[IndyGunFreak]

Some of you might remember my little escapade w/ FreeNas a few weeks ago, and subsequently migrating my file server to Linux.

The Server is running absolutely perfect. Once I got the hang of managing it via SSH, I honestly find it easier and less cumbersome than FreeNas's webUI. I installed Firefly on the server, which integrates perfectly Rhythmbox. Transmission on the server.. again, perfect. The webUI's for both apps are simple and easy to use.

Streaming Video, was a little more of an issue on the client end. It worked perfectly on the server end. The client end, choosing Videos/Movies to watch, was a bit more cumbersome. Did some googling, and found XBMC. This app makes it so simple. It can also play music, but I prefer it just for Video. It's also got a way to watch some select streaming TV, which is also pretty cool

If you're running some sort of home server, and you've never tried it, I'd recommend giving it a whirl. I'm sure to some of you, this app is old news, but it's new to me, and I really like it.

 

[Linux3]

I have been using MediaTomb on my Linux server.
http://mediatomb.cc/
This just makes my computer a media server using UPnP
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Plug_and_Play

I have a WD TV Live Plus connected to my home network and to my TV via HDMI. The WD box finds the media server and with the included remote I can search and play almost anything. But it's hardware.
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=320

VLC understands UPnP so I can watch videos from my server on any other computer in my network (5 at last count).

But.... XBMC sounds interesting. I'll have to give it a try.

Thank you.

 

[IndyGunFreak]

I have been using MediaTomb on my Linux server.
http://mediatomb.cc/
This just makes my computer a media server using UPnP
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Plug_and_Play

I have a WD TV Live Plus connected to my home network and to my TV via HDMI. The WD box finds the media server and with the included remote I can search and play almost anything. But it's hardware.
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=320

VLC understands UPnP so I can watch videos from my server on any other computer in my network (5 at last count).

But.... XBMC sounds interesting. I'll have to give it a try.

Thank you.

I had Mediatomb working fine, but for some reason, none of my video players, would see the UPNP share (VLC, Totem, Mplayer) Despite the fact I knew they were online, and XBMC plays them just fine.

 

[cgwahl]

I still use XBMC on my old XBox...is great. At some point I should see if I can get a newer version to work on it for youtube and other video streaming stuff. Version I'm using is from maybe 5 years ago.

Heard the guys that currently develop for XBMC on FLOSS a few weeks ago (catching up on the podcasts)...is pretty cool to hear all the work they are still doing with it. I guess Apple is incorporating it in something of theirs (AppleTV?).

 

[Linux3]

I had Mediatomb working fine, but for some reason, none of my video players, would see the UPNP share (VLC, Totem, Mplayer) Despite the fact I knew they were online, and XBMC plays them just fine.

VLC on my Omega 14 system sees the share as long as I enter the IP and port.
My wife's older Ubuntu doesn't nor does my netbook. I don't know why.

I have to get XBMC installed.

 

[IndyGunFreak]

VLC on my Omega 14 system sees the share as long as I enter the IP and port.
My wife's older Ubuntu doesn't nor does my netbook. I don't know why.

I have to get XBMC installed.

http://www.n00bsonubuntu.net/content/simple-script-to-install-xbmc-on-ubuntu-11-04-natty-narwhal/

The stable and unstable ppa's that usually comes up when googling for install instructions never works for me (seems it is no longer up)...

That install script works flawlessly.

 

[IndyGunFreak]

Hmm, I downloaded the Nightly build of VLC, and it seems to see UPNP no problem.

 

[pal2511]

So XBMC is the player? Is xbmc its own operating system or does it run on top of windows?

 

[IndyGunFreak]

So XBMC is the player? Is xbmc its own operating system or does it run on top of windows?

it's a player. It accesses UPNP shares easier than quite a few other apps that I tried (including VLC.. which.. strangely, would work one minute, then 5min later, would stop working)

UPNP isn't 100% needed on computers, as you can just use samba or NFS. The problem w/ samba and VLC.. it NEVER plays the videos.. It kicks out some error, and upon looking into it, if there is any spaces or unusual characters (either in the video name, or in the path to the samba share) it puts a bunch of strange symbols, thus causing the video not to play. I've not really figured out a way around that one yet.. but it works flawlessly w/ XBMC.

IGF