Airport Express/Apple TV + Ethernet Hard Drive

[hollerz]

Would something like this...

http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=44R8&CategorySelectedId=11157&PageMode=1&NavigationKey=11157,393600000,47610000&v=2#infoarea

work with the Ethernet port in the Airport Express, and be accessible from all computers?

Same with the Apple TV, do you think it would work with the ethernet port on that? (but also be able to stream videos wirelessly from a computer)

Thanks!

[aristobrat]

If you plug that drive into an ethernet port on the back of the router, any computer should be able to mount it and copy files to/from it. It'd be the same as if you plugged a regular USB external drive into the back of the new Airport Extreme.

I'm confused about what you're asking about the Apple TV. As I understand it, if you plugged the Buffalo NAS into the ethernet port of the Apple TV, nothing would happen. It wouldn't expand the storage available to the Apple TV, and the Apple TV wouldn't be able to see any content on it.

[smartin684]

I dont think you need to pay the extra expense for a NAS storage drive. Just get an external drive (high RPM model) and attach that to the Extreme. Your iTV should be able to see it, as well as other computers on the network. Airport Extreme esentially takes the place of the NAS enclosure. With the money you save, you can get a larger storage drive.

[hollerz]

If you plug that drive into an ethernet port on the back of the router, any computer should be able to mount it and copy files to/from it. It'd be the same as if you plugged a regular USB external drive into the back of the new Airport Extreme.

I'm confused about what you're asking about the Apple TV. As I understand it, if you plugged the Buffalo NAS into the ethernet port of the Apple TV, nothing would happen. It wouldn't expand the storage available to the Apple TV, and the Apple TV wouldn't be able to see any content on it.

Basically I want Apple TV to stream video from the hard drive on my MBP and from an external hard drive. If I get that drive and then plug it into a port on my router, would Apple TV be able to read content off it?


I dont think you need to pay the extra expense for a NAS storage drive. Just get an external drive (high RPM model) and attach that to the Extreme. Your iTV should be able to see it, as well as other computers on the network. Airport Extreme esentially takes the place of the NAS enclosure. With the money you save, you can get a larger storage drive.


I thought about getting the Extreme and a USB hard drive, but I need the AirTunes feature of the Airport Express.

[aristobrat]

Basically I want Apple TV to stream video from the hard drive on my MBP and from an external hard drive. If I get that drive and then plug it into a port on my router, would Apple TV be able to read content off it?
From what I've read, a computer running iTunes needs to push content to the Apple TV -- the Apple TV itself can't go out on your network and find content that you've saved out there for it.

[hollerz]

From what I've read, a computer running iTunes needs to push content to the Apple TV -- the Apple TV itself can't go out on your network and find content that you've saved out there for it.

ahh i see. so basically it would work as long as the files are in itunes, but they can still be stored on the external hard drive?

[aristobrat]

Yeah, you can setup iTunes so that your library is on an external drive. I've never used a NAS drive like the one you linked to above, but I have put my iTunes library on an external drive attached via USB with no problems.

[hollerz]

sounds good. thanks for your help!

although I'd like to have iTunes manage my music as it is now (on my internal hard drive), but manage my videos/TV shows manually on my external hard drive. as far as i can see, i can't have iTunes do that?

[aristobrat]

If you hold the shift key down when you launch iTunes, I think it'll ask you which library you want to connect to.

I don't think you'll have a problem keeping a library on your computer, and then keeping another library on your external drive, although you'll only be able to manage one of them at a time. If that makes any sense. :confused: :D

[grockk]

sounds good. thanks for your help!

although I'd like to have iTunes manage my music as it is now (on my internal hard drive), but manage my videos/TV shows manually on my external hard drive. as far as i can see, i can't have iTunes do that?

you can have two seperate library files. My older brother has like 10 library files for all the different kinds of content he has managed in different locations.

Set one file for you music managed on internal and one file for video managed on external. I think there are even a couple applescripts that switch for you.

[grockk]

If you hold the shift key down when you launch iTunes, I think it'll ask you which library you want to connect to.

I don't think you'll have a problem keeping a library on your computer, and then keeping another library on your external drive, although you'll only be able to manage one of them at a time. If that makes any sense. :confused: :D

beat me to it. ok then for another idea is that you could have a virtual machine set up to with iTunes running and managing the video on the external at the same time as your normal iTunes library.

[hollerz]

Thanks for the tip, I created another library (which I didn't know you could do!) but as far as I can tell you can only have one library open at a time?

That seems pretty useless to me lol, I'd have to manually switch to my video library every time I wanted to watch a video on Apple TV.

I guess I'll have wait and see what happens with iTV in the future

[sblasl]

Check out these new products from Buffalo. They are called the LinkStation/TerraStation Live.

http://www.buffalotech.com/products/network-storage/linkstation/linkstation-live/

http://www.buffalotech.com/products/network-storage/terastation/terastation-live/

"• Seamlessly Integrates with iTunes® 7 and Allows you to Access your Music Files on the LinkStation/TerraStation from Your iTunes Software"

10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet port and Jumbo Frame capability for higher transfer speeds

Pickup one of these too.

http://www.buffalotech.com/products/wireless/wireless-n-nfiniti-dual-band/wireless-n-nfiniti-dual-band-gigabit-router-access-point/

Get the new Buffalo Nfiniti Dual Band Gigabit Router & AccessPoint is based on IEEE Draft 802.11n specifications and delivers ultimate connectivity for your wireless world. It is fast, versatile and now offers a built-in auto sensing 4-port 10/100/1000 Gigabit switch. For deployments within a local network this router even offers Gigabit speeds on the WAN port.

[aristobrat]

That seems pretty useless to me lol, I'd have to manually switch to my video library every time I wanted to watch a video on Apple TV.
Yeah, that is kinda cumbersome.

I don't know if it'd help any with how you'd use it, but you can also push content to the :apple: TV's 40gb drive from your video library to be watched at a later time, so you're not totally stuck with having to stream it "live" from your computer.

[hollerz]

Storing video on Apple TV itself probably wouldn't work for me, I usually don't know which episode or whatever I'm gonna watch before I've sat down.

I think the easiest way is just gonna be to get an ethernet HDD, and store all my music and videos on that, and just keep a few of my favorite albums on the MBP for when I'm on the go.

That should work allright for me!

Thanks a lot for your help!!