04-02-2012, 11:34 PM

I'm currently a Windows/Android/Google user, looking to upgrade all of my devices. I'm very OCD so I like everything to be uniform and I don't mind paying for it. I'm doing a lot of research to decide which "ecosystem" to go with next. I like Apple's integration. What I want to be able to do is store all of my media (music, video, photos) on one drive and be able to access it over Wi-Fi and (more importantly) over the internet using connected Apple devices. Is this possible with current Apple products/software available, and what is the best way to do it? If you could build your Apple media-sharing setup from the ground up, how would you do it and what equipment would you use? I am prepared to purchase a Desktop/Laptop/Phone/Router combination to accomplish this, and a Tablet down the road. I know there will be new MacBooks and possibly a new Mac Mini coming out before the end of the summer, as well as the new OS X, and I can wait until that is all available. Also, I do not want to use iCloud matching for music. I tried Google Music and I just would rather stream from my home "server" a la Audiogalaxy. So is this question even answerable now? Or should I just wait for all of the new equipment to come out to find the best solution?

04-03-2012, 02:01 PM

For streaming over the internet, you'll need 3rd party software for sure. Plex is the only one I'm really familiar with but there are others. If you plan on doing an HTPC, Plex is the best there is for use on a Mac under OS X, but I and some others here have been less than satisfied with using OS X as an HTPC if that is your goal. I specifically have reservations about Plex. I had issues with choppiness in streaming over my home network and the desktop version doesn't display anamorphic DVD rips with "non-square pixels" properly. Most people don't even notice how the aspect ratio is off a bit with those instances under Plex, but I did and it irritated the heck out of me. From the sounds of things, I'd wager it would bug you too. I currently use the Apple TV 2 and while the UI is far inferior to Plex, it also is much less hassle.

04-03-2012, 02:18 PM

I use an older, 2009, Mac Mini running Plex as my media server. I have a 5TB Drobo attached to hold all my media.

04-03-2012, 08:07 PM

Thanks for the ideas guys. I was hesitant about Plex before because I had used Orb and was worried it would have the same problems. Granted that was a while ago so it may have gotten better. I was hoping there was a "Mac" way to do it, but I'll definitely do some more looking into Plex. Perhaps I'll try Plex with my current setup and see how I like it now, then be ready to use it when I switch.

Yes Life i would be a little perturbed by the issue you described also. I have considered the ATV but was hoping to hear more info about the rumored actual television that Apple is supposed to be coming out with before going that route then regretting it a few months down the road.

04-03-2012, 08:13 PM

There is also the XBMC option. It's the media center from the original Xbox updated to run on modern computers. Plex is based on it, but has several more features.

04-03-2012, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by k_sheridan

Yes Life i would be a little perturbed by the issue you described also. I have considered the ATV but was hoping to hear more info about the rumored actual television that Apple is supposed to be coming out with before going that route then regretting it a few months down the road.

The one thing that aggravates me about the ATV is the limited media support. I really wish it supported MKV files so I wouldn't have to down-mix DTS tracks to AC3. It can be jailbroken to run the iOS version of Plex, but I really don't care to keep up with jailbreaking anymore. Ultimately I decided I'd rather live with that than the ongoing hassles I had in using a Mac mini as an HTPC. If you do go with the mini, I'd definitely recommend local storage vs streaming it wirelessly.