I'm hoping to start a thread that provides recommendations on the best apps/devices/platforms to use to stream media from a central server to various devices/platforms across a home network.
My setup:
iMac 27" - photos, videos, movies, and tons of music in AAC and MP3 format
iPhone
Windows Phone 7
Windows 7 Laptop
And soon will be adding an iPad (or two) and maybe a Chumby...
What media server apps can you recommend that I could run on the iMac to stream/transcode photos, videos, movies, and music to any of these other devices...?
I use VLC Streamer to watch videos from my computer on my iPhone. And Slashtop Remote Desktop to control computer remotely (when I'm downloading something etc.) I can fully recommend both apps - VLC Streamer keeps converted content in its Cache folder, so you can rewatch it without reencoding. And you can even use it to watch your DVD files, not just DivX stuff. Slashtop Remote is able to send audio from your comp to your iPhone, so it is fine for MP3 listening.
You don't have Android listed, but if it's a catch all, the little green guy will probably get mentioned. By me first, apparently.
I use a combination of gmote and androidVNC to control my Windows7 htpc via my android phone. Gmote is (almost) perfect, functioning as a useful trackpad and a clunky-but-workable remote for media files.
The downside is maybe something the collective can help me with: I can't see the fonts on some of my programs on the htpc, requiring me to get up off my lazy butt and come within 3-4 feet of the screen for certain tasks (entering information into boxes, for example). Chrome is easy since I can just zoom way in, but I can't seem to get the actual windows 7 programs to do it. I basically need there to be a "old person with bad eyes" desktop theme.
I did just pick up an iPad 2, and as a universal Apple hater it pains me to admit it's one of the most intuitive and beautifully engineered pieces of technology i've ever used. I am now in the market for a really slick htpc remote app for it. My preference would be one that incorporates Wake-on-LAN, a trackpad, and a few pre-sets for products such as MEdia Player, Hulu Desktop, Netflix, etc. Currently I"m using a standalone WOL app which is fine as well as the free version of hippovnc which is adequate but lacking features.
Until I set my system up for HD, here's my setup.
I have an older system set up in my son's room. To control it from downstairs, I use the android app UnifiedRemote on my Captivate, which works pretty well. The signal comes out, goes through a couple adapters to get it on composite output, which then feeds into an RF modulator. That connects to a 2-way coax split, which feeds coax I've run to both TV's.
check out Boxee
check out Boxee
I used Boxee for quite a while, but I am now a Plex convert.
Nicer interface, and I don't care about the "social" aspects of Boxee.
Plus Plex has a client/server model, so I can set up a machine with my big-ass external media drive indexed, and everything else can talk to it. There are clients for iPhone and Android, and while I don't have a droid phone, the iPhone client can dynamically adjust streaming speeds, so when I port forward Plex out of the house, I can actually stream from hom to my phone.
It is... damn sweet. =)
Plus, have an AppleTV downstairs, jailbroken with the Plex iOS client installed there too, hooked up to the TV. =)
I'm mostly concerned with streaming to a PS3 and internet enabled blu-ray player. I use Netflix and files on my iPad and WP7 phone. It's netflix at home and files at work (netflix is too slow). I try to use Windows Media Player but there's always an issue with codecs. I've also used PS3 Media Streamer which seems to work pretty well. My main issue right now is getting my wireless routers set up to talk with each other.
TheGameguru wrote:check out Boxee
I used Boxee for quite a while, but I am now a Plex convert.
Nicer interface, and I don't care about the "social" aspects of Boxee.
Plus Plex has a client/server model, so I can set up a machine with my big-ass external media drive indexed, and everything else can talk to it. There are clients for iPhone and Android, and while I don't have a droid phone, the iPhone client can dynamically adjust streaming speeds, so when I port forward Plex out of the house, I can actually stream from hom to my phone.
It is... damn sweet. =)
Plus, have an AppleTV downstairs, jailbroken with the Plex iOS client installed there too, hooked up to the TV. =)
Is the full install on the Apple TV? I like my Boxee Box since it basically can do everything without any "server" portion.. I dont want to have to keep a PC running all the time and/or go back to an HTPC.
Is the full install on the Apple TV? I like my Boxee Box since it basically can do everything without any "server" portion.. I dont want to have to keep a PC running all the time and/or go back to an HTPC.
I believe it's just the client, but I'm not positive. The downside is that since it's based on the iOS client code, it wants to resample, even over the local network, so I tend to use the Macbook hooked up to the TV most of the time.
I think folks are looking into making that configurable, though, haven't checked in a bit.
Seth, under Win7's personalization section look for the DPI settings. It's pretty straightforward, should help. 
