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    #1

    Wireless Pc to TV?

    Has anyone here tried something like this? My wife has a notebook and she wants to listen to Sirius radio from it. But we're looking for either a way to stream it wirelessly through our entertainment system or, if I have to, get wireless speakers.

    In either case, I'm not sure if Kubuntu will work and I'm loathing the thought of putting Vista back on her notebook just for this one thing. I'll just grab a Sirius radio if nothing else.

    I haven't bought anything yet, but I will be shopping around pretty soon. Any suggestions or help would be much appreciated.
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    #2
    Re: Wireless Pc to TV?

    I just use a little gizmo like this: http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/5984298/Wireless-FM-Transmitter-For-iPod-MP3-Car-Stereo-Radio/Product.html?_%24ja=tsid:11518|cat:5984298|prd:598 4298

    It transmits from my computer. I tune in the hi-fi to the signal. Hey presto!
    "A problem well stated is a problem half solved." --Charles F. Kettering
    "Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."--Dr. Seuss
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      #3
      Re: Wireless Pc to TV?

      An option is to use Bluetooth.

      I think if you are using a USB dongle, you just enable USB-audio output.

      The hardware needed is a Bluetooth receiver (with RCA audio output jacks) that you can then connect to your stereo/TV/media center. I don't know why, but they're not cheap. I saw one at Best Buy that was about $130, but I can't remember the name. Most are about $70. The problem with Bluetooth, of course, is that the range is usually not more than 300 ft.

      Possibilities that have USB dongles:
      Creative Labs Sound Blaster Wireless Audio Transmitter and Receiver Bundle (?)
      (from what I've read, the Creative X-Fi/Xmod system has Linux drivers)
      Motorola Bluetooth Stereo Gateway DC800 Bluetooth Adapter for Home Stereo (unk. linux compat.)
      Logitech Wireless Music System for PC (unk. Linux compat.)

      Also, these systems use different protocols (and Wireless G is pretty universally supported):
      Cisco-Linksys WMB54G Wireless-G Music Bridge
      Sony ALTUS ALT-A33PC - Wireless audio delivery system (can't find info about Linux-compat)
      Squeezebox (but is a standalone device)

      Other examples:
      Sitecom WL-60 is said to be Linux compatible in this post:

      http://letxin.wordpress.com/category/gnulinux/

      Bluetooth is somewhat standard, and (K)Ubuntu has Bluetooth built in (in case you intend to use a bluetooth adpater built into the laptop), although the BlueZ stack has recently just been improved in regard to a2dp (that streams audio to devices) and it is probably wise to download and install the latest BlueZ stack (if you are intending to use a Bluetooth adapter that is built into the laptop):

      http://www.bluez.org/bluez-495/


      On a different note, I use Shoutcast Internet Radio. Thousands of stations, all free. "Why so Sirius?"

      Shoutcast can be played directly through Amarok with a plug-in:

      see
      http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Natty#Pl...through_Amarok

      UbuntuGuide/KubuntuGuide
      Right now the killer is being surrounded by a web of deduction, forensic science,
      and the latest in technology such as two-way radios and e-mail.
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        #4
        Re: Wireless Pc to TV?

        Thanks guys for the quick responses!
        Originally posted by arochester
        I just use a little gizmo like this: http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/5984298/Wireless-FM-Transmitter-For-iPod-MP3-Car-Stereo-Radio/Product.html?_%24ja=tsid:11518|cat:5984298|prd:598 4298

        It transmits from my computer. I tune in the hi-fi to the signal. Hey presto!
        I really like this idea. Radio is all we really want and it's very much within our budget. That's great!

        Originally posted by perspectoff
        An option is to use Bluetooth.

        I think if you are using a USB dongle, you just enable USB-audio output.

        The hardware needed is a Bluetooth receiver (with RCA audio output jacks) that you can then connect to your stereo/TV/media center. I don't know why, but they're not cheap. I saw one at Best Buy that was about $130, but I can't remember the name. Most are about $70. The problem with Bluetooth, of course, is that the range is usually not more than 300 ft.

        Possibilities that have USB dongles:
        Creative Labs Sound Blaster Wireless Audio Transmitter and Receiver Bundle (?)
        (from what I've read, the Creative X-Fi/Xmod system has Linux drivers)
        Motorola Bluetooth Stereo Gateway DC800 Bluetooth Adapter for Home Stereo (unk. linux compat.)
        Logitech Wireless Music System for PC (unk. Linux compat.)

