Looking for a solution for Streaming Media

draven_uk · May 16, 2013

Hi everyone. I am looking for a solution to streaming media at home. I currently have several PCs and a NAS drive that all have media files. Some have folders within folders withinn folders that contain media, others are just sat in a single folder.

I was looking for a way of streaming these files to my TV in a different room to the PCs. Looking around I see Western Digital do a box that claims to do this but

I also have an unboxed Raspberry Pi at home that I hear can do the same job for considerably less cost. Can ayone suggest what I would need to do to get this media streaming to my TV.
Thanks

dingo07 · May 16, 2013

first, how is your tv connected to the computer? is it HDMI or does it have a network connection?

first thing that comes to mind is a PS3... media server built in

draven_uk · May 16, 2013

The TV would be connected via the Pi or WD media streaming device. Unfortunately the PS3 is in a different room to the "movie viewing" room

skittle · May 16, 2013

draven_uk :

Hi, I would simply use XBMC and point XBMC to the NAS files on the network. I do this at home but with a AMD fusion PC instead of Rpi.

I use http://openelec.tv/ which also has a rasberrypi build available. Works out of the box.
http://www.raspbmc.com/ is good also
or http://www.raspbian.org/ if you would like a more full featured install.

WD streaming box is good, but UI and available features are vastly inferior to what XBMC offers.

draven_uk · May 17, 2013

skittle :

So went for the Raspbmc option. SD card turned up from Amazon today so put it in my PC, got the Raspbmc d/load for Windows. Easy.
Plugged the Pi into the TV, update, install, update, install, fail, reboot, update, install, update install, worked this time. All automatic. Easy
Pi reboots, craahes, have to pull power and reboot. Downloads more kernal stuff. Installs. Again all auto. Easy.
Reboots again. Doesn't crash this time. Downloads new XBMC build. Starting to get excited that this might actually "just work".
Extracts XBMC. Another reboot. Comes up with XBMC, wants to configure. AGH. USB devices stop working, can't use a keyboard or mouse. Can't use wireless ones either. First problem.

dingo07 · May 17, 2013

Good luck! I never used the lil raspberry

draven_uk · May 17, 2013

dingo07 :

Got it. Different power supply and it all works. I now have media streaming from a bunch of different machines to my TV and surround sound via the Pi. Pretty simple.

Thanks for the help everyone.

dingo07 · May 19, 2013

Great! How's the video and is there any lag? Are you streaming 1080p?

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Looking for a solution for Streaming Media

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