Windows also has a magnifer progr that's useful; i jus keep it pinned in the taskbar.
You should give tversity a try. I was using just the normal WMP to stream to my PS3 but it was always flaky about seeing all of my content (one day it would show all the videos, no pictures and %20 of my music, the next day 3 videos, all my music and half my pictures... ugh).
Tversity streams everything and updates itself pretty quickly.
For my purposes it seems Boxee or Plex would work (though neither has a WP7 client as yet). I'd be open to opinions on one platform or the other from anyone with experience. I'll be running the server app on my iMac 27".
XBMC has been the only thing I've found to play everything and it's available for more platforms too.
Seems like Plex doesn't actually have a Windows client - only a Windows Server. Lame. Ok - looking now at XBMC and Boxee.
But now that I'm looking, XBMC and Boxee don't seem to have iOS or WP7 apps either. XBMC has one for iOS if you're willing to jailbreak your phone (I'm not).
So - back to Plex, but without playback on Windows. I'll check out VLC Streamer and TVersity, too.
There should be some third party XBMC apps in the app store. I would search there before giving up on XBMC.
I currently have a MediaSmart Ex485 to handle the storage and use a boxee box with my tv. I also run AirVideo on my AMD machine to handle on the fly conversions for my iDevices and have yet to run into issues streaming almost anything anywhere in the world.
Not sure if Air Video will be making a wp7 client or not, but it works great on iOS.
Seems like Plex doesn't actually have a Windows client - only a Windows Server. Lame. Ok - looking now at XBMC and Boxee.But now that I'm looking, XBMC and Boxee don't seem to have iOS or WP7 apps either. XBMC has one for iOS if you're willing to jailbreak your phone (I'm not).
So - back to Plex, but without playback on Windows. I'll check out VLC Streamer and TVersity, too.
Have you tried out Orb Caster? I use the Windows version to stream TV shows from my home computer to my laptop when I'm at work.
Checked out a bunch of these suggestions over the weekend and I'm pretty in love with Plex. For now, I'm writing off the incompatibility with Windows 7 and Windows Phone 7. The major drawbacks of Plex I've found so far is that it doesn't always 'see' all of my TV shows or Movies (like the obscure ones) - I'm not sure how to fix that...And I can't (currently) use Netflix because for whatever reason Plex wont work with my Proxy service (Netshade). I'm considering a switch to StrongVPN anyway, so maybe that will resolve the issue...
I used Orb a long time ago and liked it - but I thought it was more geared toward streaming over HTTP/Web, vs. streaming over a home network...?
I used Orb a long time ago and liked it - but I thought it was more geared toward streaming over HTTP/Web, vs. streaming over a home network...?
It'll work over a home network. I think it works with consoles too.
Mild Thread Necro:
moving soon and get to play "set up the home AV system the way I want from scratch" so am thinking about either a Roku or Boxee box, primarily for:
1. Netflix
2. streaming videos from my PC to the TV
All the other stuff (Hulu which I've never used, Pandora, whatever) would just be icing, never used any of it so it's not on my critical list.
I take it Boxee has personal media streaming more or less built in, whereas with Roku you have to add some sort of 3rd party "channel" to get that functionality. Does anyone have experience with both, and if so could you offer a quick comparison or recommendation based on my requirements?
I tried out a bunch of these today and not one worked perfectly. Orb streamed just about everything but was low quality and was not able to pause some things. If ORBs quality wasn't so bad (the stream was encoding the video to a very small size) it was the simplest and worked with the most file types. In fact, ORB worked with every file type I used. I was not able to get TVersity to work. The PS3 and 360 just never recognized it. PS3 Media server worked pretty well but wasn't able to stream some file types. It worked no better than Windows Media Player for me. Plex doesn't work with a PS3/360 so not much reason to try it. Seems promising for streaming to my iPads, though.
- Orb: Works with about any file and has clients for about any device. Really poor video quality (320x240 or lower). No resuming, fast forwarding, etc. on the PS3/360.
- Plex: Limited to Apple clients. Simple interface. Works well. No iOS trial/demo.
- PS3 Media Server: Fairly simple interface and setup. File compatibility seems to be about the same as Windows Media Player
- Windows Media Player: No installation needed. Limited file compatibility. Limited clients. Works pretty well with the 360 and PS3. Allows playing video at faster speed and resuming.
So thus far it's been a a big bust. I haven't found anything that's any better than Windows Media Player. I'm not even going to get into the difficulty of backing up a DVD or Blu-Ray to enable streaming.
