Marty Chinn
Member
I don't like Air Video because 1) You need a server software running and 2) You need to transcode. Server software and conversion is archaic in this day and age. XBMC shows you can set something up that requires neither.
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Apple iPad 2 |OT|
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LyleLanley
Banned
Marty Chinn said:
I guess transcoding isn't such a big problem for me since all my stuff has already been converted to m4v so there is no transcoding needed. As for the server software, it's really lightweight and if you're not transcoding it basically just updates to show the app what videos are available.
Edit:
Forgot to mention a big reason why the app is useful, it lets you access all of your videos over 3G not just on your home network.
Dreams-Visions
Member
1) why is this a problem? Unless you're using a 6 year-old computer, it shouldn't have any affect on anything when you're watching something.Marty Chinn said:
2) It converts it in real time while you're watching, so it should have no effect on your experience. So again, why is this a problem?
3) As lyle said, remote access anywhere in the world, including smooth streaming over 3G.
4) No crashing.
LyleLanley
Banned
Dreams-Visions said:
I think he may be the first person I've ever heard of who doesn't like the idea of Air Video.
Ollie Pooch
In a perfect world, we'd all be homersexual
AirVideo definitely sounds awesome, but all my stuff is stored on a NAS, not my computer, so I have nothing to transcode with. XBMC ftw in my case.Dreams-Visions said:
If i had a dedicated desktop, AV would be awesome. Yeah, i abbreviated it.
Marty Chinn
Member
LyleLanley said:
Ya, I bought it and used it for a bit but the transcoding was just too intensive for my server to handle it constantly. Combine that with 768kbps upload limit and the quality just wasn't good over 3G.
I may try again now that my upload has increased to 1.8mbps to see what it's like, but then I'd still have to have another computer always on in addition to my server running in order to do it so not totally ideal.
Plus I don't like the thought of a lot of apps running in the background of my server anyway. It's mean to be a clean backup and file server with low maintenance and AirVideo seems to get updated pretty frequently for server software.
Either way, not very ideal. I also wish AirVideo was more like AirMedia so it handled music and pictures. I bought StreamToMe afterward because it handled music so now I sorta double dipped and of course that requires server software. So multiple server softwares for each app also kinda gets annoying after awhile.
LyleLanley
Banned
Marty Chinn said:
If you just want one server for all of it, try Plex, it streams Video and Music.
Marty Chinn
Member
Dreams-Visions said:
See above for some of the reasons, but I have a server, not a computer to handle my files so it's pretty low powered. It will chug at times depending on the video and the bitrate when transcoding. My main computer is a laptop which sometimes I carry with me so I can't rely on that being on or around to have running the AirVideo server. It seems silly and a waste of power to leave another computer on in addition to my server to handle it because there isn't a better solution out there that requires neither.
I like the idea of it, and the idea of streaming over 3G sounds great, but the above issues make it less of an experience for me. I have great 3G, but I'm still bound by my upload data rate from my network and that is what will be the limiting factor on video quality.
LyleLanley said:
Plex also transcodes. StreamToMe also does video but honestly, I think Air Video handles it a lot better than StreamToMe does.
LyleLanley
Banned
Marty Chinn said:
I know Plex transcodes, but at least this way you don't need three different server programs running to stream video, music and pictures. I think the only way to fix your transcoding problem would be to convert all your video or just buy a used mac mini on ebay like I did. Hell I control it entirely with my iPad too using iTeleport.
Marty Chinn
Member
LyleLanley said:
Or I could go with a non-transcoding solution. XBMC on the iPad works flawlessly without any transcoding and no server software since it uses open standards. Seems wasteful to get a MacMini to leave on just for the purposes of transcoding. Plus like I said, then I'd have the file server running and a Mac Mini running which eats up power.
What's nice about the server is it's low power, low maintenance, flexible since it can run software, is great at file serving, is great at doing backups automatically, and uses open standards to share files so a ton of different content devices can access it without any special needs or software to access media.
Since I have the server running, I don't need any computers on to serve content to either of the two HTPCs, or the multiple Squeezeboxes in the house.
Edit:
To sum it up, I have a very complex but flexible setup that can do more than what most people have or need.
LyleLanley
Banned
Copernicus said:
Just checked on the app store and there appear to be a ton of apps that give you access to Picasa, but I'm sure going to it in the browser would be fine.
Marty Chinn said:
Well I guess that answers that.
