Apple TV-like device to stream internet?

January 31, 2012 1:48 PM

What like apple TV but without the limitations? I want to stream the internet from my ipad / laptop without having to use the cord.

Apple TV seems great, but itunes is horrible and I watch most of my stuff on streaming sites. My husband would like to be able to watch his sports too but plugging my laptop in and then losing it to the TV everytime I want to watch something is a real bugger.

We both have google-centric lives too so if getting an android tablet would help any of this at all, we're open to it.

posted by JJkiss to technology (18 answers total)

We have an old computer permanently hooked up to one of our TVs. Easy to switch between real TV and computer TV (Netflix, Hulu, recorded shows...)
posted by i_am_a_fiesta at 1:51 PM on January 31, 2012

If you jailbreak an Apple TV, you can install XBMC on it, under which you can play most any digital file, view Hulu, Netflix, etc.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:52 PM on January 31, 2012 [1 favorite]

Does that mean you can stream internet? How would you navigate around?
posted by JJkiss at 1:53 PM on January 31, 2012

Apple TV lets you watch Netflix and youtube.
posted by dfriedman at 1:59 PM on January 31, 2012

I watch things from all sorts of sites... including those but not exclusively. i'd like to be able to watch websites as well: Funny or die, sock share, etc.
posted by JJkiss at 2:03 PM on January 31, 2012

Boxee has a bunch of "apps". Think I've seen Funny or Die in a screenshot.
posted by backwards guitar at 2:08 PM on January 31, 2012

Revisiting the Home Theater PC.

Build a Cheap But Powerful Boxee Media Center
posted by cupcake1337 at 2:09 PM on January 31, 2012

aTV Flash appears to do this. I haven't jalibroken my Apple TV yet so can't vouch for it.
posted by birdherder at 2:10 PM on January 31, 2012 [1 favorite]

You could get a used or refurb'ed Mac mini for about $300-400, add Perian and VLC, and you can watch all manner of media from it, as well as web content via a web browser of your choice (Hulu, Netflix, etc. through Chrome, Safari, Firefox...).
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:10 PM on January 31, 2012

If you're willing to hassle with it, building your own HTPC is probably your most flexible option. If you want it to more-or-less "just work," then a boxee box may be a good alternative, although they're not perfect.
posted by gd779 at 2:15 PM on January 31, 2012

You'd probably be best off plugging an inexpensive computer into the TV permanently. You can then control it using a wireless keyboard with an integrated trackpad or using your smartphone. I've used several for the iPhone and they're great as long as you have excellent wifi reception.
posted by The Lamplighter at 2:22 PM on January 31, 2012

It'd help to understand exactly what you want to stream, from where, to where.

If you want to stream random Internet downloads from a computer to a TV, I finally settled on the solution for me: a jailbroken AppleTV running PLEX. It works great: I have a Linux server with my media files (works on Mac and Windows too) and can then stream to PLEX clients running on the Apple TV, my iPad, or another computer. It'd be a little easier to do this with a custom built home theater PC. But the Apple TV is only $100, has a great UI, and is very low power. The one drawback I've found is no Amazon or Hulu Plus support.

Other options include a Boxee box or Roku.
posted by Nelson at 2:42 PM on January 31, 2012

If you want to watch stuff from a browser, you're almost certainly going to need a computer connected to your TV. I don't think any of the streaming set top boxes do streaming Flash video from a browser very well, or at all. Be aware that connecting a computer to your TV is going to be a lot more work in updating and maintaining than connecting something like an AppleTV.
posted by cnc at 2:53 PM on January 31, 2012

This is exactly what Google TV was supposed to be for, but the reviews to date have not been kind. Still, if your life is as Google-centric as you say it might be a good fit for you.
posted by contraption at 3:53 PM on January 31, 2012

Another alternative might be to get an iPad and an Apple TV, then use AirPlay to stream video from websites on the iPad to the Apple TV. This too is apparently a bit hit-and-miss, though, depending on what the site itslef is supplying.

If you really want to be able to play internet video from anywhere, the only foolproof way to do it is with a dedicated computer hooked to the TV. This could be just about any cheap machine with a VNC server installed to control it while you're using your laptop and a teensy wireless keyboard/trackpad for when you're not. If you want a more integrated media player experience on this computer you can always install Boxee or XBMC (on which Boxee is based) and have it when you want it, but still retain the ability to drop into a standard browser to view those oddball sites that refuse to be viewed any other way.
posted by contraption at 4:09 PM on January 31, 2012

Just want to second birdherder's comment to check out ATVFlash on either a first or second generation AppleTV. They have different capabilities, but in both instances the ATVFlash software dramatically extends the usability of the device.

I have a couple of first generation Apple TVs on which I've installed ATVFlash, and it's made them pretty awesome little devices. I can run Boxee, XMBC, FireFox, and many other open source apps, as well as iTunes. I can stream files from my computer, and I can also plug in an external USB storage device (like a flash drive), etc, and play media from that on the fly.

You pay the folks at ATVFlash a bit for the benefit of their easy installer and their development and testing costs, but in the end you have a device that's very handy and accessible via a universal remote.

You can buy a first generation AppleTV on CL for $50-$80, sometimes even less. If you're a little handy, there are numerous instructions on the net that explain how to ditch the undersized OEM PATA drive and install a much larger and cheaper SATA drive.
posted by mosk at 4:58 PM on January 31, 2012 [1 favorite]

Boxee Box. I'm on my phone so i can't link, but it streams from all sorts of places natively, and has a browser built in with optimized media viewer for everything else. Plus, it'll play every media file you can throw at it, has Netflix of course plus dozens more apps (including FunnyOrDie), and heck, even technically supports (a somewhat buggy) AirPlay. I love mine so much I gave up cable and am debating getting another for the bedroom.
posted by cgg at 10:47 PM on January 31, 2012

we've got an old mac mini running Plex, works great!
posted by inertia at 11:50 AM on February 1, 2012