IT Folks - Streaming at home makeover?

JoeLansing · June 24th, 2011, 04:04 PM

So I currently have 2.8TB of internal drives in my PC at home. No RAID or anything. It has 1.2TB of movies and music and backups of 4 other household (wife and kids's) computers on it. I back it up to an external ESATA 2TB about once a week. My house is wired GB from a DIR-655 upstairs and a cheapo 5 port GB switch downstairs. My 2 2TB drives are both WD EARS so adding one more for RAID5 will be easy.

My problem is to watch a movie I need to burn it to a disk first. Then we watch the movie, then wife gives the disk to her friends, or it doesn't get labeled and ends up in a junk pile. My TV is another issue. Old 57" Mitsubishi with only DVI and Svideo inputs for PC use. It works great, and even does 1080P, though I wish it would die..

I currently run everything through an awesome Onyko 1000W 7.1 system. But it's old and has no HDMI to run a media server into. I'd love to find some little $20 gizmo to make it all work, but my toys are so old I don't think it's gonna happen..

What do I need to eliminate disk burning? A real TV with HDMI, a real Stereo with HDMI, and then think about a NAS of some sort? We don't do Apple products, and only MP3 for audio if that helps? HDMI 1.4 right? My wife is a torrent hound and I really need to find a solution. It's funny buying Man Cave/IT stuff to keep the wife happy.

If I fix her up to steam movies and music upstairs, she'll let me get a nice projector downstairs.
- Joe

csmith12 · June 24th, 2011, 04:42 PM

Here is what I did;

Raid up the drives in a server via hardware. Install windows server and set up backups and such as one normally would.

Now for the fun part....

Install your favorite UPNP app. TVersity or the like. Now every device in the home that is connected to the network and supports UPNP, pc's, phones, zunes, media center extenders, xbox 360's, ps3's now all see it and can play the media. Movies (Divx encoded), music, pics. Works out very nice. FreeNas has similar offerings for the grand cost of $0.00.

Of course you could do a piece of hardware/nas device that would provide the same functionality for additional cost.

There is nothing better than the 360 or ps3 to power a projector. Games, movies and all the other fun (netflix and such) at a huge size.

As far as your older TV, get a cheap (20-30) TV card with the proper connectors. That pc can connect to the UPNP server just the same as another other device and stream movies from the UPNP server to that TV as well.

To get true HD you will need a fast wired network between devices. Wireless will not cut it.

Good luck

JoeLansing · June 24th, 2011, 04:59 PM

Wow, I can do all the PC stuff easy. So just get a TV card for a media server. Something that FreeNas will play with. Then hook the media server PC up to my old stereo via the 3 wire composite or such? I never thought about a TV card.. They are so old school..lol I'll look into it! You might've saved me from buying:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...A3ACU7TJEUXKOF

and

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

And then http://www.amazon.com/Optoma-HD66-25...8959903&sr=1-1

as my reward for fixing my wife unit up...

Wait, you saved me a ton of cash, but deprived me from an awesome toy shopping spree... hmmmmm
- Joe

Alex · June 24th, 2011, 06:45 PM

The way I handle all of that is detailed in this thread.

JoeLansing · June 24th, 2011, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

The way I handle all of that is detailed in this thread.

Nice Thread Sir! The part:

<Alex Quote>
The only problem with all of the above was that none of these devices were HD. HD is one of those things that really sucks. Because if you don't have it, you don't know what you're missing and you're perfectly content. But then you see it, and you realize "oh crap". I used to like this SD picture. I used to be perfectly happy with this SD picture. But now I know it's crap. The issue was that when we started realizing this in 2005

Really hits home to me, except it's 6 years later for me in 2011. Maybe cuz I'm an old 52 yo. My evil wife is a young 35 though. I guess that's why she needs the HD video and audio. She can still hear and see stuff good, but old man me can't..

Good for me though. All I watch on TV are Geritol and Viagra ads and they aren't HD.

- Joe

CynicalC · June 25th, 2011, 12:18 PM

Build an HTPC. Read the stickies here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forum...php?forumid=26

Especially the guide to buying / building and the windows 7 thread as that's the best front end going right now. Time to upgrade that tv too.

warlord · June 25th, 2011, 12:48 PM

HDMI to DVI with audio...

miss_syn · June 25th, 2011, 02:51 PM

Get a 360/PS3. Run with Java PS3 Media Server. Done.

Throwing that out there if you have either system. I don't know if this would work with the Wii but I'm streaming videos now to my 360 over wifi, usually HD, and things still look as nice as the 8 year television will allow it to.

I've also done this with a PS3 to a screen with HDMI and it still looked nice.

Azhyen · June 25th, 2011, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by miss_syn

Get a 360/PS3. Run with Java PS3 Media Server. Done.
I've also done this with a PS3 to a screen with HDMI and it still looked nice.

