NAS Streaming

[Raif]

I recently bought an iomega NAS.
It has the capability to stream, i.....aquired.... movies and ella and I were trying to stream Harry potter last night. Got the first one just fine, but went to stream the next and it wouldnt see it.

After some investigation, the ps3(which I was streaming to) doesn't really like MP4's

Any tips on this, and/or favorite programs in which to convert the mp4 into something the ps3 likes?

[Shadowwolf]

You need a Media Server that can convert the files to a format the devices can read like the PS3 for streaming. I use that on my main machine and can stream everything on network drives, etc to any device in the house. Without any sort of media server doing that job basically all the devices can do is read the raw files which doesnt always work reliably.

http://www.plexapp.com/

I've been using Plex for about 3 years now and its fairly easy to use and set up as well as reliable, not had any device unable to access it yet.

Plex is the best out there at the moment thats free. The pay features are unnecessary, like streaming over the web while youre out and about.

Your only other alternative is Windows Media Player which is garbage when it comes to network streaming. Its temperamental, annoying, difficult to configure, confusing and crashes a lot.

[Raif]

The nas itself has a media server, is that program something i can install/run off the nas itself?

Im trying to avoid stream directly from the PC

[Shadowwolf]

Youd have to read up on what it runs, the format is streams in, etc to know for sure.

[Oilslick]

I never had issues with MP4 containers on sony devices...how does it handle MKV containers?

I've used an open source program for years, HandBrake.  Usually used it to fit the encoding to the apple device i was stuck offshore with...but it can spit out MKV as well.  Worth giving a shot if Plex doesn't work for you.  Try first going down the list of presets for MP4's, just reducing quality slightly with each one (i say that because of how much ease i've had with MP4's on sony platforms in the past).  The conversions take quite some time with older or weaker machines, but you can queue up batch conversion over night pretty easily if it ends up working for you.

[Raif]

The ps 3 WILL read mp4's but it doesnt like to.

If i put on on a USB thumb drive, ill have to view the details of the drive to see the MP'4s, it wont just load them......if that makes any sense

[Raif]

**UPDATE**

The PlayStation now see's and plays the exact same files, it would neither see nor play last week.

Temperamental little devil