk this is to put on your lap and sit on the floor or couch and use the keybord and mouse !

6 - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007MWE1E?keywords=video%20to%20hdmi%20cable&qid=1447584498&ref_=sr_1_4&sr=8-4 this for your video stright from the video card to HDMI unless you use a mini hdmi to hdmi set up then youll need one of thos cables

7 - http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_5_4?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=rca+audio+cable&sprefix=rca+%2Caps%2C217 for audio use the 2 RED & WHITE ENDED CABLES or the ones with color stripes red and white theres alot to chose from but as a audiophile the better cable can make all the difference in sound but again this gos by your hook up

8 - http://www.amazon.com/C2G-Cables-40645-Stereo-Adapter/dp/B000J1H4VI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1447585749&sr=8-4&keywords=rca+audio+to+3.5mm in case you use a 3.5 mm hook up on your mainboard from the sound card to convert it to rca

9 - https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_5_15?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=wireless+wi-fi+range+extender&sprefix=wireless+wi-fi+%2Caps%2C187&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Awireless+wi-fi+range+extender and use this for your inter net if you cant do the wired thang but all in all if your ganna use it for games like world of warcraft 40 man pvp runs id go wired if you ganna play online you might see a bit of lag on wifi depending on your speed and how stable it is but for streaming like movies like netflix hulu and youtube and music you should be fine but again this gois buy how fast an stable your net is and how close the single is and does not have to go threw a BRICK WALL 20 inches thick to get it to see how fast your net is even wi fi test it here

10 - http://www.speedtest.net/

these are some what i use for my setup to my tv as you can see theres a wide sortment of cables and lenths depending on what you need .

I hope this helps just look at the back of your pc and tv too see what kind of cable end you need then youll be set the rca cable i use to hook it up to my 7.1 stereo cuss i dont use the mobo or onboard sound card i use a 3rd party sound card for the headphone amp!
 
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I live in an apartment, so it's no big deal for me. My computer is near my TV. As for controls, I use a gamepad mostly, and when I need a keyboard and mouse, I have a lap desk. I typically only play games that aren't twitch heavy on it though. (I play FPSs on my computer monitor).
 
Steamlink over ethernet saved me a nice chunk of dough. Loving it.
 
Very practical here.
I play on the living room projector, before that on a 42" Plasma, both have no discernable lag.
Much better experience and I can use the living room hi-def hifi for surround as well.
Must be about 10 years since I didnt use a big screen.

PC is permanently installed in the living with with a 27" LCD for non gaming.
 
A lot of times I read about folks connecting their gaming PC to a living room TV. Since any decent PC blows away the consoles this could be pretty great in terms of picture quality and framerate. But while this sounds good in theory, how does one practically do this?

Do you literally shutdown the PC, disconnect from computer monitor and other components (usb etc), move the computer case to the living room, reconnect all the wires to your TV and entertainment system, and restart the PC? Then switch back when done?

It seems like a lot of time spent with connections. Also, I can see this working fine if you play with a game controller like the 360 pad. But what about kbm games? You could set the keyboard on your lap, but what about the mouse?

If the TV and monitor are the same resolution say 1080p. All you have to do is run HDMI connection to your TV and keep the other connection to your monitor displayport or DVI. Then you can clone the displays, that is if you're using a single display. This way you don't have to reselect what is the "main" monitor or have to disable another monitor. That is why I made a dedicated HTPC that is connected to my TV. I only play games on it that use a controller.
 
I have a pc at each tv. I use a bt dongle and have a mouse and kb for each pc. There is also a game pad at each as well. I use a piece of plywood that is varnished and covered with neoprene. When I want to game with mouse and kb I sit in my recliner grab my piece of plywood which looks quite nice, set my mouse and kb on my lap and play to my hearts content. It's quite simple.

I prefer sitting in the living room and gaming now when I can. Much more relaxing and fun compared to sitting at a computer desk and monitor which is what I do all damn day. So your experience may vary.

Basically this but a tad thicker and darker.
 
