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What do you guys use for media streaming?

post #1 of 53
Thread Starter 
just seeing what everyone using for watching media from pc to your tv?
post #2 of 53
I have the Logitech Revue Google TV, XBOX 360 w/Media Center, and my Directv HR20 HD DVR. All of them can do streaming from the PC but for me the XBOX 360 works best. Rarely do it so not a big issue but I wish the Revue would work better at it, couldn't care less if the HR20 does it or not.
post #3 of 53
post #4 of 53
WHS v1 box to Dune B1 over MoCA network for local content. Roku 2 XS, Roku XDS, Roku HD for online content.
post #5 of 53
I have a Dune Smart D1, Dune BD Prime, HTPCs, PCH A200/C200, etc... all get movies streamed from my WHS.

The Dunes are probably used the most in my household, and have been the most stable.
post #6 of 53
Multiple AppleTv's and Airport Expresses over a wireless/Moca network
post #7 of 53
still using my pch a-110
post #8 of 53
Dune Smart H1 streaming from a WHS.
post #9 of 53
WDTV Live, wired
post #10 of 53
WDTV Live - wireless N in the bedroom.
Boxee Box, Xbox 360, and PS3 - Powerline 500Mbs in the living room. I tried all of them until I got the Boxee Box last which works best for me since I watch a lot of fansubbed anime and none of the other plays played all of the formats I used or worked with the stylized subtitles. There are still a lot of things I don't like about the Boxee so I have my eyes on the Tizzbird F30 but I have heard nothing new on it so I might end up waiting until hopefully the end of this year when the Sigma players with XBMC start showing up if that's still happening. I really don't want to go the full HTPC route but it's looking more likely with nothing popping up to do what the Boxee Box does all in one box without having to run separate software on my PC like Zappitti.
post #11 of 53
Boxee Box, PCH A-210 & WD TV Live Plus ... all streaming from my WHS.
post #12 of 53
I use Boxee Boxes, a Roku2, C200, PopBox, and Xtreamer. My local content is mainly BD ISOs stored on my WHS, unRAID, INTEL NAS, and Dlink NAS. I mainly use my Boxee boxes since they have the best combination of local and online playback. but since getting my Roku2 I find I'm using that more for my online content now, and I'm also using my C200 more lately for playback of my BD ISOs since there are any audio dropouts from the advanced codecs.

But as my local content grows, a quick UI with quick access to the content is more important. I'm only using built in features of my media players for aggregating my content.So my Boxee Box is still the easiest to navigate all my content since it is much faster and presented better.
post #13 of 53
Boxee Box from unRAID, Synology 210j, Synology 411j; with a WDTV Live relegated to the kids' room. Interface and media library options make it no comparison. Mostly local media, the rest consists of "watch later", friends feed, espn3, mlb, nhl, navi-x..
post #14 of 53
Thread Starter 
I have apple tv 2 with xbmc but its horrible always buffering all the time
post #15 of 53
3 Dune media players and a Synology ds 1511
post #16 of 53
Have a Dune, but it is rubbish for Music, you really need to have the TV on which I personally dont like
post #17 of 53
WDTV Live wired with B-rads firmware the group works on, works very well for me.
Just got a D-link 651 10-100-1000/wifi router too mainly for the faster wired ports and wifi for my new cheap Sylvania Chinese tablet.
Have a few shared folders and 2 large external USB drives hooked up full of goodies, about to add a third 2 tb to the mix I almost never burn disks any more and my pile hasn't grown for a while...
post #18 of 53
Quote:


Have a Dune, but it is rubbish for Music, you really need to have the TV on which I personally dont like

Get a Squeezebox Radio or Touch. Terrific for music.
post #19 of 53
EyeConnect to my PS3 and HR20. PLEX/EyeConnect for the LG 47LV5500
post #20 of 53
Netgear NeoTV 550 for local content, WD TV Live + for online (Netflix, Hulu mostly).
post #21 of 53
Thread Starter 
a lot of things posted here I have never heard of
post #22 of 53
Tonido plug media server running minidlna and squeezebox server.

NAS is a Buffalo Linkstation Pro Duo.

Playback devices are PS3 with Logitech Harmony Adaptor and Logitech Squeezebox Touch.
post #23 of 53
Quote:
Originally Posted by flatlinerz View Post

a lot of things posted here I have never heard of

Because you haven't been keeping up?

This entire sub-forum is dedicated to this topic, all u have to do is to spend some quality time reading all the posts.

I know you said PC, but really the last coupla of years development is, ready-made boxes to play streams, no PC required. Sure PC seems logical, highly adaptable but many times also lots of maintenance maybe required, updates, virus, blah-blah, hard to configure for sleep etc. May want to look at the read-made boxes solutions. Plug&Play, relatively inexpensive, minimum maintenance, green-uses less electricity$ than a PC. High WAF!
post #24 of 53
2 ATV2's running Plex .81RC2, Mac Mini ( Plex, Boxee, XBMC, EyeTV HD), Shuttle XPS 35GTv2 ( running XBMC and hosting YAMJ), ATV1 with Crystal HD running XBMC, C200, LG ST600, WHSv1 containing most of my data, Drobo FS, WD NAS and D-Link DNS323.

