wireless streeming

[1150gs]

I have a wireless router (assus) and a external hardrive, that I use, mainly, to share multimedia files (mp3's, Jpg's and home avi's) among 3 LAN computers.

I saw many reviews about «devices» that connect to TV set / and living room stereo, that use 802.11.g/b to get the files from a PC running somme sort of «server software» that stremming the content from the office PC to the living room.

My question is: That is possible to store multimedia files in the hardrive connected to the wireless router, and have ALL the PC's off, and get the files played in the living room? (i.e. the hardrive connected to the router is «passive» and the device in living room «active»)

The question is relevant to me, because my router, modem and hardrive are allways on, so any computer that boots up can acess the internet, view family pictures, etc. i.e. all computer are independent. I see no point in have a device in living room to see mutimedia files, and have to boot up the pc (and the «server software») each time I want to see them in the TV or play it in the stereo... what I currently do is burn a dvd and use the old dvd player in living room to play mp3 or view jpg's.

There are sommething that I miss, or if i go to that solution I fall in a solution that is not pratical? (is like having no router, and have the modem connected to one computer, that share the internet connection among the others, and have to be On each time others want to acess the net)

Is not more pratical just use a older computer, and a tv out graphical card and connect it directly to the tv / stereo in the living room, and updated the multimedia files using the wireless connection from the computer in the office??

Please let me know your opinium about the subject. Any ideas or sugestions are very welcome

sorry about my very bad «english» and long post.

cheers

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by 1150gs on 07/20/05 07:19 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[folken]

I would just setup an old computer and put a video card w/ tvout and a wireless network card in it. 802.11g should stream audio fine but the avi video might be a little iffy depending on how it was encoded. I would just copy the video over before playing it.

<A HREF="http://www.folken.net/myrig.htm" target="_new">My precious...</A>

 

[1150gs]

tanks, I also share your point of view.

The problem is that the old computer in living room is not very estetic, is noisy, I have to buy a wireless keyboard and mouse, wait for windows to boot (I know I can just get or code a small program to run in front of xp in order to browse the multimedia files - I allredy have a Ti4800 video out card)

But, That new «devices» comme w/ remote, and don't have boot time, and are sexy... my router give me dhcp, firewall, print server, file server, ftp server (years ago I need 2 or 3 computers just to do that jobs!), do you know a device that don't need software running in a pc and just go wireless to the router and streem the files from the drive atached? or a device that I can fisicaly atach a hardrive (to store the files localy) and syncronise wireless with the main hardrive?

Note: the video files are in 640x480x15fps... 808.11g will do the job?

 

[Blackhawk3D]

What about the Pinnacle Media Center? There is a review of it on Toms here, it was on the front page recently. I have seen others too. I don't know if you could get them off of the HD or not, but you could connect the harddrive to one of your other computers that is connected to the network and then connect to that computer if you can't connect directly to the HD.

 

[1150gs]

I saw all that reviews. The problem is that all that equipments (reviewd in THG) says that you need to have (at least) one computer turned on, in order to streem the content to the TV/stereo... and is not very user friendly, and practical boot the pc in the office, just to play a mp3 in the living room...

somme years ago, I have just 2 pc's connected by a cross cable (pc#1 have the modem and printer atached), and I buy a router, because is not pratical to have to boot pc#1 just because pc#2 wants to access the net or print a word document.

So now the cable modem, router, and external HD (atached to router) are allways on; and each Pc is independent, is that kind of facilitie that I want for the media center in living room - not have to boot one pc, just to see a jpg or play a mp3 - if is not possible and don't see any value in such a devices... sommeone have the samme problem or find a good solution??