techsupport

2613 readers

29 users here now

The Lemmy community will help you with your tech problems and questions about anything here. Do not be shy, we will try to help you.

If something works or if you find a solution to your problem let us know it will be greatly apreciated.

Rules: instance rules + stay on topic

Partnered communities:

You Should Know

Software gore

Recommendations

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

GatoB@lemmy.world

Substitutes for a TV? (lemm.ee)

submitted 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) by TimewornTraveler@lemm.ee to c/techsupport@lemmy.world

24 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Not sure a good discussion place to post this. I just want some brainstorming.

Looking for ideas on how to set up a faux-TV in the living room using a computer. I want to put an entertainment center across from the couch and have a place to watch media. But I have no interest in paying for cable/satellite/public broadcasts. (Why pay to be advertised to?)

I have a good collection of shows and movies on external hard drives. I figure I could buy a big monitor and plop it up there with a laptop attached. I could do a makeshift mouse using a game pad and Steam.

I just wanted to check if anyone had alternatives in mind. The mouse situation is suboptimal. Having to get another laptop is also suboptimal. The "TV" would also be about 200cm (6.5ish ft) away from the seating area, so I wonder how expensive an appropriately sized monitor would be. But I can't think of any other way! Any ideas or have I pretty much figured it out?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] shyguyblue@lemmy.world 2 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Yup. You get the Jellyfin server installed on a "real"computer, hooked up to whatever storage you need, then you install a client app on the Pi, or even use a web browser to connect to the server.

The benefit of keeping them separate;

you don't have to look at the server and array of hard drives
you can use any device with a web browser to talk to the server; phones, tablets, even the Amazon fire stick has a Jellyfin client app

[–] TimewornTraveler@lemm.ee 2 points 8 hours ago

oh wow I hadn't considered that benefit. i have just been hard copying things from my PC to my bedroom laptop. that would really simplify things