NAS, media centre, Apple Tv???? help!

[Tiggsy]

Ok....why isnt this simple!

What can i plug in my tv system (via amp) that will let me "watch" itunes on the TV? Is apple TV the most obvious solution? or should i look at a NAS? I dont want to have to have the pc on as we only have lappys and they are not left on for streaming (and i assume 260 and PS3 can only stream?)

or should i get a media centre? i have it on the xbox but it seems it only streams of a pc and i cant just dump my 20gb of music on the box?

current set up is 360, ps3 (for blue ray), big TV and Amp and a laptop full of music and some films that is not wanted to be left switched on to do so!

[bogie]

you need a NAS, if you dont have a central server where all your media is now, switched on all the time

then you need a client device, a media player....the PS3 or an Xbox will do basic media streaming from a UPnP server built into most NAS boxes

there is no itunes type end to end solution right now for movies thats real easy to use im afraid....its not like you can put a blu-ray in, watch it whilst its being ripped to the NAS and then view it anytime you like after ...we are not *quite* there yet, and the myriad of formats for movies means it wont be for some time .....

[Dupont666]

What about one of the following attached to a NAS?

HDX1000
PCHA110

or maybe the

PCHC200 (once its out)?

[Dracoro]

AppleTV looked good but then I found out it didn't have inbuilt TV! The device could be great (at the price) if it could do V+/Sky+ type functionality of recording live TV etc. However, all it does it play iTunes (which IIRC needs a NAS/Time capsule or Mac/PC with iTunes to stream from), show photo's and lets you watch on-demand tv/movies.

Personally, I think the media centre thing has a way to go and is in it's infancy so no products yet that really are "it".

You could get a PS3 and use something called MediaLink to stream from iTunes to tv/stereo. You also get the Blu-ray player and a new console to boot! I would go this option, however I'm not a big gamer and the PS3 isn't backward compatible so can't play my PS2 games

Edited by Dracoro on Monday 14th September 08:09

[Tiggsy]

I have a PS3 already (and a 360)...i just dont want to stream off a pc as i dont want to have to fire up my laptop to then play music. The apple TV thing actually looks quite good for me - it does itunes perfectly and i can download HD movies off itunes too which saves visiting blockbuster. Also does my photos...only thing it wont do is my bit torrent movies......but it seems 100% simple than a NAS box which is the alternative i suppose.

more thinking...i think!

[Dracoro]

But you still (IIRC) need your laptop running so it has somewhere to stream your iTunes library from!

[bogie]

Dracoro said:

But you still (IIRC) need your laptop running so it has somewhere to stream your iTunes library from!

not if its on a NAS and the NAS serves it out via UPnP

..or the NAS has integrated itunes server functionality ....my readynas does....

[Tiggsy]

does your readynas allow itunes bought music to play though?

[BERGS2]

This all sounds sooooo familiar to me....

I bough recently a Panasonic G15 TV with inbuild DLNA compatability with a view to using this to stream content from my laptop - all simple thus far...

Then i found out that the TV's capabilites were highly limited in terms of format (DIVx & AVI only)

I bought a newish MacBook, as my laptop was clarly too old & run down for twky media etc. But didn't want this on permanently whilst watching the TV......so

Then I bought a NAS (Buffalo Linkstation 1 Tb hard drive with built in bittorrent etc.) which [i]sort of [i] works - but am now having difficulty getting HD content bought off iTunes (i got an episode of the BBC Earth series as it apparently looks awsome) - as the format is M4A which apparently isn't compatible....

My question to the forum - is:

Is there a software solution that would allow me to stream numerous different content formats from the NAS (MP3, M4P, MOV, AVI etc) direct to the TV - thus bypassing the TV's limited compatibility issues?

or do i need ANOTHER box?

I would gladly have paid someone a good few quid to run through the set up of all this gubbins as frankly it is a little beyond my technical capacities (port forwarding/MAC addresses/Video & Audio codecs etc. etc. - might as well be swahili to me.... )

any help most gratfully recieved!

[bogie]

Tiggsy said:

does your readynas allow itunes bought music to play though?

that requires client support I belive.... I dont buy stuff off there anyway

I have an itunes library of MP3s being served on the NAS to 2 x logitech squeezeboxes, a media player under the telly and my AV receiver

DRM is another can of worms, that will hopefully go away in a few years .......

[threesixty]

I'd just get the appletv.

I love mine, its fantastically easy use and you wont need to stream anything.

[andye30m3]

I'm happy with my apple tv, syncs with Itunes so I can play music through the stereo using the TV as a front screen, just bothered to get the internet at home so can also now down load films through itunes etc. does the usual movie trailers and youtube.

Haven't really tried streaming from my mac to the apple tv yet.

[Tiggsy]

so apple tv.....i tunes i get, but the films...are they HD and 5.1? is it a viable alternative to going to blockbusters and hiring a blue ray DVD? (or even a close alternative if the movie maybe doesnt warrant blue ray?)

[Tiggsy]

Apple TV (with a DIY HD update) looking better and better.....just discovered that Vuze can move stuff to iphone, apple TV, PS3 etc with ease so i can get my torrents and shift them to the apple TV unit in seconds. And wifey gets the nice simple itunes format she knows and can use.


Just need a cheap apple tv of ebay now and a torx8!

[Dupont666]

Tiggsy said:

Apple TV (with a DIY HD update) looking better and better.....just discovered that Vuze can move stuff to iphone, apple TV, PS3 etc with ease so i can get my torrents and shift them to the apple TV unit in seconds. And wifey gets the nice simple itunes format she knows and can use.


Just need a cheap apple tv of ebay now and a torx8!

DIY HD update?

Do tell....

I have Vuze at the moment but its nothing more than the library...

[Tiggsy]

It seems you can easily stick a bigger HD in the apple tv box.

[threesixty]

andye30m3 said:

I'm happy with my apple tv, syncs with Itunes so I can play music through the stereo using the TV as a front screen, just bothered to get the internet at home so can also now down load films through itunes etc. does the usual movie trailers and youtube.

Haven't really tried streaming from my mac to the apple tv yet.

why would you stream anything just sync it up and whatevers on your mac is on your appletv and vice versa.

[Tiggsy]

as above....i dont have it (yet) but im assuming its just a case of running itunes daily (which we do anyway) and while its on (and on the house network) it will sync up the TV box for viewing that night?

[andye30m3]

threesixty said:

andye30m3 said:

I'm happy with my apple tv, syncs with Itunes so I can play music through the stereo using the TV as a front screen, just bothered to get the internet at home so can also now down load films through itunes etc. does the usual movie trailers and youtube.

Haven't really tried streaming from my mac to the apple tv yet.

why would you stream anything just sync it up and whatevers on your mac is on your appletv and vice versa.

I don't think the apple tv i bought has a huge hard drive but the mac has 500Gb, Apple TV big enough for pictures and music but was thinking it might get full up very quickly if I was to save lots of films on to it.

Slightly off subject but can I rip DVD's to a mac easily? and what software if an do I need. Would want them to remain at original quality and with 5.1

[threesixty]

Tiggsy said:

so apple tv.....i tunes i get, but the films...are they HD and 5.1? is it a viable alternative to going to blockbusters and hiring a blue ray DVD? (or even a close alternative if the movie maybe doesnt warrant blue ray?)

You can rent or buy in standard def or HD, the HD on offer isn't a match for blu-ray but its pretty good.

Films are ready after about 20mins with my internet connection, defnitely couldn't get to blockbusters and back in that time. Selection is basically blockbusters and classics but its getting better and better.