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[Xeroblade]

Hey guys, quick question: What alternatives do I have for LimeLight for low latency big screen gaming using my Android stick? Turns out my laptop is incompatible (Has a Geforce GT 750M, Limelight requires GTX series)

Also a bonus question: Are there any alternatives to Chromecast to cast a streaming video from within a tab? It'd be awesome to not have to switch inputs to watch videos, haha.

you could try Splashtop Remote PC Gaming THD

its better streamlined towards pc game streaming. I used it with my pc streaming to an old Samsung galaxy tab 2 10.1 and it played Dark Souls 2 at 720p/30fps. there was very little lag and i even did invasions all while in bed.

 

[Donos]

OOh did I see ITX gaming pc as an option? I was talking to a pc gamer about that and he just laughed at me. Subbed.

I want to build an ITX pc for couch gaming with company.

Well probably because you can't fit in 3 titans in an itx build but a lot of cases like the CM 130 can take the big cards. Depends how someone defines "gaming". My budget is around 600-800€ and that's more than enough for the "gaming" i'm going to do. Don't need the newest PC game to run on ultra max giga everything.

 

[scitek]

Does the Sixaxis Controller app work on the FireTV or Chromecast? It works amazingly well on my Nexus 6 with the DS3 and 4.

 

[dtcm83]

Ok, so I have a bit of experience with pc gaming from my couch (desktop pc running full-time into my 50" HDTV, logitech Z5500 for audio), here are my observations:

- I got rid of my desk: I've been doing this since 2010 now, and I cannot see myself going back to straining my neck and sitting solo at a desk, hunched over a screen. Being able to hang out in the living room, on the couch, gf/cats next to me while I play a game on the big screen/surround sound is absolutely worth the sacrifice of not being able to use a kb/m. If a game does not support a controller (I use wired 360 controller), I probably won't play it unless I can use my wireless mouse to easily do so (civ games, this war of mine, etc.).

- Playing a kb/m game is possible, but doing so on a Logitech K400 plus a wireless mouse is not easy. Positioning the keyboard on your lap and mouse on the armrest of the couch is suboptimal, and I'd rather set them up on my coffee table and sit on the floor with legs under coffee table than try to use them on the couch. I eagerly await the steam controller or some other device that provides the accuracy and functionality of kb/m with the size/convenience of a controller.

- Small UI/fonts: one of the biggest issues I have with PC gaming on a large HDTV is that, even on a 50" HDTV, sometimes the UI is simply too small to comfortably see/read even from 6-8ft away. Anno 2070 and the Witcher 2 (I tried the comfy couch font size mod, could not seem to get it working) were basically unplayable because I had to squint so hard to see/read the text and UI elements.

I welcome PC gaming from the couch in every way, but it is not 100% there just yet. We really need to solve the UI/font size issue and the input device issue sooner than later.

 

[Maxim726X]

you could try Splashtop Remote PC Gaming THD

its better streamlined towards pc game streaming. I used it with my pc streaming to an old Samsung galaxy tab 2 10.1 and it played Dark Souls 2 at 720p/30fps. there was very little lag and i even did invasions all while in bed.

I too tested this with pretty good results... Hardwired or wireless? Did it make a huge difference for you? I'm gonna try this on my Ouya later.

 

[Xeroblade]

Does the Sixaxis Controller app work on the FireTV or Chromecast? It works amazingly well on my Nexus 6 with the DS3 and 4.

I believe you can once you root the FireTV. not so sure about the Chromecast.

 

[TheSlySoul]

you could try Splashtop Remote PC Gaming THD

its better streamlined towards pc game streaming. I used it with my pc streaming to an old Samsung galaxy tab 2 10.1 and it played Dark Souls 2 at 720p/30fps. there was very little lag and i even did invasions all while in bed.

Very neat idea and it runs on Android as well. Got to try this out when I get home and see if it is usable (do not need perfect since it is mostly just for indie games).

Ok, so I have a bit of experience with pc gaming from my couch (desktop pc running full-time into my 50" HDTV, logitech Z5500 for audio), here are my observations:

- Small UI/fonts: one of the biggest issues I have with PC gaming on a large HDTV is that, even on a 50" HDTV, sometimes the UI is simply too small to comfortably see/read even from 6-8ft away. Anno 2070 and the Witcher 2 (I tried the comfy couch font size mod, could not seem to get it working) were basically unplayable because I had to squint so hard to see/read the text and UI elements.

