newbie streaming question
#1
This is an almost embarrassing question, but I don't know the answer and am not seeing it where I'm looking. So I have to ask it...

I can set up an XBMC server on either a MBP or a WIndows 8 hybrid. Either is fine. I want to watch and listen to content on my home theater. There's an AVR that outputs to a TV and speaker system. Currently, I watch content via cable, DVD or Roku. I want to add media served up by an XBMC server to this. How do I do that? Ideally, I'd like to stream it. Can I? If so, how?
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#2
XBMC software is meant to be installed on an HTPC that is directly connected to the TV. While there is limited support as a server, it probably won't do all of the things you want it to do, and it won't stream add-on content.
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#3
OK. Thanks.

Could the HTPC be connected to the AVR? Would it broadcast a surround sound, 5.1, kind of audio signal that the AVR could play as such?

Is Plex the only way to stream from a computer to a home theater?
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#4
Yes, an HTPC can connect to an AVR, with 5.1 surround sound.

Plex is two parts, server and player. XBMC is just a player (more or less) and doesn't require a server, as it works with normal file sharing from most computers, hard drives, and NAS devices.
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#5
(2014-09-08, 06:47)maigre Wrote: OK. Thanks.

Could the HTPC be connected to the AVR? Would it broadcast a surround sound, 5.1, kind of audio signal that the AVR could play as such?

Is Plex the only way to stream from a computer to a home theater?

XBMC will read shared network folders and allow you to playback that way. No server software (i.e. Plex) is necessary if you set up simple file-sharing on the folders with the media that you want to share.

However, your HTPC/Set-Top box must also have the ability to read from shared folders, too. There is no shortage of these devices out there; Med8er, Popcorn Hour, WDTV Live, Dune are some of the more popular. If your box doesn't support streaming from shared folders then that is a case where you will need to set up the server software like Plex that shares the media via UpnP/DLNA. Think of Plex as being the restaurant and all of the boxes being customers.

Personally, if you end up needing Plex, it doesn't seem to play well with XBMC. From my experience, it doesn't share album/poster art and most metadata with XBMC/Kodi. Basically, you just get the Title of the Movie, Duration and year. I actually settled on Mezzmo which, while not free like Plex, does a much better job of playing nice with XBMC/Kodi and I have found it to be much more flexible in it's library and organization features.
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#6
My AVR streams from shared folders, but it can be a little flaky. Streaming with Plex over the Roku works very reliably, though. I was looking to mimic that ability with XBMC, but since there's no Roku app, I figured I'd have to go some other route if I could do it at all. Plex works for me and I don't need a subscription to it to do what I wanted. I'd rather have used XBMC, though.

Thanks for the help. I'll dig a little deeper based on input here.
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