HomeSharing without iTunes?

[awh5017]

Is there a way to stream my media (photos, videos, music, etc.) from a hard drive wirelessly to my Apple TV?

I don't want to have to store all my content within iTunes on my main machine. I know I could always save my content onto a portable hard drive and import them onto my library, but I don't always want to have to leave my computer on.

What I was trying to do is use my router as a NAS (Network Access Storage). I have a good D-Link at home, but I know iTunes won't recognize a non-Apple product. I was hoping to use an Airport Extreme or Time Capsule, but I was told it wouldn't work when I went to an Apple store and ask.

Basically what I'm asking is am I able to plug a portable storage device into a router and have the Apple TV recognize it and stream the content within the portable hard drive wirelessly without being in iTunes?

 

[awh5017]

Does anyone know if a LaCie Wireless Space (LaCie - LaCie Wireless Space) would work?

The product details mentions that it works with iTunes. I'm not technically savvy enough to understand how it would work. Could someone explain it to me if it would work?

Thanks

 

[Slyfi]

any wifi router made in the last 5 years or so should work,

all iTunes does is connect through the WiFi to another device so doesn't really matter what router you have as long as it can broadcast and receive WiFi signals your set

as for streaming to ATV you need to have your comp open and connected to iTunes in order to stream because iTunes holds the drivers for it.

 

[Fausty82]

The HomeShare uses the iTunes as the media server... I have all of my media is stored on a NAS, but it is "served via iTunes on a computer - that must be "on" when you are wanting to share media. The key is to configure iTunes to NOT move all media into the iTunes database... but wherever the media content lives, for HomeShare to work will require iTunes somewhere in the process serving the media...

Haven't found any other way...

 

[armandxp]

WD My Drive live 2TB

HankAZ,

So glad I found your post on here. I've been looking everywhere for confirmation that ATV2 will stream from a NAS. I'm really interested in the Western Digital My Drive live 2TB. This is my first adventure into NAS, and only want to spend a couple hundred dollars right now. So I guess this drive will work with the new ATV2. One question I do have is: Why does this particular hard drive say that it has an iTunes server? I don't quite understand what they mean by that. Would you have any better recommendations other than the WD drive? Thanks!

Terry

 

[Fausty82]

iTunes is the media server in this process... you CAN share your media from a NAS, but several things are necessary... the media must be in an iTunes compatible format (i.e., NO .wmv, etc)... and you MUST have iTunes running as the media server. The trick is to configure iTunes to point the iTunes library itself to the NAS datastore. You CANNOT just stick media on a NAS drive and have the Apple TV find it and play it.

In iTunes, go to PREFERENCES / ADVANCED and set the iTunes Media folder location to a folder on your NAS...

BUT YOU STILL need to have iTunes serving up the media to the AppleTV, and by doing this, your media will not be available to your local machine if you are not connected to the NAS (e.g., you take you laptop to the coffee shop, etc.).

I don't know anything about that particular drive/NAS... I am using an Iomega StorCenter NAS and it works as I have described above...

 

[armandxp]

nas storage

Thanks for your help in the previous post. I've been researching the NAS that you have. The iomega storcenter 2tb looks like it would work out for me and it's nice that it would keep a mirror image incase one drive would fail. Are you pretty happy with this nas or have any other tips to share about it? Had any problems with your apple tv2 and this nas at all? I want to share this with two apple tvs and understand everything about leaving my computer and iTunes running for it to work. Seems like a good setup.

Thanks,

Terry

 

[Fausty82]

Nope... I've only had the NAS about a month now... but it seems rock solid... and haven't had any issues with my setup at all... works like I hoped it would. The NAS was a bit of a splurge, as it's pricey, but I am very happy with it... Would definitely do it again...