TV & Home Theater

[MWarren]

I'm planning to purchase a new TV in the next few weeks (40-46" range), and I've seen a number of new TVs that feature wireless network connectivity. I have a broadband home network, and can use my secure wireless settings or connect via ethernet cabling directly.

Are there any advantages to a wired Internet connection vs. a wireless connection? Any disadvantages that I should be aware of?

[Entropy]

Wired is much more reliable.  It's also faster, but even wireless-G is faster than most people's connections.

[MWarren]

Thanks. That was my thinking too. Appreciate your response.

[DarkWingDUCK · Accepted solution]

wired is always the best and fastest connection.  I use wireless for mine with good results.  Its mostly for convenience, but if you have a simple way of going wired then that would be better.  But we shouldn't try to discourage you from trying wireless if it would be more convenient.

[MWarren]

Thanks DWD.

[dc2587]

You have third solution if your router/modem is not near your TV and cant bring an ethernet cable to the TV. There is ethernet over powerline, Monster and Linksys or Netgear make models. Basically better/faster than wireless, just plug one into an outlet by your router, the other by your tv with small ethernet cables from the device to your TV and voila! The Monster ones have 2 additional outlets on them so you dont lose the 2 outlets you just covered up on the wall.

Also, this will only work in a house type setting as an apartment is probably not one circuit and wont be able to communicate, so  keep that in mind.

Good luck!!

[Vikingstaff]

I went wireless and it works fantastic!!! 

There hasn't been any problems or lag with streaming movies via Netflix or other sources, or from streaming home videos, etc... from my computers.  If it is not convenient to wire it directly, I wouldn't think twice about going wireless.  My experience had been very good in this regard. 

That said, it will also depend on the quality of internet services your equipment manufacture offers.  Every company has their own apps, so make sure you are happy with those, before committing.  For myself, I have been very pleased with Samsung's array of internet apps, and how well they work on my wireless network.

[JohnCA]

I agree with the sentiment of most responses, use a hard-wired solution if you can do this easily.

You did not say how many other wireless devices you already have. One consideration is that each time a wireless device is added to a network, it is taking some of the bandwidth and proportionately degrading the performance of the other wireless devices.

My wife and I have a wireless blu-ray player with a Cisco Linksys E3000 "N" router. This router is supposed to be optimized for media streaming, whatever that means, but I have to say it works great for Netflix.

In our case, this is the only wireless device, the other computers are hard-wired to the router.