iPod NAS Transcoding Question

[Maydie]

So I have been searching the web for a solution that I am not sure exists. I currently have a hybrid PC and MAC network. My itunes library is currently on my MAC notebook and I share it with the rest of my computers. Additionally I use medialink to transcode and stream my library to my PS3. This works great, however my itunes library is getting to large for my notebook.

As a solution I have been looking at getting a NAS to put my itunes library on and then share that with the rest of my systems and my tv/ps3/home entertainment system.

I do not have to use my PS3 as the go between for streaming itunes data to my TV, its just what I use because medialink is so easy to setup and use.

Is there a way to play my itunes library (video/music) on my TV/home entertainment system, if my itunes library resides on a NAS. I do not want to give up itunes as the rest of my house is set up off it (iphone remote to play my itunes library to speakers in different areas of the house, via airport express hops)

I guess the two questions are: Is there software like medialink for a nas that transcodes the data so that a PS3 can play directly from the NAS itunes library without the use of a computer (ie linking the PS3 to the MAC medialink itunes library that is sharing the library off the NAS) or endless hoours of file conversion (ie Lacie not supporting Mp4)

or is there a NAS that has built in capabilities to stream itunes directly to a tv (through a network bridge) or via the PS3 (no additional systems turned on)

Thanks

 

[smirk]

Maybe I missed it, but when you say "iTunes", are you referring to music or video?

 

[Maydie]

Both

 

[smirk]

I don't really have an answer for you. I'm looking around now for a NAS to serve video and iTunes audio, so I'm interested in what other people say, though.

However, from what I understand you will be hard pressed to find a NAS with enough horsepower to transcode video. Maybe it could do audio, but not if they're protected with DRM because it wouldn't know how to decode the DRM. It takes a lot of CPU to transcode video and those little NAS units usually have only enough to serve out files.

Can anyone add to this?