Marty Chinn
Member
LyleLanley said:
I'm seriously not against the concept, it just doesn't fit for me. A MacMini can't be used as a file server for me because I have 12TB of storage on there that's in a single pool. As far as I know, OSX, can't pool drives together.
Does Plex even handle DVD ISOs? I store a lot of my DVDs on the server in ISO format because I care about quality and I like having the full menu support. The thought of converting everything seems nuts to me when I have my full DVD library available on the server with full menus in full quality available in any room without the need of special server software or transcoding. But like I said, not everyone is going to have 12TB of storage so they can host all their movies on a server to distribute through the house with each client having scraped info. It's a sight to be seen though.
So again, because of my elaborate setup, there isn't much room for transcoding unless I upgrade the server at this point and I'm not ready to go through that hassle quite yet.
I just wish XBMC was available without jailbreaking. Proof of there's no need for transcoding or software servers.
krypt0nian
Banned
To the folks wondering still: Air Video is a dream app. Try it yourself. There is nothing archaic about it. I feel like this thread has become crazy land.
krypt0nian said:
I tend to shy away from anything that requires server apps myself as well. Just being a bit irrational and not wanting to install unnecessary stuff. I love the concept though, and home sharing and the airview app seemed to do me well.
That's why I also love Screens (and I guess I would've loved iTeleport if I had it), because it's a screen sharing app that doesn't require server software.
LyleLanley
Banned
krypt0nian said:
Agreed, unless you're like Marty and have full DVD ISOs you want to stream and don't like transcoding it really is a great app.
Marty Chinn
Member
krypt0nian said:
It's great unless you don't like transcoding, don't like server software always running in the background, and have the upload speed to handle quality video. I seriously liked it when I first tried it and it was cool, but ever since XBMC came out, it's replaced Air Video for me. I know people swear by it and I totally understand it, but there are a few gotchas that are associated with it. I just happen to prefer open instead of closed standards because it works cross platform. I recommend everyone try it out, but just know what's involved. But it is archaic to have to transcode in this day and age and I'd even say having special software instead of using open protocols is also archaic. Why have the two when there is no need?
Ollie Pooch
In a perfect world, we'd all be homersexual
Some people don't like Jailbreaking, and if they have the means to use it, AirVideo and a machine to run it is probably far easier.Marty Chinn said:
krypt0nian
Banned
LyleLanley said:
Its like he has technical asperger's, combined with a set of OCD rituals.
Marty Chinn
Member
julls said:
Ya, I don't expect everyone to jailbreak. I'm just saying XBMC is proof you don't need software server or transcoding on an iPad, especially now that it's even more powerful. The hardware is fully capable of it.
I think Marty's way is actually the more sensible. In this day and age of cheap disk space, why would anyone sacrifice the quality or the time to transcode/rip their DVD's?
I mean, I was amazed that there is no officially supported solution to have the iPad access files hosted on a usb drive attached to an AirPort Extreme (an "AirDisk"). What the Hell is the point of an AirDisk then? It would seem tailor made for that purpose.
iPad's wireless syncing/network access is really poorly thought through and I can't believe with all the "Post PC" rhetoric they're spewing that no one has called them on it.
Yeah, it is a pain in the ass to get content to the iPad, no question about it.Marty Chinn said:
I mean, I was amazed that there is no officially supported solution to have the iPad access files hosted on a usb drive attached to an AirPort Extreme (an "AirDisk"). What the Hell is the point of an AirDisk then? It would seem tailor made for that purpose.
iPad's wireless syncing/network access is really poorly thought through and I can't believe with all the "Post PC" rhetoric they're spewing that no one has called them on it.
Marty Chinn
Member
krypt0nian said:
I spent a lot of money for my setup because I care about quality. I've networked my house to make it so media is accessible in every room no matter where you are. I've networked it in a way that requires no computer to deal with files. Just because you don't appreciate the quality, doesn't mean others don't. That's why I prefer Blu Ray over Netflix HD. I have a setup that fully takes advantage of it but I don't expect others to go to that level of quality.
funkmasterb
Member
Translation : Marty has a shitty computer.Marty Chinn said:
Air video rocks.
krypt0nian
Banned
Marty Chinn said:
Tapx3. Twistx3. Tapx3. Twistx3. Tapx3. Twistx3. Not good enough.
Post complaints on GAF. Tapx3. Twistx3. Tapx3. Twistx3.
