How to Play Movies from Mac on Smart TV (Without Transferring Files)

By . in Internet. Updated on .

Want to watch movies from your Mac on your Smart TV without transferring files? You don’t have to! While we’ve previously covered how to transfer files between devices, there’s an even easier way to access your media.

You can stream them directly from your Mac to your Smart TV by simply pointing your media player to the right folder. This way, you can access your entire movie collection without having to transfer each file separately.

What You Need

Before you start, do the following:

  • VLC Player on your Smart TV: If you haven’t installed it yet, go to the Google Play Store on your Smart TV, download, and open it.
  • Both devices connected to the same Wi-Fi network: Your Mac and Smart TV must be on the same network for this to work.
  • Organized movie folder on your Mac: To keep things simple, place all your movies in a single folder. In this example, I’m using the Public Folder.
    • Public Folder on Mac containing movie files

Stream Movies from Mac to Smart TV

Once everything is set up, follow these steps:

  1. On your Smart TV, open the VLC Player app.
  2. Go to Browsing > Local Network.
VLC Player Browsing Local Network on Smart TV
  1. Inside Local Network, you’ll see a list of connected devices.
List of connected devices in VLC Player
  1. Click on your Mac from the list of devices.
  2. Enter your Mac login credentials (the username and password you use to log into your Mac).
Entering Mac credentials in VLC Player
  1. Once logged in, you’ll see your Mac’s file directory.
  2. Navigate to the folder where you stored your movies.
Movie files listed in VLC Player on Smart TV
  1. Select the movie you want to watch, and it will start playing on your Smart TV!

Enjoy Streaming Without Transferring Files

That’s it! With this method, you don’t have to transfer movies manually. Instead, you can browse your Mac’s movie folder from your Smart TV and play any movie directly. If you’re interested in other smart TV tips, check out our guide on how to take screenshots on your smart TV.

Now, grab some popcorn and enjoy your movies on the big screen! 🍿

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