Laptop through a tv.

[Royalcorpsoftranspor]

Someone told me that prolonged use of a laptop through your tv can damage your computer, can anyone please speculate on this.

[kbasat]

Short answer is no, this information is not correct. Here comes the speculation

This argument had a valid point 10 years ago when technology for laptop specific components were less common or less reliable.

Today these components are more purpose built, a lot more reliable and sturdy and usually do not mind being left on several hours at a time.

Enemy of every computer is overheating, this becomes a crucial issue with laptops as every heat generating component is crammed up together in a tight space (this is the exact reason why power adapter is always provided seperately and not built into the laptop, to avoid excessive overheating).

On the contrary to popular belief, laptops are not designed to be used on your lap . You should always avoid this and also all sort of 'soft' surfaces such as bed mattress or sofa. The reason for this is that when 4 'tiny' legs of laptop sits on a hard surface, there should be at least a few mm of airgap at the bottom of the laptop, in order to aid for cooling. Almost all modern laptops have air intake at the bottom and outflow on the side. If you block any one of these, you will basically be cooking your laptop with its own heat.

Even for the most ignorant users, laptops today come with all sorts of fault protections systems, if air cooling is not enough, if laptop fan stops being efficient due to too much dust buildup, if the surrounding air is too hot (eg under the sun), they usually warn you, even shut down automatically in order to prevent permanent hardware damage.

The more important question in my opinion is this: Do you really want to use your laptop as a 500-1000GBP media player for your TV? Why not spend 45GBP for a simple box and avoid all the hassle and avoid the risk completely. In my opinion, just having a remote control in your hand is worth the money. This box effectively turns any TV into a smart TV. http://www.amazon.co.uk/JUSTOP-Streamer ... 955&sr=8-3

This is my 2 cents worth.

K.

[Royalcorpsoftranspor]

Wow thank you very much , for that info it is very helpfull.

[sparkymike]

kemal, Can I ask ,can I access BBC I Player and other such channels with one of these 'smart' boxes?, without the use of my laptop? At present we use a 'Q Wave sender' to watch these channels on our TV screen, but if I could do it without the laptop, that would be great
thank you
Mary, wife of SparkyMike

[ozankoys]

IKEA sell a rigid plastic laptop stand which not only angles the laptop so it is easier to use, it also allows for the air to circulate underneath it.

[dippersgirl]

I connected my 'old' laptop to the TV and we watched something I had downloaded on BBC iPlayer. I then closed everything for the day. The next day my laptop was not happy, wouldn't start and told me it might not be repairable but that it would keep trying. I kept trying and in the end it was ok.
I know bought a new laptop and no problem with that.
Should I remove the connecting cable every time? Even if the TV is not on.
I can't do anything with MM as they do not come as far as Dipkarpaz!!!!

[kbasat]

@Mary, there are different flavors of boxes available for more or less the same purpose. For BBC Iplayer, an android based box is what I would recommended (this link I provided is such a box), you can then download bbc Iplayer for android and you should be good to go.

@Ozankoys, thise sort of stuff is really useful for ergonomic properties as well as for the health of the laptop. If you are planning to keep laptop on for 24/7, I also recommend getting a cooler pad. They are really inexpensive and quite useful (http://www.amazon.co.uk/CRYSTAL-Fans-Co ... 143&sr=8-1)

Kemal

[SatelliteCyprus]

The customer reviews of this product are terrible, but expected. Defective products are usually cleared cheap to induce people to buy them.

Here are some examples from the web site:

"I bought this item as 2012 Xmas present. The reviews vary widely so I knew it was somewhat a punt. I unpacked it and had it working superbly, it's android operating system is just like my tablet so was easy to use. Unfortunately it only worked for about 3 hours before the HDMI out stopped working rendering it useless. I tried it with 3 TVs & numerous HDMI cables but it was effectively dead. Very frustrating to have to return Xmas presents. ON top of that the seller would not pay for return postage despite it being faulty. So I wont be using this seller or buying his cr*p again."

