A lot to ask for..... from you guys !

avflee

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Hi all,

I have been reading through some of the posts recently and, I have to say the very least, getting myself in somewhat of a fuddle.

I don't really know exactly what I want therefore its very hard for me to research it without reading every post and knowing about all of the media out there!

What I would like to do, is list what I have in my home below and then tell you 'roughly' what I want and then, if possible, take some suggestions from you about what I can do.

What I have:

Livingroom: Sky+ HD, PS3, Onkyo TX SR875, Samsung le46f86 (i think).
Bedroom: Samsung HD L19R86BD, Sky+
Dining: Older Sharp flat TV.
Other: Strong powered PC, one weak Laptop, one medium power laptop. IOMEGA Screenplay 500g media player.

What I currently do:

Download movies and TV series onto my computer, transfer them onto the Screenplay and then move that around the various TV's.

Problems:

Doesnt play HD movies, at least in the format that I download them in. (to be honest, i have no iead what format they are in).
Not exactly state of the art if i have to move it around every room.

What I want:

1 Large storage as I am already running out of space.
2 to be able to stream to all TV's and to control what I am watching from each of those TV's
3 to be able to stream 5.1 at least and maybe 7.1 to the ONKYO amp to get both HD picture and sound.
4 to be able to play all formats that my computer can play
5 to stream music to the ONKYO too

I think thats it for now. I guess essentially, I want to watch whatever is on my computer on all of my TV's without worrying about format issues or having to move equipment around.

And one more thing, if possible - 6 Add slingbox in there somewhere (or a good alternative). or even better, would be a similar thing on the core storage system that does the same as slingbox.

........ there, I think that is everthing.

I appreciate that I am asking for a lot from you guys and the easy answers would be for some of you to tell me to read every post, but I simply do not have a good enough understanding of that for it to be of benefit.

I really hope that some of you can help me.

Regards

Lee
 
One thing i should add at this point is that the Screenplay media box is not compatably with my Onkyo amp. I connect it via the HDMI lead and its gets detected, however the picture is unviewable as it flickers very fast and non stop.

When i connect it directly to the TV is works just fine. But i obviously lose the benefit of the cinema sound (even if its not 5.1)

Thanks
 
The simplest solution, as far I can see, is to add a bigger hard drive to your computer and to buy streaming media players for all your TVs. The streamers will need to be networked so that that can access the media stored on the PC. HD streaming over wireless is pretty flaky so they'll have to be wired as opposed to wireless. If CAT5 cabling is not a possibility then you could try those HomePlug devices that use your home's power cabling instead of traditional network cable. HomePlug performance is hard to predict, in my house it performs better than wireless but is still not good enough for HD.

When it comes to choosing a HD-capable media streamer I can recommend the TViX M-6500. It plays every format that I've throw at it, including the HD movie and tv-rips that I download from the 'net. It even plays quicktime HD movie trailers downloaded from Apple's web site. I also hear good things about Popcorn Hour but I don't have one and can't comment on that.

Hope this helps.
 
I forgot to add, the TViX will be compatible with your home cinema amp. It has digital audio outputs (optical and electrical) in addition to HDMI. I have it connected via HDMI to my Samsung HDTV, and by digital cable to my Sony home cinema system.
 
Not heard of that. how does it work? and will it stream what I have on my PC?

thanks

Lee
 
Going to give that a bash now.

I have a few more questions if you are able to assist:

Will it give me 5.1 sound too, providing the file has it?

How can i encorporate this into a larger storage? do i need to look at the NAS systems?

How can i stream this content to my other two TV's and to my two computers?

If the NAS systems are no applicable to me, will all this streaming effect my internet connection or vice versa, will me being on the internet effect teh streaming speeds?

Thanks alot so far, this is great stuff!

Lee
 
Going to give that a bash now.

I have a few more questions if you are able to assist:

Will it give me 5.1 sound too, providing the file has it?

How can i encorporate this into a larger storage? do i need to look at the NAS systems?

How can i stream this content to my other two TV's and to my two computers?

If the NAS systems are no applicable to me, will all this streaming effect my internet connection or vice versa, will me being on the internet effect teh streaming speeds?

Thanks alot so far, this is great stuff!

Lee

Providing the file has AC3 5.1 your PS3 will receive AC3 5.1. TVersity will also stream Dolby digital 5.1 if the file contains this soundtrack. (Most HD video files have DD 5.1).

If however the file is in a format not natively supported by the PS3 then TVersity will have to Transcode it and will then only stream 2.0 audio. For this reason it's best to stick to supported formats Divx/Xvid/Vob. Use MKV2VOB (google it) to convert HD MKV's to .Vob format; this will stream as is and the 5.1 will be retained.

