Connect Xbox 360 to TV Instead of Laptop

Chances are you're visiting this site because you want to figure out how to connect your laptop to your TV. You're likely looking for some cable or adapter that will allow you to mess with some settings on your laptop and get it to successfully connect to your television. But, what if I told you you didn't need to connect your laptop to your TV if you already have an Xbox 360? If you're just looking to stream video, music, Netflix, or Hulu from the Internet to your TV you can probably leave your laptop in its bag.

Connecting Xbox 360 to Your TV

The Xbox 360 has dropped significantly in price since its launch price of $399 back in November of 2005. Now you can purchase the basic model for around $199 and have your media connected to your TV within minutes of taking it out of the box. The Xbox 360 allows for HDMI connection (via a $5 cable) so you can connect it to your TV with 1080p crystal clarity. You can control your media with the standard Xbox 360 controller or a proprietary remote control designed by Microsoft.

To play your media on your Xbox, you'll first need to copy the videos or songs you wish to play to a USB device. The USB device must be FAT32 formatted, not NTFS. If you don't know the difference between the two, thumb drives generally will work as they are FAT32, whereas larger external hard drives will not as they are generally NTFS. This 32GB flash drive from SanDisk should work just fine.

NOTE: Make sure that your videos are converted to AVI, MPEG4, or MP4 before copying them to your USB drive. If your files are not in one of those four formats you can convert them to one using the free Videora conversion software.

1. Once your videos are in the proper format and stored on your USB drive, plug the drive into your Xbox 360 and power it on. 
2. Once your Xbox has booted up, scroll to the My Xbox menu and select the Video Library option.
3. From the list of storage options, select your USB flash drive.
4. Select the video you wish to play and hit Play.

Xbox 360 Internet Streaming Options

If you don't have many videos downloaded, have no fear. The Xbox 360 is a native supporter of Netflix (meaning it has its own Netflix software built in). All you need to sign into your Netflix account and start streaming movies in full HD is a subscription to Xbox Live.

Simply buy the Xbox Live subscription card featured on the left, create or login to your Xbox with your Xbox Live account, and launch the Netflix program on your Xbox from the Video menu on your Xbox. All of your Netflix Instant Queue titles will appear on the screen and be available to watch.

Connect Nettop to TV | Home Theater PC

One solution, and the solution that I personally use for connecting my laptop to my TV, is to get rid of my laptop all together. Instead of constantly messing with cables, changing resolutions and screen settings, and booting up my laptop all the time, I decided it was worth the investment to buy a Nettop for about $350.

A nettop (half netbook, half desktop) is a very small computer that runs silently, puts off very little heat, and uses hardly any power. They're about the size of the Nintendo Wii, so they'll fit easily in your entertainment center, and can run any media file you can run on your laptop.

At my house I have an Acer AspireRevo 1600, but they're currently discontinued. The new Acer model is the AspireRevo AR3700-U3002.

Acer AspireRevo AR3700-U3002

With a 250GB hard drive, 2GB RAM, an HDMI-out port, 6 USB ports, and an Intel ION graphics card, this device will be the last thing you ever need to connect to your TV. The AR3700 comes with Windows 7 pre-installed, so all you need to do is plug in the power cord, included mouse and keyboard, and connect it to your TV with a garden variety HDMI cable. Then just power the nettop on, use the built-in WiFi to connect to your home network, and you instantly have yourself an excellent Home Theater Personal Computer (HTPC).

Of course, there are a few things that you could consider purchasing to make your HTPC setup that much more enjoyable...

4GB SODIMM DDR3 PC3-10600

While the AR3700 comes with 2GB RAM pre-installed, you can get a lot more power out of it by simply adding more RAM. It is not recommended to mix RAM modules, as it can cause blue screens and other technical problems. If you buy this 2GB x 2 set from Crucial you can't go wrong. Installing it is simple and it is the single biggest DIY hardware improvement that will make your nettop faster.

HDMI Cable

Without an HDMI Cable it will be difficult to connect your nettop to your TV. Simply plug one end into your AspireRevo's HDMI output and the other end into your TV's HDMI input, switch your TV's input to HDMI, and your nettop is successfully connected to your TV. Of course, if your nettop or TV doesn't have an HDMI connection you can check out your other options with my easy to use form that shows what cables you need to connect your laptop to your TV.

Logitech diNovo Mini

Lastly, and probably my favorite gadget in my entire house, is the Logitech diNovo Mini. This small device featured in several episodes of 24 makes controlling your TV-connected nettop (or laptop) as easy as possible from the comfort of your couch. The diNovo mini connects to your nettop or laptop via a USB Bluetooth connection, allowing you to wirelessly control your HTPC from up to 30 feet away. It allows for control of both keyboard, mouse, and media buttons through possibly the most intuitive compact controls I've ever used.

In my experience it holds a charge for 3-4 days of regular use before needing to be plugged in. It fits perfectly in the palms of your hands and takes up a lot less space than a full-sized keyboard and mouse would in your living room.