The ATV2's are used for Netflix, Airplay from iPad1&2, etc ...

C200 is probably the workhorse. There are also many media streamers gathering dust (mainly realtek based). The current most interesting inactive media player is a Kodak HD Media Player. Really nice unfinished product with a very neat remote.

philip
post #25 of 53
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrBobb View Post

Because you haven't been keeping up?

This entire sub-forum is dedicated to this topic, all u have to do is to spend some quality time reading all the posts.

I know you said PC, but really the last coupla of years development is, ready-made boxes to play streams, no PC required. Sure PC seems logical, highly adaptable but many times also lots of maintenance maybe required, updates, virus, blah-blah, hard to configure for sleep etc. May want to look at the read-made boxes solutions. Plug&Play, relatively inexpensive, minimum maintenance, green-uses less electricity$ than a PC. High WAF!

I used to think that, but my Mac Mini is just as easy to maintain as my C200. The same goes for my Shuttle XPS 35GTv2 running win7 and doing its thing in a totally silent way. These are both HTPC's which mainly run XBMC or variations. The media players have been a real disappointment. Too much hype, horrible GUI's except for the Boxee Box, etc ... I guess the $45 that the Patriot Box Office now goes for is a true bargain. That's probably what most of the players are worth with some notable exceptions. I really think a Mac Mini or a passively cooled small PC is worth the small premium to the more expensive players. On the PC side the weak link seems to be the ir remote control issue.

philip
post #26 of 53
Quote:
Originally Posted by pmcd View Post

I used to think that, but my Mac Mini is just as easy to maintain as my C200. The same goes for my Shuttle XPS 35GTv2 running win7 and doing its thing in a totally silent way. These are both HTPC's which mainly run XBMC or variations. The media players have been a real disappointment. Too much hype, horrible GUI's except for the Boxee Box, etc ... I guess the $45 that the Patriot Box Office now goes for is a true bargain. That's probably what most of the players are worth with some notable exceptions. I really think a Mac Mini or a passively cooled small PC is worth the small premium to the more expensive players. On the PC side the weak link seems to be the ir remote control issue.

philip

THats because you dont care about HD audio. HD audio makes the mac mini another over priced also ran. It also complicates the driver issues tremendously. Even on my mac mini the plex is not nearly as stable as the C-200 and it still has more rendering issues. Was trying to watch the PBS documentary ken burns jazz the other night and again last night. Plex, XBMC and Boxee wont even render the menus. The ohter issue with the mini as a HTPC is remote control. The remote control eye in the Mac is limited and creates some interesting challenges compared to the PC.

The tradeoffs are still there. a mac mini is 2x the price and missing function compared to a ION PC lets say. For that extra money you get less options and more stability. Seems the 2 of the 3 is still applying. With an ION HTPC you can get more function, less cost and less stability.

I guess what I am trying to say is that the mac mini is not an outlier on the price performance curve. It fits well.
post #27 of 53
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrBobb View Post
Because you haven't been keeping up?

This entire sub-forum is dedicated to this topic, all u have to do is to spend some quality time reading all the posts.

I know you said PC, but really the last coupla of years development is, ready-made boxes to play streams, no PC required. Sure PC seems logical, highly adaptable but many times also lots of maintenance maybe required, updates, virus, blah-blah, hard to configure for sleep etc. May want to look at the read-made boxes solutions. Plug&Play, relatively inexpensive, minimum maintenance, green-uses less electricity$ than a PC. High WAF!
what would you recommend

I bought a apple tv2 awhile ago jailbroke it threw xbmc on it and its been horrible also buffering all the time can't watch a show with it stopping all the time
post #28 of 53
Quote:
Originally Posted by flatlinerz View Post

what would you recommend

Oh no you didn't !!! -hahahaha, sorry, just couldn't resist

My friend - you've just opened up the pandora's box. because you will get quite a range of answers so I'll start.

I started with the original Western Digital WDTV, then got another 'el cheapo' media player, and now I have the popcorn hour C-200. I'm streaming with synology 1511+ NAS device with 11Tb of total storage. I'm in the final stages of completing the configuration. For me, it is leaps and bound above what I have previously owned. The Dune players are also noteworthy. In the end - you personal preferences will dictate your final decision.

cheers, and happy hunting !!
post #29 of 53
Quote:
Originally Posted by sean_w_smith View Post

THats because you dont care about HD audio. HD audio makes the mac mini another over priced also ran. It also complicates the driver issues tremendously. Even on my mac mini the plex is not nearly as stable as the C-200 and it still has more rendering issues. Was trying to watch the PBS documentary ken burns jazz the other night and again last night. Plex, XBMC and Boxee wont even render the menus. The ohter issue with the mini as a HTPC is remote control. The remote control eye in the Mac is limited and creates some interesting challenges compared to the PC.

