The HTPC / Media Streamer Thread

[MickMcGeough]

Was just reading about the new Plex updates and noticed there isn't an HTPC thread. I think there's enough movement in this space now that it deserves its own thread.

In what should be good news for Windows HTPC users, the Plex client is finally available for Windows (weird that it would run on Samsung Blu-Ray players before Windows). If you haven't tried it yet, now's the perfect time.

I've gone through probably a half dozen frankenstein HTPCs from old desktops outputting VGA to a nearly fanless and silent Antec Fusion HTPC, which worked as an HD-PVR sending channel change commands to my cable box via firewire and recording the output.

I'm currently running the simplest (and best overall) setup I've ever had with Plex, Transmission, and Automatic on a Mac Mini.

Automatic checks a few RSS feeds every 15 minutes for new torrents of a list of shows I "subscribe" to. It's smart enough to parse the filename to determine which episode it is, and only downloads each episode torrent once.

Transmission is a torrent client that can check the name of the torrent and use some really simple regex to determine what type of torrent it is (i.e. if the filename has "HDTV" in it, it's TV). It uses this to organize things for the Plex media server.

Plex picks up completed downloads from Transmission's downloads folder, downloads all the metadata, and adds the media to my library. Any device I've got the Plex client on can stream anything from my library, from anywhere. The iPad & iPhone plex client apps are great (and work as remotes, too).

The entire setup is nearly completely automated. For non-subscribed stuff like movies, I can queue up Transmission downloads from my iPhone or iPad with the Transmission web interface. But most stuff I want just "appears" in my Plex library shortly after it gets released online.

Plus, Plex has native Harmony support

I'd like to hear what other CPers are using in their HTPC setup.

[oilyfan]

That's sounds like a one TV setup, do you have multiple TV's and if so are you running a Mac Mini for each of them?

[MickMcGeough]

Originally Posted by oilyfan

That's sounds like a one TV setup, do you have multiple TV's and if so are you running a Mac Mini for each of them?

I run a client-only Plex instance off my MacBook Pro for my 2nd TV. One day I'll get around to jailbreaking my Apple TV 2 again and run the Plex client off that instead.

I looked around for a good multi-room setup and found that the cheapest client box I could get for any software was the Apple TV 2. Any other suggestions?

I'm planning on installing the Samsung Plex client on my blu-ray player and seeing how that works, but I'm not holding my breath.

[oilyfan]

Oh yeah my setup:

I have 4Tb Windows Home Server, with an older Core 2 computer running Sabnzbd newsreader + Sickbeard + Media Center Master.

It is also completely automated - Sickbeard queues up new shows (checking every hour), Sabnzbd downloads them and drops them into a watched folder, media center master processes the file by downloading metadata and moving them to the server into the appropriate folder.

Then I use a mix of devices to watch across the home (no that I have much time with a 2 year old running around)
1. Xbox 360's using Windows Media Center with Mediabrowser
2. Jailbroken Apple TV's
3. 2 Boxee Boxes
4. also use airvideo to watch on iPad or airplay them on the ATV's

I have been looking for a simpler solution though

[Tinordi]

I'm running an ASROCK ion 330 nettop using the xbmcfreak build of XBMClive on linux. Absolutely love it, especially with the hockeystreams.com plugin.

The other integral component of my HTPC setup is my Tranquil PC Windows Home Server which has Sickbeard, Couchpotato, Subsonic, SABNZBD, utorrent all automated from anywhere over https.

[MickMcGeough]

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

I run a client-only Plex instance off my MacBook Pro for my 2nd TV. One day I'll get around to jailbreaking my Apple TV 2 again and run the Plex client off that instead.

I looked around for a good multi-room setup and found that the cheapest client box I could get for any software was the Apple TV 2. Any other suggestions?

I'm planning on installing the Samsung Plex client on my blu-ray player and seeing how that works, but I'm not holding my breath.

Hmm apparently I can install Plex directly on my TV too... will definitely try that out.

[MickMcGeough]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

I'm running an ASROCK ion 330 nettop using the xbmcfreak build of XBMClive on linux. Absolutely love it, especially with the hockeystreams.com plugin.

The other integral component of my HTPC setup is my Tranquil PC Windows Home Server which has Sickbeard, Couchpotato, Subsonic, SABNZBD, utorrent all automated from anywhere over https.

Can you tell me more details about the hockeystreams.com plugin? Anything for NFL?

[oilyfan]

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

I run a client-only Plex instance off my MacBook Pro for my 2nd TV. One day I'll get around to jailbreaking my Apple TV 2 again and run the Plex client off that instead.

