Streaming movies: what is your solution?

Mac Mini Server connected via HDMI to TV and to SuperNait.

Does Netflix, other web-based video, and occasionally iTunes movies. We rip DVDs on it only to make iPad-compatible files for portable use. Currently trialling RipIt, which seems very good for this purpose.

- Ripping: MakeMKV

- Storage: Drobo FS

- Server: TvMobili

- Clients: Sony & Oppo BluRay

Pros:

- Quality

- Centralized storage of material

Cons:

- BluRays refusing to display images of the films for selecting, rather than just an icon and filename.

Xbmc is what you want

Xbmc all the way. Learn how to use it an marvel.

For dvd i use dvd2onex to rip a dvd its very quick.

But, really master xbmc and its just something else. A the very minimum a mac mini hooked up to a surround sound amp and tv fully controlled with a harmony remote is some thing else.

...and

I use xbmc on my laptop.

Thanks to all, this also answers a thread I opened a few weeks ago because I am considering ripping my DVDs to a single box and getting rid of most of them.

M.

How to stream movies is IMO depending on where you get them and how you want to use.

My starting points were:

Good picture & sound quality,--> use original streams;

Renting blue-rays and DVD's from the videostore, ripping to ISO on PC HDD

Rip all owned DVD's and BR's

All ISO's on a local storage.

Mediaplayer capable of playing these.

Movie selection and play-back on the Plasma screen.

Current solution:

All movies on a PC with 4 HDD (8 TB)

Mediaplayer Dune prime 3.0 connected to network and AV equipment

Selecting and starting film with Yadis (Takes some time to build up the film database but works fine)

Peter

Renting blue-rays and DVD's from the videostore, ripping to ISO on PC HDD

Wouldn't recommend this, unless you want a criminal record, fine and spend time at HMP.

M

Plex every time. Mac mini via hdmi playing mkv files.

Will also stream to iOS devices.

Tog

Hi Tog,

I LIKE the centralised nature of Plex BUT I read that it is a fork of XBMC, and that it has been left unsupported on a number of occasions. I also read that it can be buggy in terms of replay, have you had any issues?

M

Renting blue-rays and DVD's from the videostore, ripping to ISO on PC HDD

Wouldn't recommend this, unless you want a criminal record, fine and spend time at HMP.

M

Hi M,

As we all know there is a lot of "illegal" downloading going on with others making the movies available on internet. This means you are duplicating movies for others who don't pay anything and is explained as "stealing".

In my case I'm renting movies and paying for this; Making a copy is just for personal use and not intended for spreading around on the internet. No commercial intent from my side and not jeopardizing commercial benefits of moviemakers. 

I think there's a lot of misunderstanding in this.

Unfortunately (or should I be happy?) I'm not familiar with jurisdiction in England.

Peter  

I don't use plex for one reason, its iplayer plugin is really poor. The XBMC iplayer plugin is awesome, it taps the same feeds as the actual iplayer, whereas the plex one just sort of overlays an internet window in its interface. The difference is not subtle.

There is also a far more developed skinning team for XBMC and they have recently set up 'dirty regions' within the interface which in laymens terms means far less processing power as it does not have to refresh the entire interface constantly, which equals far less heat, far less noise.

All in all XBMC is better.

Hi Peter,

I hire DVDs & BluRays, and if I like them I then buy them and rip them.

I love film, have friends who work in the industry & want to ensure they keep their jobs.

I have friends who USED to work in the music industry, no longer!

M

My setup (although no NAIM in my HT system):

Synology NAS to Dune HD.

The rest of the components:

Onkyo SR608

Cambridge 540D

Epson TW700ISF

Kingpin 77" Fixed screen

Canton AS85

2 basshakers fed by an Amphony 200 amp

B&W 603 S2

B&W LCR 6 S2

B&W DS 6 S2

B&W CC6 (rear center)

B&W SOLID HCM2 (front height)

Full VanDenHul cabling throughout

The streaming from the Synology to the Dune HD Max works like a treat!

Pic:

that's the same rule which I apply to borrowed music, irrespective of the format.

This is interesting. Do tink there are now fewer people now employed making music because of piracy? Is there less music being recorded and played than otherwise would be the case, or is the music being produced done with fewer people in the production chain? The first outcome is perhaps regrettable, the second is an increase in efficiency.

Tempted to think more "out of the box". We cannot deny that the world around us is changing, thus a job with a defined task will not last forever. 

You do not "own" a job, you just have one as long as it lasts and should try to switch in time.

Possibilities for hiring blurays and DVD's at local stores are deminishing and will end due to internetmarketing.

Don't know a store where I can borrow/hire CD's............, the public library was our last one.

Otherwise, we have the possibilities to enjoy a lot more music and film than we used to.

There are only other jobs involved.

Peter

I usually borrow music from friends and relatives.

All my music and movies are on a QNAP TS-210 with 3TB and downstairs I use an xtreamer connected by hdmi and cabled to the LAN. Upstairs I have a Boxee box connected to the LAN by wifi. The xtreamer is quite old but still outperforms all the netgear and popcorn models i've tried for codec support and blu-ray streaming. 

I've got a sonos with an arcam rDAC now connected to the lan by cable and am amazed at the quality when using flac. Tried streaming a few years ago with a roku soundbridge and thought it was crap and wasn't going to bother again until I heard the sonos in a T-audio branch.  

Just streamed my first film on a new AppleTV 1080.  Willie Wonka (1971).  1080 and 720 HD both timed out with "Try again later".  Only Standard Def worked at all; but it was still very good on the 55" LED.  6Mb down is evidently not quite good enough for HD; or maybe it was my movie choice.  ?

I prefer DVD to streaming.

Nick

Hi Nick,

In the UK we have Lovefilm, and that streams across the Internet at SD.

The service can be OK, and when you don't get timeouts looks OK on a SD screen; no 5.1 etc!

Streaming from a local NAS works well, and means that my darling beloveds can't leave the discs hanging around!

Just finishing ripping my boxsets, 2/3rds of the way there!!

M

I am not familiar at all with dedicated streamers

What is the benefit of a Dune HD compared to a regular computer?

Does it provide better quality (picture/sound) or is it about convenience? Thanks.

Hi Alamanka,

Think the benefit of a dedicated streamer as a Dune is already in the name; They are dedicated, meaning the main task of the equipment is streaming media to your TV and/or audio with minimal but dedicated processing power and low noise.

The width dimensions of for example the Dune equipment are in line with audio equipment, 42-43 cm. so fits into a rack.

Its the confenience of streaming (blue-ray) video and surround audio to the living room and quality is OK to MY tast.

I.M.O. streaming music is another matter, PC server, ethernet cables and switches, audiostreamer and digital cabling all play an important role in making the music fully enjoyable.

Hope this helps, Peter