Options for setting up home media server (NAS vs Mac Mini)

[Boyd01]

Note that you MUST have the video drive connected to the "home sharing" Mac for the files to play on AppleTV.

That's a very important point! I don't know if this has been fixed in the new Music and TV apps, but long ago had my library on an external drive and started the app once when the drive wasn't connected. It totally corrupted my library which took awhile to fix.

The problem was, even if you chose an external drive for the media itself, iTunes stored the library database in the default location on your internal drive. So, if you started iTunes without the external drive it completely confused the software (because it couldn't find the media files).

The fix was to manually copy the database file to the external drive and delete the original. In iTunes this was iTunes Library.itl, in the TV app (I think) would be TV Library.tvlibrary

Again, this was 10 years ago so maybe it's fixed now? I had actually forgotten about this when I moved my library from iTunes to the Music/TV apps a few weeks ago and should probably look into this again, since my library is on an external SSD!

 

[Boyd01]

Ok thanks understand now, films not indexed in movies. will continue useing vlc that works well for me

Yeah, that must be it. This feature doesn't share all the video files on your Mac, only the files that are available in the TV app. But there is another advantage to using the built-in media sharing: those videos will also be available in the TV app on any other Mac, iPad or iPhone on your home network. I use that frequently to watch video on my iPad and other Mac, even the iPhone at times.

I think the bottom line is that Apple's media sharing is very easy to setup and it works across all their devices. The downside is that it won't have all the "bells and whistles" of some third party software and of course, you need to use the TV and Music apps which could certainly be a lot better.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Ok thanks understand now, films not indexed in movies. will continue useing vlc that works well for me

Just to clarify: films not indexed in either the TV or iTunes app, depending on which is on your system. That's a simple drag & drop if you decide you want to do it... exactly like dropping a song into Music or iTunes app to add a song to your music collection.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

That's a very important point! I don't know if this has been fixed in the new Music and TV apps, but long ago had my library on an external drive and started the app once when the drive wasn't connected. It totally corrupted my library which took awhile to fix.

I have never experienced the "total corruption" in the very few instances where the drive has disconnected while trying to play something on it. What has always happened to me is AppleTV says something like "can't play the selected movie" and when I check iTunes (then but now) TV (app), I see a little exclamation mark next to that same move which, if clicked, asks me to locate the missing movie file.

If the drive is disconnected, connecting it and then pointing the file to the video file fixes the problem.

Maybe once or twice in well over a decade, I've had to shut down iTunes or TV (apps) and reopen them. Presumably they just partly crash and/or lose their home sharing serving functionality.

Worst case with a bunch of exclamation marks (or when maybe moving the entire library to a new Mac or new storage), delete all files in the iTunes or TV (app) index and then re-add them again to create a fresh index. That's also just a drag & drop operation, even if one has 1000 personal video files to re-add.

 

[Boyd01]

That's a little different from the problem I had. I opened iTunes on my Mac and got a lot of garbage on the screen when the drive wasn't connected. I guess it auto-saved the .itl file? To fix, I had to quit, connect the external disk and go through the library and manually set things like genre and other metadata. Fortunately, my library wasn't too big back then. I think just restoring a backup .itl file would have worked though.

This was a known issue and there were some threads about it here "back in the day".

 

[Timpetus]

My home server is a 2014 base Mini. It still works great as a Plex server and hub for my network. Eventually I'll probably pick up an M1 Mini to replace it, and that will probably perform adequately for another 10+ years!

 

[WCA]

TrueNAS software on old PC with lots of bays is easy and non proprietary and still free. Running SMB gives you full to Mac, iOS, Linux, Windows etc.

For media PLEX seems to still be the preferred software and it runs on the TrueNAS. Movies, TV shows and music and a reasonable menu system.

My TrueNAS is running on a 2003 Tower and it had a cage for six 3.5” and two 2.5” drives.

 

[splifingate]

I stream old family videos, from my drone,

That sounds awkward!

 

[splifingate]

Is there a native Apple app for streaming from a NAS?

My (dumpster-dived) aTV-HD pulls content from my Synology NAS; I really don't do anything with it, but this does seem to be a real thing 🤷‍♂️

 

[chrisus]

Hi a little off topic but would really appreciate your help.
I copied from my Mac mini 2018 running Sonoma the music folder on to a usb ssd external to be able to move between computers. The only way I can get the other computers to use the folder on the ssd hard drive is to create a new library ! Two of computers are running Sonoma it works perfectly on 2018 Mac mini after creating a new library but on the MacBook Pro m it will not let me use the folder and ask to creat a new Library!
Is it because the new machine is a m3? The third is running Mojave
tia
Chris

 

[Boyd01]

I was running iTunes on Mojave on a 2014 Mini and just moved to an m4 Mini with the Music/TV apps. My iTunes library was on a USB SSD connected to the 2014 Mini, was able to just plug it into the m4 Mini and choose the media folder on the external SSD in the Music/TV app preferences. Worked fine without creating a new library.

But the m4 Mini was brand new and didn't have any media library at all when I set it up. If I understand... you have a library on an external SSD and want to use it on another Mac that already has an existing media library. If so, then what you describe sounds correct. You want to use the external SSD as your library but there's already an existing library on the Mac's internal disk. So, it wants you to create a new library in order to preserve the contents of the existing one.

