[MUSIC] Having a Roku is a great way to stream content from the cloud to your TV,but did you know that your Roku can also stream content from across the room?
I'm Donald Bell, and in today's how to I'm gonna show you how to use your Roku to stream content that's stored on your home computer.
The first step is to download a free application to your computer called Plex.
Works on Mac, Windows, and even Linux.
Install it and you will be prompted to create an account and given a sales pitch up to upgrade to a premium account.
I'm gonna pass on that for now.
Once you're set up Plex will prompt you to add some media to your library.
Now your iTunes content is already added by default, at least anything that's not protected by Apple but if you have a stash of other music, movies or photos that you'd like to stream on your Roku Select that content type, locate the folder on your computer, and watch it get added to your library.
Now, it's worth noting here that even though it takes a minute for your content to be added to the library, Plex isn't actually uploading your stuff to the Cloud, at least not in this free version.
All it's doing is mapping your media's location on your computer and then matching that up with some nice metadata and some good cover art.
Once the library is looking well stocked on your computer, it's time to move over to your Roku.
Head over to the Roku app store and download the free Plex app.
Open it up, and assuming that both the Roku and your computer are on the same home network, the library you just created should show right up.
You can now browse your media content with your Roku remote and stream that content from your computer to your TV with no wires.
It's pretty cool.
So that's how to get media off your computer and onto your TV using Roku and Plex.
For more tips like this, head over to howto.cnet.com.
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