"Well, i reciecved this box very fast with a uk mains plug and hdmi lead. Set up was a breeze but that was as good as it got with this player! The player would reset itself to 2010 three times ( i only set it up at christmas! Nearly all apps i put on this box would force close. I have never seen this happen this much on any of my other android devices. The box also would not turn off to standby and would often go a mauve colour instead of the red colour. Resulting in turning off at the mains. And when turned off at night( i like to think of the planet!) the box would turn on instead of going to stanby! Wifi was also patchy at best with the box somtimes losing it's connection but wired it was fine. This box is terrible and i have sent it back at my own exspense, which i hardly think is fair, for such a shoddy poorly built media player.
I would spend a bit more and go for something better. Amazon should not allow such rubbish to be sold on there site but hey, its all money in the bank for them:( "

"I have just quickly updated this review as I have run out of patience with this product and moved on, it worked fine for a couple of months but became laggy, unresponsive and unstable..........I think the novelty value has worn off and I want quick answers to my internet seeking questions, looking to build my self a media centre at a later date to remove these problems but I am looking at £300+ so when comparing the cost of this and the investment I will need to make to be where I want, well you get what you pay for I suppose."

"This did not feel as if it was up to the job. Any video app I tried to use, failed to either work or keep up and stuttered along. Great if you use the built in apps and use local storage, but doesn't that defeat the purpose of an internet connected Android based video player? I am returning mine for a refund. "

[SatelliteCyprus]

"Do not buy this product if you are expecting a slick product to turn your TV into a 'smart TV'. Its claims (HD Media Player, Smart Internet TV, YouTube Video Player, Online TV etc) are suspect to say the least. Media stutters and grinds to a halt, IPlayer doesn't work, YouTube doesn't work, many android market place apps don't work. The firmware is terribly buggy and support is via a techie forum, where there is an expected high level of technical understanding required to rectify problems. That said its cheap and if you like tinkering and configuring for hours on end to get basic functionality or enjoy being part of a pre production acceptance testing project then go ahead!"

"Box works and connects to the internet but most video apps don't work. Especially BBC iPlayer. Also install often fails with 'package signing' "

"Clunky, slow interface, slow wifi connection, constantly buffering when viewing u tube, the laptop in the same room streams smoothly so it is not my internet connection,had to return for a refund."

"Purchased from PC robin, no problem delivery good as for android box for me it does what it says on the tin, I had this for watching streamed movies on my TV, I have an android tablet which I could connect but a HDMI lead was going to set me back 15 pounds so paid the little bit extra for this great gadget. Flash works OK on all the sites I use and HD YouTube is crystal clear, as for the android market most things work its hit and miss but if your in the know there are workarounds with apks android is very adaptable. Nothing really negative to say people have said wi fi disconnects in previous reviews but mine is hardwired via Ethernet and fast not used wi fi yet but agree with one review saying browsing is a little slow but its fine, the remote is simple enough and you could upgrade it to something more fancy but it does the job. Also for the price its really a great add on to make your TV do more it won't replace my laptop or tablet but I didn't buy it for that... it was brought as a neat little add on to enjoy android on the TV and does what it says on the tin. As of yesterday box has given up the ghost as with so many previous reviews, sending it back for a refund, very frustrating and am not going to waste hours on this gadget, will wait for something more reliable..."

"As with the other reviews the remote control is dreadful,WIFI drops off constantly.not really an "out of the box" and working type of gizmo,now unplugged and stuffed in a draw,unlikely to use this device again unless my western digital tv live breaks (wish i had just bought another WD box instead). "

"Good idea, poor implementation. Apps crash constantly, BBC iplayer does not work with included browser, remote control is awkward to use.
It is better to wait for a better version. "

[SatelliteCyprus]

"It simply does not do the things it claims.
-iplayer does not work and is unsupported
-itv player does not work and is not compatible with this product at all, according to google apps installer
-After installing the A10 Firmware update, the system comes up with constant error messages e.g. "Unfortunately, the process com.androis.phone has stopped", and they keep coming up every second. It is now completely useless. Basically, the only way this box will ever be usable for anything that it claims to be able to do, is if they sort out a new firmware revision which solves the current problems.
-It is January 2013 and i am on the latest firmware, which has rendered the system completely useless.
-Before the firmware upgrade the system did not work with iplayer or itvplayer. Its a completely useless piece of junk, unless it is heavy enough to be used as a door stop. My one is going back in disgust that they made all of the claims about iplayer, itvplayer, catch up tv, etc and wasted so much of my time. "

Why someone would want to recommend this I don't know - then, there are TV standards ! and TV standards !!!