Oh yeah, I agree with you so much there. Like most games can be adjusted to be fine, but stuff like MMO's are pretty awful scaled on a HDTV.

Edit: I guess the main reason why I cannot find myself getting the energy to play PC games in a desk chair is because I am mostly in a desk chair all day at work. I like my couch.

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

you could try Splashtop Remote PC Gaming THD

its better streamlined towards pc game streaming. I used it with my pc streaming to an old Samsung galaxy tab 2 10.1 and it played Dark Souls 2 at 720p/30fps. there was very little lag and i even did invasions all while in bed.

I'll try it out, thank you!

I too tested this with pretty good results... Hardwired or wireless? Did it make a huge difference for you? I'm gonna try this on my Ouya later.

My Android stick is ethernet, thankfully. I'll try it out later today and let you know if its a decent alternative.

Hope it's as streamlined as LimeLight appeared to be. Very disappointed I can't take advantage of it.

 

[Xeroblade]

I too tested this with pretty good results... Hardwired or wireless? Did it make a huge difference for you? I'm gonna try this on my Ouya later.

The Galaxy Tab2 was wireless and I was using Netgear N600 for my router. I have now upgraded to the Nighthawk R7000 and have to to try splashtop again on my galaxy tab2. I am assuming I will get a better performance because of my router. When I get home tonight I will test out Limelight and Splashtop on the Gamestick wireless, which is basically the same thing as an Ouya hardware wise. I will post results on here.

 

[Maxim726X]

The Galaxy Tab2 was wireless and I was using Netgear N600 for my router. I have now upgraded to the Nighthawk R7000 and have to to try splashtop again on my galaxy tab2. I am assuming I will get a better performance because of my router. When I get home tonight I will test out Limelight and Splashtop on the Gamestick wireless, which is basically the same thing as an Ouya hardware wise. I will post results on here.

I'll try it out, thank you!


My Android stick is ethernet, thankfully. I'll try it out later today and let you know if its a decent alternative.

Hope it's as streamlined as LimeLight appeared to be. Very disappointed I can't take advantage of it.

Great, thanks guys... I'm still unpacking as I just moved, but I'm going to try and get this running today with both my powerline adapter and my wireless and we'll see. I'll also put my results in this thread when I'm up and ready. If you could, would you mind also doing a Speedtest so we can compare connection speeds as it relates to results?

 

[SMattera]

For couch M+K, I'm a big fan of Favi's stuff because it's very small. Bought this a couple years ago:

FAVI FE01-BL Mini 2.4GHz Wireless Keyboard Touchpad with Laser Pointer

It's smaller than most cable box remotes. That means the trackpad is small, like 1.5-inches wide. It doesn't work very well -- spending an hour surfing the web would be quite frustrating. But it works reasonably well for things like navigating the control panel, or installing patches if need be. Punching in the occasional serial number. Very basic PC navigation.

 

[Xeroblade]

Great, thanks guys... I'm still unpacking as I just moved, but I'm going to try and get this running today with both my powerline adapter and my wireless and we'll see. I'll also put my results in this thread when I'm up and ready. If you could, would you mind also doing a Speedtest so we can compare connection speeds as it relates to results?

I can but does connection speed really matter when we are really just streaming via LAN and not actual internet? maybe im just confused ha.

 

[The Cowboy]

My house is perfectly designed for my couch PC setup.

My house has a spare small room in the hall, inside of it has vent access that allows cables to be routed around the house, as its wall is beside the living room wall i have my PC in there and all cables route into the living room and they come out behind the TV stand - as such not a single cable can be seen in my living room from the PC (nor from my 5.1 system).

I then use a wireless 360 pad for gaming and a MS all in one media keyboard for everything else, so my living room has a 6 core 4ghz PC with a R9 280X and its completely silent (as in not a single sound) - its fantastic.
-
The MS all in one.

Its a nice alternative to the K400, to me it has a better track pad (more area) and it really is completely waterproof (it survived a full cup of tea spill with a quick wipe down).

