Powering up a laptop with the lid closed + easiest path to internet on my TV?
 

My household watches very little TV. We just scaled back our Dishnetwork plan from $65/month to $20/month. We lost a couple of channels that we watched, but most of those shows are available online.

I hooked my laptop up to the TV via HDMI. That works great, except that I have to open the screen to turn it on. Is there a way to allow the laptop to power up with the lid closed? My wife feels like it's too many steps to launch. I don't want to leave it running full time either, as it will rarely be used.

What other options are there for getting full internet on a TV? I saw that Dell has a couple of small computers that seem to be designed for that application, but by the time I tack on a wireless card (whatever method has be be wireless) I'm looking at $350 or more.

Can't help much, but why would you be wireless right next to your main TV? And isn't an ethernet connection faster for streams?

I think my next TV will be a Web-connected model. My wife bought one for her mother at Costco for $150 more than just the LED model w/o Internet.

Wired vs Wireless - either are faster than 99.9% of your incoming connection, so local speed doesn't really affect netflix streaming.


As to your laptop running w/ lid closed, check in the BIOS settings - I know a few Dells that I have worked on have a setting there for behavior when the lid is closed.

TV and internet connection are both on seperate interior wall in a house with vaulted ceilings and lots of insulation. I'm sure the drops could be done, but it would be a real pain.

I have an Apple TV that is jailbroken. On it, I have installed XBMC. Under XBMC, I am running the Icefilms.info Addon .

With this setup, I get TV shows and movies.Total investment is $99. Everything is controlled with the remote control that is included with the Apple TV.

Most laptops will run closed as long as they have a monitor (your TV counts) plus keyboard and/or mouse hooked up.

Apple TV for $99.

If you have an old PC laying around you could build a MYTH TV box or make a Boxee.

Yeah, I have the power settings adjusted so that it runs closed. It just has to be opened to launch.

My wife and I looked at Apple TV last night. We already have a ROKU, but want general web access, too.

I do have an old PC sitting here. P4 I think. Unfortunately there's no HDMI output. Guess I could use the VGA input on the TV. All I'd need is a wireless card and to see if it would fit in the cubby hole behind the TV.

These are nice little options when building an entertainment center device.

Newegg.com - Foxconn NT-330I-A-B-NA-A NVIDIA ION 1 x 200Pin NVIDIA ION graphics processor Black Barebone Systems - Mini / Booksize

Stil need to add HD and RAM which can make the price creep up.

But they are small so fit just about anywhere.

if yer handy with small screws, just take apart the laptop and remove its "screen lid closed" sensor. it's nothing more than a nub on a surface mounted switch. more advanced ones use a magnet to switch.

Get the Microsoft media center remote + usb IR receiver.

(Kinda like this: Amazon.com: Windows 7 Vista XP Media Center MCE PC Remote Control and Infrared Receiver for Home, Premium and Ultimate Edition: Electronics )

When you set it up, it should be able to put the computer to sleep / wake from sleep. If not, there is a checkbox to allow wake from sleep in the device manager somewhere.

Used that for my media center, and it worked just fine, never pressed the power button on the machine, only used the remote. Wasn't a laptop, but same diff.

Sounds like a good excuse to upgrade to a new flat panel with built-in web, wif-fi, Netflix, etc. Or, at least a newer blu-ray player/PS3 with web, wi-fi, netflix, etc. to connect to your existing TV.

If you are going to go to the trouble of havng an actual PC hooked up to the TV, you may as well configure/build/buy a HTPC set-up.