Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[tunetyme]

ALL:

My music and movie collection is becoming too much for my PC.  I plan on adding a file server using unRaid.  It has 2 fixed and 8 removable drives using Icy Dock tray-less 4 in 3 drive bays.  It is set up to handle all SATA 3 drives when they become more cost effective.

My objective is to be able to connect my stereo and home theater.  The challenge is to have everything work with MC.  I like the idea of using DNLA devices but I am clueless on what to buy and how to set it up.  I know by getting away from Intel and Microsoft I am limiting my options.  I am limited to a wireless configuration.  I have a D-Link 150n wireless router.  I know I will need to buy a 1GB router to interface with my PC and the file server.  To hard-wire it I would need to take the cable outside and bring it back in.  It would be at least a 100ft cable run.

My ultimate objective is to be able to display MC on my TV and using a remote (if possible) select music or a movie to play.  It would be nice to be able to look up info on the net or display the lyrics of the currently playing song.

Does anyone have this kind of configuration up and working?  If so how and with what devices are you using?

Tunetyme   

[tunetyme]

Jim, Matt, Glynor:

I know you have a sophisticated network at home.  It would nice to know how you have it configured.

Tunetyme

[fitbrit]

I'm using MC with a ~ 30 TB unRAID server. There's really no need to use DLNA when you can make user shares in UnRAID and map them to your HTPC's drive letters. So, for example my shares in no particular order are:

M:\ Movies
S:\ Samples/trailers
T:\ TV Shows
U:\ Mixed Martial Arts event
V:\ Music Videos
R:\ DVD Rips
P:\ Photos
N:\ Documentaries
I:\ Imports, untagged
O:\ Audio

MC treats the data on the server as if it were local in this instance. Once you're familiar with unRAID and Midnight Commander to move, copy, delete files, the MC, Midnight Commander and unRAID combo is very powerful for tagging, organising etc.

[tunetyme]

fitbrit:

How are you interfacing with your home theater/stereo system?

Tunetyme

[csimon]

I am using MC as a DLNA server to send media to TV & hi-fi etc, via DLNA Renderers that are attached to the TV & hifi (WD TV Live).  Control is via the PlugPlayer DLNA Controller app on an iPad.  Therefore the TV does not have to be on in order to play music.

The bit of the equation that I haven't got is the use of MC as a client itself, using its own interface on the TV.  for this, obviously, you would need to connect your PC to the TV, then you will have full control over MC's Theater View interface.  Whether it does info lookup etc to the degree you want, I don't know as I've never looked into Theater View and MC's client facilities in general.

If you have MC connected to the TV, then you obviously don't need a DLNA device to play video and music to!  You would use MC itself to render on the TV and would connect the audio outputs of the PC to your amplifier.  But you can have independent zones, which may be other PCs running MC or they may be DLNA devices around the house, which you can still control via MC on your main TV.

My media files are currently on the PC that MC runs on but I soon hope to get a NAS unit to put the files on.  this should work transparently, where the files are stored on the network doesn't matter.

[tunetyme]

Well, I've been learning more and more as I go through this process.  I really appreciate everyone's input.  I've learned today that I don't have to worry about the DNLA server function as MC can do that and the server is just for file storage. Daaaah...  So now the question is on the home theater side.  I've been looking at a number of boxes Masscool, TrenNet, and D-Link Boxee Box.  Is anyone using any of these manufacturers products?  How is it working for you?  Pros & Cons?  Wireless or wired?

The configuration I have will be a PC & unRaid server nearby.  I will connect it through a TrendNet 1Gb router to match the cards in both boxes.  From the router to a D-link N (150Mb) wireless router and on to the net 3Gb DSL.

Back to my original question.  In essence, I want to be able to control MC from my couch using a remote and be able access all the features and functions of MC.  Am I asking too much?

Tunetyme

[fitbrit]

fitbrit:

How are you interfacing with your home theater/stereo system?

Tunetyme

I have several HTPCs in the house - 3, plus a desktop and a laptop. They're all connected to screens from 23" to 120" and they all run MC for everything. Each of the unRAID shares is mapped to the letters I described above on each PC. So essentially each file on the server has the same local address on each PC.

The cheapest of the HTPCs is an Atom dual core running at 1.6 GHz with nVidia Ion graphics. Even this sub $300 PC can play 1080p video and decode HD audio and send it to my receiver over HDMI. The other two rooms with HTPCs have beefier machines, but still with the emphasis on low heat, power and noise. There are many remote control options out there now. I have bought a couple of the USB IR receivers JRiver uses for MC control as well as the remote handset. I can program my Harmony remote with the commands I will use, but more excitingly, I recently bought an X10 Nstinct remote, which can learn all this, control my receiver as well, and dim the lights, turn on my subwoofers and buttkickers from one unit. I'm hoping this $35 colour screen remote will finally be the one to rule them all. I do however, always have a keyboard or mouse handy if necessary.

[tunetyme]

I've been trying to avoid an HTPC.  I am not sure that I can considering the level of control I want from the couch.  I was looking at the D-Link Boxee-Box.  It has a controller with a keyboard similar to some cell phones.  It is set up as a wired solution but it may be possible to network it wirelessly.  It may be easier to run a cable than deal with wireless.  It will be a 60 - 75ft run and I should drive a good signal with my TrendNet router.  It claims to be a green unit that applies the power needed based on the cable run.  It looks like we'll see soon.

Tunetyme

[fitbrit]

In that case, you can still sue devices like the Patriot Box Office or the WDTV Live, without using DLNA, which I believe isn't supported by stock unraid. Your user shares will appear on these media players under their network browsing.