streaming video from PC>>>>TV

[bruisedknee]

i used to use my blu ray player to stream video from my PC to my TV, it worked very well when i still had XP

when i ushered in Windows 7, it screwed that up royally - it became a nightmare to add content to the library and stream it over

a friend introduced me to Plex, which worked OK, just not with movies that had subs - i got tired of renaming subs as per the FAQ and not having it work in Plex
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so now that we know what i've tried, what haven't i tried?

i just want a simple (and free) app that streams video from my PC to my TV

[ztommyx]

You'll have to rename your subtitle regardless. The title of the movie and subtitle go hand in hand in exception of the .srt at the end. If not, your subtitle won't work properly.

Just get a media player and stream it thru your TV no need for s computer or laptop.

[bruisedknee]

You'll have to rename your subtitle regardless. The title of the movie and subtitle go hand in hand in exception of the .srt at the end. If not, your subtitle won't work properly.

Just get a media player and stream it thru your TV no need for s computer or laptop.

yeah, i always rename the movie and subs the same name, so that's a nonissue - i did a bit of reading and it seems Plex still won't show certain subs even if you do that, due to the way some subs are encoded, or something to that effect

i was indeed using a media player to stream, at least with XP - 7 just made it way too complicated, so i gave up

[bruisedknee]

just tried setting up mymedia on my roku, fail
currently reading up on Emby, DS Video, Media Browser, and XBMC

[bruisedknee]

just finished setting up Emby (used to be Media Browser)

the good: easy setup, decent streaming quality
the bad: no subs, wtf!

[itdiestoday]

It really doesnt get easier than Plex.  If you're looking at XMBC then you might as well get a htpc and call it a day.

[ztommyx]

The key word is media player to TV not computer or laptop.

If you have apple or Roku player those will stream just fine. I have a cheap WD media player and it stream k or c movies with subtitles, not hard subs.

[Homer_Simpson]

The key word is media player to TV not computer or laptop.

If you have apple or Roku player those will stream just fine. I have a cheap WD media player and it stream k or c movies with subtitles, not hard subs.

I think itdiestoday is talking about hooking up an htpc to your TV. This is a good idea too, but not really needed if you're just streaming videos. If you plan to play games and other things, then it would make more sense.

I have the following devices (on 2 TVs):
* Micca EP950
* KDLINKS HD720 Extreme
* Raspberry Pi 2 running OpenELEC (Embedded Linux with XBMC/Kodi)

I use both the Micca and KDLinks to play media directly from the network share over WiFi. Works great. No lagging.!
The Raspberry Pi 2 with OpenELEC can also play directly from the network share, or can stream media through Plex, also over WiFi.
I have a custom-built Synology NAS hosting the file shares, and running Plex Media Server serving my media collection.

The Plex interface is a lot nicer. I have no troubles with subtitles on any of the 3 devices above. I use mostly MKV files or containers so all my subtitles are multiplexed into the MKV container. No need to worry about a separate subtitle file.

I'd say stick with Plex and get yourself a Raspberry Pi 2 with OpenELEC. You'll need to install a Plex client on XBMC/Kodi. This much cheaper and works great if you know what you're doing.

[bruisedknee]

ok, i guess Emby needed time to integrate my videos into the system, the subs seem to work now

but...i've only tried a couple of titles with subs, so i can't say it works with all subs just yet

[bruisedknee]

The key word is media player to TV not computer or laptop.

If you have apple or Roku player those will stream just fine. I have a cheap WD media player and it stream k or c movies with subtitles, not hard subs.

hardsubs, i have no problems with
it's the movies with external subs that the various players i've tried seem to have some problems with

[bruisedknee]

I think itdiestoday is talking about hooking up an htpc to your TV. This is a good idea too, but not really needed if you're just streaming videos. If you plan to play games and other things, then it would make more sense.

I have the following devices (on 2 TVs):
* Micca EP950
* KDLINKS HD720 Extreme
* Raspberry Pi 2 running OpenELEC (Embedded Linux with XBMC/Kodi)

I use both the Micca and KDLinks to play media directly from the network share over WiFi. Works great. No lagging.!
The Raspberry Pi 2 with OpenELEC can also play directly from the network share, or can stream media through Plex, also over WiFi.
I have a custom-built Synology NAS hosting the file shares, and running Plex Media Server serving my media collection.

The Plex interface is a lot nicer. I have no troubles with subtitles on any of the 3 devices above. I use mostly MKV files or containers so all my subtitles are multiplexed into the MKV container. No need to worry about a separate subtitle file.

I'd say stick with Plex and get yourself a Raspberry Pi 2 with OpenELEC. You'll need to install a Plex client on XBMC/Kodi. This much cheaper and works great if you know what you're doing.

i'm afraid that's a bit too complicated for me, i'm really just looking for a simple app that is good with subtitles - i watched everything from MKV to AVI to MP4, so i need something with good subtitle compatibility

i get the feeling that might be an impossible dream - my easiest solution might be the one i always overlook, just hook my PC up to my roku tv via HDMI, no need to worry if my subs will work or not, good ol WYSIWYG

[itdiestoday]

i'm afraid that's a bit too complicated for me, i'm really just looking for a simple app that is good with subtitles - i watched everything from MKV to AVI to MP4, so i need something with good subtitle compatibility

i get the feeling that might be an impossible dream - my easiest solution might be the one i always overlook, just hook my PC up to my roku tv via HDMI, no need to worry if my subs will work or not, good ol WYSIWYG

This is why i recommended a htpc.  If the subs are giving you trouble then its clear that a media streaming solution at this time isn't what you are looking for. Good luck on which ever solution you look for.

[Sifu]

I use Plex and Chrome stick.  Out of the box the Google stick is easier to setup, use and streams at high quality. 

I loved Plex but their support dropped for most of my older machines (360, PS3) and it still doesn't work without a subscription.  I can still stream from Apple and Windows though.  The interface is nicer; you can see your library, tag, create folders, add restrictions, etc. 

Overall if you just wanted something that works then the Chromecast is a great deal for less than $40.  The Roku is better if you like watching other things (Netflix, Amazon, Drama Fever, crunchy roll, etc)

[ztommyx]

I have no trouble with my WD media player. It plays subtitles without naming the same name as the movie-- under "unknown" instead of "English" or whatever language you have set for.

[N`Chync]

I use to have my PS3, Wii, living room computer, laptops, and etc all networked to my desktop. My family was able to watch movies I had on my computer. I was also able to watch stuff on my iPhone/Android when I was at work or away from home. Since moving to our new house I haven't set everything up again but that's also cuz I don't have the need any more. I just stream whatever from my phone to the TV/Apple TV/Roku/PS3 now.