Meanwhile, krypt0nian opens Air Video, browses to file, presses play. *sips wine*
Marty Chinn
Member
funkmasterb said:
Learn to read. i have a perfectly fine computer. But unlike most, I also have a server. Most people don't have file servers because they don't expand their scope enough. Something meant to constantly feed data should always be on and available. My laptop, while fully capable, isn't always at the same place so it doesn't make any sense to rely on it to serve video via Air Video. While I don't expect everyone to go with a server, at least understand why one might want a server.
Ollie Pooch
In a perfect world, we'd all be homersexual
Damn you and your setup. I have to jailbreak to even get to my contentkrypt0nian said:
*mourns old laptop*
That said, XBMC is great on the iPad.
Marty Chinn
Member
krypt0nian said:
Funny, I do the same thing. What a crazy world and yet I don't need server software or transcoding. And you know what my setup does that Air Video doesn't? Scrapes data from the Internet giving full details and info on everything that is available.
LyleLanley
Banned
The last thing I'll say on Air Video is that I have a Mac Mini and a Drobo that I use as my home server set up. It's a wonderful set up for me, I can watch all my ripped tv shows and movies, listen to all my music, look at all my photos and grab all my documents over 3g from anywhere in the world, which is a big deal for me as I am constantly traveling. This set up may not be for everyone but for me I don't think it can be beat.
krypt0nian
Banned
Marty Chinn said:
It matters not how I get the pretty picture because I don't not have tech asperger's. I don't worry about, well anything. Why would I care about scraping data? I'm watching a movie. More OCD.
"It just works"
Marty Chinn
Member
LyleLanley said:
Wait, I thought Air Video didn't do music or photos. Did they upgrade it?
Hardware decoding (more battery life) and bandwidth if streaming outside I guess. There's reasons for everything, I don't get why everything seems to be unfathomable or wrong for someone, or that someone's setup is inherently right/the one true way. It's all just different ways of going about it.Teddman said:
LyleLanley
Banned
Marty Chinn said:
I meant Air Video along with Plex, AudioGalaxy and of course goodreader for my files.
Ollie Pooch
In a perfect world, we'd all be homersexual
*If you have a computer where all your media is stored.krypt0nian said:
Marty Chinn
Member
krypt0nian said:
You have a bunch of TV episodes and wanted to watch a specific ep or you forgot which ep you left off of. It's nice to look at a description to see what the ep is about. There are plenty of reasons people like to scrape data from the Internet. People with HTPC don't do it because they have OCD. Maybe you should expand your horizons a bit. Imagine if Netflix was just a bunch of names with no description; it would sorta suck and be painful. That's just silly to say it has no use.
krypt0nian
Banned
Marty Chinn said:
I don't have that problem. Last time I watched ep 10. It's that easy.
What if what if what if. Well hypotheticals don't matter.
julls said:
I wouldn't have it any other way. Cloud>>>>local storage.
Marty Chinn
Member
japtor said:
You mean software decoding right? =)
For the record, I'm not saying my setup is right and everyone should do it my way. I've said that many times now. It just seems very narrow minded of others to not at least try to understand why there is a different way to do things.
Liu Kang Baking A Pie
Member
Really?Marty Chinn said:
Ollie Pooch
In a perfect world, we'd all be homersexual
I'm so confused.krypt0nian said:
Marty Chinn
Member
krypt0nian said:
So you always remember exactly where you left off? There's not a time where you get busy and you don't get back to something like a week or two later? You never rewatch a specific episode of anything? Like I have all of Star Trek The Next Generation and sometimes I'm in the mood to watch a specific ep. How do I find it? I just have the entire database memorized in my head? Come on now....
Marty Chinn
Member
julls said:
Ok, that one threw me off. I'm with you on that one.
krypt0nian
Banned
Marty Chinn said:
I was kidding with the technical Asperger's diagnosis, but now I'm writing it on your chart.
Julis, nothing to be confused about. you said if you have a computer where all your media is stored. I do. Then I play my files sent down from that cloud storage. Where's the confusion?
Obviously the local storage I was disparaging in my equation was my iPad. Not my content dump that is my desktop.
Marty Chinn
Member
krypt0nian said:
And you must be Rainman to have all the numbers in your head all sorted out.
krypt0nian
Banned
Marty Chinn said:
Yes, because that's difficult. Crazy town, this thread when you're here.
Marty Chinn
Member
I like how you can't respond with a reasonable answer about the use of scraping information on video information so you have to resort to just trying to laugh it off like someone is crazy for thinking its useful.krypt0nian said:
Apple must be crazy for including all their meta data on the videos they sell and rent to display on the iPhone, iPad, iTunes, and AppleTV.
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