I subscribe to Netflix online movie rental service and mostly watch DVDs on the plasma HDTV. There are times when I’d like to take advantage of Netflix’s “watch instantly” streaming internet video service to view a movie now without waiting for a DVD to arrive in the mail. It’s simple to watch a Netflix movie on a computer screen, but I wanted to watch from the comfort of the couch with the family on the 40-inch plasma HDTV. I needed a way to hookup the computer to the TV without buying a lot of new equipment.
Netflix from PC to TV
There is a growing number of Netflix Ready Devices on the market that make it easy to connect to the Internet and watch Netflix movies on your TV. However, what if I want to a YouTube or Hulu video? Or just watch streaming video any Internet site? I do have an Xbox 360 that is Netflix ready, but it’s connected to another TV downstairs in the game room.
I already have an HP Pavillion laptop computer with an HDMI port, so all I needed to watch Internet video on my HDTV was an HDMI cable.
Connecting a PC to a HDTV
Here’s the computer to HDTV connection diagram to watch Netflix, YouTube, Hulu or any streaming Internet video on the TV. If you’re like me, you already have a:
- Netflix subscription
- broadband connection
- WiFi router
- computer with a HDMI port
- HDTV
The the only thing I needed buy was a 6-foot HDMI cable.
Computer to HDTV Connection Diagram
Choosing an HDMI Cable
I bought the cheapest HDMI cable I could find, a Dynex 6.5 foot HDMI cable with gold plated connectors from Best Buy for $39.99 over the objections of the sales staff who insisted that only the much more expensive Monster or Rocketfish cables would do. The Monster and Rocketfish cables are prominently displayed and I had to ask where the Dynex cables could be found – way off to the side at end of an isle. Aside: DYNEX is a trademark of Best Buy Enterprise Services and distributed by Best Buy Purchasing, LLC.
HDMI signals are digital – zeros and ones, similar in concept to the Ethernet technology, carry very little power and are less subject to interference. The Best Buy salesman was thinking (or hoping I would) about analog audio signals and speaker hookups that need hundreds of watts and big, expensive cables for the best sound. This is not the case with digital.
Try the cheapest HDMI cable first. If it doesn’t work, return it. In the digital world there’s usually no difference in picture/sound quality between the low cost generic and the expensive cable brand.
Laptop HDMI Cable Connection
The HDMI port and cable are shown here:
Laptop Computer HDMI port and Cable
Insert the HDMI cable fully into the computer’s HDMI port.
HDMI Cable Plugged into the Laptop Computer
HDMI Cable TV Connection
This is the audio/video connections summary from the User’s Guide for my Philips plasma HDTV. It has two HDMI ports labeled HDMI 1 and HDMI 2. Either HDMI port can be used, I choose HDMI 1 for the cable hookup.
HDTV Audio Video Connectors
The HDMI cable from the computer is plugged into HDMI port #1 on the back of the TV. (The other cables at the upper right are my existing DirecTV connections for S-Video and analog sound.)
HDMI Cable Connection to the HDTV
Click here to continue reading Part 2 to configure Windows Vista.
Take care,
Bob Jackson
April 22nd, 2009 at 2:16 am
Great article! I’m loving your website;
May 9th, 2009 at 4:46 am
Hi, I fell blessed that I found your post while searching for hdtv converter. I agree with you on the subject Watch Netflix Instantly on your HDTV – Part 1 | HandymanHowto.com. I was just thinking about this matter last Saturday.
July 29th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
I use a powerful free Tivo type software called MediaPortal.
http://www.team-mediaportal.org
It is truly free i.e. not a demo, shareware or trial.
At this point I would only recommend it for people who are computer enthusiasts. Although it is getting easier to use.
It is very powerfull, feature rich and fully configurable.
I only use it as a DVD dukebox (kids movies mostly) and a supersized TiVo (3TB or storage).
October 1st, 2009 at 5:54 am
Hi – Thanks, this is great. I ran into one issue – sound was not through the TV speakers. How ever when I play other videos on my PC through HDMI the sound works well.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Sundeep
October 1st, 2009 at 6:02 pm
No sound is a problem for many readers; it either works right away – or at least after rebooting – or not.
Best bet is to check with your PC manufacturer to see that your audio drivers are up to date and search the manufacturers support forums for ‘HDMI’ and ‘audio’ for any known issues.
Please reply here if you find a solution with the particulars of your computer.
Thanks
January 3rd, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Great articule. I don’t have an HDMI port, but on my docking station, I do have a DVI port. Can I use an DVI to HDMI cable, and will that transmit the sound also? Thanks.
January 3rd, 2010 at 2:33 pm
I haven’t tried DVI to HDMI, but my understanding is standard DVI does not have sound signals; you will need a second sound cable with RCA stereo jacks.
See these links:
DVI at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface
“Does DVI carry audio signals as well as video?” here:
http://www.cnet.com.au/does-dvi-carry-audio-signals-as-well-as-video-339270821.htm
March 4th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Well how about a solution for those of us with new PCs but no HDMI port? Grrr. Perhaps a tutorial on how to use the ATT Uverse set top box and bring in Netflix that way??
March 4th, 2010 at 7:53 pm
> Well how about a solution for those of us with new PCs but no HDMI port?
Buy a Boxee Box – coming this summer (2010) by D-Link. It streams NetFlix and more! I was tempted by the Roku NetFlix player and I think Boxee will be a real winner with its huge variety of the supported media formats.
I may drop DIRECTV when I get my hands on a Boxee. My teenagers watch online content almost exclusively and my satellite TV viewing is down to maybe 3 hours per week for content I’ve saved on TiVo. 200+ channels of uninteresting blather for $95/month. Now if I could subscribe al a carte to the few channels that I like and skip the other junk for $30/month, that’d be a good value.
> Perhaps a tutorial on how to use the ATT Uverse set top box and bring in Netflix that way??
That’d be cool, but AT&T Uverse and Verizon Fios aren’t offered in my area.
August 10th, 2010 at 10:32 pm
Bob, I hope you win the lottery. You just helped an utterly confused tired working mom understand, in a very simple way, how to get Netflix watch instantly on my home TV. It’s guys like you that make the world better for the rest of us.
You should really consider a career in instructional design. I could use your expertise on the all the lame instructions on kids toys.
Again, I hope this nice gesture comes back to you, tenfold.
All my best,
Sara
August 11th, 2010 at 4:05 am
I appreciate the compliments!
Thanks,
Bob