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I have a 4k TV and a futon in my computer room/office and I switch to it (win+P) from my monitor and use a wireless DS4 controller. For fps games I use MKB + monitor, for everything else I go 4k + controller. It's nice have the options and it looks much better than my PS4 upscaled to 4k --it's not even close. My TV also has relatively low input lag (~30 or less in gaming mode).

Works wonderfully.
 
I did some more research elsewhere. It seems as though wireless controllers are the way to go when the gaming PC is in a different room.

Also, Steam Link might be a good option for some people. However, it only outputs stereo sound, not 5.1 surround. I would want 5.1 since that is part of the reason to game in the living room.

Which brings me to the next question. How difficult is it to get 5.1 surround from a gaming PC? I use onboard sound (no discrete sound card). I recall reading many years back that getting 5.1 surround was sometimes difficult to achieve from PC games. Something along the lines of having to use analog connections and that stereo sound only works with hdmi.
 
Which brings me to the next question. How difficult is it to get 5.1 surround from a gaming PC? I use onboard sound (no discrete sound card). I recall reading many years back that getting 5.1 surround was sometimes difficult to achieve from PC games. Something along the lines of having to use analog connections and that stereo sound only works with hdmi.

Numerous ways.
Optical SPDIF (needs DD/DTS compression)
Coax SPDIF (needs DD/DTS compression)
HDMI (need to clone screen to 2nd HDMI/DVI port connected to hifi)
Analogue 5.1 (if your hifi accepts analogue 5.1 in)

I have a Blu Ray player that is a multi input surround processor as well.
For gaming I use cloned HDMI to that.
HDMI is also fed directly to the screen because video fed through the hifi has too much lag.
 
tv's are never that good with small text. inputs terrible. hurts my eyes. no thanks.
 
tv's are never that good with small text. inputs terrible. hurts my eyes. no thanks.
I've used numerous, seen many more and not had that issue.
Perhaps you didnt change the realtype config to suit that display.

If the screen is too far away, thats a different issue.
 
I use a Nvidia SHIELD TV connected to my TV to stream games from my PC. Wired up via MoCa. Runs great, I love it. :)
 
I run an HDMI cable from my bedroom computer to my living room projector. Then I have a $2 Android app called Remote Launcher that lets me switch my PC's output from primary screen to secondary screen or vice versa, and also lets me launch Steam in Big Picture mode. Then I have a wireless Xbox One controller in my living room, with the receiver attached to my PC. All of that effectively lets me play any PC game whenever I want without having to leave my living room.

Steam Link is another option, or a cheap PC and Steam LAN streaming, but I already had most of the above set up and only had to buy the $2 app.
 
KB/M? Not worth it and nothing fits better than a desk and chair. As much as it sucks sitting at a desk (like I do at work) to play certain games there is not alternative.

For single player use a Xbox controller and you get all the other benefits of the PC (bigger FPS's/faster pixels zmog).

So it is hit or miss.
 
I game almost exclusively from the couch on PC. Rig in sig, just sits right beside the TV stand. It is a pain every now and then when I have to move it to my office to do some graphics or photo work, but that's just life with PC's. I'm planning to build a new HTPC/LAN rig next year so I have separate rigs in each room.

And I use wireless mouse & keyboard. Works great! Keyboard in lap, mouse on pad beside me on the couch. I also use wireless 360 controller occasionally, but most everything I play is KB/M. You just have to position yourself on the couch with enough room on your right (or left) for the mouse-pad. I guess some couches may be ok without a mouse-pad, but the leather on mine feels too sticky and I don't like the way the mouse glides, so I use a mouse-pad.

Which brings me to the next question. How difficult is it to get 5.1 surround from a gaming PC? I use onboard sound (no discrete sound card). I recall reading many years back that getting 5.1 surround was sometimes difficult to achieve from PC games. Something along the lines of having to use analog connections and that stereo sound only works with hdmi.

I run the sound over HDMI from GPU to my 5.1 receiver and the receiver sends audio out to speakers and video to TV. Works great. When I need to move my PC, I just unplug the HDMI cable and leave it attached to the living room system, have separate video cables on the monitors in the office; and various USB connections have to unplugged and moved. It's a pain but just takes a couple minutes to move to the office when needed. And I use headphones in the office, no fancy sound system in there.
 