 

[Burny]

Adding a desk to the room is certainly the exact opposite of a solution to my space issue. lol

That looks like a decent option for many people, but I don't think I'd want one of those in the living room even if it was practical, quite honestly.

If it's mainly a space issue, certainly not. ^^ Outside of some dedicated cushion setup it's probably the only way to make mouse+keyboard comfortably available on the couch though.

I'm sceptical about the whole Steam controller thing until I've used it and it turns out to be a competent alternative to mouse+keyboard. Even then I suspect it will be suboptimal for games that aren't designed around it.

 

[joeygreco1985]

I use this frequently. It might be a decent solution for you too.

I use on of these too. They go on sale all the time for $25 or so, great value. Great range too, my PC is two floors up and the wireless signal still reaches.

 

[Alric]

I use this frequently. It might be a decent solution for you too.

This is what i've been using for 2 years with my computer hooked up to my tv. I also have one of those laptop portable tables I can sit on my lap from my couch and a wireless mouse for when I want to play FPS or RTS games. Other than that it's wireless 360 controller or just that keyboard for gaming depending on what i'm playing.

 

[Maxim726X]

I can but does connection speed really matter when we are really just streaming via LAN and not actual internet? maybe im just confused ha.

Maybe I am too. I meant comparing the speeds of both my wireless network and LAN, to see if this even works as advertised. According to many, Splashtop has not been very good as far as performance is concerned. We'll have to see, I guess.

 

[Xeroblade]

Maybe I am too. I meant comparing the speeds of both my wireless network and LAN, to see if this even works as advertised. According to many, Splashtop has not been very good as far as performance is concerned. We'll have to see, I guess.

Oh, that makes sense. What router do you have?

 

[Matty8787]

Regarding what I mentioned earlier...

PC Gamer claim Quick Sync is great for steam in-home streaming but I ask, it isn't actually required is it? The CPU of my small media pc has no quick sync.

 

[b0bbyJ03]

Does anyone have issues using their DS4 with a bluetooth connection to their PC? my PC is only about 10 feet away from my couch but communication cuts out and it lags to the point where its unusable. My mobo has bluetooth built in so im not using an external adapter. I read someone wrote that having bluetooth and wifi on affects the connection. Anyone have experience with this?

 

[grandwizard]

I use this frequently. It might be a decent solution for you too.

This is one of the best tools anyone can get if they plan to do PC gaming from the living room/couch. Not for playing games but for the occasional times that you might need text input or a mouse cursor for a launcher or something. You can easily just slide it under the couch or into a couch pocket 99% of the time but it's right there for when you need it.

 

[ashecitism]

Regarding what I mentioned earlier...

PC Gamer claim Quick Sync is great for steam in-home streaming but I ask, it isn't actually required is it? The CPU of my small media pc has no quick sync.

It's not required. At least last I checked it wasn't. IHS beta ran without any HW encoding for weeks/months.

 

[zephervack]

So if I have an android client connected to my TV, what are my options if my GPU is AMD?

Limelight is nVidia exclusive right?

Im trying to sell this idea to a friend but his gaming rig is AMD.

 

[Nzyme32]

They didn't say that when they've announced it. Gabe talked/rambled about it during his big Verge interview which came ~9 months before the official announcements. At SDD they did say streaming only machines make a lot of sense, but due to their hands already being full those were put on the back burner.

The 3 tier "good, better, best" system was never officially announced and never came into fruition, since "better" was supposed to be what Valve themselves would sell.

He's said the same thing several times after that and reaffirmed the intention to bring streaming machines at some point. I still expect to see those but I imagine prices will be all over the place having been quite a while. Regardless, the whole idea of moving PCs to the lounge rotates around that kind of dynamic, especially since streaming has strong usage from what I understand

 

[Xeroblade]

So if I have an android client connected to my TV, what are my options if my GPU is AMD?

Limelight is nVidia exclusive right?

Im trying to sell this idea to a friend but his gaming rig is AMD.

you could try Splashtop Remote PC Gaming THD

its better streamlined towards pc game streaming. I used it with my pc streaming to an old Samsung galaxy tab 2 10.1 and it played Dark Souls 2 at 720p/30fps. there was very little lag and i even did invasions all while in bed.

