How to stream Netflix to TV on my MacPro

I still think if you can see the picture, we can fix the sound. Have you looked at your TV menus for inputs?

Ok, here's two possible solutions (analog and digital):

1. Analog. You can use the 1/8" (3.5mm) output jack on your computer to feed the audio to the L/R RCA jacks on your TV (or 1/8", 3.5mm) input jack if it has one (can't really tell from that picture and its description). Audio cables are very cheap.

2. Digital. Combine the DVI-D video from your video card with the toslink audio output into hdmi and feed a single hdmi cable to your TV. This is what I do. I use the following converter from monoprice.com.

DVI & S/PDIF Digital Coax/Optical Toslink Audio to HDMI Converter

FWIW, monoprice is a great place for buying relatively cheap but high quality cables. Also adaptors of various kinds. So whether you choose the audio or digital solution I recommend getting the stuff from them.

The only caveat in all this is the fact that you say you need 30 feet to connect your computer to the TV. IMO that's pushing it. I know there's few problems running up to 15 feed of HDMI but I am no so sure about twice that.

Cindy wrote:

How does the Roku connect to the internet?

Via the wireless router and/or Ethernet cable if you have a router.

Get a Apple Airport Extreme for the router, it's easy to set up, Apple maintains the firmware, it has Ethernet connections and Wifi so you can connect the MacPro to it via cable if you don't have a wireless Airport card installed.

Routers sit in between the ISP modem and all the computers and devices in your house/office. It routes the packets to each machine according to a IP address it assigns to each automatically (under DCHP)

All you really have to do is enter the network name and password, or connect a Ethernet cable for each device on the network.

You may get Netflix SD (Standard Definition) content from your Mac to the TV, but HD (High Definition) content is copy protected with HDCP (HD copy protection) and they are all swtiching (slowly) over to that.

HDCP is a form of hardware protection involving special chips that are placed on all the devices, including HDTV's so they all have to verify first that the connection is secure before the HD content is streamed.

Steve Jobs said "BlueRay is a bag of hurt" basically not going down that road or the HDCP hardware route neither in the process on Mac's. But the AppleTV of course has it as does Roku, PS3's and XBoxes as they have the chip.

On a non-HDCP secure connection, the HD content is downgraded to crappy SD, which is likely happening in your case with the MacPro, it's only a matter of time before SD is eliminated as all new TV's now come HD standard.

I can select HDMI input from my TV menu but I don't seem to have control over my sound input

I download the manual for that TV but it really doesn't mention much about input selection other than a button on the remote. My impression is that this TV ties its audio intput to its video input. So you can select HDMIm ir component with it's L/R audio cables, or PC with the VGA and it's audio input, or S-video with it's L/R RCA audio input. So it looks like you can't spearate the audio choice from the video choice. If this is indeed the case then the digital solution I mentioned earlier is the only feasible solution (DVD-D + toslink --> cvtr --> HDMI --> TV).

Update:

There is a 3.5mm audio input port on the tv right next to where the vga connector is. Im not using the vga port I am using the hdmi. But I think the 3.5mm port might work.

If my theory is correct you won't be able to use that audio in unless you select PC as the input. Of course then you couldn't use hdmi.

Will this work?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Roku-SD-N1050-Digital-Streaming-Box-Netflix-/29061372402 7?pt=PCC_Drives_Storage_Internal&hash=item43a9ed837b

There's also MaTiVia.

The McTiVia and the Roku are both limited to 720p.

I should add the converter box I mentioned is limited to 1080i (not 1080p).

Well your best bet may be to get a DVI to VGA cable, and then just also use the mini audio cable you linked to before.

Then hook in here:

Cindy wrote:

I have a wireless router already set up for my cell for wifi. Will this work?

Yes.

You mentioned you have DSL, then must have a 'wifi router + ISP modem' or a 'ISP provided wifi router/modem' combination.

If your using you cell phone on your local wifi network when within range then yes.

(Now it's possible that the cell phone can act like a wifi supplier with software and you really don't want to overload your carrier with streaming Netflix content, the fee's would be astronomical.)

All you need is the Roku, a cheap HDMI cable for $10 you can get at Amazon, and the wifi name and password to enter into the Roku.

Set up Netflix and enter your account info and your streaming to the HDTV via the Roku remote.

I use a PS3 and it's great, watch it nearly all the time.

Bonus is if the gang wants to watch something on the HDTV, I can stream Netflix to my laptop on the table in the same room so we are all together still.

See my other post above. Get a DVI to VGA cable, and a mini-audio cable. Hook intothe PC inputs. 99% sure that will work.

John Beatty1 wrote:

Well your best bet may be to get a DVI to VGA cable, and then just also use the mini audio cable you linked to before.

Then hook in here:

IMO it seems like such a waste to use vga on a HDTV.