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[fermenter]

I mentioned in another thread how I'm a 'slightly rusty' user of MC on Windows. Well, I've been working on my home theatre setup lately (and getting really frustrated with iTunes) so it's time to jump in with both feet and get the full MC network setup happening - assuming what I want can be done!

I have a QNAP NAS that now has my entire music and video library. I also recently bought a used iPad as a dedicated home theatre controller, mounted within arm's reach of my normal sitting position. Using iRule I can control my entire hardware setup, which was the main idea, but an added bonus (which I hadn't really considered too deeply) is that I can also use it to access online media and stream it over the network directly from the iPad to my home theatre. Forgive me if this is old hat to everyone here, but it's really frickin awesome!

So far, YouTube on my iPad has 'paired' successfully with my Oppo BD player, allowing me to search and browse from the iPad while viewing the content on the full HT setup, which is brilliant. A couple of online media channels and my ISP will let me use AirPlay to do the same thing with their content apps, although presumably I need to get an Apple TV to do this as my AVR doesn't support AirPlay video. Of course, the next logical step is to want to access and control my own media on the iPad, and view/listen on the main setup, without even involving my PC in any way. Can I do this with MC?

If so, I could use some help focussing on the steps and components necessary:

Firstly, the QNAP. Do I need to install any special software on this, or do I just need to have the files there? It has some kind of iTunes ability built in, and Twonky Media (whatever that is) - do I need these, or will MC do its own thing from the iPad?

Secondly, MC libraries. I'd like to have two separate libraries, one of which, ahem, shouldn't pop up unexpectedly in polite company. I managed this for years on the PC by having the 'safe' library embedded in the desktop shortcut, so that it always opened that one regardless of what was being used in the previous session. Will I be able to achieve the same sort of confidence when accessing via the iPad?

Thirdly, the iPad interface itself. Is there an officially-supported app, or do I need to choose a 3rd party app? Are they mostly equal or is there one which would clearly be more suitable to my needs?

Finally, would the setup use AirPlay between the iPad and an Apple TV, or some other technology (DLNA?) between the QNAP and the AVR?


(Oh, and apologies for the scroller...)  

[fermenter]

TL,DR:

What's required to play media directly from a NAS, to a home theatre, using an iPad as control?

[csimon]

What's required to play media directly from a NAS, to a home theatre, using an iPad as control?

This is not possible using MC.  MC does not run on a NAS (unless it's a Windows, Mac or Linux PC) or an iPad so you need a PC of some description switched on all the time.  If going the MC route and your used iPad is an iPad Gen 1, then you can only get an obsolete and buggy version of the MC app, with iPad 2 and 3 possibly being dropped next year if the same pattern is repeated - this is something you need to be aware of if you plan to expand on tablet use in your home for running MC with.

You can do it without MC - install a DLNA server (non-MC) on the NAS, such as Twonky, or QNAP's own server if they have one, and a DLNA controller (or your amp's network controller app, or a Twonky app or whatever) on the iPad.

[fermenter]

Thanks csimon, that is both disappointing and surprising. I honestly assumed MC would be right in there at the premium 'audiophile' end of this kind of integrated home entertainment.

So to embrace the MC system I simply need to run it on my PC, and perhaps use an iOS app to control it? This is certainly always possible, but obviously a lot less convenient than just calling up media from my iPad on a whim.

I'll look into DLNA a lot further, looks like my ideal solution lies somewhere in that direction. Thanks again.

[JimH]

MC can import from any NAS drive.

The JRiver Id might work for you:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=89084.0

[winniew]

I also don't like my PC always running with JRiver MC.
My solution for the quick access to my mp3-files on my QNAP:

• QNAP running the free Minimserver
• iPad 4 running the MconnectHD-App
• MconnectHD gives access to MinimServer
• MconnectHD streams the file via PlayTo (AirPlay) to my Yamaha AVR

This works quite good.
When I need more infos from my library I still prefer the use of JRemote + JRiver MC.