Sorry, but maybe I'm not understanding your situation....

 

[chrisus]

Thanks for your quick response I think you are on the right track but this is no longer iTunes but Music.
Should I then just delete all the files in music app folder on the MacBook Pro m3 and create a new libary?
I have a nasty feeling that if I do this on the Mojave computer witch is iTunes that it will not then work with Sonoma

 

[chrisus]

Is there an file or something that I can use to import files to new Library? at the moment I have to do it manually

 

[Boyd01]

Sorry, still a little confused about what you're doing. Do you want to add the files from the external disk to an existing library on your internal SSD? I think you could manually just drag and drop the files into the Music app in that case. There might be some other way to merge two libraries that I'm not aware of however.

 

[chrisus]

Thanks have managed to get it working on the two Macs with Sonoma doing just that (needs to have a separate library nr)
Will try tomorrow on the Mojave in my studio
Happy new year
Chrisus

 

[960design]

I would love to understand one word of these media conversations.
1/ I am. old
2/ I am English - &
3/ I never understood the movie camera to start with.

All I ever wanted to do was/is play my high (file size) music through my hifi with a remote.

Loads of really helpful people on here have tried but I still sit silent and confused.

Perhaps I was meant just to watch tele. and play records?

Do you have a simple server?
-- I like picking up Dell Micro 7070s from ebay for about $125-$175US.
Can you install Docker?
-- YouTube has great videos that will get you up and running docker in no time
Get BlackCandy
-- https://github.com/blackcandy-org/blackcandy
-- Follow install instructions to install using docker

Let us know where you get stuck.

 

[Reality4711]

Do you have a simple server?
-- I like picking up Dell Micro 7070s from ebay for about $125-$175US.
Can you install Docker?
-- YouTube has great videos that will get you up and running docker in no time
Get BlackCandy
-- https://github.com/blackcandy-org/blackcandy
-- Follow install instructions to install using docker

Let us know where you get stuck.

1/ simple server
2/Dell
3/ $
4/Docker & Blackcandy
5/ YouTube

Next.

 

[phrehdd]

I AM THAT OLD GENTLEMAN!
Only 72 and very much not gentlemanly.
As for keep learning!!
Well a good source of teaching would help and knowing what language they speak would both help.
That was not meant as a disparaging remark to all though who try to help me (daily it seems) just that 'media' stuff just seems a totally disjointed subject and this old autistic just cannot connect the dots; without a map.
eg: tried a NAS setup - failed & costly - tried wifi setup (British telecom) router incomprehensible - tries 'bluetooth'; sounds crap.
I could go on but another list of options in Media jargon code will probably fry what's left of my braincell.
I give up. 🤨🦈🦈🦈

Well, we know you have excellent taste in DSLRs (Fuji), but what type of "HiFi" do you own? I ask so we can better understand its inputs (plugs/ports/jacks, etc.).

 

[Reality4711]

Well, we know you have excellent taste in DSLRs (Fuji), but what type of "HiFi" do you own? I ask so we can better understand its inputs (plugs/ports/jacks, etc.).

I think I will give - big 'pop' and left channel is dead - so no hifi.
Thank you all for your thoughts.
Going to sleep now until mid 2025; just too tired.

 

[Cave Man]

All I ever wanted to do was/is play my high (file size) music through my hifi with a remote.

If your receiver has an available RCA input and you have a smart phone, I think the easiest solution is to:

1. Buy a WiiM Mini https://www.crutchfield.com/p_399WIIMMNI/WiiM-Mini.html

2. Install Plex server on your computer and add your music files to it.

3. Download the WiiM app and select Plex. Then just play your music.

No need to have a display or TV. Just music.

 

[phrehdd]

I AM THAT OLD GENTLEMAN!
Only 72 and very much not gentlemanly.
As for keep learning!!
Well a good source of teaching would help and knowing what language they speak would both help.
That was not meant as a disparaging remark to all though who try to help me (daily it seems) just that 'media' stuff just seems a totally disjointed subject and this old autistic just cannot connect the dots; without a map.
eg: tried a NAS setup - failed & costly - tried wifi setup (British telecom) router incomprehensible - tries 'bluetooth'; sounds crap.
I could go on but another list of options in Media jargon code will probably fry what's left of my braincell.
I give up. 🤨🦈🦈🦈

What would be helpful (though this is really the wrong thread for this conversation other than media file playback) is to let us know what you have -
What is your hifi device (make model)
What do you want to play back - vinyl records, media files and what kind, available hardware - computers and items like Apple TV etc.

Do you have a budget if you need to get any additional items?

 

[Reality4711]

What would be helpful (though this is really the wrong thread for this conversation other than media file playback) is to let us know what you have -
What is your hifi device (make model)
What do you want to play back - vinyl records, media files and what kind, available hardware - computers and items like Apple TV etc.

Do you have a budget if you need to get any additional items?

sorry - please refer my previous post.

 

[otherwillsmith]

I have an QNAP NAS running Plex Media Server for video content and Roon Server running HiFi audio duties. Plex and Roon both sever my media up beautifully in and outside my home. I couldn’t be happier with either. That’s a lie, Roon could be less expensive. Amazing UX for both and both update constantly with new features and usability tweaks. A+