Twonky on ipad6/2/2023 ![]() The problem, though, is the requirements you must have a specific, quite recent wireless adapter in your laptop, and something to receive the WiDi signal, whether it's a set-top box or compatible TV. Intel's WiDi, or Wireless Display, should allow you to connect to your TV using 5GHz Wi-Fi and stream without hassle. These (with the exception of Apple TV) typically have a huge list of codecs they support, and for the price involved are one of the cheapest ways to get in on the streaming game. The sideways step would be dedicated media streamers, like the WD TV Live Hub, D-Link's Boxee Box or a "media tank" like the Popcorn Hour. They are, however, plugged in to an increasing amount of catch-up TV and video-rental services, and that will only improve over time. Set-top boxesĪieee! The choices never end! The big front runners would be the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 via the DLNA path, but of course these do cost a choice amount, and don't necessarily have the best codec support without a transcoding server sitting somewhere. Many NAS actually have Twonky already built in. These include Plex Media Server, PS3 Media Server, TVersity and the venerable Twonky. Thankfully, if you're the type who loves to run a server, there are some decent transcoding options to help get around the problem - that is, applications that will convert a movie on the fly, so the receiving device can understand it. ![]() If your receiving device (TV, PS3 or otherwise) doesn't understand the codec your media is encoded in, then it simply won't play. One of the big stumbling blocks is codecs. There's no unified interface, which can be a blessing in terms of innovation, but a curse in terms of usability. In practice, though, everyone implements DLNA differently, and it's not as easy as it should be. The current "thing" for demonstrating DLNA has been "flinging" content from a touchscreen phone to a TV with a single swipe, and it'll start playing. Consoles support it, TVs support it, mobile phones, tablets and media players support it it's all one big, happy, logo-emblazoned family. In theory, Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) is a wonderful thing that allows you to fling media around compatible devices and have it play anywhere. Not an all-Apple person? You can still take advantage of AirPlay XBMC can receive AirPlay streams, for one, as can Windows Media Center with a plug-in. There are limitations to what you can play and do, but there are apps that subvert AirPlay's original intention for more functionality. You can also send the same tune to every set of compatible speakers in your house simultaneously, and the Remote app for iPhone and iPad can help you tie it all together. You can easily stream video or photos from your iPad or iPhone to your Apple TV or MacBook, and AirPlay-compatible receivers and speaker docks will happily play audio wirelessly. If you own everything Apple, AirPlay makes things rather easy. We're still a long way from one solution fitting all, but here's a rundown of your options if you want to start throwing video and audio around the house. Now the goal is to have your media everywhere, all the time. Once upon a time, it was considered quite a task just to get videos you'd downloaded to play well on your TV.
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