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KB/M? Not worth it and nothing fits better than a desk and chair. As much as it sucks sitting at a desk (like I do at work) to play certain games there is not alternative.

For single player use a Xbox controller and you get all the other benefits of the PC (bigger FPS's/faster pixels zmog).

So it is hit or miss.

Maybe you have wrong mouse (doesnt track well enough) or your sofa is somehow not compatible to get comfortable??
I have been gaming on my sofa for a decade, using the mouse on a seat or on a cushion, keyboard on my knee, works perfectly.
Get 3 or more large feather cushions, they shape exactly how you need, very supportive and sooo comfy. Just the ticket for neck problems I am told.
As another user stated, you can mount the keyboard on a surface that also doubles as a mousepad.

I use an XBox controller for games that need it (ie racing) but there is no need at all to stop using KB and mouse.
I am laid back on my sofa, extremely comfortable typing this. I game like this on a projector, there isnt a better experience.
You are doing it wrong :p

ps if you need extra back support to get a small arch in your back, use a feather pillow.
It is by far the best solution.
You will thank me :)
 
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Playing Fallout 4 on my projector while sitting comfily on my couch is awesome.
HDMI cable to receiver. That's it. Went into control panel and turned on sound through hdmi and shazaam.

120 inches of awesome. No noticeable lag.

I only play stuff that is good with a controller on that setup.
 
Steam Stream and the other streaming options make it more practical than ever. I never liked the idea of having to keep two PC's up to snuff for running games, seemed like a big waste of money. Hard wired Steam stream lets any basic HTPC play your PC games on the TV easily.

Personally I only have two problems with it.

1. Surround sound doesn't work. Would be nice if it did since living room setups are more likely to have surround speakers than a PC desk.

2. Makes me want a new TV. My 61" DLP from 2008 is great for TV and movies, but not so great for PC games. It'll be a wonderful day when I justify buying something like a 70" 4K TV.
 
I ran an hdmi cable from my office/pc room gpu to the living room where my 55 inch Sony Bravia tv is. Also have a usb cable run thru attic to where the Sony tv is. Pretty cool being able to game on a big screen if I ever want to. Trying ti get my wireless xbox 360 controller to work, mainly for sum fighting games
What do you guys find best to use when playing with mouse and kb on sofa? Do the wireless mouse pads work as well as wired?
Also another issue I'm having is my Sony tv is 1080p while my pc monitor is 1440p. Whenever the hdmi is plugged into the tv my pc monitor goes back to 1080p instead of 1440p. Anyone know if there's a way to adjust this?
 
I have a dedicated gaming/HTPC in my living room. HDMI is hooked up to an Onkyo receiver, which also handles the Xbox One, all of which is hooked up to the single 52" plasma TV. PC is a nice little home built rig housed in a silver Lian Li Q11 mITX case. It sits in my entertainment center underneath my TV, tucked away (but with adequate ventilation). There are a large number of micro ATX and mini ITX cases that have that "entertainment center appliance" look, or are at least good looking enough to sit under your TV unobtrusively. Everything looks great (text, games, etc.) Wireless KB/M. Wireless Xbox 360 controller for games that work with it.

I love it and would never go back to a gaming rig at a desk. I have been doing it this way for 10 years. When I do game with my mouse, I use my Xbox controller in my left hand and my mouse in my right, eliminating the awkwardness of a keyboard in my lap.
 
My PC is already in my living room, I just have an HDMI cable running along the wall over to the TV. I have a 39" Seiki 4K TV and I'd much rather play my games on the TV than the monitor. I only sit at the desk now when I'm trying to get work done. I used to play games like Cities Skylines and other heavily mouse-driven titles sitting at my desk, but now I use my Steam Controller to play them from the couch.

Also another issue I'm having is my Sony tv is 1080p while my pc monitor is 1440p. Whenever the hdmi is plugged into the tv my pc monitor goes back to 1080p instead of 1440p. Anyone know if there's a way to adjust this?