I used Java PS3 Media Server as well. I love watching foreign dramas with soft subs and this does it well, when it works. Sometimes my Java will just time out and there's no other way to fix it besides a reformat of the system...

June 24th, 2011, 04:04 PM	#1
JoeLansing ninjette.org member Name: Joe Location: Lansing, MI Ghetto Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): Green 2011 SE 52yo Geezer Posts: 122	IT Folks - Streaming at home makeover? So I currently have 2.8TB of internal drives in my PC at home. No RAID or anything. It has 1.2TB of movies and music and backups of 4 other household (wife and kids's) computers on it. I back it up to an external ESATA 2TB about once a week. My house is wired GB from a DIR-655 upstairs and a cheapo 5 port GB switch downstairs. My 2 2TB drives are both WD EARS so adding one more for RAID5 will be easy. My problem is to watch a movie I need to burn it to a disk first. Then we watch the movie, then wife gives the disk to her friends, or it doesn't get labeled and ends up in a junk pile. My TV is another issue. Old 57" Mitsubishi with only DVI and Svideo inputs for PC use. It works great, and even does 1080P, though I wish it would die.. I currently run everything through an awesome Onyko 1000W 7.1 system. But it's old and has no HDMI to run a media server into. I'd love to find some little $20 gizmo to make it all work, but my toys are so old I don't think it's gonna happen.. What do I need to eliminate disk burning? A real TV with HDMI, a real Stereo with HDMI, and then think about a NAS of some sort? We don't do Apple products, and only MP3 for audio if that helps? HDMI 1.4 right? My wife is a torrent hound and I really need to find a solution. It's funny buying Man Cave/IT stuff to keep the wife happy. If I fix her up to steam movies and music upstairs, she'll let me get a nice projector downstairs. - Joe

June 24th, 2011, 04:42 PM	#2
csmith12 The Corner Whisperer Name: Chris (aka Reactor) Location: Northern KY Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track) Posts: Too much. MOTY 2015, MOTM - Nov '12, Nov '13	Here is what I did; Raid up the drives in a server via hardware. Install windows server and set up backups and such as one normally would. Now for the fun part.... Install your favorite UPNP app. TVersity or the like. Now every device in the home that is connected to the network and supports UPNP, pc's, phones, zunes, media center extenders, xbox 360's, ps3's now all see it and can play the media. Movies (Divx encoded), music, pics. Works out very nice. FreeNas has similar offerings for the grand cost of $0.00. Of course you could do a piece of hardware/nas device that would provide the same functionality for additional cost. There is nothing better than the 360 or ps3 to power a projector. Games, movies and all the other fun (netflix and such) at a huge size. As far as your older TV, get a cheap (20-30) TV card with the proper connectors. That pc can connect to the UPNP server just the same as another other device and stream movies from the UPNP server to that TV as well. To get true HD you will need a fast wired network between devices. Wireless will not cut it. Good luck __________________________________________________ Goal: Shake A Million Hands \| Look through the corners \| Track Day Prep \| Closest track? \| The Mid-Ohio School

June 24th, 2011, 06:45 PM	#4
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	The way I handle all of that is detailed in this thread. __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)

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June 24th, 2011, 04:59 PM	#3
JoeLansing ninjette.org member Name: Joe Location: Lansing, MI Ghetto Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): Green 2011 SE 52yo Geezer Posts: 122	Wow, I can do all the PC stuff easy. So just get a TV card for a media server. Something that FreeNas will play with. Then hook the media server PC up to my old stereo via the 3 wire composite or such? I never thought about a TV card.. They are so old school..lol I'll look into it! You might've saved me from buying: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...A3ACU7TJEUXKOF and http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER And then http://www.amazon.com/Optoma-HD66-25...8959903&sr=1-1 as my reward for fixing my wife unit up... Wait, you saved me a ton of cash, but deprived me from an awesome toy shopping spree... hmmmmm - Joe

June 25th, 2011, 12:18 PM	#6
CynicalC ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Colin Location: Bay Area Join Date: Feb 2011 Motorcycle(s): '96 EX250 Posts: A lot.	Build an HTPC. Read the stickies here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forum...php?forumid=26 Especially the guide to buying / building and the windows 7 thread as that's the best front end going right now. Time to upgrade that tv too.

June 25th, 2011, 12:48 PM	#7
warlord ninjette.org guru Name: war Location: north chicago burbs Join Date: Jan 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2014 Ducati Panigale 899 Posts: 325	HDMI to DVI with audio...

June 25th, 2011, 02:51 PM	#8
miss_syn my hair matches my bike Name: Tiffany Location: Greater Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 Red 250r Posts: 411	Get a 360/PS3. Run with Java PS3 Media Server. Done. Throwing that out there if you have either system. I don't know if this would work with the Wii but I'm streaming videos now to my 360 over wifi, usually HD, and things still look as nice as the 8 year television will allow it to. I've also done this with a PS3 to a screen with HDMI and it still looked nice.