The Netflix streaming service, which allows customers to view movies and TV shows instantly over the Internet, has grown quite popular over the last few years, and currently has over 20 million active subscribers. One of the reasons for the popularity of the service is that you can watch content not just on your computer, but on your TV set as well. In this article, we will cover three methods by which you can view Netflix content on your TV.
Use a Netflix-Ready Device that is Already Connected to Your TV
The easiest devices to set up are Blu-Ray players, DVRs, and game consoles that are already connected to your TV. You can check the Netflix website to see if the device you have is compatible with Netflix. Once you have a Netflix subscription, setting up the device is relatively straightforward and only takes a few minutes. Using a Netflix-ready device is the way that most people watch Netflix content on their TV screens. 
Connect a Laptop to Your TV Using Audio/Video Cables
However, even if you do not own a Netflix-ready device, you can still watch Netflix on your TV as long as you have a laptop computer with Internet access.
Using audio and video cables, you can connect your laptop to your TV and display whatever is on your computer screen on the TV set. For the best picture quality, you should use an HDMI cable, which will transfer both audio and video content using a single cable. Only newer laptops and TVs, however, will have the HDMI port.
If you do not have HDMI ports on your computer and TV, the other options are to use either a VGA cable or S-Video cable. Both VGA and S-Video ports are on just about all current computers and TV sets. The one disadvantage of using these kinds of cables, however, is that they only transfer video. You will therefore need a separate cable to get audio. For the best quality sound, we recommend attaching your laptop or computer directly to a home theater speaker system. This is most commonly done using the same audio cable used to connect iPods and MP3 players to a stereo system. Simply insert the plug into the headphone jack on your laptop, and connect the other end to your stereo.
Use a Netflix-Enabled HDTV
More and more new TV sets are shipping with the ability to play Internet content. Such HDTVs tend to be expensive top-of-the-line models, but if you are in the market for a new TV set, you might want to consider purchasing such a device. Sony, Sharp, Vizio, and LG all make TV sets that are Netflix-ready. For a full list of TV sets that can be stream Netflix content, check this list on the Netflix site.
In the not too distant future, TVs will inevitably become fully integrated with the Internet. This is years away, however, and until such a time, you can still enjoy Internet content by using the techniques on this page.