Does anyone know if you can use a Roku box in 'headless' mode? I want to replace our iPad as our music device in the living room. It is connected to a stereo only (no TV), but I'd like to be able to use it as a Plex and Spotify streamer (i.e. a poor-man's Sonos).
I don't think that would work very well. You really need a display to control a Roku.
Even though you can stream certain media from Android/iDevice to the newer Roku boxes and use them as remotes, there is nothing sent back to the device so that you can tell what is going on. Without a TV you have no interface.
I've been thinking about how to setup my home to stream from any room and started out with this diagram;
I'm in Mexico, so setting up a VPN (StrongVPN my current provider) is a must to get US-only services.
I'd like to have two networks, one that works natively with my local ISP and a second one, through a separate router, that tunnels all the traffic through StrongVPN.
I'm a big fan of Plex, it keeps getting better with every release. I have the Plex Media Server (PMS) running on my computer running in the basement (Hobbes' Man Cave). I've run CAT6 through most of the house.
I'd like to aggregate all content to the TV I have in the Living Room; this is were it gets tricky.
I'm currently using the PS3 as a setup box; Plex through DLNA and the Netflix app installed.
Other content can go through the PMS as a Video Channel or I can install the dedicated PS3 app. In order to run Hulu+, Amazon Instant Video and/or US version of Netflix, I'd have to connect the PS3 to the tunneled router or configure the VPN tunnel in my PC so that the PMS thinks it's in the US.
I've played games and streamed video on the PS3 using WiFi and it works great; so I'm comfortable not using a wired connection, and going back and forth between either wireless router (local ISP and tunneled StrongVPN)
As an added layer of complexity, I want to send the video signal from the PC that's in the Man Cave to the TV that's in the Living Room. I've recently connected a PS3 controller to my PC using MotioninJoy. For the few crazies that like the PS3 controller more than the XBox controller, I can't recommend this enough.
Sending the PC video signal would allow me to have Steam Big Picture in the Living Room.
Sending the PC video signal to the TV would also allow me to run the Plex Media Client (PMC) which is light years away from the PlayStation's DLNA file-browser interface. Not only is PMC prettier, I get the added bonus of subtitles through the OpenSubtitles.org plugin running on PMS.
With the Plex app for Android and iOS, I can use my phone, my Nexus 7 or my wife's iPad as a remote control. Using it on the phone has the added feature of content auto-pausing when I get a call on my cellphone.
Here's where I draw a blank and could really use the GWJ hive mind;
What's the cheapest way to get the HDMI signal from my PC to the TV? Since the CAT6 runs through the walls, it's not a straight line, so it could be anywhere between 400 to 500 feet.
How can I get the PS3 controller connected to the PC to reach the Living Room? again, the same distance.
I've read up a bit and found that there's HDMI-to-CAT6 adapters but most seem limited to 150 feet distance. I haven't found anything that mentions 400 feet or longer.
I've found this adapter, which seems to be among the best; AudioControl's BVHD. Seems to be about $400 USD for the adapter, and you need an adapter on each end, so we're talking about $800 USD. 
For that price, I might as well wait for the Steam Box or build a mid-ranged PC that handles most games AND can run the PMC easily and just put it under the TV in the Living Room.
Even if I find a more affordable pair of converters (ATAC PC2HDNET also include audio jacks for mic and headphones, two USB ports for Keyb+Mouse and/or my USB-bound PS3 controller), I'm worried the distance between Man Cave and Living Room is just too much for any converter/repeater/adapter.
Quick update, I've been giving this some additional thought.
It seems (I can't confirm though) that in order to send HDMI over CAT5 or CAT6 you need to cables running in parallel.
That would mean that to send an HDMI signal from my PC in the Man Cave to the TV in the Living Room, I would need a total of three CAT6 cables; one to enable connectivity to the PC, two more to send the video signal back to the Living Room.
I looked for additional converters and the cheapest I found was for $100 USD for two converters, which indicate (on the box) that CAT6 will get me 60ft before any distortion.
So I'm back again trying to find a way to haul 300+ft of cable, whether it's HDMI, a pair of CAT6 plus converters and I guess it's just too complicated.
With the OUYA a couple of months away, I'm considering going from Plex to XMBC 12 "Frodo" and just have it running 24/7. Plex Developers on their forums seem to hint that something similar is coming to Plex.
Again, any thoughts would be really awesome.
Thanks!
So, just a few thoughts on how I have my life setup, as a comparison.
My goal is mostly to keep things quiet, so the first thing I did was get a room in the basement where the computers go. I have 2-4 down there humming away at any given point in time, but ill focus on two: my desktop gaming PC and my server. Both of them are on hard line ethernet to a router, which in turn is plugged into a Wireless N router which reaches the whole house. The server is headless, I just use logmein to get to it from other computers or ipads. I use the server for storing any media for the house, but thats pretty much it.
