submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by TimewornTraveler@lemm.ee to c/techsupport@lemmy.world

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Not sure a good discussion place to post this. I just want some brainstorming.

Looking for ideas on how to set up a faux-TV in the living room using a computer. I want to put an entertainment center across from the couch and have a place to watch media. But I have no interest in paying for cable/satellite/public broadcasts. (Why pay to be advertised to?)

I have a good collection of shows and movies on external hard drives. I figure I could buy a big monitor and plop it up there with a laptop attached. I could do a makeshift mouse using a game pad and Steam.

I just wanted to check if anyone had alternatives in mind. The mouse situation is suboptimal. Having to get another laptop is also suboptimal. The "TV" would also be about 200cm (6.5ish ft) away from the seating area, so I wonder how expensive an appropriately sized monitor would be. But I can't think of any other way! Any ideas or have I pretty much figured it out?

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[-] caroline@r.nf 0 points 1 month ago

I bought one of those mini PCs for a little over 100 bucks. Used an old laptop before. Hooked it up to a TV (I don't connect the tv to internet). And have a logitech wireless keyboard with trackpad for about 30 dollars.

[-] TimewornTraveler@lemm.ee 0 points 1 month ago

$130 for a setup like that sounds pretty awesome. What kind of TV and sound system are you using? Are you mostly just watching locally stored media?

[-] caroline@r.nf 1 points 1 month ago

Nothing too fancy on the TV, just some Vizio from Walmart maybe 100 ish dollars. Any TV is fine with me.

I do both stored media with VLC (I have a 2TB external that will need to be upgraded soon) and also youtube, various streaming providers I will just watch with Firefox.

Nowadays I find myself more and more just torrenting everything and dropping it on the external.

this post was submitted on 23 Feb 2025

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