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  1. Member
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    Hi, folks.

    I want to watch movies stored on my desktop PC using an HDMI cable instead of buying something like Chromecast, so I bought a 12' HDMI cable.

    I am now able to mirror my desktop's monitor onto my TV now, but I would like to be able to watch movies from my desktop without mirroring, so that someone would be able to use the desktop PC while another person is watching a movie on the TV and of course not see what the other sees on the desktop's monitor.

    Is there a way to do this? Thanks.
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    Correction. Mirroring isn't working as good as I thought. I am able to see my PC's desktop pic on the TV, but without icons showing. Can't see video playing using VLC player. Tried different choices using Windows key + P. I'm using Windows 10.
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    Okay, I figured out how to mirror properly now and see video exacly like on my desktop's screen, but the quality is a little 'skippy' and I have to change sound over to TV. Not what I want to do.

    There has to be a way to use the HDMI cable like one uses a Chromecast, right?
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  4. Member Bernix's Avatar
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    Sorry, I'm absolutely not experienced on this field, can't this be solved as two monitors? So who holds PC control what is playing on second monitor (TV)?
    If I challenge such situation I start this way, but the end of the way is uncertain when I read what you wrote.

    I suppose you have Nvidia. There is Nvidia control panel, under monitor setup more monitors (<- or somehow similar)

    Bernix
    Last edited by Bernix; 11th Jan 2018 at 15:57. Reason: Supposing
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  5. Member
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    At my girlfriend's house, we use a Chromecast and use a plugin on her Mac called Videostream to watch movies stored on the Mac on the TV.

    If there's a similar program or plugin for use with an HDMI cable instead of Chromecast, that's exactly what I need.
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  6. Member
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    Originally Posted by xray View Post
    At my girlfriend's house, we use a Chromecast and use a plugin on her Mac called Videostream to watch movies stored on the Mac on the TV.

    If there's a similar program or plugin for use with an HDMI cable instead of Chromecast, that's exactly what I need.
    Your idea won't work.

    At your GF's house, the Chromecast is independently playing the media file streamed to it over her home network from the Mac. When using a PC connected directly to the TV with an HDMI cable, the PC must play the media file to provide picture and audio to the TV.

    If your TV is a smart TV with a built-in media player and is also DLNA enabled, it may be possible for the TV to play a media file that is being streamed to it over your home network.
    Last edited by usually_quiet; 11th Jan 2018 at 17:38. Reason: clarity
    Ignore list: hello_hello, tried, TechLord, Snoopy329
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  7. Member
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    Originally Posted by usually_quiet View Post
    Originally Posted by xray View Post
    At my girlfriend's house, we use a Chromecast and use a plugin on her Mac called Videostream to watch movies stored on the Mac on the TV.

    If there's a similar program or plugin for use with an HDMI cable instead of Chromecast, that's exactly what I need.
    Your idea won't work.

    At your GF's house, the Chromecast is independently playing audio and video streamed to it over her home network from the Mac. When using a PC connected directly to the TV with an HDMI cable, the PC must play the video file to provide picture and audio to the TV.
    Good to know. Thanks.

    If your TV is a smart TV with a built-in media player and is also DLNA enabled, it may be possible for the TV to play a file that is being streamed to it over your home network.
    I have been successful in doing that. I have a Panasonic plasma TV made in 2013 (TC-P50S60), but I don't believe it plays formats such as MKV (just MP4).
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  8. Windows XP used to have a media mode where whatever was playing in a media player on the main display appeared full screen on the second display. Other programs never showed up on the second display. Unfortunately, that mode is no longer supported. Now you have to set up as a second display, make sure that the media player opens on that second display, then set the window to full screen -- which may be hard to do if the person at the main monitor can't see the second display. Unfortunately, other windows may open on the second display too. So the person on the main display might start a program and not see it because it's on the other display.
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