Home Media Hub/Server (Powerbook/Mac Mini/PS3/help!

[KingDunk]

Hello all,

I would like to set up a home media hub. I have the following devices I would like to be able to access the media:

Powerbook (1.5Ghz)
Mac Mini (Core 2 duo)
PS3 -> HDTV
Old Pentium3 PC to an old Sony tube tv.

I also have an old Pentium4 PC which I was planning to use as the server. I was planning to throw in a 750gb HD instead of running this all off my external (which is what I use now hooked up to the Powerbook).

How would I go about doing this? The router is hooked up to the mac mini at the moment.

Thanks,
-D

 

[boylanj64]

I'm embarking on much the same project as you, except without the P3 desktop and with the addition of a TiVo. So, this is hardly a hard and fast answer, but just some ideas for what I'd do.

With your setup, I'd install the 750 gb hard drive on the P4 desktop. I'm assuming you also want to watch tv with this, so I would install a tuner card and recording software on there. Don't go with something fancy, you're not going to be viewing this frequently and will leave it running, so on such an old architecture you don't want to hog resources. Install iTunes on the P4 desktop and transfer all your music and media to there. Next, install Roxio Toast 9 Titanium on the Mac Mini and PB. Connect the mini to your HDTV (I'm assuming you have a DVI input, if not you'll need a converter). You can stream recorded shows from the P4 to the mini and PB then play them back on Roxio, or use roxio to change them to an itunes friendly format. You can obviously use remote access to access your itunes from either the mini or PB. I wouldn't bother connecting the PS3 to the media, as it will presumably be connected to the same tv as the mini.

A few thoughts: In my house, I'm installing airport express base stations in every room and connecting them to speakers. Then, I can stream iTunes from my server (I'm using a mini with 4 TB in external as my server) and can use the remote app on my iphone to control the media in each room over my wifi. I don't know how ambitious you're getting, but it is really cool. Secondly, this solution is not going to allow you to watch live tv, unless you want to do through so your P4, which I imagine would be awkward. So, you'll probably need to get a second feed connection so you can plug one directly in to the tv to watch.