Connecting computer to DVDR

[micky]

I want to connect my computer to my DVDR (and thus my tv's) but for now, I'm no longer interested in Roku or any of the other services. I just want to sit in bed or a more comforable chair to watch a free Youtube or Hulu video. And for now I'm not going to worry about wireless. Also, my largest TV is 19 inches and at least 10 years old so I'm not needing... . whatever one needs to have a big picture (what is that?)

They're a little under 50 feet apart.

First, if I get a 50' active (amplified) USB cable, will it actually work for my USB keyboard/mouse (that I to buy still.)? 50 feet is not too far? I thought I'd get a wireless one and plug the dongle into the 50' foot extension cable. Is that okay?

Second, I have two choices for the audio-video. For audio, in either case, I will use the output from the sound car with a stereo Y-connector to split for the local speakers and the remote TV, and a different kind of Y connector to split to left and right RCA connectors. (Unless there is good, cheap way to transmit both left and right on the same cable??)

So with all that, the choices are

1) two 50' RCA cables and one 50' S-Video cable. versus 2) one 50' Cat6 cable with an AV balun at each end. (one with jacks for S-video and L and R audio.)

Which will work better? What will be bad about the other one? ;-) .

Is 50 feet too far for either to work nicely?

(HDMI and optical are not possible, because of available outputs and inputs.)

Same questions if the cables are 100' long instead of 50'? Because of the next paragraph.

They're a little under 50 feet apart and I'd like to hide the wires. if I were to run the wires into the wall, up to the attic, over to the rear, down to the closet, along the baseboard, etc. it woudl take 100 feet. Were I to buy 100 foot wires now and leave 50 feet of them coiled at one end or the other, could that cause interference or choking or any problem with S-Video, RCA cables, Cat 5e or Cat 6?

Should I use Cat6 even if it's a little more expensive than Cat5e?

Thanks for any heop you can give.

[trader_4]

Compared to all that angst, the cost of the long cables, I don't see why Roku or similar isn't a better solution to watch youtube or hulu.

[Thane]

Your solution will be more expensive than a Roku which is around $90 to buy the box and there's no monthly fees unless you subscribe to a channel, but some are free.

I also hooked a cheap XP computer to my TV, loaded linux (free) and use this for internet access. (It also works with XP). I use a wireless keyboard and mouse, but this is limited to around 15 feet. This connects to a RGB input on the TV, or component video, whatever your computer has and eliminates the hassle of external speakers.

Thane

[Thane]

Just to be clear, the computer video output connects to the TV RGB input.

Thane

[La-Z-Boy]

Yah, using a computer at a desk sucks.

I got a La-Z-Boy recliner all set up with a pair of 24" Asus monitors (1920x1200res) on swing arms, a mouse pad attached to the arm rest and a small wireless keyboard for my lap. Got open book shelves on each side for various surfing accessories like speakers, phone, TV remotes, coffee cup hot plate and the CPU.

I had a mini-fridge but it made too much noise. Maybe a peltier-type fan-less unit would work here?

[micky]

In short,

Is a 50' active (amplified) USB cable with a wireless keyboard dongle too long to work with a wireless keyboard/mouse?

Of the two choices:

1) two 50' RCA cables and one 50' S-Video cable. versus 2) one 50' Cat6 cable with an AV balun at each end. (one with jacks for S-video and L and R audio.)

Which will work better? What will be bad about the other one? ;-) .

Is 50 feet too far for either to work nicely?

Thanks for any heop you can give.

[micky]

Yes, the problem is that it has channels, and I want to see everything that can go on my computer screen. I don't want to be limited to its channnels. At first, Roku or Apple TV sounded it like it would do that, and maybe I wasn't positive doing that was what I really wanted, but it is.

Yeah. I think they say 33 feet, but I know they often don't reach that far. But even if I put the computer back in the office, it's 40 feet, and if I leave it where it is, it's 46 feet. I don't want to use another computer. I'll get confused.

I don't have RGB input on my DVDR or any of my TVs.

I don't have component output on the computer or input on the DVDR or TVs. Sorry that I didn't list this as something I don't have. I always forget this one.

Yeah. I won't need external speakers. The TVs all have speakers, and the bedroom TV has external speaker(s).

I appreciate that you went to the trouble of posting, but you didn't actually address any of my questions.

Is a 50' active (amplified) USB cable with a wireless keyboard dongle too long to work with a wireless keyboard/mouse?

Of the two choices:

1) two 50' RCA cables and one 50' S-Video cable. versus 2) one 50' Cat6 cable with an AV balun at each end. (one with jacks for S-video and L and R audio.)