[kbasat]

Thanks of copy-pasting information thats already present on the link thats provided.

Nobody has promoted a particular box, I recommended an android type box and just put up a link to a sample one easily available on amazon so that members can have an idea what it is that I am talking about. Obviously I dont work for amazon and I am not manufacturing this particular box.

There are 10s, if not hundreds of such boxes ranging from 30GBP-80GBP(on amazon, on ebay, other online or local stores), it would be expected of someone to do a little bit of research and read some reviews before making a decision.

K.

[SatelliteCyprus]

Of course, Kemal is correct, there are many different types of product to choose from including the one here: http://www.satellitecyprus.net/best_tv_ ... in_cyprus/ which is currently being used by hundreds of people in Cyprus.

[SatelliteCyprus]

The most notable report regarding this was produced in 2006 by Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT), the world's leading information technology research and advisory company -
http://www.gartner.com/technology/about.jsp. The full report is available for download ($95 US Dollars) - http://www.gartner.com/DisplayDocument? ... &id=493252

Included in the report was this: "Notebooks are less reliable than desktops, but that's only to be expected, but the reliability improvement is better. Notebooks bought in 2003 and 2004 had a failure rate of 20 per cent, rising to 28 per cent by year four. Laptops acquired since then have a 15 per cent likelihood of failure in the first year, and Gartner projects a four-year failure rate of 22 per cent."

It also included this "Currently, the top sources of notebook failures on systems less than two years old are: Motherboards and hard drives (tied for first place, each ranging between 25 percent and 45 percent of total hardware failures) Chassis, including latches, hinges, feet and case cracks Keyboards, with keycaps falling off or getting discolored, and spilled drinks seeping under the keyboard Screens"

Personal Comments: The biggest problem is overheating. Using a laptop's processor to crunch lots of data (streaming TV @ approximately 500GB per hour) with 15-20% CPU usage generates heat and causes the fan to work repeatedly. This is not good news especially in a hot, dusty environment - http://www.fixmylaptop.com.au/faq/can_y ... ing_laptop

Regular maintenance and replacement of certain components will be required. The Gartner Hardware Failure Rates report of 2006 suggests that 22% of laptops die from overheating.

Laptop computers are designed to be easily transported not to sit still in once place crunching data. Using a laptop to run TV is false economy.

Would you buy a car that you knew had been used as a taxi ?

[Royalcorpsoftranspor]

Thanks of copy-pasting information thats already present on the link thats provided.

Nobody has promoted a particular box, I recommended an android type box and just put up a link to a sample one easily available on amazon so that members can have an idea what it is that I am talking about. Obviously I dont work for amazon and I am not manufacturing this particular box.

There are 10s, if not hundreds of such boxes ranging from 30GBP-80GBP(on amazon, on ebay, other online or local stores), it would be expected of someone to do a little bit of research and read some reviews before making a decision.

K.

KBASAT,

Can you advise please the best route to go down for receiving 3D i have a tv that is capable of it .

Thanks.

[kbasat]

The most notable report regarding this was produced in 2006 by Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT), the world's leading information technology research and advisory company -
http://www.gartner.com/technology/about.jsp. The full report is available for download ($95 US Dollars) - http://www.gartner.com/DisplayDocument? ... &id=493252

Of course citing a 7 year old study which is considered several generations ago in computer industry is no longer relevant information and of course the results from 10-8 years ago does not apply to current generation of laptops (I mentioned this on my first post above on my second sentence).

I do agree that a laptop is just simply too expensive of an equipment to use simply in place of a TV interface box, no matter whether it would break easily or not. There is no rule to this however, so the decision is yours.

Kemal