The tradeoffs are still there. a mac mini is 2x the price and missing function compared to a ION PC lets say. For that extra money you get less options and more stability. Seems the 2 of the 3 is still applying. With an ION HTPC you can get more function, less cost and less stability.

I guess what I am trying to say is that the mac mini is not an outlier on the price performance curve. It fits well.

Well, it's true that not requiring HD Audio simplifies a lot. I don't quite agree with the remote control issue. Remote buddy makes things really interesting from a remote control point of view. Moreover, nothing stops you from using a Harmony One, for example, with Plex or XBMC.

I have a nice Ion based system ( the shuttle) next to the Mini. It's great, but I did have to hunt down an MCE ir receiver. No big deal, just a nuisance. In any case a small keyboard+trackball ( ioGear makes a neat one) seems to be best for XBMC on the Shuttle. I haven't noticed any stability issues with it and it's running Windows 7. It just works. Much like the Mini. You could even add a Blu-ray player if that was something important to you.

I have run into things that my C200 wouldn't play but XBMC on the Mini would. Had nothing to do with high end videos and PCH fixed the issue in a firmware upgrade.

I also use my Mini for other things, so it's not just a media player.

Hard to say too many negative things about the C200. It's an excellent unit.

I just think that an HTPC is perfect for someone who will also use it for things other than media player stuff. Between it, a laptop and an iPad I seem to have work, video, photos and music covered. No real hassles. The i/o issue seems to be a source of confusion. There doesn't appear to be a standard compared to the Mini.

Not sure which Mini you have but the latest Minis seem to be able to handle anything ( well except for disks). Don't know about HD Audio. In fact the price of the C200 has gone up to the point where if you add the internal wifi (great by the way) and a hard drive you are approaching the cost of a Mini.

My feeling is that HTPC's start to get less stable the moment you want to record with them. Otherwise, I have had mixed experience with media players from Asus and certainly that ST600.

In short, XBMC on a Mini or passively cooled PC, gives you a great media playing experience (well HD audio not considered) and provides you with the option of using it for other things. No more having to deal with these pathetic browsers that they keep trying to stuff into media players.

philip
post #30 of 53
Quote:
Originally Posted by pmcd View Post

Well, it's true that not requiring HD Audio simplifies a lot. I don't quite agree with the remote control issue. Remote buddy makes things really interesting from a remote control point of view. Moreover, nothing stops you from using a Harmony One, for example, with Plex or XBMC.

I have a nice Ion based system ( the shuttle) next to the Mini. It's great, but I did have to hunt down an MCE ir receiver. No big deal, just a nuisance. In any case a small keyboard+trackball ( ioGear makes a neat one) seems to be best for XBMC on the Shuttle. I haven't noticed any stability issues with it and it's running Windows 7. It just works. Much like the Mini. You could even add a Blu-ray player if that was something important to you.

I have run into things that my C200 wouldn't play but XBMC on the Mini would. Had nothing to do with high end videos and PCH fixed the issue in a firmware upgrade.

I also use my Mini for other things, so it's not just a media player.

Hard to say too many negative things about the C200. It's an excellent unit.

I just think that an HTPC is perfect for someone who will also use it for things other than media player stuff. Between it, a laptop and an iPad I seem to have work, video, photos and music covered. No real hassles. The i/o issue seems to be a source of confusion. There doesn't appear to be a standard compared to the Mini.

Not sure which Mini you have but the latest Minis seem to be able to handle anything ( well except for disks). Don't know about HD Audio. In fact the price of the C200 has gone up to the point where if you add the internal wifi (great by the way) and a hard drive you are approaching the cost of a Mini.

My feeling is that HTPC's start to get less stable the moment you want to record with them. Otherwise, I have had mixed experience with media players from Asus and certainly that ST600.

In short, XBMC on a Mini or passively cooled PC, gives you a great media playing experience (well HD audio not considered) and provides you with the option of using it for other things. No more having to deal with these pathetic browsers that they keep trying to stuff into media players.

philip

Remote buddy can't fix the inherent limitations in the MAC IR receiver module. If your coming from an Xbox or HTPC using XBMC and are used to the rich IR codes you have their. The MAC is just limiting. Its usuable but limiting. same with ATV1.

I understand your points on HTPC they just dont match my experiences building them over the last 8 years. Let see in 6 months if you are still as happy about your ION box and the amount of work it takes to stay working. 6 months ago my ION box was flawless. 6 months later after nothing but MS provided windows updates I can't play HD video at ALl without stuttering. Got maybe 10 man hours of debug on that so far with no luck. These types of issues constantly plague HTPC users in my experiences having built many over the last 8 years. These types of issues just dont exist on set top box players.

your confused on pricing. C200 is $299. The A-210 now plays BD iso and at $200. One is 1/2 the cost of a mac mini and one is a 1/3 of a mac mini. Adding wireless to the C-200 doesn't get it anywhere near the price of a mini. I think that comparison is absurd. Its certainly in the realm of the price of an ION box though.

and no the new minis still dont HD audio. It will be years before that happens most likely.

Sean
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