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fploink · 2011-09-08, 20:00

Hello all,
this is my first post and I'm sorry if this is not the right place for it.

At the moment I'm looking for the right hardware to fulfill the following requirements:
I want to play on my TV the files I have downloaded before and this has to work without any cable necessary.
That means specificly that I need to find a solution for playing the files I have downloaded with my PC and stored on a central storage (part 1 of my solution) and transfer this via WiFi to the device (part 2 of my problem) that is connected with my TV.
In addition to that I don't want that it's necessary to keep the PC running while watching TV. (for that reason the central storage - part1)

Currently I think that the best solution for my problem is an "Apple Time Capsule - 2 TB" (part 1) together with Apple TV (part2) and XboxMediaCenter.
I have Win7 so are there any problems with this configuration known that I have to keep in mind.

Thanks in advance to everybody for your help.

best regards
fploink

eskro · 2011-09-08, 23:14

well, you basically describing that u need a NAS + HTPC,,,

and of course, since your gonna go WiFi, u need a router,,,

ATV2 is ok, if it does what u need,,,
note that it wont play 1080P,,,
only 720P and lower...

now for the NAS part, well, its on u,,
what u got for that?
u already have a PC that acts as a NAS?
how much storage u need?
we usually recommend unRAID servers to users..
we believe its the best for media...

fploink · (This post was last modified: 2011-09-09, 20:37 by fploink.)

eskro Wrote:well, you basically describing that u need a NAS + HTPC,,,

and of course, since your gonna go WiFi, u need a router,,,

ATV2 is ok, if it does what u need,,,
note that it wont play 1080P,,,
only 720P and lower...

now for the NAS part, well, its on u,,
what u got for that?
u already have a PC that acts as a NAS?
how much storage u need?
we usually recommend unRAID servers to users..
we believe its the best for media...

First of all thanks a lot for your answer!
In the meantime a already read some more threads and I have a clearer picture of a possible solution.

At the moment I have a router (Fritzbox 7140SL) and my PC with Win7 (which doesn't act as NAS), I'm planning to save my downloads on my new NAS. At the moment I'm tending to the Synology DS411+II.
To play my movies on my TV I'm planning to use ATV2 whick should receive the data from the NAS.

Do you have any other recommondation or tips I have to take into account.

Thanks in advance.

fploink

Silentace · 2011-09-09, 20:43

From what it sounds like you currently have a NAS (or you will be upgrading to a new one soon?). Either way... if you already have one then the PC isn't even needed in the equassion. If you can see the shares/files in windows... then you will no doubt be able to see it in XBMC.

I don't know about the ATV2 but if it is anything like the ATV one... then it is picky about what content in 720p it can play... as in many codecs don't work well/stutter. If all your library is SD/480 you should be just fine doing a ATV/ATV2 solution.

fploink · 2011-09-09, 20:59

To be honest and explain my current situation:
At the moment I have a router and a PC (Win7) which are connected via WiFi. On the other hand I have a TV which has no connection to the internet.

My goal is manage my movies on a central storage and play them on my TV. In that case I have the restriction to either connect the central storage directly to the TV or to the router. Both is not possible because my TV and my router (and PC) are in two different rooms.

To solve this problems I learned (correct me if you have an easier solution) that I need a central storage (=NAS), that is connected to the router, and a device (ATV2) that plays the movies located on my central storage on my TV.

As ATV fulfills all my needs.
At the moment I am looking for the right NAS. And it seems that the Synology DS710+ is suitable in my situation. Or do you think this is too much in my case.

Thanks for your help!
fploink

Silentace · 2011-09-09, 21:06

I am not sure on your exact storage needs for your NAS... but if you get one and connect it to your router then yes you will be able to share to the ATV/XBMC. The ATV will need to be connected to the network as well either wireless/wired.

I haven't done a whole lot of research of the NAS differences but you could easily cut your price in half going with something like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6822108065

eskro · 2011-09-09, 21:39

well, one thing you could do is convert your PC in a an unRAID NAS!
would be cheaper then buying a prebuilt NAS!
u might even be unRAID ready already!

EndiSky · 2011-09-10, 02:48

1)How much storage are we talking?
2)Do you leave your pc on at all times?
3) approximate budget?
4) 1080p movies, 720p, or standard def?
5) Having a good day?

fploink · 2011-09-10, 10:20

dear are thanks a lot for all your replies!

@eskro
To be honsest, I'm not 100% aware of what a unraid NAS exactly is. But due to the fact I want to save energy in the long term I don't want to keep my PC running all the time. That's why I'm looking for a energy saving central storage.
Please correct me if I'm wrong concerning unraidNAS.

@EndiSky
* I'll require at least 1TB
* not I dont want to keep my PC running all the time!
* budget: as cheap as possible but I would spend something in the region of $600
* 720p is enough for me (--> ATV2)
--> so I'm just looking for a suitable NAS.
at the first glance the Synology DS211J seems to be a good solution but also the Apple Time Capsule 2TB seems as a good possibilites for me?

Do have any other proposals for a good and cheap solution?
And do have any experience with the compatibility between router and NAS? Are there any peculiarities to take into account?

Thanks a lot!
fpoink

Kirky99 · 2011-09-10, 15:27

For a cheap solution, you might want to look at a different router. For example, I have an Asus RT-N16 that has a couple of USB ports. I'm fairly certain you can rig those to work with an external USB drive to provide you the storage you want/need without the cost of a NAS. Should work for only a couple of clients...

HD videos over WiFi can get squirrely. 720p should be OK, but don't do 1080p.

EndiSky · 2011-09-10, 23:38

Good thinking Kirky... I completely forgot my router does that too.

For a comparatively small amount of storage such as 1-2 TB, this is probably the best option. Keep in mind that something like the Synology is rather expensive for what it gives you. The main reason that I went with UnRaid over one of the other solutions is that I can upgrade by adding an extra hard drive or just swapping out a drive for a bigger one without losing any data. Plus the fact that it spins down all of my drives when I'm not using it... this greatly reduces power usage but does not eliminate usage. You still have the draw from the mobo/cpu which is about 45watts for mine.

outatouch0 · 2011-09-11, 11:39

If it were me in your situation I would want big backbone in my wireless router. That means a router built to the task/built for performance rather than built for a price. If your router is not up to the job intended you will be eternally unhappy until you replace it.
This is the router I have: NETGEAR WNDR3700-100NAS Wireless Gigabit Router/ USB port Rangemax 2.4/5GHz Simultaneous N600 Dual Band 802.11a/b/g/n
It is a steal at $120 compared to what I paid for it a year or two ago. Amazon may even have it cheaper. It has the usb connect for media usb drives too.