Anyone use NAS (network attached storage) for iTunes?

[stevefo]

I really want to use NAS for my iTunes folder but I have some questions.

1. Can my ATV use the NAS (iTunes folder) if my computer is off?
2. Is there a special way to set up iTunes on a NAS?
3. I have a wireless AC router and FiOs internet. I assume that plenty fast?
4. Does the NAS go to sleep and wake up when ATV wants to access it?

Here is what i'm Looking at.
http://www.amazon.com/Cloud-Persona...d=1451578467&sr=8-2&keywords=wd+cloud+storage


I already use a USB3 HD for my iTunes library and it has worked flawlessly when my macbook is sleeping and plugged in.

 

[cynics]

I'm curious about this too from someone actually doing it.

From my experience even a NAS solution that has "iTunes support" won't host the files directly. You will still need to need to be running iTunes with home sharing on a computer to host the files for an AppleTV.

Makes sense from a piracy stand point but still disappointing.

 

[zhaoxin]

I have a WD My Cloud 3TB. So I guess I could answer you part of the questions as I don't own an Apple TV.

Firstly, iTunes on NAS is a service, not a folder kind of thing. The service on NAS, or called the iTunes server on NAS, can scan the songs in NAS and provide them as an iTunes library.

However, according to this video. iOS devices and Apple TV need iTunes home sharing protocol to play the songs in the library, which WD My Cloud does not support. The iTunes library it provides can only works with iTunes in OS X.

 

[stevefo]

I have a WD My Cloud 3TB. So I guess I could answer you part of the questions as I don't own an Apple TV.

Firstly, iTunes on NAS is a service, not a folder kind of thing. The service on NAS, or called the iTunes server on NAS, can scan the songs in NAS and provide them as an iTunes library.

However, according to this video. iOS devices and Apple TV need iTunes home sharing protocol to play the songs in the library, which WD My Cloud does not support. The iTunes library it provides can only works with iTunes in OS X.

Good information, Thanks!

 

[dogslobber]

I really want to use NAS for my iTunes folder but I have some questions.

1. Can my ATV use the NAS (iTunes folder) if my computer is off?
2. Is there a special way to set up iTunes on a NAS?
3. I have a wireless AC router and FiOs internet. I assume that plenty fast?
4. Does the NAS go to sleep and wake up when ATV wants to access it?

Here is what i'm Looking at.
http://www.amazon.com/Cloud-Persona...d=1451578467&sr=8-2&keywords=wd+cloud+storage


I already use a USB3 HD for my iTunes library and it has worked flawlessly when my macbook is sleeping and plugged in.

You enable to iTunes service on your NAS server. The likes of QNAP offer this under the Network Services tab.

 

[mmomega]

I store my entire iTunes folder on my Synology NAS.

You can not setup iTunes on a NAS all you can do is point iTunes to the NAS so that it knows where all the media files are stored so the files aren't stored locally on your computer.

The iTunes application whether Windows or OSX must be actively running on a computer just as always to share video files (homesharing) to AppleTV.

So again all you're doing is relocating the media files off of the computer.
A NAS setup would work exactly the way you have it on your USB3 drive except it would stream over your network rather than a USB3 cable.

If you have a powerful enough NAS you can however run Plex Media Server on it and then install the Plex app on the new AppleTV and not need iTunes at all for TV Shows, Movies, or Music.

 

[stevefo]

I store my entire iTunes folder on my Synology NAS.

You can not setup iTunes on a NAS all you can do is point iTunes to the NAS so that it knows where all the media files are stored so the files aren't stored locally on your computer.

The iTunes application whether Windows or OSX must be actively running on a computer just as always to share video files (homesharing) to AppleTV.

So again all you're doing is relocating the media files off of the computer.
A NAS setup would work exactly the way you have it on your USB3 drive except it would stream over your network rather than a USB3 cable.

If you have a powerful enough NAS you can however run Plex Media Server on it and then install the Plex app on the new AppleTV and not need iTunes at all for TV Shows, Movies, or Music.

Have you had any connectivity issues over wifi? For example, when you reboot your Mac/PC does it re-connect and locate the iTunes folder? Any sleep issues with the NAS and your Mac/PC?

 

[dogslobber]

I store my entire iTunes folder on my Synology NAS.

You can not setup iTunes on a NAS all you can do is point iTunes to the NAS so that it knows where all the media files are stored so the files aren't stored locally on your computer.

Maybe on the cheap NAS which are no more than a JBOD but QNAP has the service in software.

 

[mmomega]

Maybe on the cheap NAS which are no more than a JBOD but QNAP has the service in software.

You still can't install iTunes on a QNAP either, for HomeSharing to work you need an actively open application of iTunes, on a computer.
QNAP calls it "iTunes Server" all it is doing is hosting your iTunes media on the NAS, iTunes is not installed on it.

What I'm saying is you can not simply have a NAS with "iTunes server" and a AppleTV and watch movies or tv shows from the NAS. You must have a computer as well with iTunes open and running.

 

[mmomega]

Have you had any connectivity issues over wifi? For example, when you reboot your Mac/PC does it re-connect and locate the iTunes folder? Any sleep issues with the NAS and your Mac/PC?

I have had a few occasions after a power outtage when both the NAS and computer were offline that the computer didn't automatically use the NAS folder. iTunes will essentially say "Hey, I've lost track of your media can you point me to it again"
You can Option Click iTunes when opening and tell it where your media folder is.

Other than that I never had connection issues in regards to the network, all music/movies streamed just fine.
My particular NAS I am using now I've never had issues with... sleep/wakeup/or streaming.
I did however have issues probably 6-7years ago when WD 1st released their MyWorld NAS devices. That thing had a transfer rate of around 4MB/s and streaming anything from it was horrible, constantly buffering.

Just so you can kind of visualize my older setup.

I had a dedicated Mac Mini that it's primary job was being an iTunes server for 5 AppleTV's at home.
So Mac Mini ran iTunes
Synology DS1515+ NAS storing all media files
and Apple Airport Extreme Base Stations (latest 802.11ac models)

The Mac Mini is hardwired with CAT6
The DS1515+ is hardwired with CAT6
both devices connected to the AEBS which served the files up over WiFi to the AppleTV's

and this worked perfectly and I could stream from 2-3 AppleTV's at the same time with no buffering issues, I never thought to try all 5 at the same time just because that would never happen at my house.

----------------
since the AppleTV 4 has come out I have completely changed all of this for something that is better for me personally. It just gave me new options.

 

[sliceoftoast]

I just created a network share on my NAS called iTunes, on the Mac i told iTunes where the library was to be saved. The library is pushing over 4TB of content now. I don't use the iTunes server on the NAS

This has worked well for me, only issue is iTunes has to be open on the Mac before the Apple TV will access the content.