How to Stream Media From Laptop to TV

You need three things to transfer media across your home. The first is a media source, or server, which you already have?your computer?that has all the videos, music, and photos on it. The second thing you need is a receiver of some sort that supports the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) standard. If your TV is a relatively new "smart" TV equipped with Wi-Fi, it can probably act as a media receiver; if not, you'll need to attach an external one. The Western Digital WD TV Live Streaming Media Player is a good option and is available for about $100 on Amazon. It supports Netflix, Spotify, and Hulu in addition to local file streaming. (More popular products, such as the Apple TV and the Roku box, can stream audio and video from online sources but can't play media files stored on a home network.) Both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 also support local media streaming, along with a full complement of Internet streaming services.

The third thing you need is a translator?that is, software to take your media and make it visible to your streaming box. Windows can stream some video types natively via a feature called Windows Media Center, but you're far better off downloading a free app called TVersity. This will make your media visible to any DLNA device or game console and, if necessary, convert the files to a format your device can read. (In order for this feature to work, you'll need a fast processor?at least a Core 2 Duo.) As a bonus, TVersity can stream to your mobile devices, as long as they're connected to your home Wi-Fi network.

Mac users using a DLNA TV or streaming box should download an app called TwonkyServer, which will immediately make your media collection visible to your streaming device. PS3 or Xbox owners will be better served by the now-free Rivet application, which will stream your content and also retain your computer's folder structure.

Wireless speed is also important. Even if your router claims to transfer data at a full 54 megabits per second?the top speed of 802.11g routers, which is theoretically more than fast enough to stream an HD video?signal fluctuations can reduce that data rate drastically. You don't really notice the difference when you're surfing the Web; you do notice it when you're subjecting the connection to a steady load. File-sharing apps such as BitTorrent are a common cause of speed fluctuations, but distant router placement can cause problems, too. If your Wi-Fi video streams are getting choked, it might be time to consider upgrading to a faster 802.11n router or, better yet, rolling out some Cat 5e Ethernet cable.

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