Ok folks, the season is quickly coming....

Due to the rather large number of games that might possibly be played on ESPNU and of course on App State TV... How do you watch these on the big screen?

I know I can hook up my HDMI cable from my laptop to the tv, but that's cumbersome and prone to 3-year old interference.

Has anyone tried any of the new "boxes" out there? Apple TV? Google Cast? Amazon's new toy?

Do they work?

AppleTV is great. I really believe this is now the future of TV. The only problem with AppleTV, not sure about Roku or the others, but there currently is no web browser capability. Thus, AppStateTV you still need to use the laptop. The other bad thing, at least where I live, is Time Warner requires a cable subscription to access watchESPN. Even more frustrating, TWC does not allow access to a number of the other "apps" despite having a full cable TV package - watchABC, all disney channels, among others.

One thing of note, my AppleTV actually had a software update earlier this week and a new "app" showed up - "ACC Sports." Would be great if the SunBelt put out something like this. Even better yet, if DJ and team could convince Apple to put an AppStateSports App out there. Can you imagine the amount of exposure we would get?

I too have tried the HDMI into the tv trick for many years and have stopped for the same reason.

My wife got me the apple TV for Christmas and we love it. Hooks right up to the internet and streams the watch ESPN app very well. IMO its well worth the money.

ChromeCast does the same exact thing as Apple TV for a fraction of the cost -- and works with all devices (iOS, Android, PC, Mac, etc.)

ChromeCast, in my opinion, is the way to go. It has all the same apps plus allows you to stream through the Chrome browser so you can watch AppState TV through it without any problem.s

vegattk wrote:Ok folks, the season is quickly coming....

Due to the rather large number of games that might possibly be played on ESPNU and of course on App State TV... How do you watch these on the big screen?

I know I can hook up my HDMI cable from my laptop to the tv, but that's cumbersome and prone to 3-year old interference.

Has anyone tried any of the new "boxes" out there? Apple TV? Google Cast? Amazon's new toy?

Do they work?

I have a ChromeCast and haven't used it too much but it worked well when I did. I have let my kids use it and they really like it. It's cheap and you can "cast" from about everything phone, pc, tablet, etc. It also will cast directly from several services (ie, netflix) and also from your browser.

You could also use an Xbox if you have one laying around.

Maybe the cheapest way if you have a couple android phones is Freecast (a chromecast without hardware). You might need a $8 cable (hdmi to micro hdmi).

The new amazon fire tv looks good and I will probably try it next.

Your most economical/least cumbersome option:

http://www.roku.com/

I have ChromeCast, and it works great for things like YouTube or other non-sports programming, but on mine I get lag and freezing when casting WatchESPN. I haven't tried it with ASU TV. This may just be my signal strength bc I also have problems with ASU TV. Just my experience.

I'm planning to invest in a cable to hook up my laptop right to my tv. Anyone know what kind of cable I need, because my laptop doesn't have an hdmi port.

canes_mj wrote:I have ChromeCast, and it works great for things like YouTube or other non-sports programming, but on mine I get lag and freezing when casting WatchESPN. I haven't tried it with ASU TV. This may just be my signal strength bc I also have problems with ASU TV. Just my experience.

I'm planning to invest in a cable to hook up my laptop right to my tv. Anyone know what kind of cable I need, because my laptop doesn't have an hdmi port.

Most flatscreen tvs have a 'VGA' monitor port often labeled 'PC IN'. You will also need a cable to connect the headphone jack of your laptop to the audio of the TV. I purchased a cable that combined the video and sound. Another option is to purchase a VGA to HDMI converter.

canes_mj wrote:I have ChromeCast, and it works great for things like YouTube or other non-sports programming, but on mine I get lag and freezing when casting WatchESPN. I haven't tried it with ASU TV. This may just be my signal strength bc I also have problems with ASU TV. Just my experience.

I'm planning to invest in a cable to hook up my laptop right to my tv. Anyone know what kind of cable I need, because my laptop doesn't have an hdmi port.

If you don't have HDMI on your tv or just want flexibility you can also try something like this. What I like about this one is that it can be powered from your PC with the usb, if you want to take it on the road and don't have many outlets. Also audio is included.

Sounds like a great reason to go out and buy a smart tv with built-in wifi. I haven't tried watching ESPN3 on mine, but the built-in browser handles other streaming media sites just fine. It also has most all the apps you'll use on an Apple TV, Roku, etc, without needing to connect up another box to your TV. I thought a smart TV was a stupid idea since I had other perfs plugged into the TV to serve this function, but I got to say I love it. Hit a button on the remote and I get netflix, hit another I got Pandora so I can annoy my wife while blasting Twisted Sister Radio, hit another and I have a web browser... you get the idea.

Just remember to tell the wife "It's for the safety of our children, dear." HAHA!