An Option

 

[Shadowhaxor]

Also wanted to name drop the Corsair Obsidian 250D mini-itx case as another potential HTPC / Steam box case.

http://www.corsair.com/en-us/obsidian-series-250d-mini-itx-pc-case

 

[mrklaw]

The one thing that's annoying me is that my BIOS doesn't seem to have Wake on LAN installed anywhere I'd love to wake up, grab the phone, ping the living room PC to turn on and the bedroom TV, then grab the controller and jump into something I'm lazy
.

Have you tried? My BIOS doesn't have a setting either, but WoL still works

 

[Pudge]

Man, that $100 Streaming HDMI stick in the OP is mighty tempting. I already have a Shield Portable but I've found that it really doesn't like staying connected to the TV when I use it as a controller, so I've just been using it as a portable SNES/Genesis/GBA machine instead.

Anyway, having one of these plugged into the back of a TV and being able to stream my entire Steam list out to the TV would be a dream come true.

 

[Veritigo_X]

Got recommended to check out this thread after posting in the Nvidia Shield thread (thanks again wilflare!).

Reading the OP it seems like that Meegopad HDMI stick might be what I'm looking for, but I'll post what I'm working with and see if anyone has a second opinion.

Basically I've set up a home office so my desktop is now in a separate room from my TV. I could lug it out to my living room every time I want to play, but who wants to do that? I have a 670 that is capable of streaming to a Shield so that was what I was originally looking at, but it seems a bit overpriced considering I only want the streaming capabilities.

With my set up would the HDMI Stick and Steam Home Streaming give me the best results? I was drawn to the Shield originally since it sounded like it would have better performance with the encoding chip on my video card, but I'm not sure if other solutions take advantage of that.

Would be nice if Nvidia released a Shield set top box... I'm honestly surprised they haven't already.

 

[Lhadatt]

tl;dr: Programmable USB IR receiver that works with any remote and any OS, including XBMC and SteamOS.

Here's a device that may be useful for those who want to combine a TV gaming/streaming box with media centers like XBMC:

Flirc programmable IR receiver
Also on Amazon
Currently $22 US

The Flirc can accept IR commands from any remote control, regardless of the remote's original intended use. It can store IR commands and profiles in its flash memory. It can be programmed on one computer and moved to another without losing its programming. Programming usually means translating IR remote commands to keyboard commands, so the Flirc dongle acts as a USB keyboard. It's fully compatible with Windows and Linux, and the Flirc website even sells Raspberry Pis and accessories for building low-power media center systems.

I have this attached to my SteamOS box in the living room. I have XBMC installed in SteamOS and accessible through Steam, so it's an icon in Big Picture and I don't need to exit to the Desktop user to watch my media. The Flirc came pre-programmed with an XBMC profile and worked out of the box. SteamOS accepted the same commands as XBMC, so everything just worked. I did have to program my Harmony remote, but the Logitech software has a Flirc profile so it can be added as a new device.

 

[Soodanim]

The program to speed up switching video and audio between TV and monitor I mentioned in my last post is TVGameLauncher, if anyone's interested.

 

[Soodanim]

Would love to know how others have solved the controller emulation, Pinnacle Boot order situation? Or do you all stick to officially supported games?

In a few instances i.e. skyrim, I've had to switch the the exe's round so it goes straight to game rather than the loader

For Pinnacle, it might be worth looking into whether or not command line arguments are an option. If they are, you could add non-Steam shortcuts to Steam and get round it that way. Between custom game tiles and names, it could potentially be quite an elegant solution if it exists. If they aren't already in, I'd suggest emailing them about the possibility of adding them. I recently emailed about a bug I found with UK keyboards and Rob was both interested and helpful - seems like a decent guy. (Side note: I can't believe Xpadder wants money before you even get to try the program. That's awful.)

With Skyrim, I use a couple mods that need SKSE (Skyrim Script Extender), so I added that shortcut to Steam and it works perfectly. And in the recently played list, Skyrim shows first with SKSE actually second.

 

[zephervack]

Got recommended to check out this thread after posting in the Nvidia Shield thread (thanks again wilflare!).

Reading the OP it seems like that Meegopad HDMI stick might be what I'm looking for, but I'll post what I'm working with and see if anyone has a second opinion.