HD streaming is very reliant on a fast network connection though. for SD content G-wireless (54mb) or greater is fine but for 720p or 1080p your PS3 really needs to be connected via Ethernet or 200mb homeplugs.

NAS is another option but you'd need one that supports a DLNA streaming client like Twonkyvision rather than just a network attached hard drive, Qnap's are quite popular.

this streaming solution will be compatible with most clients as TVersity and Twonky are both DNLA certified. this is the standard that media streamer manufacturers work to. so you could just add other streamers into other rooms, something like a popcorn hour a11/a110 is a popular choice.

obviously the more devices attached and streaming you have the more network bandwidth you will be using but just browsing the internet will have no effect on the streams.
 
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There's me thinking I'm half way to understanding it and then you go a throw a 'QNAP' at me 8O)

More research is coming my way. I am in the process of linking my shared files with MP11 and my PS3 seems to have picked up some music so far. I have a lot of music so its taking a long time to set the intial file up.

Cant wait to see if the movies work.

I think I'll cross the HD bridge when i get to it. As I have been using teh screenplay, which doesnt play HD, I have avoided downloading any. Most of what i download are the 700meg Divx rips for films and TV series. Once i get that down, then Ill move to the HD stuff!

This is great so far. I have just saved my brother some money with this information too as he was about to link up his home!

Lee
 
seems to be working great so far, though, one thing i have noticed is that none of my movies or tv series are in any files.

When i go into the Movies section, all of my movies and tv series are all in one large file. Is there any way to put them into files that Media player will understand? they are in files in their base folder.

Lee
 
seems to be working great so far, though, one thing i have noticed is that none of my movies or tv series are in any files.

When i go into the Movies section, all of my movies and tv series are all in one large file. Is there any way to put them into files that Media player will understand? they are in files in their base folder.

Lee

Think i know what you mean - do you mean you want your video files to appear in seperate folders when viewed on PS3 yes?

try this:

On PC open TVersity interface, choose settings tab from top menu then media library settings frm side menu and change 'media library menus' option to "file system". Click on save at the bottom of the page then choose the recreate library button just above it.

These is a good guide to configuring TVersity for PS3 use on the TVersity website. Also worth referring to the guide in the PS3 section on these forums i linked to earlier as it is a very thorough thread.

Edit: oops just realised you said you were using WMP11 for streaming. Probably explains why your only seeing a whole bunch of files not a folder view; I'm pretty sure WMP11 just sends the video file tag information rather than details of folder structure. Instructions i've listed above will get TVersity to show a folder structure on your PS3.

Your choice i know but in my opinion (but many share it) TVersity is much better at the job and it's free from TVersity.com :)
 
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i just started using tversity and found the same thing. theres a folders choice in the menu, use this and its ordered just like on your pc!
 
guys, thanks for all the help so far.... this is amazing. that last tip on file sorting worked a treat. I have to search through folders rather than all movies though. but i assume thats the way it works!

I am going to try and download a HD movie to see how that works.

I have downloaded lots of stuff and put it onto my Screen play thing, which i will keep for a while as its the only way i can watch stuff in bed!

Though at some point I am going to have to transfer stuff back to my computer or onto something else.

which leads me to my next point.......

The next leap for me...... which direction should i be looking at now? as listed above? NAP or QNAP (not sure what the difference is)? what else would i need for all of that.

Ill order that homeport stuff once i have tested a HD movie!

thanks again guys, i cant beleive all this was possible so far with no expenditure !!!!!

Great work!

Lee
 
ah.... by the way, between my 2nd to last post and the two replies about file systems, i had actualy installed and started using Tversity..... and you are right ! its much much better

Lee
 
another quick question that has just come up.
I am trying to get into the TVersity from my small laptop.

How do i go about doing that?

When i was trying it with MP11 it said somewhere that the other computer needed to be the same version as Vista? is that the case for comp to comp sharing Tversity?

btw. my main comp is Vista 64. my two laptops are XP.

if this works, could i use one of these laptops as a receiver in the bedroom or dinging to feed the TV's (subject to compatabilty between laptop and tv)?

Sorry for all the questions guys.

Lee
 
Never tried it myself but i believe in the General settings tab you can specify the IP address and port number of your TVersity server then just connect to that using the browser on the remote pc/laptop. http://tversity-pc-ipaddress: portnumber

Edit:
Actually thinking about it it's probably just easier to stream between PC's by just sharing the folder out in windows on the "Server" PC and then just browsing to the video you want in WMP11:

File open \\ServerPc\videofolder\video1.avi then just hook the laptop up to TV via VGA/HDMI
 
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Uridium,

thanks for the response. Sadly, i got lost very early in that response.

