Streaming Device - 1080p from PC to TV flawlessly

T

topslop1

2[H]4U
Joined
Apr 15, 2002
Messages
3,185
Looking for a streaming device that will stream my PC to my TV flawlessly wireless.

Something that would handle a high detail 1080p movie streamed to the TV without any studdering or slow downs or detail loss.

Does this device exist?
 
Basically all the things do that:

AndroidTV / FireTV / Roku / Nvidia Shield streaming box
Home Theater PC front end
Chromecast / Miracast / WiDi / Wireless AV transmitters
DLNA/ SMB / Plex / Kodi share to a smart TV or streaming box

If it is a smart TV, you may even be able to add it via "Devices and Printers" within Windows.

1080p isn't demanding, so any of the above would be able to handle without issue provided you have a more modern wireless setup like N or AC or go with something like the wireless AV which uses their own signal.
 
I will help you out and point you in the right direction saving you both time and money.

1. Download and install Plex Media Server. Easy to setup. This is totally free software. When you get the paid services page that pops up at the end of installation, do not let it confuse you. Close the window and proceed to the setup options.

2. Buy you a Roku Premier. $75 or so dollars on Amazon. Or the Roku Ultra for $99 and possibly even cheaper using Facebook marketplace and or Craigslist to find one. I suggest you DO NOT BUY anything other than the Roku Premier or Roku Ultra. While you can accomplish the same goals with the Roku sticks, the performance is not there and you lose valuable time performing tasks along the way. I've also had wifi streaming issues using sticks. I've never had problems streaming 4K content with the Premier or Ultra.

3. Hook up the Roku to your TV. Plug in the power and HDMI cable and go through the setup. Here you will pick your channels, config your wifi etc. Make sure to pick the Roku channel. You can also sort your channels the way you want them.

4. Once Plex is installed and your library is in place, simply turn on your TV, go to your Roku, select the Plex channel and decide what movie you would like to watch.

5. Turn off the lights, get comfy and enjoy your movie.


Total cost is $75 to $100 dollars. Setup time is around 10 minutes for everything. Level of difficulty, 3 out of 10.


Pro Tip: To add additional value to your setup for not a lot of money buy you a Google Chromecast and a Google Home Mini. You can then use Chrome on your mobile device to stream most video sources. You can also use voice commands to have your Google Home Mini play videos for you over your Chromecast. You can find used Chromecasts and Google Home Mini's all day long for cheap on Facebook Marketplace and or Craigslist.

I think I paid $10 for Chromecast and $20 for a Google Home Mini.

You can do all of this cheaply with amazing results. It's not complicated. I've been streaming for over 12 or 13 years. It's so easy and cheap in 2018. Dirt cheap. With a little effort, time and money you can end up with results that will not only impress you but you're Friends and Family as well.
 
Last edited:
Are you looking to stream exactly what's on your desktop or just media content stored on your desktop?
 
I grabbed a Nvidia shield lately, hadf a remuxed 4k movie and i was suprised...i was streaming it over AC...NOW...every about 20mins or so, it would stop to buffer but ya.. i am sure it could handle 1080 over AC.
 
Most devices can play the actual media just fine. It's often in the interface you will notice the differences. The Apple TV has been the smoothest interface device I have used (I haven't used dozens of different models, so don't counter). Buttons are responsive. But that comes with some adjustment. Part of the Apple smoothness is the expectation that media will be exactly as it expects it to be....which is fine if you are just now making the switch to a digital library. It could be a bear if you already have 100 MKV's ripped.

1080p "high bitrate" only needs about 3-4MB/s to stream, so don't worry if it's not gigabit connection. 4K h265 isn't much higher on bandwidth needs. So if the device only has 100mb network plug, it's not a problem.
 
Another vote for Nvidia Shield TV. After purchasing and testing Amazon, Apple, Roku, and various Android boxes, this was easily the best in terms of features, content, and flexibility.
 
Chromecasts suck, I gave like three of them away. The fire sticks are just OK, at least they have their own remote. The fire TV boxes are better, meaning faster responding and more support for direct play. The shield plays everything so far from Plex. Nothing compares to the support for video playback. Never used a Roku or Apple. The shield also has games, can mirror your gaming PC, so you can play your PC games through the shield on your big screen, (letting getting lit and playing quake on the 65" like I'm a kid again). I have fire tv boxes in the bedrooms, testing a fire cube, but on my main TV in the living room it is shield all the way.
 
Cylocybin said:
its so much more expensive what can it really do thats better
Click to expand...

Everything! $179 (not on sale) for this device is a steal. From it's ability to stream games from either Nvidia Experience and Steam, or right from Nvidia's servers to it's ability to stream almost any service (no iTunes, but who cares?). It can host Plex on it, great emulator support for classic gaming, has access to the Play store, and sideload apps if you prefer that, full controller support (Nvidia, PS4, Xbox One), add USB storage for Plex or other media, fast responsive interface, and during testing the only device to pass full audio through. This is in my opinion the only option for media playback and living room gaming. Show me another device that even comes close to this at this price point, and design!
 
Yes, if you have an Xbox One or PS4 and want to use it for this purpose. The lack of features and crap UI killed them as options for me.
 
+1 on the shield if you intend to do much more than just streaming
 
westrock2000 said:
Most devices can play the actual media just fine. It's often in the interface you will notice the differences. The Apple TV has been the smoothest interface device I have used (I haven't used dozens of different models, so don't counter). Buttons are responsive. But that comes with some adjustment. Part of the Apple smoothness is the expectation that media will be exactly as it expects it to be....which is fine if you are just now making the switch to a digital library. It could be a bear if you already have 100 MKV's ripped.

1080p "high bitrate" only needs about 3-4MB/s to stream, so don't worry if it's not gigabit connection. 4K h265 isn't much higher on bandwidth needs. So if the device only has 100mb network plug, it's not a problem.
Click to expand...

Uhd discs can peak over 100mbut, not to mention tcp overhead.

100mbit simply won’t get the job done.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top