A lot of this technology is very confusing to me. I am looking to stream Netflix movies and to be able to see photos of my grandkids from my iPad 3 to my TV. I have seen blue ray DVD players that are supposed to be able to do this, I have seen the Apple TV, however I have seen different versions of the apple tv and don't know which one to get, I have also seen a cable that I can plug into my iPad and use a hdmi cable to connect my iPad to my tv... It is all very confusing to me. Also, I'm a disabled vet and live off my va pension, so price is also a factor.... Anyone have any ideas?

Thank you.

Originally Posted by Pauley

A lot of this technology is very confusing to me. I am looking to stream Netflix movies and to be able to see photos of my grandkids from my iPad 3 to my TV. I have seen blue ray DVD players that are supposed to be able to do this, I have seen the Apple TV, however I have seen different versions of the apple tv and don't know which one to get, I have also seen a cable that I can plug into my iPad and use a hdmi cable to connect my iPad to my tv... It is all very confusing to me. Also, I'm a disabled vet and live off my va pension, so price is also a factor.... Anyone have any ideas?

Thank you.

One the cheapest ways to stream online content is to simply buy one of the small cheap media streaming boxes which are now plentiful. I'm 68yrs old and find them very easy to use. I have 1 Sony media streamer in our lounge, and a cheap LG media streamer in another room, in the UK the Sony streamer at Amazon UK is approx £75 while the LG was purchased at our local Asda supermarket for £54. The picture quality on both are outstanding, and of course come with lots of content including Netflix and a multitude of others too.
In the UK, I use mine a lot for catching up on TV programs I've missed as we have TV catchup services here, though these may not be available in other countries and can certainly vary dependant on Country ect.

Most of the units wiil do what you want, plus much more, even the cheaper media streamers like the LG really do perform well, have a read of some of the feedback from other users on Amazon, just do a search on Amazon for Media Streaming, and check out the review sites. I for example, have a very large film, music and picture collection stored on my PC. The media boxes also allow me to stream all that content direct to my iPad, so while at home I'm not limited just to what is stored on my iPads.

The HDMI adapter cable I use myself, and can confirm that it too, tho not cheap for what it is, does produce a good image and sound on your large screen TV, it works very well indeed.

I've not used the Apple TV, though users on here say it works very well, and especially so for use with iPads, so ideal for showing pics of your grandchildren easily on your TV, but I'm not sure what other things they can do streaming wise, and what content is present on them ie for Netflix ect, though I'm sure one of the other members will be able to give some good info on the Aplle TV unit.

Thanks for the reply. I think I'll take a close look at the Apple TV

I think I'll take a close look at the Apple TV

The ATV (latest generation) is really good if you are firmly rooted in the Apple ecosystem. Some of the other streamers are more useful in that they work with a wider selection of file types and thus integrate better in the home of a person what has lots of ripped media stored on a home network. The ATV can be jailbroken and additional software loaded which increases its overall usefulness.

Originally Posted by Pauley

A lot of this technology is very confusing to me. I am looking to stream Netflix movies and to be able to see photos of my grandkids from my iPad 3 to my TV. I have seen blue ray DVD players that are supposed to be able to do this, I have seen the Apple TV, however I have seen different versions of the apple tv and don't know which one to get, I have also seen a cable that I can plug into my iPad and use a hdmi cable to connect my iPad to my tv... It is all very confusing to me. Also, I'm a disabled vet and live off my va pension, so price is also a factor.... Anyone have any ideas?

Thank you.

My favourite is Roku. It is super easy to use and only $49!

You can use this version "Apple TV MD199LL/A"[Newest Version]. I am telling you to use this version because its cheaper than other versions of Apple TV and i think it can fulfill your all requirements.

Originally Posted by cherapin

My favourite is Roku. It is super easy to use and only $49!

Why do you prefer the Roku over the other brands? Is is just due to the pricing, or how the unit works? How long have you had the Roku unit?

Thanks for sharing!

Most of the units wiil do what you want, plus much more, even the cheaper media streamers like the LG really do perform well, have a read of some of the feedback from other users on Amazon, just do a search on Amazon for Media Streaming, and check out the review sites.

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I got the new Apple TV and think it is perfect for what I am wanting to do. It will mirror everything I have and do on my iPad to the TV, as well as watch Netflix and many other things it can do.