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Thread ID: 145449 2017-11-06 19:16:00 Cheap laptop to hook up to TV micky (7329) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1441642 2017-11-06 19:16:00 I was thinking of getting a cheap laptop something like the $300 ones from the warehouse would the 32gb hdd be ok would only want to use it to say watch tvnz catch up or VPN to get UK content.
Or should I be looking at a micro pc or something like apple tv or android which would be harder to vpn?
micky (7329)
1441643 2017-11-06 20:15:00 You can use a laptop. I find the experience not great those (I'm had a media pc attached to my tv for about 10 years now). Most websites are not designed for being further than half a metre away. Fonts are too small, theres no/little keyboard access (for if you wanted to use a remote), the screen design is bad.

But it is one of the cheapest ways of doing it, and it's the most flexible. You don't have to wait for an apple tv app (eg tvnz has taken about 2 years to come to apple tv 4), so there's pluses and minuses to both. Personally now that I'm apple tv 4, I use the PC very little - just for occasionaly sky go access (only becase fanpass is stupid expensive now).
psycik (12851)
1441644 2017-11-07 19:38:00 www.pbtech.co.nz

Consider one of those. Similar spec to what you'll get from a budget notebook, and should be enough to stream/VPN.

There are better spec one, obviously for more $$.
wratterus (105)
1441645 2017-11-07 21:01:00 Windows 10 on my laptop (Lenovo) does a automatic more zoomed in look when attached to the TV. You can also play around with that feature. I think it's on screen settings or display settings. i don't use mine often though ... Our Smart TV the apps can stop responding ie the Youtube when you fast forward etc a few times. Nomad (952)
1441646 2017-11-07 21:01:00 I use an ex lease USFF pc, cost less than $200 on trade and is an i5 with 4Gb of RAM. Just another option and a lot more powerful than a cheap laptop or a compute stick (those are cool though)

Like this www.trademe.co.nz
These are pretty small, but there is no option to add a graphics card and upgrades are limited. I upgraded mine to windows 10, added an SSD and a Blu ray drive(hard to find), and replaced the front fan because it was too noisy.
dugimodo (138)
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