I looked around for a good multi-room setup and found that the cheapest client box I could get for any software was the Apple TV 2. Any other suggestions?

I'm planning on installing the Samsung Plex client on my blu-ray player and seeing how that works, but I'm not holding my breath.

The jailbroken Apple TV2 is almost the holy grail of a thin client, but its weakness is horsepower, it will stutter on 1080p.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

Can you tell me more details about the hockeystreams.com plugin? Anything for NFL?

Well Hockeystreams is a grey area streaming website. They have a plugin where you can watch SD wmv feeds through XBMClive or I believe HD flash feeds if you're using XBMC on windows.

[MickMcGeough]

Originally Posted by oilyfan

The jailbroken Apple TV2 is almost the holy grail of a thin client, but its weakness is horsepower, it will stutter on 1080p.

Yeah I ran XBMC on it for awhile and it was impressive that they'd ported almost the entire app over to the ATV2 but performance was definitely lacking.

[silentsim]

Plex+Sabnzbd+Sickbeard on a mac Mini.

Amazing.

Jailbroken ATV 2's with Plex on the other tv's, aside from one Samsung LED TV that has Internet@TV with a Plex Client.

[silentsim]

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

I run a client-only Plex instance off my MacBook Pro for my 2nd TV. One day I'll get around to jailbreaking my Apple TV 2 again and run the Plex client off that instead.

I looked around for a good multi-room setup and found that the cheapest client box I could get for any software was the Apple TV 2. Any other suggestions?

I'm planning on installing the Samsung Plex client on my blu-ray player and seeing how that works, but I'm not holding my breath.

Roku 2 is another choice. 1080p, built in wireless, can be had under 100$ shipped from Amazon.com.
(has a plex client without the need of a jailbreak)

[Tinordi]

Anyone used Boxee box?

[silentsim]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Anyone used Boxee box?

I tried one out at around launch, it was pretty buggy. Not sure if they have fixed them or not.....

I do prefer the Plex design over the Boxee design too.

[GreatWhiteEbola]

I am running PMS on my TV, works so well even my GF is not confused by it.

[morgin]

I have a very similar setup to the OP, except I've largely stopped using torrents in favour of nzbmatrix and sabnzb.

What I'm looking for is a way to automate that "last step". Everything that gets downloaded goes into a "completed" folder on the mac mini. I have two external drives plugged in (one that does time machine backup of the mac mini HD and also has movies, the other is all tv shows). What i want is a way to automatically move files from the completed folder to one of those two externals based on what the file is. The way I have it now, it doesnt go into the plex library until I manually move it as plex server is only watching the external drives. I usually just use the videos plug in aspect of plex to browse to the "completed" directory and play the file from there.

Any of you plex users have a more elegant solution?

[silentsim]

Originally Posted by morgin

I have a very similar setup to the OP, except I've largely stopped using torrents in favour of nzbmatrix and sabnzb.

What I'm looking for is a way to automate that "last step". Everything that gets downloaded goes into a "completed" folder on the mac mini. I have two external drives plugged in (one that does time machine backup of the mac mini HD and also has movies, the other is all tv shows). What i want is a way to automatically move files from the completed folder to one of those two externals based on what the file is. The way I have it now, it doesnt go into the plex library until I manually move it as plex server is only watching the external drives. I usually just use the videos plug in aspect of plex to browse to the "completed" directory and play the file from there.

Any of you plex users have a more elegant solution?

If your using newsgroups, use Sickbeard. It automatically fetches the NZB, runs a post scrip on sabnzbd where it moves it into the appropriate TV folder and alerts plex to update the library.
It's free.

[Rathji]

I am not a mac guy but couldn't you just write a small script so that when something goes into the folder, it runs a command, like

mv /<source>/Old_and_Wrinkled_Bangers.mp4 /<dest>/Old_and_Wrinkled_Bangers.mp4

[morgin]

Originally Posted by silentsim

If your using newsgroups, use Sickbeard. It automatically fetches the NZB, runs a post scrip on sabnzbd where it moves it into the appropriate TV folder and alerts plex to update the library.
It's free.

I'll have to give this a try. I stopped being tech savvy a while ago though, so the fact this is only available as a python source kind of scares me haha.

[silentsim]

Originally Posted by morgin

I'll have to give this a try. I stopped being tech savvy a while ago though, so the fact this is only available as a python source kind of scares me haha.

http://www.jetshred.com/2010/05/13/i...n-mac-os-10-6/