Stupid Beginners Question--MacBook Air to Big Screen TV

[afm444]

Hi Folks!

I'm an OLD lady on a SMALL income, with a 2011 MacBook Air, & I want to get a big screen TV sort of thing so I can follow my Tai Chi dvd a little easier.


Questions:

(1) What sort of big screen should I be looking for?

(2) Ideas about which one to get? (hopefully from someplace like Walmart, Costco, etc.)

(3) How Do I Hook It Up To My Macbook Air?

BTW, details are important as I'm not keeping up with the latest technology these days.

Thanks sooooooo much for any help/ideas you may have to offer.

afm444

 

[pigoo3]

I'm an OLD lady on a SMALL income, with a 2011 MacBook Air, & I want to get a big screen TV sort of thing so I can follow my Tai Chi dvd a little easier.

A couple quick questions for you. Since MacBook Air's don't have a CD/DVD drive…do you have an external DVD player to play your Tai Chi DVD's? And if so…does it hook up to your MacBook Air?

- Nick

 

[afm444]

Stupid beginners ??

Hi Nick,

Yes, I have a DVD drive hooked up so right now I view the DVD on the MacBook screen. I'd like to view it on a Big Screen of some sort

 

[pigoo3]

Hi Nick,

Yes, I have a DVD drive hooked up so right now I view the DVD on the MacBook screen. I'd like to view it on a Big Screen of some sort

Is this DVD drive hooked up to the MacBook Air the official Apple external "Superdrive" for a MacBook Air…or a different type/model of external DVD player?

- Nick

 

[afm444]

Nick, yes, it is the Apple Superdrive

 

[pigoo3]

Nick, yes, it is the Apple Superdrive

Ok…thanks for the info. I wanted to be sure your DVD player was an Apple product. Since if it wasn't…then we would be able to hook the DVD player directly to the TV…and take the MacBook Air out of the setup.

The next thing is the big screen TV purchase. I mean you need to help us out here. What exactly are you looking for in a big screen TV (size, features, etc.)? Also…what is the budget?

The bottom line is…just about any big screen TV will work. But we really can't talk about how to connect the MacBook Air to it…until we know exactly what ports (external connections) it has. Once we know what ports the TV has…then we can talk about adapters & cables needed.

I will offer this suggestion as well. To view your Tai Chi DVD's on this big screen TV…you don't need to use your MacBook Air & external drive. You could purchase an inexpensive external DVD player to hook up to the TV…and not need to involve the MacBook Air.

- Nick

 

[RadDave]

.............
The next thing is the big screen TV purchase. I mean you need to help us out here. What exactly are you looking for in a big screen TV (size, features, etc.)? Also…what is the budget?

The bottom line is…just about any big screen TV will work. But we really can't talk about how to connect the MacBook Air to it…until we know exactly what ports (external connections) it has. Once we know what ports the TV has…then we can talk about adapters & cables needed.

I will offer this suggestion as well. To view your Tai Chi DVD's on this big screen TV…you don't need to use your MacBook Air & external drive. You could purchase an inexpensive external DVD player to hook up to the TV…and not need to involve the MacBook Air.

Hi Afm444 - I'd have to agree w/ Nick's excellent advice (in bold above) - a new HDTV plus an inexpensive Blu-Ray player (they are back compatible w/ DVDs and offer assurance if you ever buy, rent or borrow a BD, i.e. blu-ray disc) - I just replaced our bedroom setup w/ a Samsung 21" 1080p HDTV & a Samsung Blu-ray player - total cost about $400; have a 42" LG HDTV in the den w/ a Wi-Fi enabled Sony Blu-ray player (if you have Wi-Fi in your home, such a player would allow access to streaming sources, such as Netflix, Amazon, and many others).

SO, as Nick has suggested, what size HDTV do you need and would you consider just buying a Blu-ray or DVD player for the TV? And let us know your budget? Dave

 

[pigoo3]

To add to what RadDave mentioned. "Generic" or non-generic DVD or Blu-Ray players can sometimes be purchased inexpensively. Especially with "Black Friday" just around the corner (possibly a great time to purchase a big screen TV as well)!

It's possible that the cost of one of these DVD or Blu-Ray players may be less than the adapters & cables needed to get your MacBook Air hooked up to the big screen TV. So if your only goal is to play these Tai Chi DVD's on the big screen TV you eventually purchase…it's possible that purchasing a separate DVD or Blu-Ray player may be less expensive than trying to get your MacBook Air connected to the TV.

- Nick

 

[afm444]

Nick & RadDave:

Well, I just want to be able to actually see this Tai Chi video. And my so-called budget is minimal. So, I'm happy to follow your suggestions, if you can give me clear info about what to buy. And INEXPENSIVE is the key operator here.

Thanks really a whole lot for helping me out...I thought hooking it up to my computer would make it affordable for me. But I am *totally* open to your perspectives.

As far as what I want in a big screen...I just want a BIG screen : ) I could use some pragmatic instructions here, as well. I have browsed Costco & Walmart...but I just don't know the technology...and therefore feel like I would be just blindly buying.

I'd like a large screen, the largest I can afford. The only technology I have is my Macbook Air. I have quite a few adaptors for it.

Thoughts?

 

[RadDave]

Nick & RadDave:

Well, I just want to be able to actually see this Tai Chi video. And my so-called budget is minimal. So, I'm happy to follow your suggestions, if you can give me clear info about what to buy. And INEXPENSIVE is the key operator here.

Thanks really a whole lot for helping me out...I thought hooking it up to my computer would make it affordable for me. But I am *totally* open to your perspectives.

As far as what I want in a big screen...I just want a BIG screen : ) I could use some pragmatic instructions here, as well. I have browsed Costco & Walmart...but I just don't know the technology...and therefore feel like I would be just blindly buying.

I'd like a large screen, the largest I can afford. The only technology I have is my Macbook Air. I have quite a few adaptors for it.

Well, you've still left us 'in the dark' - 1) What is your maximum budget (please give us a dollar amount); and what do you mean by BIG - as mentioned in my post, a 21" HDTV is fine for bedroom viewing and 42" works in my den (although I'd like a larger one - problem of placement) - I paid about $240 for the 21" TV and much more for the 42" one.

Just some criteria in picking a HDTV: 1) Resolution - by definition HDTVs are 720p, 1080i, or 1080p (this refers to vertical resolution which are all much better than that on a DVD and to progressive or interlaced scanning; plus, there are now higher resolutions being offered); 2) Diagonal screen size - you might need to visit a store and decide whether you want say 20-30", 40-50", or even higher - of course, price goes up w/ more screen area; 3) Brand and model; and 4) Other features desired, such as built-in Wi-Fi (which is on my 42" HDTV).

SO, provide us a little more information - Dave

 

[pigoo3]

Just to 2nd what RadDave said. We need to know HOW BIG of a TV you want (gotta give up some dimensions). And what is your budget?

Getting the biggest TV possible is to the way to shop. If you have a small room…getting a REALLY big TV is a bad idea. Usually the larger the big screen TV…the further back (minimum distance) you need to sit from it for the best possible picture clarity.

- Nick