Hardware:
I'm in the midst of a purchasing decision and I'm looking for advice from the experts in here as I'm completely lost in the details/variables (I made the mistake of trying to ask this question elsewhere and had no luck)
So, I have a media room where my main set-up is at. A 5.1 system, the big TV, and eventually -- My CPU. I'm trying to figure out the ideal set-up for streaming HD video to my Apple TV, and also reaching a yet-to-be purchased pair of outdoor (wireless) speakers.
From a hardware requirement standpoint, I have a fairly dense workflow that I'll need my machine(s) to be able to handle 8GB RAM is the least I can go with.
One thing I'm specifically wanting to know is: Have any of you comfortably used a laptop as a work-machine + media hub (attached to external drives)? Or would it be in my best interest to buy a desktop + an air?
Portability will become more and more important to me over the next year, but I love the idea of having a dedicated machine. I've been circling around a 15"rMBP vs. an iMac/MacMini + a refurb Air.
Aside from the CPU, I'm also wondering if it would be in my best interest to add an NAS to my set-up? An Airport Express (for the outdoor speakers)? Or whether there was a better way to reach the outdoor speakers?
My receiver has a feature that allows anyone with an iOS device to submit their music to a queuing/playlist, but I'm not sure if that will be possible if we're outside? Or, if there's a different product that has that function?
Sorry, I feel like I know what I need to do at a high-level, but that's not really helping me at this point. Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.
- Apple TV
- Pioneer VSX 1021 (w/Airplay + Music queing system)
- Panasonic st 50
- Airport Extreme
I'm in the midst of a purchasing decision and I'm looking for advice from the experts in here as I'm completely lost in the details/variables (I made the mistake of trying to ask this question elsewhere and had no luck)
So, I have a media room where my main set-up is at. A 5.1 system, the big TV, and eventually -- My CPU. I'm trying to figure out the ideal set-up for streaming HD video to my Apple TV, and also reaching a yet-to-be purchased pair of outdoor (wireless) speakers.
From a hardware requirement standpoint, I have a fairly dense workflow that I'll need my machine(s) to be able to handle 8GB RAM is the least I can go with.
One thing I'm specifically wanting to know is: Have any of you comfortably used a laptop as a work-machine + media hub (attached to external drives)? Or would it be in my best interest to buy a desktop + an air?
Portability will become more and more important to me over the next year, but I love the idea of having a dedicated machine. I've been circling around a 15"rMBP vs. an iMac/MacMini + a refurb Air.
Aside from the CPU, I'm also wondering if it would be in my best interest to add an NAS to my set-up? An Airport Express (for the outdoor speakers)? Or whether there was a better way to reach the outdoor speakers?
My receiver has a feature that allows anyone with an iOS device to submit their music to a queuing/playlist, but I'm not sure if that will be possible if we're outside? Or, if there's a different product that has that function?
Sorry, I feel like I know what I need to do at a high-level, but that's not really helping me at this point. Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.
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