I have a few computers, however, when it comes to networking and file sharing, what you see in this post is the limit of my knowledge.

If yuo have the time, could you please explain how i do what you suggested. if not, can you please point me somewhere that explains it?

Do you know if the OS's need to be the same in order to do what you suggest?

thanks again

lee
 
Uridium,

thanks for the response. Sadly, i got lost very early in that response.

I have a few computers, however, when it comes to networking and file sharing, what you see in this post is the limit of my knowledge.

If yuo have the time, could you please explain how i do what you suggested. if not, can you please point me somewhere that explains it?

Do you know if the OS's need to be the same in order to do what you suggest?

thanks again

lee

:) No worries mate.

First make sure the PC's are in a workgroup of the same name (not always essential but I've known issue with Vista/XP mixed networks if they don't match)

Mixed Vista/XP network to work properly | Tips


then just share the folder with all your videos in
How To Share a Folder the XP Way in Windows Vista :: the How-To Geek

(I'd be tempted to give everyone full control to the share)
 
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Im getting stuck.

I have followed the networking 'step by step' that you listed, however, my XP computer still sits in the bottom of the network map.

The instructions given when it does this is to install the LLTD onto the XP machine, however when i try this i get a message saying that 'setup has detected that teh service pack version of this system is newer than the update you are applying. there is no need to install this update'.

I have checked through the windows help menus and the vista machine is set up correctly to detect it. However, the XP machine does not have teh LLTD options in its local area network properties......

Learning as I go, 1 hour ago, i would never have know what all that would have meant.

Any advice?

funnily enough, i have managed to connect to TVersirty through the IP address, whcih is great news. I can play music from the foler onto teh XP machine. It plays through windows media player, however, when i try playing a movie or TV show, it gets stuck and doesnt start.

Any advice there also?????????????

8O) I feel i am becoming a pain!

Lee
 
Im getting stuck.

I have followed the networking 'step by step' that you listed, however, my XP computer still sits in the bottom of the network map.

The instructions given when it does this is to install the LLTD onto the XP machine, however when i try this i get a message saying that 'setup has detected that teh service pack version of this system is newer than the update you are applying. there is no need to install this update'.

I have checked through the windows help menus and the vista machine is set up correctly to detect it. However, the XP machine does not have teh LLTD options in its local area network properties......

Learning as I go, 1 hour ago, i would never have know what all that would have meant.

Any advice?

funnily enough, i have managed to connect to TVersirty through the IP address, whcih is great news. I can play music from the foler onto teh XP machine. It plays through windows media player, however, when i try playing a movie or TV show, it gets stuck and doesnt start.

Any advice there also?????????????

8O) I feel i am becoming a pain!

Lee

sorry forget that last bit, link was just to get them in the same workgroup. Just open start\run on the xp machine and type \\servername\sharedfoldername

where servername is the name of your TVersity PC and foldername is the name of the folder you shared at Step 2

You should be able to browse the media on your TVersity PC from there.
 
I just can not seem to get this to work.

I have made them in the same workgroup.

However, When i enter the 'network and sharing' panel and click on 'view full map', the laptop is sitting at the bottom and i can not get it up.

The help says something about that DLL (or something i mentioned in my last post), however, when i try and download that to the XP laptop, it says i do not need to download it as the service pack i have is newer.

When i try and enter the last bit you mentioned '\\study\complete' (i have checked this path from the file directly and it is correct) i get the following message 'network path was not found'

When i access the above file from teh vista machine and try to allow access from it (as mentioned in the link you gave), i can not find the laptop computer!

This is proving harder than i thought 8O(

Any ideas?

Lee
 
I just can not seem to get this to work.

I have made them in the same workgroup.

However, When i enter the 'network and sharing' panel and click on 'view full map', the laptop is sitting at the bottom and i can not get it up.

The help says something about that DLL (or something i mentioned in my last post), however, when i try and download that to the XP laptop, it says i do not need to download it as the service pack i have is newer.

When i try and enter the last bit you mentioned '\\study\complete' (i have checked this path from the file directly and it is correct) i get the following message 'network path was not found'

When i access the above file from teh vista machine and try to allow access from it (as mentioned in the link you gave), i can not find the laptop computer!

This is proving harder than i thought 8O(

Any ideas?

Lee

try disabling any software firewalls on the PC's (Zonealarm/Mcafee\Windows firewall etc..) then try connecting again laptop to server again.

also try just \\Study this should show all shares on the server.
 
I had tried both of those already, but neither worked.

\\study says the network path was not found.

so frustrating, considering it had gone well do far!

Lee
 

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