I'm currently using an old laptop to try to work out whether I want to go to the trouble of assembling a htpc. Watching films or TV through a large screen is pretty good, but walking over to the laptop to change what it's doing isn't so good. So I currently have a fairly long video cable connecting the laptop to a TV, and the laptop is sat next to a sofa.
How do I refine this? A remote control seems an obvious choice, but unless I change to a htpc - orientated OS I imagine navigating folders will be frustrating. I'm happy enough controlling it over ssh from another device, but the girlfriend isn't so user-friendly is fairly important.
So, an entirely intuitive GUI with remote control is probably my best choice. What are my options here? I'm confident other people on these boards will have solved this problem somehow.
(The htpc is likely to be derived from a file server, which will probably continue acting as a file server. Does this mean a WD-TV style thing makes the most sense?)
Thank you
How do I refine this? A remote control seems an obvious choice, but unless I change to a htpc - orientated OS I imagine navigating folders will be frustrating. I'm happy enough controlling it over ssh from another device, but the girlfriend isn't so user-friendly is fairly important.
So, an entirely intuitive GUI with remote control is probably my best choice. What are my options here? I'm confident other people on these boards will have solved this problem somehow.
(The htpc is likely to be derived from a file server, which will probably continue acting as a file server. Does this mean a WD-TV style thing makes the most sense?)
Thank you