popcorn hour, boxee, PS3, apple TV, media streaming aggghhh!
Discussion
I've started a few threads, and commented on others, and slowly with help from you guys the world of media streaming is coming into focus, but some clarifty is still needed for my indivdual set up.
Basicaly, i have a new iMac which will be part of the long term set up that I want, basically everything else is changable.
My TV and Amp are all due for renewal over then next couple of years (my amp is nice, Denon 3801, but old (no HDMI) and my TV is lacking in wireless connection)
The rather different circumstance for me is that the TV is hung on a chimney breast, that is in itself in the middle of a room (or 2 rooms to be precise) so no wall either side. This means I cannot just connect a cable to the TV as it would loop in mid air across the room no matter where you tried.
When i built the house (technicaly still building as its not signed off yet!) I did put in component leads from the chimney to where the AV stuff will be located, I didnt do a HDMI as im a tight arse and didnt want to spend the 200quid plus for a very long 10meter plus cable that was required.
So
I need a TV at some point that allows for wirless streaming for all media, including playing DVD's, bluerays and any movies for my soon to be set up hard drive.
I need an amp with HDMI input/wireless? to power my kef eggs, and some thing to flow from a harddrive to, well, im not sure!
To start with the hard drive, from reading PH and the net in general i feel I dont need to buy a NAS drive, just an external drive plugged into my iMac?
Completly stumped if i need apple tv, popcorn hour, boxee, just a ps3, an alternative blueray player with media streaming etc etc?
Once I have bought the hard drive (if the consensus says i dont need a NAS) I would like to get going ripping my DVD collection to it, more issues though, appears a million and 1 formats to do this, whats the best one to use? Is their a consensus? I dont want to rip 300 DVd and find out ive done it in the wrong format that wont play on what ever media streamer i get!
Long winded, not sure if its in the right section, and some repeats of previous questions that i asked (and people did kindly comment on) however I felt I needed a new thread to focus all my issues together.
Thanks
Basicaly, i have a new iMac which will be part of the long term set up that I want, basically everything else is changable.
My TV and Amp are all due for renewal over then next couple of years (my amp is nice, Denon 3801, but old (no HDMI) and my TV is lacking in wireless connection)
The rather different circumstance for me is that the TV is hung on a chimney breast, that is in itself in the middle of a room (or 2 rooms to be precise) so no wall either side. This means I cannot just connect a cable to the TV as it would loop in mid air across the room no matter where you tried.
When i built the house (technicaly still building as its not signed off yet!) I did put in component leads from the chimney to where the AV stuff will be located, I didnt do a HDMI as im a tight arse and didnt want to spend the 200quid plus for a very long 10meter plus cable that was required.
So
I need a TV at some point that allows for wirless streaming for all media, including playing DVD's, bluerays and any movies for my soon to be set up hard drive.
I need an amp with HDMI input/wireless? to power my kef eggs, and some thing to flow from a harddrive to, well, im not sure!
To start with the hard drive, from reading PH and the net in general i feel I dont need to buy a NAS drive, just an external drive plugged into my iMac?
Completly stumped if i need apple tv, popcorn hour, boxee, just a ps3, an alternative blueray player with media streaming etc etc?
Once I have bought the hard drive (if the consensus says i dont need a NAS) I would like to get going ripping my DVD collection to it, more issues though, appears a million and 1 formats to do this, whats the best one to use? Is their a consensus? I dont want to rip 300 DVd and find out ive done it in the wrong format that wont play on what ever media streamer i get!
Long winded, not sure if its in the right section, and some repeats of previous questions that i asked (and people did kindly comment on) however I felt I needed a new thread to focus all my issues together.
Thanks
Sounds like your biggest problem is getting the signal from the amp to the TV. Can't help there, but I would think there will be a solution of some kind about for wireless transmission.
You need a media server and/or a player.
