Swap my iMac for an iPad as music and tv source

[arambol]

Hi guys,

Trying to work this out and need a bit of assistance.

Currently I have a Macbook Air which I use for my daily computing but I also have an iMac which I really only use as a music and movie server. I don't really use the iMac for anything else and it seems a waste.

Currently from the iMac, I play iTunes and Spotify, wirelessly via Airfoil into an Airport Express. That then goes into a DAC and then into my stereo.

I also use the iMac to play .avi movies via HDMI into my TV and the movies audio from the iMac headphone jack into my stereo.

My iTunes library and movie library isn't even stored on my iMac it's on a usb connected external hard drives.


So instead I'm looking instead to sell the iMac have an iPad as my music and movie server.

I get how I can use Airplay to play Spotify from the iPad to my Airport Express, but how can I have the iPad find my iTunes library on the external hard drives and send that to the stereo? Do I need a network hard drive??

Also how could I use the iPad to play movies on my TV from the external hard drives?

Is there a best solution?
Thanks

 

[EvilC5]

short answer is that you cant easily do it. seagate makes a wifi external HD that can stream to an ipad, but its not very cheap. you can get airvideo server on a mac and the app on your idevice and can stream other formats, then airplay them to the tv, assuming you have an ATV in your configuration.

why not sell the imac and get a base mini or even a used 2010 mini

 

[arambol]

Thanks for the reply.

Apple TV seems the solution then......and I see that Mountain Lion coming in the summer will allow screen mirroring so I will be able to airplay movies and BBC iPlayer from my MacBook Air.

Spotify via Airplay to my stereo. Great.

BUT.... how to access my iTunes and Movie collection which is too big to store on my MacBook Air alone. This is a problem.

----------

I'd rather have an iPad than a Mini, but I see your point.

 

[arambol]

How about iTunes Match?

£21.99 a year and am I right in understanding that I can store 25,000 songs in the Cloud with this? Do the song have to remain on a computer or can I upload them to the Cloud from the iMac and then sell my iMac and just add more from my Macbook Air as I go until I reach the 25,000 limit?

Once all my songs are in the Cloud with iTunes Match I can access them and play them to my stereo from my iPad.

Correct? Or am I misunderstanding this solution.

Thanks

 

[EvilC5]

I use match for my music and can access it from my work computer, my idevices, atv's, etc.

the only flaw as i see your question is how would you handle movies, assuming of course, your library is 100 percent itunes purchased.

if not, then you will still need a computer running with itunes to allow home sharing to access your library.

 

[arambol]

Right, I'm getting somewhere

iTunes Match is done and uploading to the Cloud. So I have Spotify, iTunes, BBC iPlayer etc all sorted and they will be streamed from my proposed iPad to my stereo and tv via an Apple TV.

The problem yes, was the movies...... but I think I've solved it.

The movies are usually .avi from Vuze. Some new movies can be streamed from my Air to the tv.

My full movie collection wouldn't fit on my Macbook Air.... but it will apparently connect via USB directly from my hard drive to my Samsung TV via Samsung's Media Play.

It's not a perfect solution but it means my current music and movies are all served by the iPad, while my full movie library can sit on a big hard drive attached directly to my tv. The iMac isn't needed.

Seems like the best solution to replace the iMac with an iPad.

Any alternatives appreciated.