Tips for media sharing/streaming

[jonathan1107]

Alright so I've been putting a lot of thought into improving my setup at home to make my life easier.

I'm the proud owner of a really good Klipsch home theater system and I watch a lot of my movies/family memories etc in my living room...

My problem is that at the moment I always have to go back and forth between my living room and my office to transfer files. I'm looking for suggestions to fix my problem.

What you NEED to know:

- I have a Panasonic st60 smart tv
- I have 2x computers. One laptop running w8 (had no Hdmi outputs) and 2 PC. Both are connected to the home network. MY desktop PC tho is connected to the router using an Ethernet cable. Router's in my office (with the desktop pc).
- I know of some solutions but dislike them: (stream files using smart tv features... Hate it, lag, unsupported formats and trash UI just make this option depressing) 2. (use my blu ray usb input to hook in my external hard drive... That's the solution I'm using right now but it involves lots of back and forth between the office and the living room)
3. Using a second usb router in the living room, smart idea but I would also need to buy another adaptor plus the said 2nd router because my desktop PC doesn't currently have wi fi.
4. Using a wireless external hard drive: would be awesome but it's quite expensive for my needs. I'm looking for a cheap solution
5. Using a wifi usb hub. Don't know if that exists. I haven't found much results but that would be awesome because it would be the equivalent of coverting my current external hard drive to a wireless one
6. Use a media sharing device to stream my content and files... Not a bad idea. But personally I hate every single device of that kind I've come across again trash UI and sometimes too expensive for my liking
7. HTPC that would be the dream come true, but again I'm guessing I'd have to pour in a lot of $$$

What are your thoughts?

 

[newtekie1]

Honestly, the HTPC streaming media directly from your computer would be the best option.

I'm not sure what you consider a lot of money, but you can build a pretty good HTPC for around $250, maybe even less if you use some spare/used parts.

Example: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/VWzMK8

 

[Rhyseh]

Honestly, the HTPC streaming media directly from your computer would be the best option.

I'm not sure what you consider a lot of money, but you can build a pretty good HTPC for around $250, maybe even less if you use some spare/used parts.

Example: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/VWzMK8

+1 for HTPC, or a laptop if you don't use it often.

Wireless should be enough for most things, depending on environmental factors and how good your WIFI is. For Bluray quality you will need to go with a gigabit copper solution to the device.

 

[rtwjunkie]

+2 for HTPC. You'd be surprised at how little it can cost to put together a decent HTPC. No need for top of the line stuff to make it happen.

 

[jonathan1107]

If I were to use an HTML what would you recommend for controlling it?

Wireless keyboard plus wireless mouse?
Anything more easy to use when I'm sitting in da lazy boy?

 

[Jetster]

Logitech K400 Keyboard and pad

Kodi UPnP Server (previously XBMC)

http://kodi.tv/

Will even run on a Raspberry Pi

 

[jonathan1107]

I'm not very familiar with the terms upon server and xmbc... Care to educate me a little

Also I've finally found something that seems to allow me to stream my mkv files straight to my tv with less hassle. Found that there are mutilate dlna servers out there (other than Microsoft Windows media server)

Si I've installed the ps3 media server which seems to work fine BUT I've encountered a small problem. I have a trilogy of movies in one folder. I moved 2 of the movies to another folder and then back to that folder. The 2 "moved and moved back movie files don't show up in the server whereas the movie that did not move does. As if moving then messed something up. When I click on file properties on the moved ones I can see their" file location " has been messed up. Says" users/Jonathan/down~har~"...

With those "~" weird symbols showing up which don't show up for most my other files

 

[Jetster]

 

[jonathan1107]

ok so my PS3 media server has been working well up to now. Movies stream ok. A very few select times I get a little bit of stutter. I'm guessing I might be due to upgrade my router.

so I have 2 questions:

Is there any Video/Audio quality loss from streaming mkv movies from desktop PC to Panasonic st60 smart tv using PS3 Media Server (dlna) ??
Would it improve my overall streaming/wifi access speeds to upgrade my current router?? (d-link dir-615)

 

[Jetster]

Streaming WiFi would be the issue. Stick to wired or powerline

 

[jonathan1107]

Streaming WiFi would be the issue. Stick to wired or powerline

Yes I heard lots about how wireless is a big issue. a few more questions regarding that suggestion of yours:

If I use a long HDMI cable to connect from my PC to my Receiver in the living room, what can I use to control the PC and Mouse from a distance? (something user friendly). I was told I can get a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, but will they actually work? my PC is not in the same room at all, a wall seperates both rooms.

If I want to use "Powerlines" to connect both rooms together, to stream in a "wired" fashion, HOW do I do this? I've never heard of another way to connect to a network than ethernet and wifi, what do you mean powerlines?

