Streaming Movies from my PC

[admin_exported]

Hi,

i am trying to find the best way to stream movies and music (as a bonus) to my home av kit from my pc . I would want it to go through my receiver.

My receiver is a denon 4308a

Are there some ways that are better quality than others and would it be possible to send full hd picture.

 

[bigboss]

Your options are:

1) PS3

2) Popcorn Hour

3) Dune BD Prime3 Network Blu-Ray Video Player

4) WD TV Live HD Media Player

 

[PJPro]

For option 4, take a look at this.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies,

how does apple tv compare to the ones you have mentioned. I am not sure if i have rad right but the apple tv will stream 1080p and is very small.

 

[bigboss]

Found one more option: Xtreamer

As far as I'm aware Apple TV streams only to 720p, but I may be wrong. Also I think it will play iTunes friendly formats only.

EDIT: WHF review of Apple TV here.

 

[Anonymous]

Apple TV does not have a HDMI does it?

Never really looked at one close up

 

[kinda]

I think your options change depending on what kinds of files you want to play, if you want to get HD audio out, and if you want to decode the HD audio on the player.

Only things I've found that can play ISO disk images and decode HD audio are the Dune or something running the free XBMC, which is a great media player.

I think potentially the best option is an ION based PC, which now come in very small sizes and run quietly, and install XBMC. This also has great potential going forward as XBMC is always being developed. Obviously it also has loads of other features of a PC via your TV should you want them.

Apple TV I'm pretty sure has HDMI out but is limited to 720p. File support is very limited but you can put XBMC on that as well, which would help with this. However, the hardware itself is inferior to an ION based PC but costs about the same.

 

[kinda]

Also, obviously with some of these you don't need to have another PC on to stream from. The Dune and XBMC will just read direct from their own hard drive or a NAS.

If you already have a PC and could have it near your AV setup have you thought about upgrading it with a suitable HDMI enabled graphics card and putting.media centre software such as XBMC on it?

I know I bang on about XBMC but it's probably the best media centre software and is absolutely free.

 

[Anonymous]

Well I got a PS3 and love it, it streams everything I throw at at, and its a games machine and a BDP and a DVD upscaler.

If you can afford it, go for a PS3... I would be happy to buy another

 

[kinda]

I've looked at the PS3 before and it is good but the issues for me were with limited file type support, lack of multi-region DVD, plus I don't think there's a way to play networked ISO images.

I know that if you have server software on a PC with the PS3 as a client it will support a wider range of files, but the obvious downside to this is that you need an entire separate networked PC.

If you've already got a server or want one for other reasons I can potentially see the sense, especially if you want to play the PS3 games as well. Other than that a small PC seems to make much more sense.

 

[davejberry]

WDTVLive as PJPro suggests. Plays just about every format, is good for audio as well as video, completely silent, very small footprint (palm sized) and less than 90 squid if you look around.