REQ: NAS suggestions
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8 Jul 2012, 15:39
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Journals
Hi,
As I've finally got enough space and a proper TV that supports DNLA, I'm able to stream those nasty Bleach.mkvs in japanese dub with subs. Since none of the TVs I've tested would play those files in other languages than English, I've setup the PS3 Media Server which works out of the box but eats a lot of ressources on my Dual Core. However I do intend a more erm..let's say comfortable or lazy kind of system.
This is what I want:
Basically, everything has to be connected.
I want to put films or audio onto my NAS (doesn't matter if it's via FTP or via direct download) and
-let movies be accessible on my TV immediately
-let audio files be played via my stereo/hifi (I'm now using an AMP and 2 Sony passives + 3,5inch normal audio plug like you can put it anywhere u want - TV, mp3player, mobile phone, even my butt) I wouldn't mind just plugging it into the TV but I assume that the audio output quality will be terrible and also I would have to plug out the cable everytime I want to watch a movie (as I'm intending to lay my paws upon a proper 5.1-7.1 system later)
I would even consider converting all files that are not supported by my TV (like the dub in some mkvs) into a proper format but afaik I haven't had any problems yet.
In a nutshell I want to control everything from either my TV remote or my android phone. I don't want to use a mouse or keyboard or any other PC or my XBOX to play files. Everything that is on the sketch above I do already own plus I have a huge amount of cables, wires of every kind, an HDMI switch and so on.
If you have any kind of suggestions then please, comment. I'm open to anything that is able to make my dream come true.
PS: the less wires the better. If there is a possibility to handle everything via an IPAD or any kind of pad please let me know.
As I've finally got enough space and a proper TV that supports DNLA, I'm able to stream those nasty Bleach.mkvs in japanese dub with subs. Since none of the TVs I've tested would play those files in other languages than English, I've setup the PS3 Media Server which works out of the box but eats a lot of ressources on my Dual Core. However I do intend a more erm..let's say comfortable or lazy kind of system.
This is what I want:
Basically, everything has to be connected.
I want to put films or audio onto my NAS (doesn't matter if it's via FTP or via direct download) and
-let movies be accessible on my TV immediately
-let audio files be played via my stereo/hifi (I'm now using an AMP and 2 Sony passives + 3,5inch normal audio plug like you can put it anywhere u want - TV, mp3player, mobile phone, even my butt) I wouldn't mind just plugging it into the TV but I assume that the audio output quality will be terrible and also I would have to plug out the cable everytime I want to watch a movie (as I'm intending to lay my paws upon a proper 5.1-7.1 system later)
I would even consider converting all files that are not supported by my TV (like the dub in some mkvs) into a proper format but afaik I haven't had any problems yet.
In a nutshell I want to control everything from either my TV remote or my android phone. I don't want to use a mouse or keyboard or any other PC or my XBOX to play files. Everything that is on the sketch above I do already own plus I have a huge amount of cables, wires of every kind, an HDMI switch and so on.
If you have any kind of suggestions then please, comment. I'm open to anything that is able to make my dream come true.
PS: the less wires the better. If there is a possibility to handle everything via an IPAD or any kind of pad please let me know.
If you want to stream music from your nas I would be using an iTunes Device with Airplay (pretty costly hardware but very neat) or use your TV as streaming device and give its output to your stereo/homecinema.
So you are accessing the NAS via your bluray player and you are able to switch audiotracks in mkvs?
Also could you please link me up to one iTunes Device you decribed, I found some stuff but it ain't legit and I do like the idea.
Right now I'm gonna test this XMBC thingy.
I just looked it up - obviously only Desktop Macs can connect to an iTunes Server, meaning you would be streaming the music from your iDevice (iPad, iPod) through Airplay not from your NAS.
I would just plug your TV into your stereo - normally you've got more than one Audio-Connection, e.g. you connect your TV and stereo with cinch and your Homecinemasystem through an optical (so you can use DRM-protected content) e.g.