A popcorn hour is a good example as it can take a hdd and store all your media and play it back. A NAS can also be a media server but then you will also need a player (ps3, xbox, popcorn hour, HTPC etc) the media is stored on the NAS/HDD and played back on the player via your network. A HDD in your mac will also work as a media server if there is an appropriate app to act as a server (Apple tv?)
You need a media server and/or a player.
A popcorn hour is a good example as it can take a hdd and store all your media and play it back. A NAS can also be a media server but then you will also need a player (ps3, xbox, popcorn hour, HTPC etc) the media is stored on the NAS/HDD and played back on the player via your network. A HDD in your mac will also work as a media server if there is an appropriate app to act as a server (Apple tv?)
Im a little confused here? Why do you need wireless streaming if you have component to the tv? I assume you want to try to get a better quality image?
Im a little unclear about what you're trying to achieve
The new appletv (coming end of this month) could be exactly what you're after, its a tiny box that connects to your tv (you could easily sneak it behind a wall mounted tv provided you can get power to it.
The box allows you to rent movies and tv from the itunes store (you cant buy them since it has no hard drive). You can stream movies etc from any apple device including iphone or ipad to the tv. Its also going to be compatible with netflix if you dont want to be stuck with itunes.
They're cheap too at £99, I'd suggest trying it and if you dont like it, chuck it on ebay.
Im a little unclear about what you're trying to achieve
Blue Meanie said:
if you are going to use iTunes, then Apple TV is an absolute doddle. if not, one of the other streaming devices will work better.
This, I use an (current stlye)apple tv and cant praise it highly enough.The new appletv (coming end of this month) could be exactly what you're after, its a tiny box that connects to your tv (you could easily sneak it behind a wall mounted tv provided you can get power to it.
The box allows you to rent movies and tv from the itunes store (you cant buy them since it has no hard drive). You can stream movies etc from any apple device including iphone or ipad to the tv. Its also going to be compatible with netflix if you dont want to be stuck with itunes.
They're cheap too at £99, I'd suggest trying it and if you dont like it, chuck it on ebay.
threesixty said:
Im a little confused here? Why do you need wireless streaming if you have component to the tv? I assume you want to try to get a better quality image?
Im a little unclear about what you're trying to achieve
The new appletv (coming end of this month) could be exactly what you're after, its a tiny box that connects to your tv (you could easily sneak it behind a wall mounted tv provided you can get power to it.
The box allows you to rent movies and tv from the itunes store (you cant buy them since it has no hard drive). You can stream movies etc from any apple device including iphone or ipad to the tv. Its also going to be compatible with netflix if you dont want to be stuck with itunes.
They're cheap too at £99, I'd suggest trying it and if you dont like it, chuck it on ebay.
Re connectivity, yes, i would like a better connection than component, wirelessly.Im a little unclear about what you're trying to achieve
Blue Meanie said:
if you are going to use iTunes, then Apple TV is an absolute doddle. if not, one of the other streaming devices will work better.
This, I use an (current stlye)apple tv and cant praise it highly enough.The new appletv (coming end of this month) could be exactly what you're after, its a tiny box that connects to your tv (you could easily sneak it behind a wall mounted tv provided you can get power to it.
The box allows you to rent movies and tv from the itunes store (you cant buy them since it has no hard drive). You can stream movies etc from any apple device including iphone or ipad to the tv. Its also going to be compatible with netflix if you dont want to be stuck with itunes.
They're cheap too at £99, I'd suggest trying it and if you dont like it, chuck it on ebay.
I believe i read a year back of Samsung TV that had a 'box' that sat with your audio equipment away from the tv that wirelessly streamed all info to the Tv including standard 'aerial' tv? I was just wondering if this is taken off with other manufacturers?
Also, would wireless 3d tv be available in the near future? I can wait for the TV another year or so, just as long as its a future option.