Basically I've set up a home office so my desktop is now in a separate room from my TV. I could lug it out to my living room every time I want to play, but who wants to do that? I have a 670 that is capable of streaming to a Shield so that was what I was originally looking at, but it seems a bit overpriced considering I only want the streaming capabilities.

With my set up would the HDMI Stick and Steam Home Streaming give me the best results? I was drawn to the Shield originally since it sounded like it would have better performance with the encoding chip on my video card, but I'm not sure if other solutions take advantage of that.

Would be nice if Nvidia released a Shield set top box... I'm honestly surprised they haven't already.

ImM super interested in the Meego as well, but just need confirmation of its decoding and wireless capabilities.

Hopefully someone will have a review of the thing in the future for Steam Streaming.

 

[Maxim726X]

Oh, that makes sense. What router do you have?

Just got the TP Link AC1750, supposed to be a nice router we'll see after it gets put through the paces.

I'll let you know what my results are tonight, if I can get everything set up. If not tonight, tomorrow hopefully.

 

[wilflare]

Its not 5GHz, just 2.4 in fact the wifi sucks for some people on the little device. Thats why i bought a dock though i have yet to have any problems with my wifi after tweaking it. but i have yet to try limelight on it either. And there has to be a way to map the home button to bring up steam overlay? isnt that what you are trying to do?

on button mapping, idk. it works on my Note3 (Limelight) PS Home Button
but it does not work on my Amazon FireTV so I'm not too sure what's up exactly.

Yeah, I think you need the SixAxis app since it pretty much runs pure Android.
You can map the home button to take you to the main menu and the track pad works like a mouse would.
Also, dock has Ethernet support, so that is a plus. It is really impressive little machine for $20 running emulation up to DS/PSP.

Also I am going by third-party word of mouth about Limelight since I run AMD on my machine. I am going to test out remote streaming. I just did not get it yet since I was focusing on setting up emulation.

SixAxis App is pretty iffy for me though
For example, my Note3 and DS4 works fine when plugged via USB-OTG. but when I turn on SixAxis app (it gets iffy, button mapping goes wrong)

 

[Shaneus]

What are people's recommendations for easy-to-hold KBAM controllers? I currently use my Logitech K400 and while it's okay, it's not exactly easy to use standing up and is always hard to find a spot for it to sit (The couch arm or beside the couch it takes up too much room). I like the look of the Logitech Mini but I don't think it's available in Australia, and that Lenovo Mini Wireless seems hard to track down (and both seem perfect for what I'm looking for).

Ideas/recommendations? Any cheap Chinese ones that will do the job and aren't complete arse? Bonus points if it can pull off looking like a remote control. If there's a remote that has a flip-open QWERTY keyboard and a baby trackball in it, that'd be damn-near perfect.

Edit: The Sunwave RKM-520 looks okay, but I'm not sure if it's available anymore. And yeah, I'd rather a trackball on the right of the keyboard than a trackpad anywhere.

 

[wilflare]

wait... none of these streaming option provides surround sound right?

 

[Momentary]

Few more pics and info on Silverstone's new RVZ02 case shown at CES 2015 in an early state.

It's 35cm x 35 cm x 8 cm and is set to cost "less than $85". Seems everyone is pretty impressed with it from what they have reported.

I would actually pay more if they used good materials for this case. It looks great and it almost takes the place of th PC-O5 if I choose to go with just air. But the PC-O6S, while $170 more, does come with tempered glass and no plastic.

 

[mrchampipi]

Been on a confy couch setup for several years and would like to point out that a small form factor is not a necessity at all. Many full fledged towers are good looking nowadays, and offer some advantages. Curently running on a chunky coolermaster haf-XB and the beast is looking superb in my living room.

Oh and thank you for this thread, OP, thanks to it I've learned about the upcoming Razer Turret. Finaly a decent looking upgrade for my MS wireless keyboard 3000! (I'm still amazed at the desert that is the wireless keyboard's market)

 

[TheSlySoul]

So I tested remote play, did not work out that well. Then again, I am going on just wireless.
Edit: It also glitched a refund so kept my $10.

 

[Shaneus]

I've just thought of the perfect solution to my problem:

I think I could handle the joystick as a virtual mouse, and the keyboard is damn-near perfect. If not, I'll look into that keyboard addon thing for the PS3 controller.

