NAS with iTunes server and ATV2

[dlegend]

Anyone have any experience with a NAS running iTunes server and streaming to ATV2?

I have a macbook and too big of a library to it on the internal drive. It's also annoying turning on my mac and connecting an external, not moving it, etc.

I've been thinking about buying a cheap computer to use as a server and possibly use it to encode movies, but I came across the ZyXEL NAS that has an iTunes server. Anyone used it or something similar?

 

[Mawal]

Itunes does not run on a NAS. You have to go with the computer solution. The term Itunes Server on a NAS is grossly misleading.

 

[blueroom]

As far as I know all Linux based "iTunes" servers use a program called Firefly (DAAP). This will show up as a share on iTunes but not on an unmodified ATV2.

PS Firefly does not support Coverflow and just displays a massive list of all your music.

I'm currently testing out a Win7 iTunes server using a cheap & cheerful Zotac AD02 $320 as a HDDVR & iTunes box.

 

[dlegend]

All I needed to know. Thanks guys. I'll probably just get a cheap $200 computer and plug in an external. Also was considering building a $400 encoding machine earlier in the year so that might be a possibility.

Guess I should have kept that netbook I got for free earlier in the year for this.

That Zotac mini-computer is nice looking. I would probably go with a nettop first though.

 

[blueroom]

I'm also on the fence about an encoding (Handbrake) machine, the Zotac AD02 is really not suited for that. The best would be a machine with HD3000 video as they have Intel Quick Sync