Best way to set up a media server that connects to AppleTV + multiple computers?

[ethana]

Best way to set up a media server that connects to AppleTV + multiple computers?

My wife wants to listen to a bunch of music via the AppleTV (2nd floor), and also on her laptop (3rd floor), and I also want to listen to it on my laptop (3rd floor), as well as my work computer (1st floor).

I was thinking of setting up a Mac Mini as a central server, with documents, video, audio, etc. But then I realized I'd have to have all of the music loaded into iTunes, and iTunes would need to be open all of the time. Also, adding new music would be a pain because I'd have to remote in an add it directly to iTunes.

Is there a simpler way to do this? Do Mac OS X Server have some type of media setup associated with it?

Has anyone done anything like this with purely Apple products only?

Ethan

 

[rgarjr]

Whats wrong with iTunes being opened all the time? U can dump music into its Automatically Add to iTunes folder to add new tunes to it.

 

[paduck]

Best way to set up a media server that connects to AppleTV + multiple computers?

My wife wants to listen to a bunch of music via the AppleTV (2nd floor), and also on her laptop (3rd floor), and I also want to listen to it on my laptop (3rd floor), as well as my work computer (1st floor).

I was thinking of setting up a Mac Mini as a central server, with documents, video, audio, etc. But then I realized I'd have to have all of the music loaded into iTunes, and iTunes would need to be open all of the time. Also, adding new music would be a pain because I'd have to remote in an add it directly to iTunes.

Is there a simpler way to do this? Do Mac OS X Server have some type of media setup associated with it?

Has anyone done anything like this with purely Apple products only?

This is basically what I am doing. I built a Hackintosh server and put it on a rack. I remote in to maintain the iTunes library which is a subset of what I have on my main computer. But really a Mac Mini with a large external hard disk (if you have tons of video) would be good as well. In fact, if you have less than 500GB of data, you can just use the Mac Mini. That Mac Mini can be on all the time and you are right - it has to have iTunes open all the time. If you have an Airport Extreme or Time Capsule as your router, then you can have the Mini go to sleep and wake up when you need it. That will save you power, but really, a Mini sips power anyway.

There is a maintenance overhead, but I've found it quite worth it. I am using my server for both Time Machine backup and as a media server. You don't need OS X Server to do this, plain old OS X will do this just fine. The remote management really isn't that big a problem - with screen sharing and iTunes Home Sharing, it is pretty easy to copy things from iTunes on several computers.

Good luck!

 

[ethana]

Whats wrong with iTunes being opened all the time? U can dump music into its Automatically Add to iTunes folder to add new tunes to it.

I just read that it has that folder... I didn't know that before. I guess that pretty much solves my issue then. Thanks!

 

[ethana]

This is basically what I am doing. I built a Hackintosh server and put it on a rack. I remote in to maintain the iTunes library which is a subset of what I have on my main computer. But really a Mac Mini with a large external hard disk (if you have tons of video) would be good as well. In fact, if you have less than 500GB of data, you can just use the Mac Mini. That Mac Mini can be on all the time and you are right - it has to have iTunes open all the time. If you have an Airport Extreme or Time Capsule as your router, then you can have the Mini go to sleep and wake up when you need it. That will save you power, but really, a Mini sips power anyway.

There is a maintenance overhead, but I've found it quite worth it. I am using my server for both Time Machine backup and as a media server. You don't need OS X Server to do this, plain old OS X will do this just fine. The remote management really isn't that big a problem - with screen sharing and iTunes Home Sharing, it is pretty easy to copy things from iTunes on several computers.

Good luck!

So I spent some time working on this last night and I just cant quite use it the way it's setup. The problem is that there is just too much management overhead. If my wife could create playlists on the Home Share via iTunes, then it would work great, but she can only create her playlists locally (not directly on the Home Share).

Any ideas here?