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[tigers_gonads]

My parents have discovered the wonders of catch-up TV / iPlayer on the pc and want to watch the stuff on various TV's around the house.

Running a HDMI cable is really a non starter due to the logistics of it and the Wi-Fi signal will not be the greatest at its furthest point due to solid walls / shitty router so we are only looking at SD pictures here.

I'm thinking a fire stick or similar 

What are you lot using  ?

[STEMO]

My parents have discovered the wonders of catch-up TV / iPlayer on the pc and want to watch the stuff on various TV's around the house.

Running a HDMI cable is really a non starter due to the logistics of it and the Wi-Fi signal will not be the greatest at its furthest point due to solid walls / shitty router so we are only looking at SD pictures here.

I'm thinking a fire stick or similar 

What are you lot using  ?

A Sky box.

[TD]

I have a 3x powerline adaptors. One connected to a pc, one connected to my router and one connected to a tv. The tv streams from the pc in HD mode 

[zirk]

Assuming theve got WiFi and its just bog standard freebie stuff like you say 'catch-up TV / iPlayer' then a cheapo NowTV box will do the trick and will give them 720p via an HDMI from each Box, cant remember if you need a NowTV Account to watch the Free stuff but if you do then you can have up to 4 Devices per account which is all free once set up.

[Shackeng]

I use a wifi extender in my lounge as the powerline signal is not great. Serves the purpose you want.

[tigers_gonads]

All the TV's in the house are of the non smart variety so a plug in box of some kind is needed 

After having a look in the Argos book, these seem to be options .............

Amazon Fire Stick with Alexa.
Google Chromecast contraption.
Roku Express HD streaming stick.
Now TV Box.
Google Chromecast.

All for around 30 to 40 quid and all should do the same ish job once setup.

Any preferences out there in OOF land ??

[zirk]

You can pick up NowTV boxes off the Bay for under a tenner and normally in new condition, reason being NowTV do Bundle Promotions via, Argos, Currys etc, ie, Box and x Months of Movies / Entertainment Passes, Folk buy the Box for the Pass because its cheaper than buying the Pass on its own and sell the unwanted Box on the Bay. 

Or send a PM to Tunnie, he works for them 

[tigers_gonads]

You can pick up NowTV boxes off the Bay for under a tenner and normally in new condition, reason being NowTV do Bundle Promotions via, Argos, Currys etc, ie, Box and x Months of Movies / Entertainment Passes, Folk buy the Box for the Pass because its cheaper than buying the Pass on its own and sell the unwanted Box on the Bay. 

Or send a PM to Tunnie, he works for them 

I'll have a word with the parents later and pass all that lot on.

Thanks for the heads up on Tunnie 
Goes to show how much notice I take on here sometimes 

[tunnie]

Might be getting offers for NOW TV passes soon, introduce a friend is in the works, I did offer some cheap passes on here some time ago, no one was interested though. 

I'd probably go Powerline for network access through the house, if solid walls block WiFi, you could also go WiFi Extenders. Either way, get the house networked 

I'd then fit Chromecast's to the TV's, they are small, cheap, tucked behind and work well. You can then get adaptors to wired network (Ethernet) if you go the power line route, or just connect them to WiFi if you use extenders.

Then you can use mobile apps from BBC iPlayer, ITV, 4OD, NOW TV etc, to 'cast' from the phones to the TV's..... (*NOW TV iPhones only)

[tigers_gonads]

Might be getting offers for NOW TV passes soon, introduce a friend is in the works, I did offer some cheap passes on here some time ago, no one was interested though. 

I'd probably go Powerline for network access through the house, if solid walls block WiFi, you could also go WiFi Extenders. Either way, get the house networked 

I'd then fit Chromecast's to the TV's, they are small, cheap, tucked behind and work well. You can then get adaptors to wired network (Ethernet) if you go the power line route, or just connect them to WiFi if you use extenders.

Then you can use mobile apps from BBC iPlayer, ITV, 4OD, NOW TV etc, to 'cast' from the phones to the TV's..... (*NOW TV iPhones only)

Knowing my parents (who are well into there 70's and only ever got internet fitted to keep the grand kids quite  )  it will be the easiest / cheapest way forward 

I'll pass all that on when I get rid of this friggin Aussie Flu and i'm allowed through there door again 

Cheers   

[TheBoy]

Be aware many of those crap devices like firestick and chromecast are wifi only, so if your wifi is shite.....

Chromecast (inc Google Voice etc) also currently has a massive flaw that *WILL* kill your network if you leave it in standby too long.  Google seem to be knuckle dragging about fixing it.


Amazon sell an Ethernet adapter for firestick, but its about £15

[Kevin Wood]

Chromecast (inc Google Voice etc) also currently has a massive flaw that *WILL* kill your network if you leave it in standby too long. 

.. if your router is prone to being DOS'ed by a flood of packets.

[tunnie]

Be aware many of those crap devices like firestick and chromecast are wifi only, so if your wifi is shite.....

Chromecast (inc Google Voice etc) also currently has a massive flaw that *WILL* kill your network if you leave it in standby too long.  Google seem to be knuckle dragging about fixing it.


Amazon sell an Ethernet adapter for firestick, but its about £15

Not so 

https://store.google.com/product/ethernet_adapter_for_chromecast

[Marks DTM Calib]

Chromecast (inc Google Voice etc) also currently has a massive flaw that *WILL* kill your network if you leave it in standby too long. 

.. if your router is prone to being DOS'ed by a flood of packets.

Have they pissed up the standard Broadcom chip pause packet issue........you know, the one that's been around for years!

[Kevin Wood]

Chromecast (inc Google Voice etc) also currently has a massive flaw that *WILL* kill your network if you leave it in standby too long. 

.. if your router is prone to being DOS'ed by a flood of packets.

Have they pissed up the standard Broadcom chip pause packet issue........you know, the one that's been around for years!

The loop that sends an MDNS broadcast every 20 seconds doesn't handle the fact that the device has been "sleeping" so tries to "catch up"  when it powers up again.