Sky recently announced that their Anytime Plus video-on-demand service would be enhanced to include services such as the BBC iPlayer and that Anytime Plus would be available over internet connections from any service provider (ie not just Sky Broadband).

In addition to Sky services, there are also internet-based video-on-demand services from companies such as Netflix and Lovefilm that are also being promoted as services that can be viewed on standard television screens.

Television set manufacturers also offer their own video-on-demand services through their own internet gateways.

Clearly internet based video services are growing and there is a push from service providers to deliver their services to standard television screens, rather than just computer screens.

In fact most new televisions are advertised as being “internet-ready”. This means that they have an integrated network socket that can be connected to an internet router with a simple cable patch lead .

The same is true of the latest set top boxes from Sky and Virgin. Similarly, media players and games consoles from other manufacturers also have network sockets that can be connected to standard internet routers.

It should therefore be relatively straightforward to watch internet video services on a standard television.

However, there is a problem with this straightforward scenario.

The problem is that in most homes the internet router is not usually next to, or even in the same room as, televisions, set top boxes or media players.  This makes it difficult and impractical to connect a patch lead between these devices.

So, what are the easiest and most practical options for connecting your television to the internet?

Direct Cable Connection

It was stated above that in most homes it is difficult to make a direct cable connection between the television or set top box since they are likely to be in different rooms. Nevertheless, a direct cable connection is the best option in terms of video performance and quality.

If the television is near the internet router then it may be relatively straightforward to connect the two devices with a standard patch cable that would cost less than £10.

However, if the devices are in different rooms then a professional cable installation would be necessary. This is similar to running telephone extensions, but with thicker cable and a different type of socket.

A professional cable installation would involve the fitting of a network socket near the router and a similar network socket near the television. The rear of the sockets would be connected with network cable routed through the premises (eg along skirting boards, down wall cavities etc).

Patch leads could then be used to connect the network sockets to the television and the internet router.

Please contact us if you would like to discuss the cost and feasibility of installing a direct cable connection between your router and your television equipment.

Wireless Connection

The obvious alternative to a direct cable connection is to create a wireless connection between the television equipment and the internet router. Most homes have internet routers that already have wireless capability.

At present not many televisions, set-top boxes or media players have integrated wireless capabilities, although this can be achieved via  wireless adaptors that are offered as proprietary accessories.

It is also possible to connect a general purpose wireless bridge to the integrated network socket found on most television equipment. The bridge would make the wireless connection to the internet router and this would be “bridged” to the network socket of the television equipment using a patch lead.

A wireless bridge usually has multiple network sockets. This makes it possible to connect several devices such as a television, a set-top box, a media player and a games console using the same wireless bridge.

The wireless bridge that we recommend is the Buffalo Nfiniti which can be purchased direct from Amazon by clicking on the product image below.

	Buffalo Nfiniti Wireless-N Dual Band Ethernet Converter Buffalo's Nfiniti Dual Band Ethernet Converter offers a wireless solution for all wired network home entertainment devices in your home. It features WMM (Wi-Fi Multimedia) which improves the user experience for audio, video, and voice applications.

Please contact us if you would like advice on configuring a wireless connection between your television equipment and the internet.

HomePlug (or PowerLAN) Connection

The third option for connecting television equipment to the internet is to use HomePlug adaptors. HomePlug adaptors are sometime referred to as PowerLAN adaptors.

HomePlug is a technology that enables internet signals to be transmitted over the standard ring-main electrical circuits that are found in every home or office.

A HomePlug connection would not be as good as a direct cable connection, but should be better than a wireless connection, particularly if HomePlug adaptors that conform to the latest 500Mbps standard are used.

In order to create a HomePlug connection between the internet router and the television equipment it is necessary to have one master adaptor plugged into an electrical socket near the router and another slave adaptor plugged into an electrical socket near the television equipment.

The HomePlug adaptor near the internet router would be connected to the router using a standard patch lead. Similarly, the HomePlug adaptor near the television equipment would be connected using a patch lead to the network socket of the television equipment.

It is possible to set up a HomePlug connection in a few minutes using a preconfigured starter kit.

Another benefit of using HomePlug is that it is easy to connect additional television equipment in different rooms simply by plugging in another HomePlug adaptor. It is possible to have up to 16 HomePlug adaptors connected on the same network, all sharing the same internet connection.

The HomePlug product that is recommended by Premitel for video-on-demand applications is the Devolo 500 series. They are reliable, easy to set up and perform very well.

Our suggested Devolo Homeplug units are shown below and can be purchased direct from Amazon by clicking the appropriate product image. We suggest buying the starter kit plus additional adaptors as required.

	Devolo 500 AV Mini Starter Kit This starter kit comprises a mini primary adaptor that connects to the internet router and a mini slave adaptor that has 1 x network connection that can be connected to a single television or set-top box. If you need television equipment connected in other rooms then you can can connect the additional adaptors listed below.
	Devolo 500 AV Triple Plus Starter Kit This starter kit comprises a primary adaptor that connects to the internet router and a slave adaptor with 3 x network connections that can be connected to up to 3 x devices such as a television, a Sky box and a games console. Both adaptors have a pass-through mains socket that allows another device (eg a lamp) to be piggy-backed on to the adaptor . If you need television equipment connected in other rooms then you can can connect the additional adaptors listed below.
	Devolo 500 AV Triple Plus Adaptor If you need to connect television equipment (or other network devices) in another room then you simply purchase an additional slave adaptor and plug it into a mains socket. The slave adaptor has a pass-through mains socket and 3 x ethernet network connection ports.
	Devolo 200 AV Wireless Adaptor If you need to improve WiFi coverage in another room then you simply purchase an additional slave wireless adaptor and plug it into a spare mains socket. The slave wireless adaptor also has 4 x wired ethernet network connection ports for connecting non-wireless devices such as television equipment. Please note that Devolo 200 series HomePluig devices are compatible with 500 series devices.

More HomePlug units from Devolo and other suppliers can be viewed by clicking here…

Please note that for video-on-demand services we recommend that you consider only HomePlug devices that are quoted as having a 500Mbps speed.

If you are unsure please get in touch by completing the contact form at the bottom of the page.