I also ran hard internet to my living room -- 4 drops specifically -- which each plug into a device: a laptop, Xbox, PS3, etc.
My gaming PC is the more complex thing, but it turned out to be a lot easier than I thought. I bought two 50 foot DVI cables: http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...
They're fat as hell, but I just drilled holes and threaded them through the house from the basement into my office, where they pop out of a hole under my desk. I also threaded USB with two long USB repeaters: http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...
These in then plug into hubs at my desk, which I use for all the various USB crap a modern computer needs.
Last, I ran long audio cables as well, just really well shielded ones: http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...
I was worried about interference and the like, but the honest truth is, long cables and a hole saw solved all my problems.
Other content can go through the PMS as a Video Channel or I can install the dedicated PS3 app. In order to run Hulu+, Amazon Instant Video and/or US version of Netflix, I'd have to connect the PS3 to the tunneled router or configure the VPN tunnel in my PC so that the PMS thinks it's in the US.
What's the cheapest way to get the HDMI signal from my PC to the TV? Since the CAT6 runs through the walls, it's not a straight line, so it could be anywhere between 400 to 500 feet.
How can I get the PS3 controller connected to the PC to reach the Living Room? again, the same distance.
I suggest connecting the PS3 via the tunneled router and using it as the dedicated device for accessing Netflix and the like. VPN tunnels are slow, so putting PMS behind a VPN tunnel can be frustrating if you are trying to stream videos from Youtube, Giant bomb and the like.
As you've mentioned, that does mean you have to setup two networks in your house with two routers managing two different subnets and setup static routes between the two subnets. I've only done this setup on DD-WRT so I have no idea how to set this up using the stock OS that comes on consumer routers.
Are you sure about the 400' distance? That seems crazy long for a residential property. Here's one I can see that goes upto 300' and would cost about 200$. No idea how good it is though.
If we are still talking about 400' distances, for the PS3 controller you probably want to look at USB over Ethernet (links goes to a 150' model) but initial googling suggests running USB over ethernet winds up dropping you back to USB 1.1. Sticking with this approach, once you have the USB extender you could add a cheap bluetooth USB adapter at one end and use that to pair your PS3 controller in the living room. Your Mileage Will Definitely Vary.
Are you sure about the 400' distance? That seems crazy long for a residential property.
I know it sounds crazy long, and I might be off a few feet, but not over 100; the wiring had to go around existing support columns in the apartment and avoid damaging the floor, so even if the distance between TV in the living room and PC in the Man Cave are less then 100ft when measuring in a straight line, the wiring does take crazy detours. I'll do measurements this week.
Having said that, if I insist on keeping the PC in the Man Cave, we're still talking about hard wiring a HDMI cable or a new pair of CAT6 cables. I need to get a quote, but the cabling, plus the adapters seems so expensive that a mid-range PC seems a better option.
Thanks for your comments, I really appreciate them.
I'm glad to see this thread, since I discovered a little issue last night that annoys me.
Since my iPad is off for repair, I am spending the next 3 weeks with my Nexus 7 as my primary device.
I have a Boxee Box with a 2 TB drive attached to it, with an ethernet cable linking it to my router. It basically means that I can use the USB HDD has networked attached storage over SMB. I had no real problems with getting files on and off it using my ipad and PCs, so I don't leave a PC on all the time anymore.
Last night, I tried to get a couple of files off it with the N7, but failed miserably. BS Player can see the files, but since they are not media files and it isn't a file manager, it can't be used to put them on my device; I usually just stream video with it. ASTRO claims that it supports SMB, but simply refuses to see the drive.
Can anyone suggest an Android app that will let me see what is on the drive, and transfer files to and from?
wanderingtaoist, try Hipporemote on the iOS side. It was my go-to when I had an HTPC. There's a Lite version. It's iphone only, but scales on the iPad well enough. It has a lot of built in profiles, and plenty of nice features (such as going to sleep if you put your device face down, with immediate start up when you pick it up again).
Apparently, adding Plex as "game" will allow Steam to stream from my Plex Media Server. It's so obvious, I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner.
I've googled a bit, and there seems to be some code that will allow the Plex Media Client to be used with an XBox Controller.
I'll try this out tonight and see how it works.
It will be tricky, as I'm emulating the xbox controller using a PS3 controller using MotionJoy. It should work, since my PC sees the controller as a native XBox controller.
I'll keep you guys updated (in case you were wondering).
Pages