Simplest way to PC game on my TV...? Advice / recommendations please...

[The-Tmann]

So is Steam Link worth messing with, or
I've read that Samsung TV can run Steam app?
or just setup a PC next to my TV
What do you guys run, or recommend to easily PC game on big-screen TV? <<<
I just want simple, easy no hassle connection to game on my 75" ...
And no smartasses w/ "Just buy a PS5".....although I do want to play Uncharted series..hmm...

 

[Armenius]

So is Steam Link worth messing with, or
I've read that Samsung TV can run Steam app?
or just setup a PC next to my TV
What do you guys run, or recommend to easily PC game on big-screen TV? <<<
I just want simple, easy no hassle connection to game on my 75" ...
And no smartasses w/ "Just buy a PS5".....although I do want to play Uncharted series..hmm...

Make and model of your TV?

Simplest answer is Steam Link if your TV runs on Android.

 

[rhkcommander959]

Is your PC nearby or capable of being nearby?

I just have an HDMI ran to the TV from the PC (which sits at my desk nearby and is connected to my monitor as well), and VR into it too. TV set to Input1 for PC, grab the xbone controller and sit in the recliner when I'm in the mood for that. Then as needed I use a wireless keyboard and mouse or one of the mini combo units depending on what all I'm doing.

If it's far away like in another room ETC you can get a cat-to-hdmi converter called an HDMI Extender usually, that lets you use ethernet for the run, and terminates on both ends to HDMI basically:

Amazon $29 (for 1080p, more money for 4K): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TLZ13WN/

 

[sharknice]

If you want the best quality it's best to just connect your PC with HDMI. If you simply want to play and don't care about the quality there are streaming options other people mentioned.

 

[pendragon1]

hdmi cable and a xbox controller.

 

[LukeTbk]

It all depend how simple it is for you to simply have a pc next to your TV, because that seem by far without question the simplest and best way, but it could be complicated for some reason (wife/girlfriend/need of the PC to be in a family room-office or what not) which make answering a bit complicated.

Maybe there is a software solution that is simpler than the mechanical action of physically moving a PC around, but that would tend to be quite bounded of what aesthetic is acceptable for you near your TV, because it is hard to imagine anything simpler than that.

I imagine that is not really the question ?

Stuff you can look at if you have issue making everything work via steam:

Parsec to stream
Playnite to have a fullscreen interface with all your title on boot
To remove login and directly boot in your Playnite/big steam mode or other full screen game title interface:
https://pureinfotech.com/remove-login-password-windows-10/

 

[staknhalo]

I've been using Gamestream with Moonlight + Nvidia GPU to Nvidia Shields/other Android TV devices at TVs around the place (over MoCa wiring between rooms) for like 7/8 years now

Used to have "leftover/hand me down/backup parts" gaming rig next main TV only before that

 

[elvn]

Is your PC nearby or capable of being nearby?

I just have an HDMI ran to the TV from the PC (which sits at my desk nearby and is connected to my monitor as well), and VR into it too. TV set to Input1 for PC, grab the xbone controller and sit in the recliner when I'm in the mood for that. Then as needed I use a wireless keyboard and mouse or one of the mini combo units depending on what all I'm doing.

If it's far away like in another room ETC you can get a cat-to-hdmi converter called an HDMI Extender usually, that lets you use ethernet for the run, and terminates on both ends to HDMI basically:

Amazon $29 (for 1080p, more money for 4K): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TLZ13WN/

There are fiber HDMI 2.1 cables available now (8k 60hz/4k 120hz) so if you are anywhere 50 to 75 feet away you can run a fiber HDMI cable from your PC. They also sell fiber USB-C cables that you can connect to a usb hub at your tv for wireless devices/bluetooth transcievers. If room(s) away this might mean running through floor joists in basement or ceiling joists in attic. That and/or through a wall then using some plastic conduit they make for computer stuff (snap on little flat rectangular box kind that forms a slim box conduit strip as you snap pieces together) if you want to clean up wherever the cable is running in sight. They do sell fiber HDMI up to 100' or more but you are pushing your luck going that far for 4k 120hz 444 (and VRR).

The best scenario here in my opinion is if you have a hdmi 2.1 tv capable of 120hz VRR (variable refresh rate). Then you'd have a fiber HDMI output (and usb-c output) from what is typically the strongest GPU in your house at your main PC straight to your tv as if it was a monitor at your desk. That would avoid any streaming latency or other bugginess, resolution, VRR, Hz, HDR limitations etc... and would have the full power of your desktop GPU and CPU.

