Need Advice on Hardware for Streaming Movies

[Sunny8760]

Hi Everyone,

I've been reading comments on the forums, but couldnt find an answer so here it goes...

Current setup:
Lacie External HD = 1T, 7200 RPM
Macbook =*2.16ghz with 4g RAM
Airport Extereme Base Station = latest model setup with N only.

The HD is connected using Firewire 400. The Macbook is connected to AEBS via ethernet.

Problem:
When streaming 720P video source from external HD over local wifi the video hangs every couple of minutes during play.*When streaming the same source from the laptop directly it does not hang (it hangs but less frequently).

Since I dont want to place all my movie files onto my laptop I need your help setting up a system with new or existing hardware to improve streaming. I dont want to transfer movies to laptop, I'd rather keep them on an external HD.

Thanks in advance,

*

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

I'm so confused. What are you streaming to? I assume you're streaming off the MacBook to something else?

 

[Sunny8760]

I'm so confused. What are you streaming to? I assume you're streaming off the MacBook to something else?

Thanks for the reply and sorry for the confusion.

Im streaming movies to my ipad from my macbook. I simply need to know if my hardware is upto the task of doing a good job or should i upgrade the weakest link (macbook)?

Based on the specs of current macbooks or mac mini I think I may have to build a pc with higher performance specs to handle streaming high quality videos.

Thanks

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

What are you using to stream the video? When streaming, your computer is more or less just sending data to the iPad without any processing and your iPad is decoding the video. At least, that's the way true streaming works. If your setup isn't really true streaming and your MacBook is decoding the video and then sending the decoded video to your iPad, then your MacBook might be the issue.

 

[AWallen90]

So the file is on the external which is connected to your macbook and is sending to your iPad? Are you using Airplay for this?

 

[Sunny8760]

So the file is on the external which is connected to your macbook and is sending to your iPad? Are you using Airplay for this?

Yes, exactlly. Im using airplay and not coverting on the fly.