facedown in the mainstream
October 7, 2015 12:18 PM Subscribe
I've got a newish laptop (1.5 yr old, Samsung, Windows 8) that pretty much exclusively is used these days to stream sports to my tv via hdmi. I'd like a slightly more elegant set-up than I currently have, which has it sitting on a little stool next to the tv.
Haven't used a computer in this way in 5 or 6 years, so there's probably options I'm not even aware of. Last time I just used a wireless mouse and keyboard, but I figure in a brave new world of smart fridges and smart washing machines, there's probably a way to use a traditional (smart) remote control? The tv itself, I should note, is not smart, but I love it and support it all the same.)
Ideally I'd like to leave it closed and tucked under the tv on a shelf. Most of the streaming I do is off one site, so I already have it set as the homepage when I open Chrome. Can answer any more questions - part of the problem here is I don't really know what my choices are. Willing to spend a bit of money on this but nothing big since generally it only gets used 2 or 3 times per week. Thnx Mefi.
Haven't used a computer in this way in 5 or 6 years, so there's probably options I'm not even aware of. Last time I just used a wireless mouse and keyboard, but I figure in a brave new world of smart fridges and smart washing machines, there's probably a way to use a traditional (smart) remote control? The tv itself, I should note, is not smart, but I love it and support it all the same.)
Ideally I'd like to leave it closed and tucked under the tv on a shelf. Most of the streaming I do is off one site, so I already have it set as the homepage when I open Chrome. Can answer any more questions - part of the problem here is I don't really know what my choices are. Willing to spend a bit of money on this but nothing big since generally it only gets used 2 or 3 times per week. Thnx Mefi.
There's a bunch of different kinds of app offerings that will give you basic keyboard/mouse support remotely via your smartphone. Google Remote Desktop will even let you control it from anywhere.
There's additionally a slew of offerings on amazon for cheap mini-keyboard/mouse combos that normally connect via USB.
None of these options would allow you to wake/turn on the laptop remotely though. So you'd still have to turn it on manually or keep it on all the time. (There's various ways to do this though - you could do some googling on "WOL - wake on LAN" This requires some technical aptitude.)
Also as a bonus, I just did an ask where I got a lot of advice on HTPCs, if you felt like upgrading your operation.
posted by mayonnaises at 12:53 PM on October 7, 2015
There's additionally a slew of offerings on amazon for cheap mini-keyboard/mouse combos that normally connect via USB.
None of these options would allow you to wake/turn on the laptop remotely though. So you'd still have to turn it on manually or keep it on all the time. (There's various ways to do this though - you could do some googling on "WOL - wake on LAN" This requires some technical aptitude.)
Also as a bonus, I just did an ask where I got a lot of advice on HTPCs, if you felt like upgrading your operation.
posted by mayonnaises at 12:53 PM on October 7, 2015
Response by poster: oh man, it didn't even occur to me that I could use my phone for this - any specific app recommendations for Android?
posted by mannequito at 1:11 PM on October 7, 2015
posted by mannequito at 1:11 PM on October 7, 2015
Best answer: I've always just used chrome remote desktop, but Remote Mouse looks like a good offering. Lots of positive reviews, good features like multimedia controls, and most of all, free! Couple other good options. Try searching "remote mouse" or "wifi mouse" and you'll hit all of the good ones in the Play Store.
posted by mayonnaises at 1:32 PM on October 7, 2015
posted by mayonnaises at 1:32 PM on October 7, 2015
I fought this battle with my HTPC and it just wasn't worthwhile for me. Inputting text without a keyboard and trying to hit small targets without a mouse was just too much of a hassle.
The remote desktop phone apps are a nice tech demo and they're functional, but in practice, you're trying to fit a 40" screen on to a 5" screen, which requires an absurd amount of zooming in and out, which when I tried it, was slow. Every time you want to reconnect, you've got to pick the phone up, unlock it, possibly open the app, wait for the two to reconnect and THEN you can actually control your TV. You also have the problem of other people in the house needing to use the TV. Do you hook everyone's phones to the remote desktop app? Do you dedicate one?
I bought a Logitech K810 for a steal price on eBay, along with a wireless mouse. The K810 is small, aluminum and has backlights for the keys, so it can be used in the dark. I shove it and the mouse where my remotes for other things go. Both the keyboard and mouse will wake the computer from sleep (I typically turn them off when not using them), so I never touch the HTPC itself. It's just way less hassle.
Edit - the other solution would be wireless display, where you'd just control the laptop from the laptop. This could also be workable. I can't recommend the phone or remote solutions, however.
posted by cnc at 1:37 PM on October 7, 2015
The remote desktop phone apps are a nice tech demo and they're functional, but in practice, you're trying to fit a 40" screen on to a 5" screen, which requires an absurd amount of zooming in and out, which when I tried it, was slow. Every time you want to reconnect, you've got to pick the phone up, unlock it, possibly open the app, wait for the two to reconnect and THEN you can actually control your TV. You also have the problem of other people in the house needing to use the TV. Do you hook everyone's phones to the remote desktop app? Do you dedicate one?
I bought a Logitech K810 for a steal price on eBay, along with a wireless mouse. The K810 is small, aluminum and has backlights for the keys, so it can be used in the dark. I shove it and the mouse where my remotes for other things go. Both the keyboard and mouse will wake the computer from sleep (I typically turn them off when not using them), so I never touch the HTPC itself. It's just way less hassle.
Edit - the other solution would be wireless display, where you'd just control the laptop from the laptop. This could also be workable. I can't recommend the phone or remote solutions, however.
posted by cnc at 1:37 PM on October 7, 2015
You have Windows 8? Then you can probably go to 8.1...
It has built in screen sharing/streaming capability called "Miracast". You do have to buy a compatible HDMI dongle, and it is more expensive than the Amazon/Google dongles... But, I like it myself...
posted by jkaczor at 8:58 AM on October 9, 2015
It has built in screen sharing/streaming capability called "Miracast". You do have to buy a compatible HDMI dongle, and it is more expensive than the Amazon/Google dongles... But, I like it myself...
posted by jkaczor at 8:58 AM on October 9, 2015
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posted by mustardayonnaise at 12:36 PM on October 7, 2015 [1 favorite]