Can I stream Itunes film through an internet (wifi enabled tv)?

[MollieO]

I have a Sony wifi enabled tv. I'd like to rent through Itunes but don't want to watch it on my computer.

I don't think that you can... If you can find someway to connect your device to your TV then you can watch that way.

Thanks. I'm wondering if I'd need to get apple tv to do that. I can plug the laptop into the tv as it has a usb port. I just hoped there was a way to do it via wifi.

I don't think you'll be able to connect via USB... What adapters does the TV have on it? There seems to be some sort of mention of a "PC In" socket which also has an audio input. I'm guessing you'll want to plug your laptop into their. The TV's manual should have instructions about how to connected a computer to it and how to then allow the screen to be used as an additional monitor for that computer.

Thanks. I'll have a look at the manual. If not I should be able to connect an apple tv to it instead.

It would depend if you can install third party software on your TV, first of all (this should theoretically be possible - like updated flash drivers etc for iplayer) and secondly whether the itunes streaming software is compatible with the TV. If it isn't now, it may well be in the future.

In the meantime have you thought of looking at Lovefilm.com? They have a good streaming service.

The TV having a USB input doesn't mean it can be connected to a computer. This is for e.g. putting home movies or downloaded films onto a USB stick and watching them this way. If you want to connect your computer you'll need either a HDMI output cable (which requires a good video card - most laptops won't have one) or an RAC/phono connector which should work from your laptop, but the picture won't be as good. You can get a phono>HDMI converter but that normally means you have to send the audio separately. With one of the other leads the sound and picture will come through the TV.

Laptop has a hdmi slot as does the tv. I thought the apple tv thing would connect to my tv? Very now. Maybe I should plug in a dvd player instead.

Do you have an apple TV? I don't think from the sounds of it that you'd need one.

I would try directly through the TV first. How does the iTunes streaming thing work? Through the iTunes program? Or in your internet broswer?

Apple TV connects to telly, switch on Home sharing on iTunes and use the same account on Apple TV and it will stream. I've got this set up and works a dream

"whether the itunes streaming software is compatible with the TV. If it isn't now, it may well be in the future."

I would never bet on Apple opening up their iTunes security to any other third party, it's just not their way and to the best of my knowledge with the exception of a flop of a phone a few years ago they've never done it. So the chances of iTunes ever being able to stream protected video to other devices is, in my opinion, pretty slim.

"I thought the apple tv thing would connect to my tv? "

Yes you could use an Apple TV and that would make things all very nice and simple, as is the Apple way. However as is the Apple way you'll also pay for it. However for the price of a few cables, which will be a lot cheaper than buying a new gadget, you could just connect your laptop to your TV and watching things straight away.

I'll get an hdmi cable and see where that leads me before I think about getting apple tv.

"I'll get an hdmi cable and see where that leads me before I think about getting apple tv."

You will need to make sure that you deal with the audio too.... HDMI can provide both so make sure the bit that goes into the computer has plugs for both video and audio.

However....

As said above the TV makes mention of having a PC input which covers both audio and video, and that will probably be your first port of call before splashing out for a HDMI cable. So see what the manual says about hooking up the TV to use as the monitor for a computer.

If both the laptop and the TV have HDMI sockets then I'd say that's the easiest option. A cable like this will do the trick and is very cheap.

Couldn't download the manual for some reason but found this. Hopefully this should work perfectly and I'll be able to watch Itunes films through my tv at a cost of £1.44 plus the rental charge rather than spending that plus £99 for an apple tv.

A normal HDMI cable with no converters involved will put audio over as well. You may need to right click on the speaker icon in your taskbar and change the default speaker to the HDMI output. But this is what we use and it's excellent.

WRT itunes being available on other devices, I was mainly meaning if they brought out an application or web-based interface for these internet-ready TVs. If they're only relying on people buying the apple TV gadget they're going to lose out to other companies which provide a direct web interface. I think most people who have shelled out the extra for an internet enabled TV aren't likely to want to pay an extra £99 to allow them to stream stuff if they can do it from somewhere else. So the market for the apple tv gadget is in allowing non-internet-enabled TVs to access the itunes content. You can run iTunes on Windows, so I don't think it's too far fetched. Unless they start producing TVs themselves.

"Unless they start producing TVs themselves."

There are rumours about Apple doing exactly that...