Edit: Could I use the Dualshock 3 gyro for mouse, DS3 keypad for keypad and other buttons for remapped keys? Seems like that'd be even better still.

Edit #2: I had no idea, but by pressing a button on the PS3/DS3 keypad, it turns the keyboard itself into a trackpad. Holy shit. So you could use the keyboard on that keypad for your typing, trackpad component for mouse and DS3 for gaming.

 

[Hasney]

SixAxis App is pretty iffy for me though
For example, my Note3 and DS4 works fine when plugged via USB-OTG. but when I turn on SixAxis app (it gets iffy, button mapping goes wrong)

You can completely customise the button layout in the six axis app.

I've just thought of the perfect solution to my problem:

I think I could handle the joystick as a virtual mouse, and the keyboard is damn-near perfect. If not, I'll look into that keyboard addon thing for the PS3 controller.

Edit: Could I use the Dualshock 3 gyro for mouse, DS3 keypad for keypad and other buttons for remapped keys? Seems like that'd be even better still.

Edit #2: I had no idea, but by pressing a button on the PS3/DS3 keypad, it turns the keyboard itself into a trackpad. Holy shit. So you could use the keyboard on that keypad for your typing, trackpad component for mouse and DS3 for gaming.

Stick with the ps3 one. That 360 chatpad only had drivers in Windows for wired pads last I checked.

 

[TheBear]

I'm pretty sold on the Razer Turret. I'm happy to play FPS games with a controller as I'm really only into SP, but games like Company of Heroes and other strategy games really need a keyboard. Having a magnetic mouse is also a neat idea as at the moment my mouse often goes flying off my couch,

When does it release?

 

[Xeroblade]

Update on the Gamestick running limelight no dice. It's way too laggy. I wasn't expecting much though. Great cheap media streamer though.

 

[Shaneus]

Stick with the ps3 one. That 360 chatpad only had drivers in Windows for wired pads last I checked.

Yeah, that's what it looks like. And it helps the PS3 one is standalone BT and will pair with anything. Hell, might even combine that with the 360 somehow. Best of both worlds.

 

[Maxim726X]

Update on the Gamestick running limelight no dice. It's way too laggy. I wasn't expecting much though. Great cheap media streamer though.

Try it with Splashtop per chance?

Not expecting it to be any better, just curious about how it compares to Limelight.

 

[Knox]

Just pulled the trigger on this. Anybody have one?

http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Q190-57327830-Celeron-Dual-Core/dp/B00K5JNJ6S

I needed something with ethernet for game streaming since there's too much wi-fi interference in my apartment. And I like that it's an actual PC so I'm not limited to just the streaming apps that are available for the device.

 

[hepburn3d]

For Pinnacle, it might be worth looking into whether or not command line arguments are an option. If they are, you could add non-Steam shortcuts to Steam and get round it that way. Between custom game tiles and names, it could potentially be quite an elegant solution if it exists. If they aren't already in, I'd suggest emailing them about the possibility of adding them. I recently emailed about a bug I found with UK keyboards and Rob was both interested and helpful - seems like a decent guy.

Pinnacle does take command line arguments. You can in fact make a shortcut with a command then the game exe and it boots straight to the game with pinnacle loaded. Unfortunately for some reason this disables Steam overlay though. I haven't yet figured out why. Rob has always been helpful when I've emailed him, I like developers with a passion for their product.

Has anyone thought about installing VoiceAttack and leaving a mic on the TV? I'm considering giving this a go, could be an elegant solution to some things if it works smoothly.

 

[Matty8787]

It's not required. At least last I checked it wasn't. IHS beta ran without any HW encoding for weeks/months.

Yeah, thanks for this.

I got home last night and tried it after messing with the settings and got it up and running pretty much perfectly. It streamed fast and looked great.

I prioritized bandwidth and set up so my host computer's GPU helped with the decoding.

 

[Nerix]

No one else having problems with the font size of many games when playing them on a TV? E.g. Diablo 3. It was unplayable, because there was no option to adjust the UI.

What's the sense of steam big picture mode, when it doesn't have an influence on ingame options (obviously not regarding D3, but in general devs should offer a TV mode for the UI).