Help With Home Theater Network

[skotdee]

Im moving into a new home soon thats fully wired with CAT5 for a home network. Im wondering how to go about playing media, specifically video, from my networked computer/hard drives to my home theater.

Is anyone here doing anything similar? I know I can use a system like sonos, squeezebox, or even my PS3 to play flac & mp3 audio files over the network, and video files like avi or mp4 for that matter, but how are folks playing authored files in a VIDEO_TS folder, ie: shows downloaded here, or that I've authored myself, over the network? Is this possible or do I need to convert the VOB files to one file thats compatible with the PS3?

Any recommendations?

[uni-fi]

There are many small form factor HTPC's available on the market today. I would recommend something dedicated.

For me personally, I use my laptop with it's HDMI port into my stereo, and I use XBMC to organize and sync everything. I am also using a 4tb NAS drive over N band. It seems to play everything just fine, and gives me cover flow for Cd's, DVD's, and plays all of my files with no problems at all.
(I also use a gyration air mouse to control everything...they are the best because you do not need a compatible surface, and work flawlessly)



:thumbsup

[xjsb125]

I have a WD TV Live HD that we use to play files off our home network. Very affordable, optical audio out, great upscaling to 1080 and will play most any file you throw at it including flac.

[LazyTaper]

I understand the WD TV live chokes on videos (mkv, bluray) with 24 bit audio.

[jabulon]

Is this possible or do I need to convert the VOB files to one file thats compatible with the PS3?

You mean to tell me that your PS3 won't do DVD's (VIDEO_TS)?

[co9ol]

Not sure if it would work but you could try a network storage drive. As long as you can get the ps3 connected to it (through your home network) then you should be able to play the files.

I found this on a ps3 from
"no need to convert. just play them from hard drive. i have over 200GB of .vob files on an external iomega hard drive and play some of my back ups frequently. the ps3 will play them as is. if you dont see them just hit triangle and hit display all. i always rename my vob files in sequenc like kungfupanda 1.vob and kungfupanda 2.vob and so on. you can set the ps3 to play them in sequence so you dont have to play each file. that gets annoying. reencoding just takes up time. it makes the files alot smaller but storage is cheap nowa days. i never re encode. just drop and play. the ps3 rocks."
(link:http://community.us.playstation.com/thread/2348065?start=0&tstart=0)

read the rest of the form

[direwolf-pgh]

This is my favorite add-on for Windows Media Center:

Automatic Mount and Playback of .ISO (http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/11071/automatically-mount-and-view-iso-files-in-windows-7-media-center/)

after installing it has retired the need for VLC

[Cornelious Jerome Garcia Oppenheimer]

Thanks.

Downloading those now.