 

[Jetster]

Nothing is easier then setting up a powerline adapter. Plug one here, one there and go. If you want a good one check the R45 connection that it is gigabyte. But a 500 should do nicely.

It really depends on the distance and what is in the way. Bluetooth not good. You want RF. Just get a Logitech K400 and be done and hope it works. Maybe a USB extension if it doesn't

I can't stress this enough. Logitech K400

Why put the PC in another room? HDMI has limits

 

[remixedcat]

mediabrowser FTW for a streaming server/client. Much better performance then plex

 

[kn00tcn]

Streaming WiFi would be the issue. Stick to wired or powerline

i dont understand why, if the bitrates are like 8mbit (or even 20), how would it be a problem on a slowest 54mbit G network? is DLNA not comparable to reading files directly off a network drive?

 

[st2000]

If I use a long HDMI cable to connect from my PC to my Receiver in the living room, what can I use to control the PC and Mouse from a distance? (something user friendly). I was told I can get a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, but will they actually work? my PC is not in the same room at all, a wall seperates both rooms.

i've got a budget msi z77a-g45 and in control center got "mobile control" tab
from android/iphone i can easily access to any function of control center(even OC, fan control) + multimedia control(play/pause/volume/next/previous........), also got not very comfortable keyboard and touchpad(in android app)
powerline(just for example tp-link):
http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/?categoryid=206
or just take this HTPC
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/compute-stick/intel-compute-stick.html
noname sticks(3735f+2Gb RAM+32Gb eMMC) from allknown resources cost about 100$

 

[Jetster]

i dont understand why, if the bitrates are like 8mbit (or even 20), how would it be a problem on a slowest 54mbit G network? is DLNA not comparable to reading files directly off a network drive?

Bit rate does not have much to do with it. Well a little but its network throughput you need. And that includes successful packet transfer. 802.11 G only is about 6 Mbps. I'm no expert on this but all I know is with 1080 H264 your need 8 Mbps min to have no buffering. That's not including interference, walls, dropped packages and so on. That's why power-line is a better option. Even though 500 divided by 8 is 62Mbps you really only get about 30Mbps then if you cross a breaker circuit it drops to 15Mbps. Now add in with with wireless there is Latency but with power-line very little.

 

[jonathan1107]

other question: If I decide to consider buying an HTPC (I can build it it myself), how DIFFERENTLY would I go about purchasing and building it compared to a normal dekstop PC?

I mean: let's say I put in 200-400$ budget for the HTPC, what's important to buy? strong GPU? good cooling solution? or strong CPU?
where to focus?

for my gaming rig it's easy, I focus on CPU/GPU/cooling and good storage... and that's about it... I'm guessing an HTPC is a bit different. Looking forward to read your advice

 

[rtwjunkie]

For HTPC 8GB of RAM would be ideal. Most modern Intel CPU's with graphics or AMD APU's would be fine for handling HDMI video and sound. You can also choose to unload most of the video and sound duties to a basic GPU if you want, as long as they process HDMI sound. If you want, you can always put a more powerful GPU in if you anticipate using htpc for some games.

Take a look at my signature block for a general idea, but even that is overkill for streaming video. Mine purely serves to take streaming movies from my server and push it on to the television through MyMovies embedded in WMC.

 

[newtekie1]

Bit rate does not have much to do with it. Well a little but its network throughput you need. And that includes successful packet transfer. 802.11 G only is about 6 Mbps. I'm no expert on this but all I know is with 1080 H264 your need 8 Mbps min to have no buffering. That's not including interference, walls, dropped packages and so on. That's why power-line is a better option. Even though 500 divided by 8 is 62Mbps you really only get about 30Mbps then if you cross a breaker circuit it drops to 15Mbps. Now add in with with wireless there is Latency but with power-line very little.

Wait, what... I think you are massively confused.

54Mbps = 6.75MBps

Mbps = Mega Bits Per Second
MBps = Mega Bytes Per Second

There are 8 Bits in a Byte, that is why you divide Mbps by 8 to get MBps.

Now, that conversion is 100% completely unneeded here though. Video bitrates are measured in bits(hence the name bitrate). So, in a perfect world, an video with an 8Mbps bitrate would need at least 8Mbps network connection, which 54Mbps Wireless G can deliver(usually, but not always). But even still, a reasonably well encoded H.264 1080p video only requires between 2-4Mbps. A lot of movies I've pulled directly from Blu-Rays have bitrates anywhere from 10-25Mbps. Which that often times can actually overwhelm wireless G. So if Wireless G will be enough largely depends on the source content, even if it is all just 1080p, the bitrate can vary greatly.

other question: If I decide to consider buying an HTPC (I can build it it myself), how DIFFERENTLY would I go about purchasing and building it compared to a normal dekstop PC?

