One iTunes - Two Macs? The best option?

[mkcoo]

I am thinking about making my iMac (bedroom) my iTunes db. I have my MacMini Server in the lounge that i play all my movies etc. Just interested in thoughts of pos/neg of having just the one iTunes to edit/upkeep...

Does iTunes need to be open on my iMac (like when sharing) for the MM to use and play?

Will everything perform the same? Artwork? voice or stream lag?

Any chance (or hope) of multi room play? eg. play same song on both at the same time?

Is home sharing worth looking at?

 

[Hellhammer]

You could just turn on file sharing and see and access all files in the iMac and play them on Mac Mini

 

[wysinawyg]

If you share "on the fly" I don't think the presentation is as good and you're introducing the network as a possible source of glitches, drop outs etc.

I'd keep the iMac as the master but then use Home Sharing on both to keep the mini more or less up to date. Its really very easy now to make sure all the media is on both (or to selectively pick). Doesn't help for synching changes to the files, art, last play etc. but means you should fairly easily be able to keep everything (or as much as you want) available on both.

Look at AirFoil for the same thing on both machines. That will let you treat a computer as a set of AirTunes connected speakers.

 

[mkcoo]

Many thanks.

wysinawyg I think AirFoil will be genius.

I have read a bit about people using NAS as their iTunes hub and didn't realise that could mean connection problems?

The only thing I see with home sharing is running out of storage?

 

[wysinawyg]

Well to take my example I've now got a Macbook, MacMini with Drobo and iMac.

Intention is that MacMini will be the "master" copy with everything on it.

iMac will be the one my wife's iPhone synchs to so will have the full music library plus whatever TV shows and movies she particularly likes / hasn't watched.

Macbook comes on holidays so needs full musci plus whatever videos etc. we're intending to watch on hols.

Whilst in the house you'd still be able to stream everything off the "master" if you wanted, but local copies of the stuff you're expecting to watch and the music mean you don't need all the computers on all of the time and don't have to worry about network glitches mid-show.