Which will work better? What will be bad about the other one? ;-) .

Is 50 feet too far for either to work nicely?

Would 100 feet be too long for choice 1 or choice 2?

Same questions if the cables are 100' long instead of 50'? Because of the next paragraph.

Were I to buy 100 foot wires now and leave 50 feet of them coiled at one end until I can run them through the walls, would the coiling cause interference or choking or any problem with S-Video, RCA cables, Cat 5e or Cat 6?

Again thanks for any heop you can give.

[micky]

So this is for Wide Screen? Todd-A-O? Cinerama?

Or you show the same thing on each one, but that way you can turn your head?

I'lll bet you can sleep there too!

I would think so. No noise aiui.

[La-Z-Boy]

Mostly to view multiple documents at once.

It has happened on occasion.

[Thane]

I haven't had much success with amplified long cables with either USB or video. The large screen TV's give good definition and any ringing through the cables (impedance mismatching) becomes exaggerated. It could be an expensive experiment to try. I know this isn't what you want, but this was all part of my decision to buy a $100 refurbished Dell to put under the TV, connected to the net and with XP or linux loaded, networked with my office PC, gave me complete choices on almost everything. I also bought the Roku and ... well this worked for me.

Good luck.

Thane

[micky]

If these are the facts, I have to hear it. At least you've tried long and amplified cables, which is what I need to know about.

Well, I'll consider it . It's as easy to run internet to the bedroom as the other 3 cables, and I sure have spare computers now, though only one has windows installed and that's allocated to some other chore, Maybe I could put it one place. It's near the heating vent but maybe I could insulate that side of the computer

*** especially if the first plan doesn't work. My tv screens are mostly 14" so maybe problems will show up less? The first plan requires so little preparation, only buying cables and a maybe-wireless keyboard,

Maybe I should add that I have a set of baluns already, and I tried them once with 100' cable, not yet put in the walls, so 50' of Cat6 coiled up, and the sound was fine but the picture was grainy, But one guy on the web said he had the same problem and he turned on something else first and later turned it off and the picture was perfect (I saved his article.) , and the biggest problem is that I was in bedroom and all the controls were 50 feet away.

Cables are either cheaper than they were, or I learned about monoprice.com where they are darn cheap. It will be either 30 or 50 dollars depending on which plan I use, plus modest postage, and that's for 100 feet. . I bought a couple 18' amplified USB's. I had a plan to put a USB camera on the end of a 20 foot pole with an 18' foot USB cable (plus the camera cable) and a laptop and record the view of inside my gutter. At the time I had a spherical camera that I couldn't easily attach to the pole***, but even though I couldn't point it in the right direction, the USB cable clearly worked well, at 18 feet. At some cheap store I got another camera for $4, complete with microphone fwiw, that is rectangular, but I haven't tried it yet to look in the gutter.

***The pole, a water pipe, has a crook at the top, a U-turn that pointed into the gutter, meant for cleaning the gutters from ground level by spraying a narrow storong stream of water into them. It seems to have worked last month for my front gutter, but the rear gutter has, I'm guessing, a bunch of cottonwood seeds that seem rather tar-like.

The water pipe telescopes but is really meant for a one-story house. I had to tape it to another telescoping pole I have for painting high up. The alternative was to borrow a ladder, which is a pain, even though my friend will deliver it and pick it up. I just found a neighbor only 250 feet away with a 30 foot ladder. I asked if he'd rent it and he said yes. We have to figure out what a fair rental is.

Thanks.

[Thane]

If you have old computer(s) available, why not try to install linux (I use Mint) on one? This will be free and is surprisingly easy. I know this is OT for this group, but all you need is to download the iso from the linux mint website and burn it to either a CD/DVD or a USB stick, then boot off it. It brings up a test environment and shows you it working without installation. It also gives you the option of installing it alongside whatever OS you have installed (dual boot) or replacing the original. I did this 4 years ago on an old, slow XP machine with an earlier version of Ubuntu linux and was amazed at how much faster it became. The best part is it will cost you nothing! I've never looked back and have switched from Microsoft for all tasks except for some legacy ones.

Anyway, to each his (or her) own.

Thane

[micky]

I didn't notice the first time I answered, but in your reply you or your software removed the names of other newsgroups, except I guess the one you were reading.

If you did it, that's a violation of Usenet etiquette. If you insist on doing it, you should at least note in the body of your reply what you've done.

Thane did the same thing.

[La-Z-Boy]

When I was in England, I experimented with marijuana a time or two, and didn't like it. I didn't inhale and I didn't try it again.

Is it a misdemeanor or a felony?

I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.

Book 'em, Danno!