Listen and view internet content via my HT

[GoFastr]

I'd like to be able to stream or listen and view content from my own selected internet sources like GrooveShark and YouTube and have both the sound and HD content if available display on my big screen TV and play through my HT surround sound. I don't mind paying for a subscription that works internationally where I can get my content/saved playlists or movies in whatever country I happen to be in.

I don't live in the USA so I don't have access to the pre-determined content subscription based services like Pandora, Rhapsody, Napster that come on my hard wired network enabled Denon AVR-3311CI.

I can't seem to get the Airplay working on my AVR either as I'm not really into Apple products and only have an iPod Touch for travel and I don't want to be tied down to the pre-determined content that comes on AppleTV.

My PC is a HP TouchSmart system (all-in-one kind) and I doubt if I can find special cards for a TV tuner/graphics and expensive sound card to fit inside it and then run whatever cables for connections are needed between the two devices over that 100' span as the PC is located in my den on the other side of the house from my HT setup.

My Xbox360 media extender only gives me whatever Microsoft want me to see and I can't seem to get to a browser to choose my own content. I even tried their MBC thing but that was not very user friendly.

Are there any other devices like Roku, Boxee box or anything else that will give me a browser window and let me choose my own internet content and surf the net using my TV and HT surround system?

Geez, I remember back in the 90's my parents had WebTV so there must be some kind of upgrades for this functionality by now?

 

[GoFastr]

Ok, so a fellow work colleague has an iPad at work and he was doing presentations from it via a projector. Afterwards I asked him to plug it in to a one of our Sony LCD TV's HDMI port and he was able to surf and watch movies and whatever content he chose displayed on the TV. Cool.

So I went and bought an HDMI converter plug for my Blackberry Playbook and then plugged it into my Denon AVR-3311 front HDMI port and pressed V-Aux on the remote and wahla, presto, now I can surf the net and play any movie content from it right through my HT setup. I know the Playbook is old stuff and a bit limited so I may end up having to get an iPad eventually but I thought it was pretty cool to be able to choose what content I wanted instead of being locked into the usual subscriptions that each vendor makes a deal with to help sell their products.

 

[jred2002]

You could try something like this Mini Computer that runs Andoid 4.1 along with a keyboard and mouse combo like this Logitech one. That way you get youtube and a full web browser. Also with an app like ES File explorer you can share all of the music/videos/pictures/documents from your AIO pc and view them on your TV.

 

[Mopkins]

not sure if this will do the trick, but google tv is now available on the vizio co-star. VIZIO Co-Star at $99 seems like quite a good deal and would do the trick.

 

[GoFastr]

not sure if this will do the trick, but google tv is now available on the vizio co-star. VIZIO Co-Star at $99 seems like quite a good deal and would do the trick.

Thanks. Looks pretty cool.
I wonder if this could connect into my AVR instead of the TV so I could get the surround sound through my HT?
Also, does anyone know if these work outside of the USA, like with a non-USA IP address?
My AVR, and bluray player can't access any of the Pandora, Napster, etc subcription content because they all expect you to be located inside the USA with a USA IP address.

 

[GoFastr]

You could try something like this Mini Computer that runs Andoid 4.1 along with a keyboard and mouse combo like this Logitech one. That way you get youtube and a full web browser. Also with an app like ES File explorer you can share all of the music/videos/pictures/documents from your AIO pc and view them on your TV.

Yeah thanks, I might have to upgrade to an Android type tablet device soon. This one looks pretty interesting.

 

[Mopkins]

By the way, have you looked into using a US based VPN service? This would essentially connect your internet connection to servers based in the US. With a vpn enabled I believe you'd have access to netflix, pandora and all the other goodies as those services would essentially think your computer is in the US.

 

[GoFastr]

Thanks, yes I have tried a few free proxy services but I probably need to investigate subscribing and paying for a proper VPN service which would be there each and every time. The free proxy servers are pretty dodgy and I can never rely on the same one being in service all the time.... which translates into having to go into the network settings and changing the IP address and other unique things every time you change servers.