Media Servers / Streamers

matt walker · Aug 31, 2007 2:31 pm

This title deserves its own thread i think so here is the posts up until now:

**Phoenix**

Hey Rod, that'a s hard one for me. I like action, drama, comedy, informative stuff from places like Discovery Channel as well. Not big on horror though.

Our DVD library is outgrowing it's home. Do you have a dedicated storage cupboard or something of the sort? I hate to sift through the entertainment unit to locate a dvd. I am looking for a storage system where you can open up drawers like a kitchen drawer with slots for each dvd case and where every dvd has a place alphabetically. Is my only alternative to get something custom made?

Phoenix,

You may want to look at a media server.

You store all your DVD's/ Movies/ Pictures on a hard drive and watch them via an extender.

You can have one in each room if you like.

**Phoenix**

Matt that idea sounds great, what prices do they start from and what storage capacity do they have. Is that just by running a windows media format? Or is a dedicated unit?

Phoenix,

They start from as little as the cost of a home based PC.

Storage is limited only by your budget but to give you an idea a 500gig hard drive is about $180 and can store 74 movies if you copy all the extra's or 130 if you just want the movie or even more if you compress them.

Basically you run a PC somewhere central and have players wherever you want them.

**Phoenix**

OK so i have to keep up with technology.....

I presently have a 300Gb HD now, (external) that i used for backups. Have PC so need the house networked first and formost and then access via a dvd player(what sort of player do you require? Is that similar to your setup where you have the keyboard & screen in your theatre room? Is that how you select the movie, at the PC or at the point where you are watching. What windows do you need to run? Pro? or is there special programmes required? It intrigues me..... Might need to take my movies to another level......

matt walker · Aug 31, 2007 2:39 pm

**Phoenix**

OK so i have to keep up with technology.....

I presently have a 300Gb HD now, (external) that i used for backups. Have PC so need the house networked first and formost and then access via a dvd player(what sort of player do you require? Is that similar to your setup where you have the keyboard & screen in your theatre room? Is that how you select the movie, at the PC or at the point where you are watching. What windows do you need to run? Pro? or is there special programmes required? It intrigues me..... Might need to take my movies to another level......

Good luck!

Everyday there is something new, something that does something that we dreamt about yesterday.

If you have a PC (not a mac) then this is the first step. The next is of course to distribute what you have on this PC to all the extenders/streaming devices.

You could do it wirelessly but IMO it is not the way to go. I would definatley be hard wiring each room.

You then need to purchase a device to play the content on the PC and these range from $500 up to $1500 depending on what else you want it to do. ie DVD, PVR etc.

You can setup HTPC's (Home theatre PC's) in each room if you would like the ability to surf the net as well as stream the media etc.

The device you buy, you put in the room and you control it from there. ie if you want to watch one thing and hubby wants to watch another and the kids another each room needs its own device. There is no limit to the amount of devices you can have.

Any windows O/S will do and depending on the devices you go for you may or may not require specific programs.

I love this way and there is no quality loss at all!

Matt

PhoenixStar · Aug 31, 2007 3:14 pm

By hardwiring, you mean network cabling or do i need RCA cables through the house as well? We would need 3-4 extenders/streamers. Is there a cheaper option that buying that many of them at $500-$1500 a pop?

matt walker · Aug 31, 2007 3:23 pm

**Phoenix**

By hardwiring, you mean network cabling or do i need RCA cables through the house as well? We would need 3-4 extenders/streamers. Is there a cheaper option that buying that many of them at $500-$1500 a pop?

Phoenix,

Hardwiring means ethernet cable. Thats all.

You may like to put in other cabling but that will depend on your requirements.

There are cheaper options out there with less functionality for less money $2-300 is achievable.

Matt

connexion · Aug 31, 2007 5:48 pm

I have a modded XBOX running XBOX media center as a media extender in the lounge. All my photos/movies/music files are stored in a dedicated file server (Old machine is good enough, mine is Pentium III, 128 MB RAM) located in the garage. It works really well streaming the movies/photos and music files (MP3) wirelessly. Using an appropriate software, I can even surf the internet in my lounge or viewing a webcam above the Southbank (melbourne).

It cost me only $350 total. A used XBOX from EB Games for $190, got it modded for $60 and a wireless adapter cost me $99.

