New projector set up. What should I purchase to stream?

6883 Views 17 Replies 6 Participants Last post by Porknz, Sep 30, 2019

Porknz

Discussion Starter · Sep 15, 2019

Recently got my first projector set up. Epson 5050UB. I have cat6a running to it. What should I be looking at to get netflix and amazon prime video running? I see there is a new fire cube coming out, but it sounds like from its own description that it doesn't really work with projectors.

Thanks for any advice.

1 - 18 of 18 Posts

hodgjy

· #2 · Sep 16, 2019

Porknz said:
Recently got my first projector set up. Epson 5050UB. I have cat6a running to it. What should I be looking at to get netflix and amazon prime video running? I see there is a new fire cube coming out, but it sounds like from its own description that it doesn't really work with projectors.

Thanks for any advice.

I'd say Apple TV 4k is a good possibility. I looked briefly at the Epson's specs, and I can't tell if it supports Dolby Vision, but it seems like it doesn't. If it doesn't, Apple TV converts Dolby Vision to an HDR10-compatible format with a hard 4000 nit peak brightness ceiling, which is better than stripping all of the metadata and going with "regular" HDR10. It's not as good as Dolby Vision, but it's better than HDR10, and since the project doesn't support it anyway, you'll be getting some benefit in the end. Netflix had plenty of Dolby Vision content.

You'll have to run a long HDMI cable to it, but they are pretty cheap at monoprice. Just get high speed certified 18gb.

Mocs123

· #3 · Sep 16, 2019

I'm going through the same decision making process right now. If you want to run hard wired internet, which it sounds like you do, I think you are looking at the Apple TV 4K, the Nvidia Shield, and the Roku Ultra, as they all have Ethernet ports.

It sounds like the Apple TV 4K has the best picture (by a slight margin) and obviously works best if you are already in the Apple ecosystem. It seems to be the best device for purely streaming video.

The Shield offers bitstream pass through, so if you keep locally ripped blu-rays, or other media, it is the only device that will let you get the top audio formats - this is not an issue for streaming, but for playing local media files. It's android so it's a little more open format than Apple if that's important to you. It also allows you to hook a hard drive up to it for additional storage, and of course has some additional gaming abilities if that interests you.

The Roku Ultra is cheaper than the other two and people seem to like the interface, but it has ads, and isn't as powerful or as fast as the others.

See less See more

Porknz

Discussion Starter · #4 · Sep 17, 2019

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074TC662N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Any thoughts on this?

garnuts

· #5 · Sep 17, 2019

Porknz said:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074TC662N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Any thoughts on this?

That product is to be used with Amazon Fire TV Sticks if Wifi steaming is not satisfactory. It's not a streaming device.

I have a Epson 5050. The ethernet port on it is not used for internet streaming, I couldn't tell from your post above if you were trying to do that? The manual will explain it better than I can.

Do you have an AVR? Most people run an HDMI cable from their AVR to the projector. A streaming device such as a Fire TV stick, Roku, Apple TV or Nvidia Shield is connected to the AVR.

I use all the above except for ATV. If you are streaming local media and want lossless audio playback, the Shield is the only one that will do that. If not the Roku, Fire TV, and ATV each has some shared and different capabilities. You can find each has it's own thread in this sub-forum where you can learn more about them.

Reactions: 1

Porknz

Discussion Starter · #6 · Sep 18, 2019

I don't know anything about the steaming devices. I guess I assumed the firestick went into the projector, but you are saying you plug that into the receiver? I ran cat6a next to the hdmi that runs to my projector. I figured this might plug into the firestick, which I'd have plugged into the projector.

My end goal is to be able to get netflix, amazon prime and youtube to run through the projector. We live out in the sticks and pay outrageous fees to get slow internet. Wifi couldn't handle netflix well I'm sure and wouldn't handle 4k content for sure. I want to hardline streaming content through the projector.

Brian Hampton

· #7 · Sep 18, 2019 (Edited)

Porknz said:
I don't know anything about the steaming devices. I guess I assumed the firestick went into the projector

Not a good assumption.

Some projectors can't be used like that and if they can ... you still want sound I imagine?

My setup is fairly simple but goes like -

ATV4K- AVR- Projector.

The AVR feeds the speakers and passes the signal to the projector.

Can you be specific about living in the sticks and paying a lot for slow internet because that could be a big problem. I live in a small town but fast internet is getting pretty ubiquitous these days. I have a slower connection than my public library but I can stream 4K no problem while other HD streams are active in the house.

Almost everything at my house is Wifi (wireless) but I do run a hardwired connection to the HT (of course). You can run ethernet to a steaming device and that's certainly recommended but you may find your home networking does faster wifi than the signal coming to you house anyway.

-Brian

See less See more

Mocs123

· #8 · Sep 18, 2019

Porknz said:
I don't know anything about the steaming devices. I guess I assumed the firestick went into the projector, but you are saying you plug that into the receiver? I ran cat6a next to the hdmi that runs to my projector. I figured this might plug into the firestick, which I'd have plugged into the projector.

