Wireless (or IP) video output to TV options

[YeOldeStonecat]

We have a 52" TV up on the wall of our office. Often slave her to a laptop on the conference table below it, to do demo's or presentations when we're doing meetings. But then someone has to sit at that table, driving the laptop, getting a sore neck looking up.

Know of any presentation hardware we can stick on our desktop computers, so we can do the presentations from our desktops? Our desktops have ATI cards for dual monitors on them now, but I'm wondering if there is some hardware out there which allows say...a 3rd video out, and have a receiver connected to the big screen TV to capture that image. Could be wireless non-802.11. Could be IP...pretty sure the TV has an RJ45 or wireless NIC.

Yeah, we could put remote software on the laptop...but we have so much on our desktops, would rather do it from them. And it's 2x different desktops.

 

[FremontPC]

Haven't used it myself, but supposedly Chromecast can mirror your PC screen (experimental). No sound, though:

http://www.extremetech.com/computin...ktop-browser-and-local-media-to-your-tv-video

I know you're not a great Apple fan, but there's Air Parrot which can send a PC or Mac desktop to Apple TV:

http://www.airsquirrels.com/airparrot/

There are a bunch of devices out there including Intel WiDi, many mixed reviews. Looks like the cheapest way to take it for a run is the Chromecast dongle.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Thanks Fremont...will look at those.....

 

[glricht]

Haven't used it myself, but supposedly Chromecast can mirror your PC screen (experimental). No sound, though ...

Had a customer a few weeks ago using Chromecast. I hadn't seen it before so he demoed it for me.

There's a HDMI dongle that plugs into the TV and establishes a wifi connection to the customer's router. The Chromecast software on the PC (running within Chrome) connects to the dongle via the internal network. The customer can use either the PC or a TV remote to control what's shown on the TV. Was pretty neat.

Edit: I seem to recall that there was sound on the TV, but can't remember for sure.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Got the Chromecast dongle in....set it up on our TV at the office.
Easy peasy setup, it does need power..(plugs into HDMI on the TV)..comes with a mini wall wart adapter, and a USB adapter. I used the USB adapter plugged into a USB port behind the TV, so less cable mess to see.

Install the ChromeCast extension into Chrome on the computers on our office, ran an update on the dongle, and bam..they can connect.

Played with the experimental desktop cast....since I have dual monitors it defaults to showing that on the TV, which isn't optimal. Can't find a way to *nix that..maybe just disable the 2nd monitor in Winders before doing a demonstration or education meeting from my desktop.

Anyways...cool suggestion, thanks!

 

[nlinecomputers]

Will it do powerpoint?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Will it do powerpoint?

Via the "beta" Desktop Cast" mode...yes. Literally anything on your desktop, all your programs, whatever. This beta Desktop Cast mode is literally full screen (start menu, task bar, etc) and multi-monitor aware, and sounds.

http://www.extremetech.com/computin...ktop-browser-and-local-media-to-your-tv-video

 

[nlinecomputers]

Ok well that makes getting on a must have on my to do list. Worth darking the door of Best Buy for that.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Ok well that makes getting on a must have on my to do list. Worth darking the door of Best Buy for that.

And if you don't want to be seen trying to camouflage yourself to sneak into BestBuy..we just ordered from SlAmazon on Thur or Friday...arrived today.

 

[FremontPC]

"..maybe just disable the 2nd monitor in Winders before doing a demonstration or education meeting from my desktop."

Perhaps create a new profile for this, customized for presentations and keep your data on the net?

 

[ck1402]

Been using chromecast on the home level for awhile love. Does what it's supposed to do. If you can open up a presentation in a chrome tab possibly and slide the browser to the second monitor that could work. If your using PowerPoint maybe use the 365 version and go from there? Just a thought.