4K UHD work-around

My TV is 4K capable. I have several 4K videos that play, but not in the correct aspect ratio.
I use VLC video player as my go to for video. I can select different aspect ratios.
First off, I tried altering the DAR(Display Aspect Ratio), primarily a metadata change, to reflect the correct ratio. This worked in VLC but not on the TV. Making the equivalent change in the SAR(Sampling Aspect Ratio) would take eight to ten hours per video.

I found a work around.

I can connect my laptop to my TV using an HDMI cable. This allows me to display my laptop screen on my TV. Now, I watch the problem videos on my TV by running connecting the external hard drive containing the 4K UHD videos to my laptop via a USB port. I open VLC with the correct aspect ratio for the problem videos and play.

There was one remaining problem, a matter of convenience. My laptop has to be next to the TV with the short HDMI cable. I don't want to use a long cable because of noise and loading issues. A long cable running across the floor is unappealing and can be hazardous.

I explored remote control options for my laptop using my iPhone as a controller.
I downloaded several iOS apps and found the easiest and fastest, to install and use, is the Chrome Remote Desktop controller from Google. The app is an extnsion for Chrome from the Google store.

Most of the apps require a wifi or cellular connection. I keep my wifi running with the Chrome app. I can use this setup to select and run videos on my laptop, but do it from my armchair/recliner using my iPhone 7+. The 7+ is needed for the screen size. I have a 4, 5s, and SE, but their screens are smaller.

I spoke too soon. The Google app times out after about an hour and is hard to re-connect. I have to delete the device in the Chrome browser and use the newly added replacement.
The search continues.

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