Currently I'm running a Legion 5 pro with rtx 3700 (140w laptop version that I got on a sub $1500 deal in early february) on my tv via it's hdmi 2.1 output at times, playing Elden Ring. You can hear the fans in that scenario though, even ~ 9' away at the tv, so eventually I'll probably run a fiber HDMI from my main rig in order to keep the living room silent. That is a huge benefit of doing longer HDMI runs. I used to do the same from a basement storage room for my main rig years ago which allowed me to crank the fans on the system with zero running noise at all at my desk/command center. People claim their system fan profiles run "silent" but it's really only silent when your pc is turned off (or in a remote location).

I do have a nvidia shield that can stream but I don't prefer to for some of the above mentioned reasons. I've tried streaming to an oculus rift (1) before it crapped out at ~ 2yr point but it was better when connected via a long usb-c line directly.

 

[The-Tmann]

Make and model of your TV?....
Samsung Q8 series

 

[elvn]

Not a bad screen at all. Good contrast for a LCD since it's VA and has local dimming. Also has good 1000nit HDR. Even though not HDMI 2.1 it has 1080p or 1440p 120hz freesync.


120hz freesync (quote from the RTings review https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/samsung/q8fn-q8-q8f-qled-2018):

1440p @ 120 Hz: 10.0 ms


Excellent low input lag across all input resolutions and refresh rates, as long as 'Game Mode' is activated. The 1080@120 Hz input lag is exceptionally low, which is great for Xbox One X gamers, as the Xbox One X will soon support 120Hz @ 1080p and at 1440p.


2018 Samsung TVs including the QLEDs and the NU8000 support 'Game Motion Plus', which interpolates lower frame rate games up to 120 Hz while in 'Game Mode'. This feature causes a small increase in input lag. When interpolating up to 60 Hz input lag is 20.8 ms, and when interpolating up to 120 Hz it is 26.6 ms. This is still low and most games should feel responsive.


The NU8000 and the Samsung 2018 QLEDs added support for Auto Game Mode. When it is enabled from the input menu, the TV will automatically switch to Game Mode when it detects a game being played on a console. We tested it on a PS4 and Xbox One S and it worked perfectly.


Update 06/08/2018: The input lag with VRR has been tested and added to the review.


Update 06/11/2018: 1440p @ 120 Hz performance has improved as of firmware version 1103. The 1440p @ 120 Hz input lag is now 10.0 ms, down from 25.0 ms.

.
Contrast:

Native Contrast: 5,551 : 1
Contrast with local dimming : 7,957 : 1

Excellent contrast ratio on the Samsung Q8F. It features a full array local dimming feature and is able to get very deep blacks.

.

Local Dimming :Yes
Backlight: Full-Array

Decent local dimming on the Q8FN, very similar to the Sony X900F. The Q8FN does not completely turn off zones that were far away from our test dot. The Q8FN has less visible blooming than the X900F, but the black levels are not as deep.
Update 01/08/2019: The Q8FN in Europe does not have a full array local dimming feature, but is instead edge-lit. Samsung has instead released the Q8DN, which has the same full array local dimming feature as the one we have tested.

HDR:

HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness

628 cd/m²

HDR Peak 2% Window

969 cd/m²

HDR Peak 10% Window

1,233 cd/m²

HDR Peak 25% Window

1,278 cd/m²

HDR Peak 50% Window

684 cd/m²

HDR Peak 100% Window

495 cd/m²

HDR Sustained 2% Window

946 cd/m²

HDR Sustained 10% Window

1,200 cd/m²

HDR Sustained 25% Window

1,258 cd/m²

HDR Sustained 50% Window

681 cd/m²

HDR Sustained 100% Window

493 cd/m²

HDR ABL

0.053


Very good brightness with HDR content. Small highlights are hitting the target 1000 cd/m² that HDR is mastered for. The screen brightness dips considerably with very bright scenes, but is still good for a bright room. Similar brightness to the LG C8, but with brighter highlights in very dark scenes, as shown by the small window tests.

 

[t1337duder]

I built an HTPC to use with my TV. Ended up liking it so much that it eventually became my main build (with a 3090). If you're smart about placement, you can integrate it well enough that nobody would ever figure out that you have a PC hooked up.

 

[rhkcommander959]

I built an HTPC to use with my TV. Ended up liking it so much that it eventually became my main build (with a 3090). If you're smart about placement, you can integrate it well enough that nobody would ever figure out that you have a PC hooked up.

