Playing music and film from the hard drive through my Hi Fi

[danrc]

I know there are a few options for this but i wanted to see if anyone has any hands on experience.

I have a pretty vast collection of music and films on my hard drive which i'd like to hook up to my hi fi and tv using the neatest and simplest way possible.

I'd ideally like to have some interface so i can scroll through the music through my tv and play what i need.

So what are my options?

I could of course use my laptop but i don't like the look of the laptop sitting next to the tv or the waire trailing across the floor...

[danrc]

How about this:

http://www.saverstore.com/product/20038445/Sumvisi...

Liking the fact it plays almost every type of music file type that is out there, and has a HDMI output for the tv.

I take it when i come to connecting all of this together i can simply output the optical output from the tv into the optical input on the av amp?

[andye30m3]

Have a look at Apple TV you can sync or stream music from a mac or PC to the apple tv.

it uses your TV as the interface and has various outputs to connect in to stereo or home cinema amps.

You can also use it to download films to buy or rent via the internet.

[danrc]

I'll have a look at Apple TV.

Does the playback only include the limited apple formats?

[mackie1]

http://www.popcornhour.com/onlinestore/

or

http://www.tvix.co.kr/eng/productList.aspx

[FunkyGibbon]

I use a PS3 for this. All media on the PC upstairs and use either Window Media Player or Vuze (that can convert formats to PS3 compatible) to do the streaming.

The PS3 has a simple menu for browsing the media.

PS3 also has the advantage of blu-ray, DVD upscaling, internet browsing.

Oh yeah - it can play games too.

Edited by FunkyGibbon on Tuesday 17th November 12:13

[dxg]

Or for a £100 or so the imminent Western Digital "HD Live" - the second version with the network port. By all accounts it's a great piece of kit - will play almost anything. You'd have to set up fileshares on your laptop, and this is assuming there is some form of network available.

Or buy this lovely little bit of kit for £100 and a portable USB drive for £50 and it would be a nice little self-contained, silent system. (You would just have the hassle of updating the content of the hard drive every so often).


http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prod...

[Plotloss]

Popcorn Hour and a Squeezebox.

[danrc]

Plotloss said:

Popcorn Hour and a Squeezebox.

Will the popcorn hour not do music as well as film? I like the look of a lot of these, maybe i will be asking Santa...

[TonyHetherington]

I have a popcorn hour, and it's brilliant. It will do music as well, but the interface is just not as nice, I beleive. but there is some customisation that you can do to make it easier and nicer (i'm only just learning all about it). hihgly recommend the PH

[dave_s13]

I just have what is effectively a PC in a fancy silver case sat under the telly. Controlled via a small wireless keyboard with integrated mousepad.

Connects to the 42" plasma via HDMI and optical out to the AV amp. Has a fan less PSU, silent CPU fan and a couple of near silent case fans so can't be heard at all really.

I initialy had Vista with windows media centre but just found it too buggy and would randomly stop working.

Reverted to Windows XP and use media player for music. Films are run directly from windows explorer using windows media player classic or VLC. Use a wireless keyboard with mousepad to control it all.

It's not too fancy but it always works and has done for 18 months now.

Edited by dave_s13 on Tuesday 17th November 22:20

[Ecurie Ecosse]

For pure music I connect my computer to my hifi though one of these Beresford DACs which you can use as a soundcard and a pre-amp. IMHO it sounds rather good.

http://www.beresford.me/products/TC-7520.html

[aclivity]

£10 old style XBOX from eBay
Free conversion to add XBMC

[Thudd]

FunkyGibbon said:

I use a PS3 for this. All media on the PC upstairs and use either Window Media Player or Vuze (that can convert formats to PS3 compatible) to do the streaming.

The PS3 has a simple menu for browsing the media.

PS3 also has the advantage of blu-ray, DVD upscaling, internet browsing.

Oh yeah - it can play games too.

Edited by FunkyGibbon on Tuesday 17th November 12:13

All the stuff i've read has suggested that the PS3 DACs are rubbish.
I've got PS3 and XBox sat under the telly and am leaning towards the X360 (despite fan noise) because it has LastFM on it as well now.
I think PS3 supports twonkyserver as well.

You'd have to be a special type of masochist to browse the net on a PS3 by choice.

Edited by Thudd on Monday 23 November 16:04

[FunkyGibbon]

Thudd said:

FunkyGibbon said:

I use a PS3 for this. All media on the PC upstairs and use either Window Media Player or Vuze (that can convert formats to PS3 compatible) to do the streaming.

The PS3 has a simple menu for browsing the media.

PS3 also has the advantage of blu-ray, DVD upscaling, internet browsing.

Oh yeah - it can play games too.

Edited by FunkyGibbon on Tuesday 17th November 12:13

All the stuff i've read has suggested that the PS3 DACs are rubbish.
I've got PS3 and XBox sat under the telly and am leaning towards the X360 (despite fan noise) because it has LastFM on it as well now.
I think PS3 supports twonkyserver as well.

You'd have to be a special type of masochist to browse the net on a PS3 by choice.

Edited by Thudd on Monday 23 November 16:04

For my humble ears the ripped music and dvd seems fine for me, perhaps that's cause I connect via HDMI and stream LPCM to my AV amp and use the DACs in there? But before I had the HDMI connection and just using the multi-out everything was fine also. Though I'm no audiophile.

Yes, the PS3 will support connecting to twonkyserver.

Amen though to the the web browser on the PS3 sucking donkey balls.

[aclivity]

Thudd said:

I think PS3 supports twonkyserver as well.

TwonkyMedia is a UPnP server - I've used it with a few different clients, including XBMC on my old style Xbox. Was there previously an issue with playstation 3 not supporting UPnP?

[Funk]

FunkyGibbon said:

I use a PS3 for this. All media on the PC upstairs and use either Window Media Player or Vuze (that can convert formats to PS3 compatible) to do the streaming.

The PS3 has a simple menu for browsing the media.

PS3 also has the advantage of blu-ray, DVD upscaling, internet browsing.

Oh yeah - it can play games too.

Edited by FunkyGibbon on Tuesday 17th November 12:13

PS3 for me too. It's excellent. I use Java PS3 Media Server which will transcode just about any format on-the-fly as well. Works brilliantly.

[Nimbus]

danrc said:

I know there are a few options for this but i wanted to see if anyone has any hands on experience.

I have a pretty vast collection of music and films on my hard drive which i'd like to hook up to my hi fi and tv using the neatest and simplest way possible.

I'd ideally like to have some interface so i can scroll through the music through my tv and play what i need.

So what are my options?

I could of course use my laptop but i don't like the look of the laptop sitting next to the tv or the waire trailing across the floor...

been said elsewhere already, but in the value for money and usabilty stakes you cant go wrong with an old original XBOX running XBMC.

It will run everything you can throw at it, can be freely upgraded if there are new formats about, has great playlist and interface facilities, and its cheap ! £30 maybe... £50 if you buy one thats already converted !

[FunkyGibbon]

aclivity said:

Thudd said:

I think PS3 supports twonkyserver as well.

TwonkyMedia is a UPnP server - I've used it with a few different clients, including XBMC on my old style Xbox. Was there previously an issue with playstation 3 not supporting UPnP?

My PS3 slimline now works fine with UPnP no problems.

[Thudd]

I wasn't doubting if the PS3 supported Twonky, but i'm sure my X360 doesn't!