So… I want to browse html web pages that are on my LAN on a TV. I thought that maybe a TV with ethernet connection plugged into my router would allow for this but so far what I’ve been looking at seems to just allow connection to netcast (LG) or similar online services rather than a browser that I can point to any url (internet or LAN).

Any suggestions on a way of doing this? I’ve seen that there are boxes that will connect between the router and TV which then act as a browser – any recommendations?

What’s your telly? Internet enabled Sony and LG apparently have a browser, some Samsung too, but not the model (C-650) series I have. I think the Sony Blu-ray boxes have one too, but not sure. Interested in this as our telly has iPlayer built in, but no ITVPlayer, demand5 or 4OD and I don’t want to stick a full-on computer in the living room.

It’s an LG but the internet seems limited to the LG netcast and not a general browser as I was hoping for…

Not all Sony internet tv’s have a browser.

Can you plug a laptop directly into it over VGA (ie, use the TV like an external monitor)?

There is a hacking community for these tellies who are de-restricting and adding browsers etc.Don’t know anything about LG, but a google suggests things are possible.

LG hackers

Yes computer would work fine but I don’t want to – the whole point is that I want to use it without a computer directly attached.

Ah, hackers – yes I figured that would be an option – could do so but would prefer an out of box solution if possible.

Our Sony TV has a browser installed but it’s (apparently) a very basic version of Opera in which I have not even found out how to type an html address in (and I use Opera every day on my computer).
Our Sony BlueRay Player does not have a browser pre-installed as far as I am aware.
Cougar’s suggestion will work, I plugged an old laptop into the VGA port on the TV but the max resolution of the laptop was something like 1024×768 and hence only occupies a very small part of the 32″ TV screen.
Sven

Sony Internet TV here – no browser and tbh, sometimes it feels a bit shonky. Handy for iPlayer and LoveFilm, but that’s about it.

For HTML on a LAN, it’s worth bearing in mind that “opening HTML files” and “opening web pages” aren’t exactly the same thing. You’ll either need a local web server service running, or a browser on the TV which will open plain files from a SMB share.

That said,

I’ve seen that there are boxes that will connect between the router
…
I want to use it without a computer directly attached.

I’m not quite sure what you’re trying to achieve, where your criteria seems to be specifically “a box that isn’t a computer”. What’s the issue here, noise / expense / ease of use?

More info.

The html file in question will be on a network share – url will be something like http://172.xxx.xxx.xxx/file/htmlpagetoshow.htm

I want a tv in a room without a computer in it (but with a network connection) to be able to show that html file.

The main criteria is no computer between the tv and the network. A box that isn’t a computer is ok (cost is the reason but hard to explain why I’m afraid as it’s a bit complex and I realise that I could get a computer that would do the same job as the box, possibly for less money…)

Something like the Logitech revue seems to be fitting the bill at the moment.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Revue-Google-970-000001-Controller/dp/B0040QE98O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1316707142&sr=8-2

In a few weeks the new version of iOS (so iOS 5) will allow full mirroring of everything on an iPad2 to an AppleTV.
So you do your browsing on an iPad and everything on screen is sent wirelessly to you TV via the AppleTV.
Simples.

ahhh, just seen you want to only look at an html page from a network share with nothing inbetween rather than the whole web….. hmmm.
Unless you need the TV to show the page continuously you could do as above but using an iPhone/iPod Touch running iOS5 and an AppleTV instead of the iPad/AppleTV combo.

url will be something like http://172.xxx.xxx.xxx/file/htmlpagetoshow.htm

Except, it won’t, it’ll be file://///172.xxx.xxx.xxx/file/htmlpagetoshow.htm or something, is my point. There won’t be any HTTP as you’re not serving web pages, you’re browsing files.

I realise that I could get a computer that would do the same job as the box, possibly for less money…

‘s where I was going with this, so fair enough.