I live in a college apartment. My desktop is in my bedroom and my TV is in my living room. Is there a good way to stream content from my desktop (e.g. video content) to my TV wirelessly? I don't own an XBox 360 and I am not sure that if I did, I could use it as a Media Extender (my school's WiFi network is weird and it is difficult to set up anything related to sharing, such as a shared media library)

Right now any time I want to watch something I have to transfer it from my external to a friend's laptop and use my VGA cable, since I have a MBA and no MiniDisplayPort/HDMI cable. It's also annoying that we then have to rely on laptop speakers because I don't have additional speakers. I guess I could just buy an HDMI cable but I would still rather wirelessly stream something rather than dealing with connecting laptops to my TV.

Your schools wifi wouldn't have anything to do with it. You'd have to create your own wireless connection between the two devices, your computer and some unnamed device you will need to connect to your TV. I imagine you could connect via ethernet to a wireless router that connects to your TV device and share through that. Your PC would still use the school wireless for internet access.

It seems the best solution would be a game console but you could possibly find an extender. I personally don't like the idea of streaming video content wirelessly but if you have no option to run cable I guess you're stuck.

I can't use a router on the school's network whether it be wired or wireless I'm starting to feel like the only way I could do this is if there was some way to stream without using WiFi (like a direct device-to-device thing like MiDi)... can anyone correct me?

It wouldn't be on the schools network. It would simply connect the two devices. Only your PC would connect to the school's wireless.

I can't do it on school ethernet either

Somehow I'm not making myself clear. This would not interact with your school network. You would only use the router to connect the two devices. The WAN port would not connect to anything, you would simply use it to create a LAN. Since you want to connect something at your television wirelessly, it would use your wireless routers connection. The wireless router would network that device with your desktop that you would connect with cable. The only interaction with the school's wireless network would be on devices that you choose to connect to it.

PS3 media server and a ps3.

This is correct. I use this to stream all content I want to my TV. That being said, just buy a f***ing HDMI cable. They're like $10.

You could buy an AppleTV (or similar device) for $99.

In regards to your issue with the laptop speakers while connected to the TV. Just connect a cable that comes out of the head phone jack and into the L&R audio channels on the TV input.

But yeah, to share your media between devices you are going to need a local network, a router of sorts. And you require wireless so get a wireless router.

I would think something like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882145061

would work, provided you had the correct adapters for computer output and TV input. Err and didn't mind playing it on your computer while watching it on your TV.

I was thinking about it (or a Roku player) but it (they) don't support 802.1x so they can't get on my school's WiFi

Thanks for the suggestions -- I'll look into them.

fishstickz: it's not so much not wanting to buy an HDMI cable as it is not wanting to use a laptop hooked up to my TV to play media. My desktop has all my stuff on it and it's annoying to have to transfer stuff to external and/or laptop each time I want to play something. Plus sometimes I want to use my laptop while playing something.

At home I have an HTPC setup and it works great, but I really like the idea of something like the Roku player while at the same time being able to stream my own (downloaded local) content so would like to move in that direction if possible.

This is more theoretical since there's not a public jailbreak, and not entirely helpful, but here's what I'm going to do:

1. Jailbreak my new iPad 2.
2. Install XBMC on it, sync with my PC for videos via wifi.
3. Use a dock with the HDMI adapter to connect it to TV.
4. Use my phone to control it.

Just one of the more awesome things I plan on doing with my iPad, to replace my old Macbook.