Gav's World

Multimedia System - Video

Server Side

The server has all of our home videos (plus a few of the kids' DVDs ripped to save sticky finger prints on the discs). The video directory is exported as a read-only NFS mount so that the likes of the Media PC can mount it directly into the file-system.

Also, Twonkymedia and Plex servers (that can supply the house with music) can also stream video.

Client Side

The main way that any video content is viewed is with Kodi on the Media PC, connected directly to the Sony KDL-37W5500 TV and the Marantz NR1504 A/V receiver & amplifier.

However, Kodi is also installed on our tablets and phones, so can pick up the same content (made simple if you set up a shared library).

The TV itself is also capable of playing the video - but served from Twonkymedia. We generally don't do it this was as it just takes so long to find any content with the TV!

Obviously, any other UPnP / DLNA renderer is capable of playing videos from the Twonkyserver.

And Also...

There is a Google Chromecast which is connected to the TV (via the AV reveiver). This allows me to stream any content from the Internet (well, anything that has a supporting application installed). It is controlled directly from our phones / tablets. At the moment, I use it for:

• BBC iPlayer
• Google Play Movies & TV (well it would be rude not to!)
• Netflix (since my TV was before smart TVs and Netflix doesn't support Linux)
• YouTube (or I could cast this to Kodi)

Other things are available, but a lot is American only content.

There is also an Amazon Fire TV Stick which does basically the same, but primarily gives us access to Prime Video.

Not forgetting of course, the Sony UBP-X700 Which gives DVD / Bluray and also Netflix and Amazon Prime.

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[ Page last updated Fri 6th Nov 2020 | viewed 1485 times ]