My end goal is to be able to get netflix, amazon prime and youtube to run through the projector. We live out in the sticks and pay outrageous fees to get slow internet. Wifi couldn't handle netflix well I'm sure and wouldn't handle 4k content for sure. I want to hardline streaming content through the projector.

Brian and garnuts are correct, you will want to hook whatever streaming device you decide on into your receiver with your other sources (blu ray, game system, cable box, etc) and have one HDMI cable go out from your receiver to the projector.

I'm a fan of hardwiring a connection like this, so I like that idea, but your WiFi should be about as fast as your internet connection. Is the issue the speed/bandwidth of your wifi or is it signal strength? If it's speed/bandwidth, hardwiring probably won't help much.

Porknz

Discussion Starter · #9 · Sep 19, 2019

So many questions!

1. What is the purpose of the ethernet port on the projector then?

2. How do I stream media from my receiver when I don't have hdmi or usb on my receiver?

3. I'm completely confused by the comments about wifi vs hardline. I'd never ever ever game on my pc using wifi. I'd only play hardlined. I'd never try to download a game over the wifi. How are speeds over my wifi that is being shared by four devices the same as the speed of a hardline running directly into my device?

Porknz

Discussion Starter · #10 · Sep 19, 2019

I've recently started paying a stupid amount to get 50mbps service.

m0j0

· #11 · Sep 20, 2019

If primarily Netflix and Amazon Prime, you could use a Panasonic UB820, which could tone map the picture for these sources plus any 4K discs you might want to play. Otherwise, the Nvidia Shield is very versatile.

Brian Hampton

· #12 · Sep 20, 2019

Porknz said:
So many questions!

1. What is the purpose of the ethernet port on the projector then?

2. How do I stream media from my receiver when I don't have hdmi or usb on my receiver?

3. I'm completely confused by the comments about wifi vs hardline. I'd never ever ever game on my pc using wifi. I'd only play hardlined. I'd never try to download a game over the wifi. How are speeds over my wifi that is being shared by four devices the same as the speed of a hardline running directly into my device?

1. The main usefulness of the ethernet port on the projector is for control via the network. Using the network as a remote. Sometimes called IP control. It's great. Has 2 way communication ... in other words devices can find out if it's already on or off.

2. Sounds like it's time for a new receiver.

3. Hardwire is better... Modern Wifi can be as good and a bit easier. I run a wire to my HT gear. Do that and forget about it but if you can't do that it may not matter.

Mocs123

· #13 · Sep 20, 2019

Porknz said:
So many questions!

1. What is the purpose of the ethernet port on the projector then?

2. How do I stream media from my receiver when I don't have hdmi or usb on my receiver?

3. I'm completely confused by the comments about wifi vs hardline. I'd never ever ever game on my pc using wifi. I'd only play hardlined. I'd never try to download a game over the wifi. How are speeds over my wifi that is being shared by four devices the same as the speed of a hardline running directly into my device?

1.) As others have said IP Control and software updates

2.) I don't think the Apple TV 4K, Roku Ultra, or Nvidia Sheild have an optical out, but perhaps an older 1080p streamer does. If you can find one, you can hook HDMI from the streaming device to the projector and the optical out to the receiver. Of course your projector doesn't many HDMI ports so you'd have to be careful there. I think it may be time for a receiver upgrade.

3.) I'd hardline if I could, but I'm just saying that your WiFi "should" be fast enough for 4K or 1080p streaming. If your wifi isn't it may be that your ISP isn't fast enough, which in that case it wouldn't matter if you hardwired or not.

Porknz

Discussion Starter · #14 · Sep 21, 2019

With what I just spend to get my first projector, and mount and screen, a new receiver is a few years out. I'll have to see if I can rig something up to stream I guess. Thanks guys.

Porknz

Discussion Starter · #15 · Sep 21, 2019

m0j0 said:
If primarily Netflix and Amazon Prime, you could use a Panasonic UB820, which could tone map the picture for these sources plus any 4K discs you might want to play. Otherwise, the Nvidia Shield is very versatile.

Oooooh. Tell me more. This is the new player I purchased when I got the projector and mount and screen. Can I stream with it somehow and not need the 4k fire stick and adaptor I purchased?

Brian Hampton

· #16 · Sep 21, 2019

Exactly what receiver do you have ? ... Then we may be able to figure out the best way to set things up.

You could get a used receiver that's a couple years old but still passes 4K HDR or one that would work with airplay... Actually, where are you located ... I may have a spare....

-Brian

m0j0

· #17 · Sep 21, 2019 (Edited)

Porknz said:
Oooooh. Tell me more. This is the new player I purchased when I got the projector and mount and screen. Can I stream with it somehow and not need the 4k fire stick and adaptor I purchased?

Yes, it has a few streaming apps built in, such as Netflix, Amazon Video, Youtube, etc, so I would give that a go first. The bonus is that it also applies tone mapping in those apps.

Porknz

Discussion Starter · #18 · Sep 30, 2019

Netflix is working great through the player. Thanks! Firestick and adapter sent back.

1 - 18 of 18 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.