Network Storage and Media Tanks etc???

[wizer]

It can go in to either the switch or the router. There may be a tiny bit of packet loss from going through the switch, but I doubt it TBH. We need a real life review of homeplugs. On the face of it they are a very good solution.

 

[mahking51]

Tom,
I think that I have decided on this NAS:
http://www.cclonline.com/product-info.asp?product_id=31600
Will wait for your thumbs up and then order right now!
I think that the Buffalo Link Theatre HD might be a good match
LT-H90LAN (cabled) or WN (wireless)
Thoughts?

 

[wizer]

I think the only way to future proof a system like this is to use a PC. There a plenty of Open Source software solutions out there that are actively being updated and added to. This is the only way you will get everything you require. The big caveat is that you will have to spend time configuring it and you will probably be reconfiguring it relatively often. Wheras with a media player, it just works. But it won't do everything you want it to and is less than future proof. It's not as simple as VHS or DVD, this is an ever changing technology and I'm not sure it will ever settle down to just one solution across the board.

 

[wizer]

Martin that unit looks fine, go for it.

However, I read at least five reviews of that media player and all were bad. 'Piece of Junk' was one that stuck in my mind. No, stick with the Asus or Popcorn IMO.

 

[mahking51]

Ordered and on its wayeeee! :lol:
Better start looking where to drill holes in my house!
Please God they deliver when SWMBO is out!
Cheers,
Martin

 

[paininthe]

Just a little late now by the looks, but i'm quite taken by the look and facilities of this

http://www.synology.com/enu/products/features/index.php

It looks to do all I would ever want including giving internet access to films and music to my family. It also has the new standard? DNLA allowing you to stream direct to TV (well some anyway)

 

[RogerS]

Just a little late now by the looks, but i'm quite taken by the look and facilities of this

http://www.synology.com/enu/products/features/index.php

It looks to do all I would ever want including giving internet access to films and music to my family. It also has the new standard? DNLA allowing you to stream direct to TV (well some anyway)

iPlayer support ?

 

[paininthe]

iPlayer support ?

So it says

http://www.synology.com/enu/products/features/itunes.php

 

[RogerS]

I said iPlayer not iTunes. As in BBC iPlayer.

 

[kingcod]

Just to comment on a couple of things:

NAS - I'm very happy with my Western Digital MyBook World Edition. It has been a best buy in Computer Shopper for a few months and prices continue to fall.

For media streaming at the TV (and possibly hi fi) end of things there are, as you are finding out, a lot of solutions. Since next month's tech is always better than this months you might play about with something fairly cheap and cheerful to test the water. The Western Digital WD TV Live claims to stream a shed load of media files, can take its feed from USB or a network and is priced at £92 at Kikatek - its another Computer Shopper best buy and I want one! Compared with the endless hassle with my Media PC it looks a good deal.

http://www.kikatek.com/advanced_search_ ... WD+TV+Live

 

[misterfish]

Righty ho...

The Netgear wireless hub ADSL is a DG834. This is in the understairs cupboard. Next to that is the Buffalo NAS (Linkstation Live)which is connected to the hub using a short network cable. The NAS has a 500Gb disk. Plugged into the NAS is a 250Gb external USB disk and a Canon printer. There is no RAID with my set up, but files can be automatically backed up.

The Popcorn is also connected directly to the Netgear by cable - we have a network socket by the TV (installed when we had the house refurbished). The Popcorn and Sky box are beneath the TV and each has their own remote. As for image quality from the Popcorn - excellent - dependent on the quality of the file available. HD recordings display in full HD. Any video files display well and are full screen. The 500Gb disk in the Popcorn stores any files you want as it also functions as a NAS. I have ripped DVDs to one or other of the hard disks and they play back well. I haven't done anything with Blu-ray yet as I don't have a Blu-ray player.

My son has a satellite decoder device attached to his PC and it is possible to stream live HD transmissions over the network to the Popcorn (we used this before we had the Sky HD box) - they display as well as the Sky HD box.

The nice thing about the Popcorn is that I can just select the file and it plays.

If anybody is interested the full details and capabilities of the devices I have these are the manuals

http://files.syabas.com/popcornhour/dow ... update.pdf

http://www.drosera.f2s.com/nas_manual.pdf

As I mentioned before it would be nice to have an iPlayer interface to directly play the BBC files. It looks as if the (complex) work around that has been developed involves downloading the files to a PC, somehow working around the DRM and then streaming to the Popcorn.

Misterfish

 

[paininthe]

I said iPlayer not iTunes. As in BBC iPlayer.

It's a storage device, not sure of the requirement for iplayer? What would you want it to do.

 

[RogerS]

I said iPlayer not iTunes. As in BBC iPlayer.

It's a storage device, not sure of the requirement for iplayer? What would you want it to do.

Catch up with programmes I've missed.

 

[yo_chuci]

Of course, there is also FreeSat and they are talking about iPlayer for that ...not sure how that one goes...

read in stuff today that the iplayer freesat thing still needs a connection to a router... a physical one atm

 

[Gerry]

I just caught up on this thread so sorry for being late replying. I have had three media streamers. A freecom (ok for normal avi) A Popcorn Hour 110 (superb but expensive) then a few months back I came across a new product called and Xteamer. It does everything the Popcorn does with style and is only £100. It is a NAS, plays HD, has two USB hosts, streams directly from my PC or you can add an internal drive etc. Too much to list here but it's definitely the best streamer you can buy.

Forum http://forum.xtreamer.net/index.php
UK supplier http://www.tranquilpc-shop.co.uk/acatal ... ayers.html


Gerry

 

[mahking51]

Gerry,
thanks for that will look at it today.
Found a program called My Movies which integrates with Windows Media Center and allows the scrolling of DVD cover images and info that it collects from the internet, seems to wrk quite well on the few that I have tried.
Waiting for the Buffalo Terastation NAS to arrive and will load a few movies and phots etc and then think about the other end of things.
Cheers,
Martin

 

[wizer]

Does that mean you're considering a PC solution?

 

[mahking51]

Hi Tom getting quiye confused here. Just dipped into the Xtreamer forums and it seems that while it appears a great bit of kit it will not allow the use of the album cover art/scroll and play type interface that I get on my desktop machine using Windows Media centre. This seem so easy it would be great to have that on the TV as well.
I get the feeling that I am being very dim here and am probably at cross purposes withe the differnet systema available. Maybe thes media tank things don't have the capabilty I want, may not evenbe possible at all for all I know.
I am finding this a real minefield!
Cheers,
Martin

 

[TrimTheKing]

I am finding this a real minefield!
Cheers,
Martin

It is! Keep plugging away, as Tom said I am looking into someething very similar at the moment and like you every time I think I've cracked it I find something new that I 'might' need and then spend another 3 days reading websites.

I will post on here as soon as I work out which way I'm going and then you can see if it does what you need.

:?

 

[mahking51]

Hi Trim,
Likewise! 8) :lol:
Martin