I mean: let's say I put in 200-400$ budget for the HTPC, what's important to buy? strong GPU? good cooling solution? or strong CPU?
where to focus?

for my gaming rig it's easy, I focus on CPU/GPU/cooling and good storage... and that's about it... I'm guessing an HTPC is a bit different. Looking forward to read your advice

HTPCs don't have to be super powerful in any area really. An inexpensive AMD APU or Intel Pentium using the integrated graphics will easily handled 1080p H264 video. You don't really even need a lot of memory, 4GB is easily enough.

My HTPCs consist of the following:

AMD Athlon 5350
4GB DDR3-1600 RAM(Cheapest DDR3-1600 on newegg)
ASUS AM1I-A
60GB SSD(Corsair Refurbs for ~$30 off newegg)
An In-Win mini-ITX case w/ PSU
DVD-RW Drive(Again cheapest one off newegg, but really not even necessary, but I use my HTPC to play DVDs so I don't need a dedicated DVD player)

They cost about $225 and easily handle 1080p videos. I've got 3 of these machines around my house connected to the different TVs. While playing 1080p video in Kodi the memory usages barely breaks 2GB. Also, no server software is required on your main computer/server that holds the video files. You just map a network drive from the HTPC to your main computer and play the files directly. You don't need anything beyond stock cooling. The computer uses so little power it is ridiculous. During playback it pulls like 25w from the wall, with that small of power being consumed there really isn't a whole lot of heat to dissipate.

Here is a link to the wishlist for the last one I built: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=34925148

There is a $5 promo code on the DVD drive.

 

[rtwjunkie]

Yeah, I overstated, simply because as an enthusiast I usually overdo everything. Newtekie is right, 4GB of RAM is fine, and my i3-4130 is stronger than you will need.

I built mine in a wooden case that had plenty of room and ventilation, and it blends in well in the living room: http://www.nmediapc.com/htpc8000.htm

 

[Mussels]

you can also go android HDMI devices. some like the amazon HDMI fire stick can be sideloaded with ES file explorer (which supports windows shares) and MX player, and you can just play the files straight from the shared folder on your download PC.

i've got a $200 NAS that streams to $30 android sticks to my dumb HDTV's - i find using SAMBA shares (windows file shares) a *LOT* better than DLNA streaming or transcoding. faster, higher quality, less hardware needed.

 

[jonathan1107]

you can also go android HDMI devices. some like the amazon HDMI fire stick can be sideloaded with ES file explorer (which supports windows shares) and MX player, and you can just play the files straight from the shared folder on your download PC.

i've got a $200 NAS that streams to $30 android sticks to my dumb HDTV's - i find using SAMBA shares (windows file shares) a *LOT* better than DLNA streaming or transcoding. faster, higher quality, less hardware needed.

Here's the deal though, to me (at least) it seems like Wi-Fi ALWAYS brings about lag problems, skipping ... buffering problems...
ESPECIALLY if I "pause/Fast Forward/Rewind" ... that just kills everything right off. I have a D-Link dir-615 N type router, so I expect the wi-fi performance should be ok. I'm in an appartment, so the office ain't very far from the living room (where my HT setup is) and yet I get terrible performance over wi-fi. Believe me if there was anything capable of giving the same performance as wired through wi-fi, I'd like to know... at the moment that seems unlikely...

As for the HTPC, I have a few remaining questions before I go ahead and build myself one: (Keep in mind the movies I play on my HT setup are 1080p 15-25gb files HQ)

1. How does the HTPC manage NOT to lag when streaming movie files I have on my main PC (office) if it's also using wi-fi? Didn't we establish that wi-fi was the problem? Isn't it better to download the said movies straight to the HTPC hard drive? And then again, if I do that I'd expect the transfers to be too slow correct? we're talking 15-25b files here
2. Do you have any free "multimedia" software to recommend for usage with the HTPC to make navigating my files and playing them easier? (or paid software)
3. as for the future of entertainment (4k+ movies and eventually 21:9) should I consider anything else for the HTPC?
4. I'd like my HTPC to be able to display info such as (minutes, file name, bit rate, sound type, file type etc...) as it's playing the files. Whilst I know it can do this using some overlay from some streaming software, I'd like it to be able to do that in a seperate led screen or something like that. is it possible to achieve?

 

[newtekie1]

I recommend Kodi(previously known as XBMC) as the software on the HTPC.

 

[Batou1986]

If I use a long HDMI cable to connect from my PC to my Receiver in the living room, what can I use to control the PC and Mouse from a distance? (something user friendly). I was told I can get a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, but will they actually work? my PC is not in the same room at all, a wall seperates both rooms.

Unified remote is best android remote app ever, well worth the 4$
https://www.unifiedremote.com/

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WIRELESS-...151?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3aa565bc4f


My one of these works up to 10m;s away.........tested, through 2 brick walls.
Cheap as chips.....does everything. All the keys work as do the function keys for BIOS.