Use Technology to Watch Any TV Show, Movie or Video from Your PC to TV

I am constantly amazed at the number of people who pay insane amounts of money simply to watch TV which, in my mind, is a completely unproductive waste of time that could be better spent on a computer!  After personally spending $150 a month for cable and high speed Internet for years I found a better way to watch nearly any TV show, series or movie on any TV in the house without paying any extra.  There is an investment required to buy the equipment needed including a SONY Playstation 3, a computer (everyone should have one by now), a Wireless Router and a software package called PlayOn to feed everything from the computer to the Playstation 3 system.

SONY developed an amazing Blu-Ray DVD player and put it in one of the best gaming systems on the market that includes wireless networking and a hard drive for only $299.  A decent Blu-Ray DVD Player is over $200 so the investment is well worth the additional benefits of wireless networking and an amazine High Definition gaming system. Click on the PS3 image to see features and the $299 discounted rate for the system with 120GB Hard Drive (use it like a TIVO to record movies or games) on the top rated Buy.com website.

Once you have the Playstation 3 you need to setup a Hulu account to access nearly EVERY new series, TV Show, cartoon, classic or movie (it's free) at http://www.hulu.com/ - once you create a profile BE SURE to set your QUEUE as PUBLIC so your Playstation 3 can access and play everything.  Hulu has been well advertised and has all of the latest shows or series with a short delay in some cases (you may have to wait a few days to watch the latest episodes).  Write down your Hulu username and password since you will need them later to setup the PlayOn Media Center with your Playstation 3 to wirelessly view shows and movies.

Netflix users have an additional benefit with this setup since you can wirelessly stream movies from your Netflix Instant Que to the Playstation.  I have the 3 at a time account from Netflix which gives me 3 DVD's at any time (usually watching 1, returning 1 and waiting for 1 to show up) plus Instant movies on your computer and your TV if you use this setup!  Netfix has an amazing website that tracks what you liked or disliked and automatically provides new movies based on your preferances - signup for the 1 month free trial and see how you like it before deciding which package works best for your needs.

If you do not already have a Wireless Router (any Wireless G or N Router will work) then buy one to share your High Speed Internet with your laptop, Playstation 3 or other computers in your house.  I suggest a Linksys Wireless N Router that Buy.com has on sale (usually $70 but on sale for $35) sold as a refurbished item (looks and works like brand new for 1/2 the price) - click on te router to the left for the discount until they are sold out.  The Linksys WRT160N (image on left) is over twice as fast as normal Wireless G Routers at a fraction of the cost - free WIFI to share with your laptop and Playstation 3 for movies and TV Shows!

Wireless Routers today are pretty much Plug and Play meaning you plug it in, follow the directions and it works without much effort.  Linksys is one of the best networking equipment companies around while others such as 3COM and NETGEAR are also well made and easy to use in most cases.

The last item you will need is the PlayOn Media Center software by The Media Mall http://www.themediamall.com/ which also comes with a free 30 day trial to test and use first.  NOTE: The PlayOn software only works if you have high speed Internet since it sends audio/video from the computer to your PS3 and TV to view.  Most home users with DSL or Cable (broadband) Internet will have no problems using the software, consider lowering the quality level if it becomes jumpy or slow when viewing.  Download the software, install it on the computer you plan on using as your 'Media Server' with the Wireless Router and configure the software adding Hulu.com, Netflix, YouTube.com and any other account you may have.  After the PlayOn software has been configured properly reboot the computer and login to make sure the software automatically starts when the computer is started.  The PlayOn software must be running and the computer must be turned on with the Wireless Router plugged in and setup for everything to work properly.

The last and final step to begin watching movies, TV shows, series and videos anytime you wish wirelessly is to configure the PS3 to find the new PlayOn Media Server from the computer.  The PS3 needs to be connected to the TV or screen desired for use and turned on.  Go to the Video area of the PS3 menu and select 'Search for Media Servers' which will require a minute or two to complete.  Once the search has completed select the PlayOn Media Server and select it to review any of the services you have setup with PlayOn software.  A menu to the right expands to show Hulu.com, Netflix and other services you have signed up for.  Simply select any show or movie in your Que and play it instantly 24/7 at no cost without cable, DISH or any other service.

Thank you and enjoy!

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
BuilderConsulting.com - Building Better Websites and Technology Solutions since 1995
913-814-8844 Office