Apple TV does sound like it would do the job i want. But before I jump in and start the very long process of moving my DVD's over to a hard drive, what format should i do that under, bearing in mind i would like the highest possible quality and most flexible format (incase I move away from apple TV in the future and onto a different type of streamer).
Netflix i dont think will help me as i am based in the UK, is there a UK version of this that would run on Apple TV?
Finally, would I be correct in thinking that i could run as many apple tv as I want in the house, ie one in each of the bedrooms, living room and even kitchen, to watch movies, would you be able to watch more than 1 at a time? or even the same film on 2 tvs or more at once?
Just a thought.
Blue Meanie said:
Use handbrake to convert your DVDs to, using the apple TV preset, and whatever changes you want to make to the filters, (interlace, etc).
This is where i have no idea, interlace? do I need that? any other things I should filter for?Also, is their 1 program that I can buy that would allow me just to insert a DVD and then it will do all the decoding and converting all in 1 step?
Finally, Hulu, anyone know when we might be seeing this in the UK? (only just discovered Hulu this morning, a neanderthal I know
) or do we have a UK equiv already, same goes for netflix?Netflix is on the apple TV I think.
As for Handbrake, you put in the DVD, click the video_TS file, (really easy, don't fret), and with the apple TV preset on, click start... Really easy
As for filters... They are normally fine, unless it's an older series, or film. Most of the time I just play with deinterlace off, which stops, to a degree, the weird, and annoying 'interlacing' obviously, of the picture...
As for Handbrake, you put in the DVD, click the video_TS file, (really easy, don't fret), and with the apple TV preset on, click start... Really easy
As for filters... They are normally fine, unless it's an older series, or film. Most of the time I just play with deinterlace off, which stops, to a degree, the weird, and annoying 'interlacing' obviously, of the picture...
ok, thanks for the answers so far, i am almost there!
I think I just have one more point to clarify, assuming i go with apple tv, does it matter if i use a NAS drive or just an external hard drive connected to the imac directly? any advantages/disadvantages to worry about?
And can i simultaneously stream to 2 different apple tv boxes at the same time, each showing different content but from the same source (IE an external hard drive on the imac).?
I think I just have one more point to clarify, assuming i go with apple tv, does it matter if i use a NAS drive or just an external hard drive connected to the imac directly? any advantages/disadvantages to worry about?
And can i simultaneously stream to 2 different apple tv boxes at the same time, each showing different content but from the same source (IE an external hard drive on the imac).?
satans worm said:
I think I just have one more point to clarify, assuming i go with apple tv, does it matter if i use a NAS drive or just an external hard drive connected to the imac directly? any advantages/disadvantages to worry about?
No difference in my mind. Just remember to mount the drive you use before you open itunes. If they are permenantly connected, shouldn;t be an issue.
And can i simultaneously stream to 2 different apple tv boxes at the same time, each showing different content but from the same source (IE an external hard drive on the imac).?
I don't see why not.
No difference in my mind. Just remember to mount the drive you use before you open itunes. If they are permenantly connected, shouldn;t be an issue.
And can i simultaneously stream to 2 different apple tv boxes at the same time, each showing different content but from the same source (IE an external hard drive on the imac).?
I don't see why not.
satans worm said:
Netflix i dont think will help me as i am based in the UK, is there a UK version of this that would run on Apple TV?
Finally, would I be correct in thinking that i could run as many apple tv as I want in the house, ie one in each of the bedrooms, living room and even kitchen, to watch movies, would you be able to watch more than 1 at a time? or even the same film on 2 tvs or more at once?
I believe the new uk appletvs will have netflix.Finally, would I be correct in thinking that i could run as many apple tv as I want in the house, ie one in each of the bedrooms, living room and even kitchen, to watch movies, would you be able to watch more than 1 at a time? or even the same film on 2 tvs or more at once?
As far as i've been told multiple apple tvs are fine. I have the old style one and have a new style on on order for another room. I've been assuered by the apple people that this isn't a problem.
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