        Also, these systems use different protocols (and Wireless G is pretty universally supported):
        Cisco-Linksys WMB54G Wireless-G Music Bridge
        Sony ALTUS ALT-A33PC - Wireless audio delivery system (can't find info about Linux-compat)
        Squeezebox (but is a standalone device)

        Other examples:
        Sitecom WL-60 is said to be Linux compatible in this post:

        http://letxin.wordpress.com/category/gnulinux/

        Bluetooth is somewhat standard, and (K)Ubuntu has Bluetooth built in (in case you intend to use a bluetooth adpater built into the laptop), although the BlueZ stack has recently just been improved in regard to a2dp (that streams audio to devices) and it is probably wise to download and install the latest BlueZ stack (if you are intending to use a Bluetooth adapter that is built into the laptop):

        http://www.bluez.org/bluez-495/


        On a different note, I use Shoutcast Internet Radio. Thousands of stations, all free. "Why so Sirius?"

        Shoutcast can be played directly through Amarok with a plug-in:

        see
        http://www.kubuntuguide.info/index.p...through_Amarok
        Bluetooth is a great option but does seem expensive. I'm a bit of a penny pincher, so I'm going with the FM transmitter option. If we can upgrade later, the bluetooth sounds like it might be higher quality.

        As for Sirius, my wife likes 1 or 2 stations there and they play her favorite music most of the time. We can't seem to find another station like it. Yeah, there are plenty of free stations via the web and I'm going to encourage my wife to look around some more, but I'll bite the bullet of $13 a month subscription for now.

        Thanks again!
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          #5
          Re: Wireless Pc to TV?

          I tried the FM transmitter. It has a very, very short range and gets static and interference very easily. I tried about 6 different versions, starting with the first iPod FM transmitters long ago. Very low quality. Not the way to go, IMO.

          I'll tell you what I do in my home and office. Not a nickle and dime solution, but I have found it very robust.

          I bought an Apple Airport Express (one of those little white $80 adapters at Best Buy). It is actually designed to be an access point for the Apple LANs, and has both an Ethernet connector and wireless Ethernet capability.

          I have a 12 channel home audio system (and use the same thing in my office) through which I play music (such as streaming Internet Radio from Shoutcast, etc.) from any computer connected to the LAN.

          (My amp is the HTD system:

          http://www.htd.com/amplifiers/12-Cha...lifier-MA-1235 ).

          I use the Airport Express as a device on the LAN. The Airport Express has an audio output jack that I can connect with a cable to one of the line-in inputs of the home audio system amplifier. Voila! Streaming music to my whole house system from any computer.

          I happen to have an Ethernet port next to my home audio amplifier, so I don't use the wireless capabilities of the AEx and turned them off (I have other access points for that). (This eventually became important to me when QoS traffic shaping on my LAN so that traffic to the AEx can be prioritized. That would not have been practical were it to be used for wireless connections as well.) I only use the AEx as an audio output relay from computers on the LAN to my home audio amp.

          Now, the PulseAudio audio server system for (K)Ubuntu has modules to allow streaming of any audio output to the Airport Express (AEx). It is not very difficult to set up:

          http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Natty#Ai...th_Pulse_Audio

          Once set up, it acts as a virtual soundcard: audio output from any application (that can output to PulseAudio) can be streamed to the AEx over the LAN.

          The apps that I have used with this are, for example, Amarok, Audacious/XMMS, VLC, Firefox, and others.

          (There is a 2 second lag, however, so it is not very useful for watching video if one expects synchronized audio.)

          For Internet Radio streaming it is perfect, though, and it is the only way I have listened to the radio for years.

          Further, I have speakers everywhere on the property. I have access points for my LAN everywhere on my property, so I can then carry a laptop (or mobile device) anywhere and be able to change my audio selections wherever I am. The music is piped through the LAN, to the home audio system, to the speakers everywhere.

          I did this for my Windows computers, too, but for them I had to buy the Airfoil software to do the same thing. iTunes, of course, recognizes the Airport Express automatically (both the Windows and Mac version of iTunes) and streams to it without any configuration required.

          UbuntuGuide/KubuntuGuide
          Right now the killer is being surrounded by a web of deduction, forensic science,
          and the latest in technology such as two-way radios and e-mail.
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            #6
            Re: Wireless Pc to TV?

            Originally posted by perspectoff
            I tried the FM transmitter. It has a very, very short range and gets static and interference very easily. I tried about 6 different versions, starting with the first iPod FM transmitters long ago. Very low quality. Not the way to go, IMO.

            I'll tell you what I do in my home and office. Not a nickle and dime solution, but I have found it very robust.