Are you mirroring the displays? If so, this is intended behavior. Turn off mirroring if you don't want this to happen.
 
Been using my PC on my television for 8'ish years.
On my setup, the only wired connections are the power cable, HDMI (out to the TV), and ethernet, which could be wireless if I wanted.
I have a wireless G700 mouse, cheap-o Logitech keyboard, and 360 controller. You can use a Bluetooth adapter to use PS controllers and wireless headsets, too.

HDMI carries both audio and video, and I have mine going through an A/V receiver to handle surround sound. Most TV's will have no issue at all just taking care of normal stereo, though.

It's a surprisingly simple process and I have no idea doing other things like using MS Office, Adobe Creative Suite, playing Blu-Rays, etc.
 
Use steam big picture mode for gaming, set your tv as the primary monitor in steam big picture mode. BPM will take care of the primary monitor switching :D
 
I have not had any issues using/switching between 60" Vizio and 120" Projector Screen for the last 6-8 years. In fact, I rarely even use the "Desktop" pc anymore as my HTPC is an i3, 4GB RAM, 970GTX.

The only issue is with text reading and even then its not a big deal, set chrome browser defaults to extra large text. FPS gaming is doable/actually more comfortable with a keyboard on the lap and coach mouse M515 direct on the cushion.
 
Others have pretty much covered most of the bases by now. Suffice it to say, there are many options for PC gaming in the living room and they all have benefits and costs. However, it is easier than ever and with more options than ever to game in the living room!

First thing to decide is if you are willing to build/buy a living room PC, if you want some sort of "streaming receiver", or if you're looking to physically carry a PC you have elsewhere in the house to the living room and hook it up directly. Likewise, decide on how performance, convenience, and cost balance out for you. These decisions will guide you. From there you can narrow it down to what fits your interest, budget, and lifestyle.
 
You can buy quick clip on PC carry harnesses to make it safer and easier if your PC is bulky/heavy.
If you do it regularly, leave permanently attached.
 
For my apartment I run a 15 foot DVI to HDMI cable from my PC to my receiver. Just switch inputs when I want to game on the couch and use my old 360 gamepads. I noticed lag when trying to using duplicate, but it's gone when just using the single output to the tv.

DVI to HDMI cables will run sound as well (even 5.1) as long as the hardware on both ends is decently new.

The Fallout 4 launcher does loose it's mind a touch since my monitor is 16:10 and the TV is 16:9, it initially won't let me select any resolutions after switching, but popping in and out of the advanced settings without changing anything resets it.
 
I have two PCs. One is a desktop, the other is an HTPC. Granted, it's a large box that has the dimensions of a very large reciever. Seeing that I don't mind playing most games with a controller, I game mostly on my TV. I can run games better than the consoles, while also still having a controller and sitting on the couch. The only issue is that there isn't a great OS/Setup for HTPCs. So, you have to deal with a slightly sloppy KBM/Controller combo.

You'll also run into a few games that have issues with HDMI output. Castle of Illusion and Metal Gear Revengeance are two examples of games that have issues running on TVs.
 
Can't say I've ever run into any games that won't run on my TV, but I have had to hook up a normal monitor temporarily when a game defaults to some oddball resolution/refresh rate. My newest TV seems to handle a lot more variations, though.

For day to day use, I keep my KB/M on tray tables. These work great: http://www.amazon.com/As-Seen-On-TV-Table-Mate/dp/B00D8OUCAS
I have a pair of them I bought for $20 each at Bed Bath and Beyond. I just grab my pad whenever starting a game, as I game on a pad like 75% of the time. Pretty much anything that isn't a twitch shooter. For those, I just stick to my tray tables.
Logitech's G700 mice are solid for gamers. You might not win a world-level CS tournament, but they're more than enough for anyone who isn't a pro. If you are a pro, you likely shouldn't be pro gaming on a TV setup.

Something anyone gaming on a TV should probably investigate is motion stutter. I find it to be far more prevalent than with a normal monitor. Typically toggling between full-screen and windowed borderless solves most issues. I highly recommend DL'ing a copy of Borderless Gaming for the instances where games don't support bordlerless fullscreen.
 
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