That's what I've done. I have the PC hooked up stealthy to my TV but it's on my desk so I can: game with keyboard and mouse on the monitor, switch to the TV and grab an Xbox wireless controller and/or wireless keyboard and mouse, or grab my Oculus Rift and VR it up in front of the TV space. Thinking about all that, I need to mount the sensors higher so I can utilize more of the room!

 

[elvn]

It's even easier now (other than cost) to do a remote pc run since you can do a 35' , 50' , or 75' Fiber HDMI 2.1 line (still getting 120hz 4k HDR, 4:4:4, VRR) along with a fiber USB-C line to a usb hub for peripherals/transceivers..

I did it a long time ago with older gen dp, usb lines, spdif optical and and 3.5mm audio line on a 25' run from a storage room to my main pc rig and a 50' run from htpc from the same storage room to my living room tv. Then at some point the signal strength of modern higher bandwidth cables got too poor to do that with modern gpus and screens for awhile. In fact you couldn't get much more than a 9' cable reliably and 6' were recommended. My PC and my HTPC were both in a storage room nowhere near my desk and living room back before that limitation. Now I just stream to a nvidia shield from a pc library or use apps on the shield itself for htpc use at my tv so I don't need a rig at my tv for media at all anymore.

. . . . . . .

The main benefits of doing a long (25' to 50') video+audio+usb run from a remote rig were zero fan and running noise (-at all- .. like when your pc in your room is turned off) and very little room heat increase by comparison to one or more pc rigs in the display + peripheral rooms. However a considerable source of heat would still be my surround receiver unless I ran those speaker wires from a separate room as well, which is doable I guess as long as I set up a IR repeater again for the receiver's remote. The only heat other than that would be from display power adapters, peripheral power adapters, usb power adapters. There would also be no potential dust/pcb air issues I guess with everything in a remote room, and if it is a basement storage room like I used to have set up it would be easier to cool.

I had considered going back to that with fiber cable runs. The fiber HDMI and usb-c lines aren't cheap though, especially currently. I also have 3 screens at my desk so that would make running my command center desk room remotely a lot more expensive, prohibitively, compared to a single fiber hdmi 2.1 line and single usb-c line from pc desk to living room. 4 lines for pc room command center + 2 for living room, yeah that would be a lot of $. They run about $165 per 30' fiber hdmi 2.1 line, ~ $200 for a single 50' fiber hdmi 2.1 line, and ~ $160 for a 50' fiber usb-c (3.1) line. For pc to living room it might be around $350 for the two cables. I'd rather have no pc fans running in living room.

 

[t1k]

I have a 55" lgtv on a strong wooden desk, with my computer just behid it. I run cables underneath the left side of the TV to another 6'x2.5' folding table with my keyboard and mouse and vr headset and other things. This way I can get the distance just right and also keep things simple. The only extension cord I use is a 3.5mm headphone jack extension. Everything is wired (aside from the vr tech, obviously).

 

[Nenu]

An HDMI cable is all you need, a TV is just a large HDMI monitor.
Hide your PC inside a coffee table (with appropriate in/out fans) if you dont want to see it.

 

[Domingo]

PC gaming on a TV has been incredibly easy for a while. I still have friends and family that act like it's some kind of crazy complicated setup, but it's just an HDMI cable for most folks. No different than a console.
Wireless mice and keyboard tech has come a LONG way, too. There are plenty of good options from different brands, and you can rock both an Xbox or Playstation pad natively, too.

 

[Armenius]

Make and model of your TV?....
Samsung Q8 series

In that case I would just try out the Steam Link app for Android TV with a Xbox or PlayStation controller connected wirelessly. The DualSense and Series X|S controllers work out of the box with Steam Input and Bluetooth. Steam Big Picture mode allows you to navigate Steam with just a controller.

 

[toast0]

Make and model of your TV?....
Samsung Q8 series

If your computer has wifi, you might be able to use miracast screen mirroring? I'd guess it's not great for games, but I used it recently for watching a totally legitimate sports stream on my Q8DT and it was better than I expected. It could be a way to game on the tv without doing anything. Screen mirroring goes over wifi direct, so you can use it with a TV that you don't let connect to your network. (In theory, it can use wired networking, too, but I don't know if Samsung supports that; I have a few year old Roku Ultra that definitely doesn't do miracast over wired networking and wifi direct to that roku was much worse than to the tv directly)