Getting a NAS - what do I need to think about?

[donka]

This question may not be connected to this thread but while reading it, something crossed my mind: Is it possible to have itunes in a cloud?

Unfortunately no. Many NAS devices offer an iTunes server function but that is only to serve up the media library, you still need a Mac or PC to run the iTunes client software.

 

[Biggysmallz]

This question may not be connected to this thread but while reading it, something crossed my mind: Is it possible to have itunes in a cloud?

Unfortunately no. Many NAS devices offer an iTunes server function but that is only to serve up the media library, you still need a Mac or PC to run the iTunes client software.

Thanks for your response.

 

[JJK]

I'm thinking about the Qnap TS-412. It's a bit expensive but having 4 disks is tempting when it comes to RAID.

A less expensive model would be D-Link DNS-320.

Anyone using the Qnap or Dlink (or maybe a similar Synology)?

Not only that. The 4 drives give you also a lot of storage. The QNap comes good out of the reviews. They also have an active forum. You could go there to have a look.

The Dlink is a lower end model, but still a good choice. As I mentioned before. i have been happy with mine for many years.

Sent from my iPad using iPF

 

[Lagranger]

Media streaming

Although a few posts have touched on this, I thought I'd highlight media streaming from a NAS (if that is even a consideration for you).

If you want to stream Apple DRM'ed media (protected content you bought via iTunes, basically) then you really can't stream directly from the NAS without a Mac/PC running iTunes, as noted previously.

On the other hand, if you're planning to play your own movies stored on the NAS that you've already transcoded into iOS-compatible .mp4 files, then you want to look for a unit that supports the streaming protocol you decide to use. Currently the two most popular choices are UPnP/DLNA and SMB/CIFs shares.

For UPnP/DLNA you'll need a compatible player such as BUZZ Player HD or MLPlayer. (As an aside, XBMC is a great and free multitplatform UPnP/DLNA player for desktop machines)

Another option is that some player apps will allow streaming over SMB/CIFS shares, so you need an app that supports streaming over this type of fileshare. The tricky thing is that to properly support actual streaming (i.e. allowing your video to start playing immediately w/o having to download the entire movie file to the iPad first, scrubbing, etc) the embedded SMB server in the NAS must support it. How can you tell? It can be difficult, since not all NAS units reveal that type of info. One approach is to research the various media player apps and see if they list compatible NAS devices. Another way is to get the NAS first then just start trying a bunch of apps to see which ones work.

Anyway, hope this helps. I keep a bunch of the family's movies on a homebuilt NAS/media-server and it saves a huge amount space in not having to sync them onto the iPad just to watch.

 

[RAC]

Although a few posts have touched on this, I thought I'd highlight media streaming from a NAS (if that is even a consideration for you).
<Snip>
For UPnP/DLNA you'll need a compatible player such as BUZZ Player HD or MLPlayer. (As an aside, XBMC is a great and free multitplatform UPnP/DLNA player for desktop machines)

Another option is that some player apps will allow streaming over SMB/CIFS shares, so you need an app that supports streaming over this type of fileshare.
<Snip>

As an example, the Western Digital MWBE NAS a built in Twonky Media Server. I don't understand its capabilities and haven't really explored just what it can do but I think that it is a good illustration of what to look for. This actually supports iTunes but (sigh) only via an online PC I think.

Also, FileBrowser, iFiles etc will play pictures and media. I am not sure this counts as streaming. You certainly don't explicitly load the files onto the iPad but they may be temporarily downloaded.

 

[Laban]

Although a few posts have touched on this, I thought I'd highlight media streaming from a NAS (if that is even a consideration for you).



If you want to stream Apple DRM'ed media (protected content you bought via iTunes, basically) then you really can't stream directly from the NAS without a Mac/PC running iTunes, as noted previously.



On the other hand, if you're planning to play your own movies stored on the NAS that you've already transcoded into iOS-compatible .mp4 files, then you want to look for a unit that supports the streaming protocol you decide to use. Currently the two most popular choices are UPnP/DLNA and SMB/CIFs shares.



For UPnP/DLNA you'll need a compatible player such as BUZZ Player HD or MLPlayer. (As an aside, XBMC is a great and free multitplatform UPnP/DLNA player for desktop machines)



Another option is that some player apps will allow streaming over SMB/CIFS shares, so you need an app that supports streaming over this type of fileshare. The tricky thing is that to properly support actual streaming (i.e. allowing your video to start playing immediately w/o having to download the entire movie file to the iPad first, scrubbing, etc) the embedded SMB server in the NAS must support it. How can you tell? It can be difficult, since not all NAS units reveal that type of info. One approach is to research the various media player apps and see if they list compatible NAS devices. Another way is to get the NAS first then just start trying a bunch of apps to see which ones work.



Anyway, hope this helps. I keep a bunch of the family's movies on a homebuilt NAS/media-server and it saves a huge amount space in not having to sync them onto the iPad just to watch.

Great info, thanks for sharing!

Sent from my OMNIA7 using Board Express

 

[Laban]

A follow up question on this:

If I put all photos, music and videos on my NAS I can then add the NAS location to all my installations on my computers that are running iTunes?

Also, nothing will be copied to each local computer but all information stays on the NAS?

 

[donka]

A follow up question on this:

If I put all photos, music and videos on my NAS I can then add the NAS location to all my installations on my computers that are running iTunes?

Also, nothing will be copied to each local computer but all information stays on the NAS?

Many NAS devices offer an iTunes server feature that will do this.
Without this I'm unsure about how it works but in theory you should be able to just change the location of your iTunes library to the NAS. The issue without the iTunes server feature would be on how it is handled with more than one iTunes client accessing it.

 

[dyno]

You might want to consider plug computers like TonidoPlug. They have an iPad app as well to access files, music and ipad supported video formats.

It also supports AirPlay. worth checking out. But it doesn't have RAID capability though.

 

[K1W1]

Qnap have a App called Qmobile which works on iPhone / iPod Touch and iPad and allows you to connect to your Qnap NAS and access media (photos, music and video) either locally via your home wifi or via the Internet remotely if you want.
The interface is a little clunky but it works and works fairly well in my experience.

 

[JJK]

I did a lot of searching on the web and my choice is the Synology DS1511. It came great out of the reviews, has 5 bays and has a great performance. I will get it next month.

Sent from my iPad using iPF

 

[spgary]

I picked up a WD My Book Live to go with a previously owned WDTV live. This turned out to be a good choice for me. I was successfully able to configure remote access with filebrowser app. It works great within the network as well as over the internet

Now i can access my NAS from anywhere, virtually increasing my ipad storage to 2TB