If you're interested just google XBMC or XBOX Media Center.

Cheers,

Jim

matt walker · Aug 31, 2007 6:33 pm

connexion,

Thats ok as long as you want to transcode everything you watch.

I would prefer to watch everything in its native resolution without any interference from an outside source.

This is more in relation to streaming media than extenders such as XBMC.

Being an avid contributor to the XPMCEAU Forum I have seen the pros and cons of both and for me this is the way to go.

I stand by my comment in regards to wired networks. There is no latency, no need for buffering, no interference and nothing to just "go wrong".

There is a place for things like XBMC but not in my house...

Matt

ahuang · Sep 26, 2007 2:33 pm

Matt,

What is "extender"?
Is this something that amplifies the AV output signal to be displayed on more than one TV, or is it something else?

Thanks

matt walker · Sep 26, 2007 2:58 pm

Allan,

A media extender is a device that "extends" the capabilities of a server machine to another area.

eg. The xbox 360 is an extender for microsoft media centre allowing you to watch tv, video's and pictures from another area of your house with the need for another whole computer.

Matt

arkraider · Sep 26, 2007 3:23 pm

Just a site that my cousin sne to me as he is wiring/networking their house with this setup. I must admit I like their idea of how the wiring combinations work. I think I will have acloser look at it for linking our as well.
He said it is apparently a lot cheaper than the slipsal set up, I guess I will find out in due coarse.

arkraider · Sep 26, 2007 3:33 pm

It helps if I put the link in there for all to look at..... :shock:

http://www.lexcom.com.au/

ahuang · Sep 26, 2007 3:44 pm

That looks interesting, any idea how much it roughly cost Gav??

ahuang · Sep 26, 2007 3:46 pm

Audio Visual Dreams

eg. The xbox 360 is an extender for microsoft media centre allowing you to watch tv, video's and pictures from another area of your house with the need for another whole computer.

Matt

Is there any cheaper alternatives other than xbox?

matt walker · Sep 26, 2007 3:56 pm

The original xbox does it too apparently...

$250 should get you one of these...

arkraider · Sep 26, 2007 4:06 pm

Sorry Allen, not at this stage.... I still have to make enquiries... i will keep you informed if you like?

ahuang · Oct 08, 2007 6:34 pm

Extending the things "connexion" mentioned earlier, I was thinking of:
1) setup 1st PC with huge HD in the garage, copy DVD files into the HD
2) setup an 100M ethernet network
3) setup 2nd PC with network connection and connect it to my receiver, which connects to my projector by HDMI
4) play any selected DVD files through the network from 2nd PC and watch it through the projector

Does everyone see any problem with this setup? Will that be too slow?

Also, like to know how could I connect PC to the receivers, is it through normal SVGA+Audio ports, or should I get a TV tuner card or something?

Rodda · Oct 08, 2007 7:45 pm

Hi Allan.

This is pretty much what I do now. The '2nd PC' in my setup is my Media Centre PC which I use as a PVR in the theatre. I record and watch all TV through it, as well as downloaded TV eps and movies. It has 2 HD capable tuner cards in it, a 300GB drive for recording and a 250GB drive for my 300+ CD collection (lossless compression).

100MB wired network.

My server is really just the PC in my study/office. It has a 80GB + 200GB drive in it that houses all of the downloaded stuff we watch.

After I got this setup up and running and we started watching all of the recorded TV shows at our convenience (and skip the ads), and watch things like ER before it aired here, the WAF went through the roof.

matt walker · Oct 08, 2007 8:16 pm

Allan,

you might want to spend some time here:

http://www.xpmediacentre.com.au

Matt

PhoenixStar · Oct 08, 2007 8:26 pm

Matt, i think it might be http://www.xpmediacentre.com.au because i tried the link and i couldn't find it.
Google instead came up with this one...

matt walker · Oct 08, 2007 9:47 pm

phoenix!!

well spotted...

I fixed my link too.

I am reviewing the new Dvico Tvix 4130 at the moment...

I will let you all know in a week how it is!

Matt

PhoenixStar · Oct 08, 2007 10:12 pm

Matt, you and Rod are bloody guru's at this stuff. I'm just happy to have a basic system that works, similar to the one that Rod described earlier, but basic.