Tablets to view/control TV and programming

[Intrinsic]

So I'm trying to help a family friend (he's 85) who would like to control his TV and surf on the web with a tablet device if possible.
He has a 14" HP at the moment attached to his Sony Bravia (not a smart TV, since it's 5 years old). I came across the Griffin Beacon however the reviews weren't too favorable. He's with Rogers for cable, so anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

I was thinking perhaps Apple TV along with the iPad and the Rogers app to mirror what's on his iPad onto the TV and therefore he could surf as well? Not sure if this would work or not as I'm not an Apple user.
But maybe this would be too complicated for an 85 year old guy?

 

[OddSox]

Not sure if it's exactly what you're looking for, but you could check out http://xbmc.org/

 

[thewheelman]

You have 2 issues to consider here...
1/ controlling the Rogers settop box (STB) to switch channels and
2/ playing saved or internet audio/video.

#2 is easy. External media player/servers (WD Live, Boxxee, Apple TV) will play content from your PC and the internet.
Media servers like TVersity, MythTV, Xbmc are applications that reside on your PC, are easily programmed to include your favorite internet radio stations, RSS feads, Podcasts and internet video.
I personally use a WD Live media server and TVersity together, so everything I add to TVersity can be managed via the WD live IR remote or a web page from my smartphone, tablet etc.

#1 is more challenging - you have 2 ways to go here.
The easy way is to buy a tablet that has an universal IR remote built-in. http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57329911-1/tablets-for-your-tv/
The techy way is to connect your Rogers STB to your PC using the IEEE1394 interface and the proper drivers, so you change channels using your PC.
I recommend the easy way.

If you are just interested in playing video you have stored on your computer, then the free "Media Player Classic - Home Cinema" works very well and you can use the tablet with it's web interface controller.
Add the MadVR video renderer and LAV filters for TrueHD and DTS-HD audio and you have it all.

 

[onthebottom]

I find myself laughing at these suggestions for an 85yr old man.... unless he's one techie geek it's confusing as hell.

The cable companies are keeping TV in the dark ages (1990s).

OTB

 

[WoodPeckr]

So I'm trying to help a family friend (he's 85) who would like to control his TV and surf on the web with a tablet device if possible.
He has a 14" HP at the moment attached to his Sony Bravia (not a smart TV, since it's 5 years old). I came across the Griffin Beacon however the reviews weren't too favorable. He's with Rogers for cable, so anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

Get a wireless mouse.....
That's how I control ~90% of my HDTV that is connected to a Dell laptop via HDMI cable. The HDTV then acts as a PC monitor doing any and everything the laptop did and turned the HDTV into a super smart TV. In fact the wireless mouse (cost 15 bucks) works better than the infrared remotes that came with the cable box or TV and is very easy to use.

 

[Intrinsic]

I find myself laughing at these suggestions for an 85yr old man.... unless he's one techie geek it's confusing as hell.

The cable companies are keeping TV in the dark ages (1990s).

OTB

WE can only all hope to be like him when we're 85. He's got all his faculties, he's 100% capable of doing a lot of things with the tech stuff. In fact, we hooked him up to his TV and got him online via his 14" HP laptop and a bluetooth keyboard to sit at his chair and surf and watch TV whenever he likes.

However, he finds the keyboard (with a built in mini touch pad) to be a bit cumbersome.

So we're trying to help him with a new set up now.

 

[onthebottom]

WE can only all hope to be like him when we're 85. He's got all his faculties, he's 100% capable of doing a lot of things with the tech stuff. In fact, we hooked him up to his TV and got him online via his 14" HP laptop and a bluetooth keyboard to sit at his chair and surf and watch TV whenever he likes.

However, he finds the keyboard (with a built in mini touch pad) to be a bit cumbersome.

So we're trying to help him with a new set up now.

That's VERY cool.....

An iPad as a tablet surfing / video playback is super easy to set up and use. iPad Airplay to stream to an Apple TV is also very easy to do.

Also something like this: http://allthingsd.com/20110302/a-pear-gives-apple-devices-an-easy-way-to-control-tvs/ can work with a iPhone, Touch or iPad....

OTB

 

[WoodPeckr]

^^^ A $15 wireless mouse works just as well for me, as that small, $100 battery-powered wireless hardware transmitter that’s vaguely shaped like a pear and called a “fruit.”......ijs...:eyebrows:

 

[Jun]

Try this as well: http://store.sony.ca/webapp/wcs/sto...0153&langId=200&productId=8198552921666462151

Also Panasonic and Samsung (probably others as well) both have TV's that can be controlled by Apps that are free in the Andriod/Ipuke stores.

That look sweet even though I'm not 85yrs old yet lol :hail: