"Smart TV" Boxes (Any with 802.11AC?)

Wezoin

I'm looking at getting my dad something along the lines of an Apple TV so he can access Netflix. We're in Canada so there's no Hulu or any of that stuff. Just Netflix.

I just upgraded his router to 802.11AC, and he is an HD nut. He is obsessed with picture quality. There's also quite a distance between the TV and router.
Does anyone have any recommendations for one of these types of boxes that will provide 802.11AC?

Dhalphir

Is there any reason it has to be AC and not N? I can't imagine many residential internet connections challenge the capacity of N, and watching HD TV wouldn't even challenge G, let alone N.

And I don't think there will be many devices like the Apple TV out there supporting AC - it was only approved in January of this year and there's just no reasonable expectation of seeing significant availability of it until next year's generation of devices.

Wezoin

Just figured it'd be beneficial for speed of buffering, but I suppose n would be fine anyway

Aioua

Wezoin wrote: »

Just figured it'd be beneficial for speed of buffering, but I suppose n would be fine anyway

If it's netflix, even on N wifi you're going to be limited by your ISP, not your internal network.
You'd really only see improvements if you were hosting the content locally (say on a media server), but that sounds like it isn't the case.

MichaelLC

I like my Roku 3. The menus are simple and the remote headphone jack is cool.

bowen

Aioua wrote: »

Wezoin wrote: »

Just figured it'd be beneficial for speed of buffering, but I suppose n would be fine anyway

If it's netflix, even on N wifi you're going to be limited by your ISP, not your internal network.
You'd really only see improvements if you were hosting the content locally (say on a media server), but that sounds like it isn't the case.

In which case it'd probably be swank to run a cat6 to the location of the TV anyways. Cheaper to get a spool of cat6 (1000 ft) and some jacks and some raceways (if you don't like to put holes in your walls or don't have a crawl space) than it is to get an AC route actually, funnily enough.

Pinfeldorf

bowen wrote: »

Aioua wrote: »

Wezoin wrote: »

Just figured it'd be beneficial for speed of buffering, but I suppose n would be fine anyway

If it's netflix, even on N wifi you're going to be limited by your ISP, not your internal network.
You'd really only see improvements if you were hosting the content locally (say on a media server), but that sounds like it isn't the case.

In which case it'd probably be swank to run a cat6 to the location of the TV anyways. Cheaper to get a spool of cat6 (1000 ft) and some jacks and some raceways (if you don't like to put holes in your walls or don't have a crawl space) than it is to get an AC route actually, funnily enough.

Not to derail or anything, but on the topic of running a bunch of cat6 through a house, would it be safe to use air conditioning ducts for this purpose? The shortest route through our house from the cable wall jack to my room is about 30' if we can go through the vents, but closer to 100' through doorways.

Wezoin

Pinfeldorf wrote: »

bowen wrote: »

Aioua wrote: »

Wezoin wrote: »

Just figured it'd be beneficial for speed of buffering, but I suppose n would be fine anyway

If it's netflix, even on N wifi you're going to be limited by your ISP, not your internal network.
You'd really only see improvements if you were hosting the content locally (say on a media server), but that sounds like it isn't the case.

In which case it'd probably be swank to run a cat6 to the location of the TV anyways. Cheaper to get a spool of cat6 (1000 ft) and some jacks and some raceways (if you don't like to put holes in your walls or don't have a crawl space) than it is to get an AC route actually, funnily enough.

Not to derail or anything, but on the topic of running a bunch of cat6 through a house, would it be safe to use air conditioning ducts for this purpose? The shortest route through our house from the cable wall jack to my room is about 30' if we can go through the vents, but closer to 100' through doorways.

My ISP does this shit all the time when routing cables. It's safe just ugly as all hell.

ASimPerson

Uh, running cables through duct-work is generally against code: https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/8851/is-running-ethernet-cable-through-an-air-return-allowed-under-us-code

bowen

It depends on your locale, you'll need plenum rated cable in most cases, which is a bit more expensive and a pain in the ass to work with (thicker and different type of jacket on the cable).

I wouldn't run it through the duct, but drill a hole through the floor/ceiling as needed and use raceways to make it look less terrible. Going through a duct looks the worst imaginable. The best way is to tear up drywall and fish it through that way and then patch it, but that's a bit more expensive and a bit harder work (having to match paint and all that).