            I bought an Apple Airport Express (one of those little white $80 adapters at Best Buy). It is actually designed to be an access point for the Apple LANs, and has both an Ethernet connector and wireless Ethernet capability.

            I have a 12 channel home audio system (and use the same thing in my office) through which I play music (such as streaming Internet Radio from Shoutcast, etc.) from any computer connected to the LAN.

            (My amp is the HTD system:

            http://www.htd.com/amplifiers/12-Cha...lifier-MA-1235 ).

            I use the Airport Express as a device on the LAN. The Airport Express has an audio output jack that I can connect with a cable to one of the line-in inputs of the home audio system amplifier. Voila! Streaming music to my whole house system from any computer.

            I happen to have an Ethernet port next to my home audio amplifier, so I don't use the wireless capabilities of the AEx and turned them off (I have other access points for that). (This eventually became important to me when QoS traffic shaping on my LAN so that traffic to the AEx can be prioritized. That would not have been practical were it to be used for wireless connections as well.) I only use the AEx as an audio output relay from computers on the LAN to my home audio amp.

            Now, the PulseAudio audio server system for (K)Ubuntu has modules to allow streaming of any audio output to the Airport Express (AEx). It is not very difficult to set up:

            http://kubuntuguide.info/index.php/N...th_Pulse_Audio

            Once set up, it acts as a virtual soundcard: audio output from any application (that can output to PulseAudio) can be streamed to the AEx over the LAN.

            The apps that I have used with this are, for example, Amarok, Audacious/XMMS, VLC, Firefox, and others.

            (There is a 2 second lag, however, so it is not very useful for watching video if one expects synchronized audio.)

            For Internet Radio streaming it is perfect, though, and it is the only way I have listened to the radio for years.

            Further, I have speakers everywhere on the property. I have access points for my LAN everywhere on my property, so I can then carry a laptop (or mobile device) anywhere and be able to change my audio selections wherever I am. The music is piped through the LAN, to the home audio system, to the speakers everywhere.

            I did this for my Windows computers, too, but for them I had to buy the Airfoil software to do the same thing. iTunes, of course, recognizes the Airport Express automatically (both the Windows and Mac version of iTunes) and streams to it without any configuration required.
            After doing a bit of research, I believe you're correct. I've read several reviews of even the highest rated FM transmitters and they've all seem to be disappointing.

            I'm very intrigued by your info, but if I'm going to lay down that much cash, do you think it's possible to stream to a multimedia receiver so I can have both audio and video? I don't have or want HDTV, so around 720p is more than enough for my enjoyment (it's also all my computer can handle). That way, I can enjoy both music and movies.

            If not, I'll take your advice and get the necessary equipment for audio streaming..
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              #7
              Re: Wireless Pc to TV?

              if you have a PS3 or Xbox you can stream to them video or music with ushare in a LAN
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                #8
                Re: Wireless Pc to TV?

                For watching things like Netflix and and, in my case, MLB.TV on my TV I use a Roku box. It works great. Not terribly expensive. I think I paid around $60 for the one that gives me 1080p. I use Boxee to watch on my computer, but of course Netflix doe not work as the have a block on Linux because of DRM.
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                  #9
                  Re: Wireless Pc to TV?

                  Yeah, $60 for the Roku2 is nothing (well, plus another $20 for taxes in California).

                  Only problem is, Roku doesn't travel like my laptop does. I watch Netflix a good deal when I travel.

                  I've even considered these options for Netflix on Kubuntu:

                  ================================================== =

                  The Netflix app for Android is here:

                  https://market.android.com/details?i...ix.mediaclient

                  The Android OS can be installed into a Virtualbox (or QEMU or VMWare) virtual machine using the Android-i86 installer found here:

                  http://www.android-x86.org/documents/installhowto

                  ---------------------------------------------------------------

                  The alternative is to install the 32-bit Linux Android SDK, which provides an emulator. This requires:

                  ia32-libs
                  sun-java6-jdk

                  and the Linux Android SDK found here:
                  http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html

                  Then the ADB is used to install apps:
                  http://developer.android.com/guide/d...tools/adb.html

                  Canonical is reportedly working on a method to run Android apps without having to install a full Android environment, but they've been at it for about 2 years, so who knows.

                  Further, Google allegedly almost has an HTML5 Netflix app done (which they will roll out for the Chrome browser).

                  UbuntuGuide/KubuntuGuide
                  Right now the killer is being surrounded by a web of deduction, forensic science,
                  and the latest in technology such as two-way radios and e-mail.
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