AEBS and External HDD for Home Network/Home Theater

[jimmy1984]

I am looking for a recommendation on an inexpensive/reliable external hdd to connect to my AEBS for my home network/ home theater.

I am looking to do 2 things...

1. store my media on the external hdd making the content universally accessible to both my iMac, my wife's Macbook, and the ATV2

2. Set up Time Machine for both computers (on a side note, when I set this up, should plug the external hdd to the computer directly the first time, or will it be ok over the network...just slow?)

Thanks for the help.

 

[Ccrew]

Cheapest way I can think of is a low cost NAS device. Basically what I've done here. You can pick up a bare drive Netgear ReadyNas Duo on Amazon or similar for $199 or so and add two 2tb drives, gives you 2tb in RAID1 or 4tb in JBOD.

Has a built in iTunes server and SMB for shares.

If money is no object look at the Synology offerings, they're about the best out there.

 

[nashmills]

Does a built in iTunes server mean ATV 2 can play media from it without the need for a computer to be on?

 

[gabicava83]

I'd like to know too.

I have an NVX, so would like to store the moves on there through the iTunes server and then sync the data to the ATV2

Does a built in iTunes server mean ATV 2 can play media from it without the need for a computer to be on?

 

[paduck]

Does a built in iTunes server mean ATV 2 can play media from it without the need for a computer to be on?

Some NAS's come with an iTunes server. This allows them to stream non-DRM music. It does NOT allow them to stream video content. To do that, you need a computer on running iTunes as the server. Unfortunately...

 

[jimmy1984]

Actually, if you jailbrake the ATV2 and install XBMC, you can access that content and play it without iTunes.

I am just curious if there is a preferred type/model/make of external hard drive that folks have had success with, specifically connected to an AEBS.