Do I need a server or pc
 

Looking to create a mass storage area seperate from 4 pc's that operate in my home to store music/video etc, then have all of that played back through pc's or possible TV - do I need a pc converted as a server or an actual server?

It should all work fine from a normal pc with a really big hard drive.

Thank you - just needed re-assurance to be honest :)

Another option is an external HDD. You can get HDDs that are wireless so you can access your media easily. If your TV has wireless there is a good chance it will be able to access it.

I think it is a bit more complicated than all that. It depends what kind of TV you have (like if its network ready) if not do you have like a game console or some other method (eg a PC with HDMI nearby) to feed the media to the TV?

One thing I think if you are looking for a cheaper solution than a dedicated PC is to get the cheaper network bays (like 4 slots) which lets you hold an array of hard disks. This would go back to if your TV is network ready though.

If you happen to get an actual server/pc one program I use quite frequently for my PS3/Xbox is the ps3mediacenter. It is open source and free which is nice, its a decent media server for streaming movies/music.

http://www.memory4less.com/m4l_itemd...FYuZ4AodxyUA6A


I have 6 of these things.


Bedrooms(3) Bathroom, living room, office.


It all connects to your central PC or server, doesnt matter.

Integrates through Windows media center, or any media share on the network.


I have over 12TB of storage on 2 machines for straight media, Music/Video.

Best thing is, you don't need a network tv, or even an HDMI TV.

You can view blu-rays in Hi-Def using these devices and it looks as if it is being played from a disc.

You can ALSO put these anywhere in the world, create a VPN from your residence to your....say office. and you can propagate the movies and music through that....Atleast I did.

[QUOTE=Maze_EQ;215037


I have 6 of these things.


Bedrooms(3) Bathroom, living room, office.


It all connects to your central PC or server, doesnt matter.

Integrates through Windows media center, or any media share on the network.


I have over 12TB of storage on 2 machines for straight media, Music/Video.

Best thing is, you don't need a network tv, or even an HDMI TV.

You can view blu-rays in Hi-Def using these devices and it looks as if it is being played from a disc.

You can ALSO put these anywhere in the world, create a VPN from your residence to your....say office. and you can propagate the movies and music through that....Atleast I did.[/QUOTE]


This setup sounds amazing! I also have a similar setup with multiple devices connected to a central PC, and it works flawlessly with Windows Media Center and any network media share. The ability to stream high-definition Blu-rays and access media from anywhere via a VPN is fantastic. For anyone looking to optimize their media setup, I highly recommend checking out this Linksys LRT224 Dual WAN Gigabit VPN Router. It’s perfect for managing your network and VPN connections efficiently. Keep up the great work with your media setup