Media Managing / Home Theater / Remote Streaming 2012

[DJ Incompetent]

Lately I've been swapping hard drives of entire music/movie collections with friends. I'm trying to figure out what to do with my new terabytes of power. I think getting into the media manager scene is something I should do.

How is everybody organizing their collections and are they streaming them? I should know if I'm about to do this all wrong before I drop some coin and abandon discs on everything except gaming.

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The Idea:

Store media on hardware: _Windows 7 3.0Ghz. HDD. Connected via WiFi N (Belkin USB dongle)_
Using software to organize collection: _Media Monkey_
Using media manager server: _Plex_

Internet Router: _Netgear WNR2000 (N)_

Streaming media player on regular TV(s): _Google TV via Logitech Revue + Plex app + Doggcatcher app_
Regular TV(s): _Samsung PN43E450 43"_

Streaming media player on home theater TV(s): _Xbox 360_
Home Theater TV: _Optoma H31 Projector_

Main WiFi Home Receiver Model: _Onkyo TX-NR414 5.1 + DLNA iOS&Android control app
Main Sound: _Bose Acoustimass 10_

Global remote control: _Droid Bionic (Android)_
Required Apps: _DLNA, Plex, Logitech Harmony Remote, Onkyo Receiver Control_

Why: I hear Plex is easier to manage than XBMC, even though XBMC allows more configuration and emulators. I want to turn on my music from anywhere in my house; even on a different floor, so that's why that specific WiFi receiver with a smartphone app would be required. I don't think I own any media above 720p or above 5.1 channels, so expensive TVs and speakers aren't required. I chose Google TV over Boxee, Roku, and Apple TV because gTV is the only one I know about that supports Plex and Doggcatcher together, and it has USB ports for expandable thumbdrive space. I think DLNA is the standard that is making hardware control over Wifi work well; supposedly the successor to IR equipment.

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Are then any pitfalls I should be knowing about? I am new to this.

Thank you for any help.

[DJ Incompetent]

Similar to STGT player registration, you can quote this post to fill in what equipment you use to make comparisons easier.

Store media on hardware: ____
Using software to organize collection: ____
Using media manager server: ____

Internet Router: ____

Streaming media player on regular TV(s): ____
Regular TV(s): ____

Streaming media player on home theater TV(s): ____
Home Theater TV: ____

Main WiFi Home Receiver Model: ____
Main Sound: ____

Global remote control: ____
Required Apps: ____

Why: ____

[rancor]

You may not get a lot of replies, because that's so far above and beyond anything that I have or anything that I know of anyone having. My whole setup is extremely simple, and "it just works". I have a Roku player wired to my WRT54GL router along with an 8tb NAS attached to the same router. The NAS can run torrents, and my macbook downloads from usenet via nzbdrop. Using the Hong Kong server, I can get a TV show in about 2 minutes, and a full movie in about 5-6. All of my files are automagically sorted by audio/video. I later separate these into TV shows, movies, music, photos, etc. I run an FTP server using the NAS and the free DynDNS server so that my family can access all of the files back in the US with a static IP. Oh, and I'm also using vyprvpn with 256 bit encryption so no one knows WTF is going on over here.

This is of course all for Linux .ISOs, copyleft music, freeware doujin games, and movies that are 75+ years old.

Cheap. Simple. Does everything I need + more.

[neorichieb1971]

One PC, one router, 3 PS3's.

Software - PS3mediaserver (MAC/Linux/Windows).

MKV software conversion - mkv2vob. (1 min/per GB -/Splits into 4GB files if >4GB)


all other video codecs work from what I can gather. Don't need more or less.