Right then I need your technical help explained in a non-technical way please.

I have a Lovefilm subscription which includes their Instant streaming service and last night I bought Series 5 of Fringe on blinkbox (the only legitimate source from my research), which I then watched on my Nexus 7. It would be nice though for the wife, my daughter and I to watch it all together on our telly.

So I have 2 problems as I see it:

1. The wifi signal is very weak in our front room as it has to come through an old double-brick previously exterior wall.
2. Once I’ve got decent internet in the room I need a device to make my TV ‘smart’.

Oh, a third problem: I’m quite tight and so don’t want to fork out on a new smart tv.

So my question to you smart folk* is what’s the best value,simplest and most reliable solution please. Powerline thing or wi-fi booster? Which set-top box? (I currently have a V+ HD box, if that makes any difference). Links would be much appreciated. And yes I have googled it.

Ta in advance.

* see what I did there? 😀

Cheapest solution would be to run a HDMI cable from the Nexus to the TV?

1. The wifi signal is very weak in our front room as it has to come through an old double-brick previously exterior wall.

Powerline extenders will solve the wifi issue.

2. Once I’ve got decent internet in the room I need a device to make my TV ‘smart’.

So many options, exactly how tight are you and what sort of budget do you think would be reasonable? First two that spring to mind are: a jailbroken AppleTV although not that cheap or I think a Raspberry Pi can be turned into a media player which would be cheaper option worth exploring.

[edit]
Or more obviously the suggestion above.

a jailbroken AppleTV

sounds dodgy…

a Raspberry Pi

involves a certain level of IT geekery know-how?

run a HDMI cable from the Nexus to the TV

I tried that once with the laptop but it didn’t work, flicking through the different input options. Was I/ am I missing a trick? This option does seem the simplest and most elegant, though I’d still need a stronger wifi. Do powerlines work like wifi or do you connect your device with a cable to them?

Do powerlines work like wifi or do you connect your device with a cable to them?

The ones I have use a cable although I’d be surprised if theres not a wifi extender version available. Have a look at the netgear website they have a quite a range and are bound to have something that’ll work for you.

I have one of these as a Wfi repeater works very well.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Duronic-IR815-Wireless-N-Repeater-Amplifier/dp/B009M6CE2A

You could always try an Android HDMI stick?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mini-Google-Android-Player-Allwinner/dp/B008VOMRUS/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1362136762&sr=1-4

Online marketing in action…

Just this morning I received an email from 7dayshop proffering wifi extenders and cheap powerline plug jobbies… Might be worth a look?

http://www.7dayshop.com/7dayshop-wifi-repeater-wireless-access-point?backUrl=L2NhdGFsb2dzZWFyY2gvcmVzdWx0Lz9xPXdpZmkrZXh0ZW5kZXI=

Sorry, I had to go and do some work 😕

chr15, I got that email too, it’s partly what prompted this thread!

Got it too and ordered as sick of the cable trailing form desktop into the passage.

That android stick looks the business! So that and a wifi repeater and I’m sorted, cheers guys! 😀

a Raspberry Pi
involves a certain level of IT geekery know-how?

Actually you can set it up with approximately 2 mouse clicks!

Actually you can set it up with approximately 2 mouse clicks!

Wooaahh! Slow down there.