So if you want to listen to Music you just mute your Homecinema and if you are watching a film you do it vice versa.
And about XBMC - i think its a great GUI but in the end you would still need something like a streaming box in between your TV and your NAS, making the DLNA feature of your TV obsolete and bringing in one more component.
So the way you manage a movie file is:
PC -> QNAP <- TV
you don't have anything in between. So the Qnap actually isnt just a NAS but a small computer with WLAN?
I've narrowed it down a bit, I guess.
Buiding a small HTCP with an i3 and installing XMBC
or
The QNAP and using a Twonky Media Server with it,
seems to work fine with 1080p
Furthermore an extra component actually wouldn't be needed as XMBC can be installed as a casual home media centre just like a pc and the output would be via HDMI, at least that is how i think it works maybe I'm getting this wrong though. I mean you can put in as many hard disks u want therefore it would most likely resemble the QNAP anyway.
The QNAP handles everything without problems, even uncompressed 3D Bluray video_ts shizzle.
And yes, you are getting everything right - HTCP with XBMC through hdmi is totally possible - the one more componente would be necessary if you would like a NAS _AND_ XBMC.
Now you just have to decide, but I would be very very wary of the HDDs, if you aren't that good with Computers a really really stable RAID on hardware-level is much harder to establish than with the QNAP (put in the disks, startup, connect to the interface -> raid is getting build by itself).
However there is one issue:
You said and after that
Now what I still don't understand, are you using your QNAP as a storage device like a simple harddisk and accessing everything via your TV (as if you had attached an external USB harddrive)
or
are you definitely streaming files and rendering in realtime (like when I use ps3mediaServer on my PC)
Because "streaming" and "just accessing storage via tv" are two different ways of approaching this matter and therefore könntest du bitte ganz genau werden.
That's the only issue for me as I don't wanna get caught offguard while trying to watch an mkv with multiple audiotracks simply because my TV doesn't support all of them and I can't access these tracks from within the TV menu. So the only option for me is in fact streaming. My old 46' Samsung from 2009 couldn't handle those Bleach files with ENG dub and JAP dub aswell but I haven't had a problem with any other file yet. Also there are some films like "ICHI the killer" I haven't watched yet because my TV didn't support subtitle files and XMBC for an instance does, I can choose the directory manually.
Give me the Name of the file that didnt work (releasegroup n Stuff or send me a torrent/directlink through pm) and i will Check if ist Works, but Till today i Never had any Problems.
(Sorry for the random caps, writing from my phone)
Things like DLNA are nice but nothing beats a good HTTPC or mediaplayer.
Also streaming wireless is asking for troubles, if you want to stream a full bluray movie that is 25~50gb you should not really use wlan. I can't see on your picture if you are going to use a wired connection you can just put it next to your coax cable if there is enough room.
Of course I'm only gonna use LAN for the streaming stuff, WLAN is here just for the lulz..and my smartphone (and ofc xbox, wii in case i ever play online).
On the sketch you can see my Internet Modem and 2 blue RJ45 wires, one attached to my PC the other one to the future NAS.
A media player switch etc. I couldn't work with that
If you have one cat5e/cat6 cable to your nas you also have the ability to split the cable to 2x100mbit if you want to have internet on several devices, since you need only 4 wires from the 8 that are being used for cat5e/cat6 for 100Mbit, and 100Mbit is enough for streaming.
I just need to plug in my 4port-Modem into the wall, 1 cable is attached to the PC, 1 to the NAS and 1 connects to the TV. As my Computer isn't near the TV splitting cables won't work like in your case but i may consider a 2way-split for the NAS and the TV if that is doable and I actually setup the NAS next to the TV and not in my bedroom or next to the modem or elsewhere. Depending on how i can use the NAS anyway, I need a remote.
Thanks for the hint with the 2x100Mbit cable.