Pre-purchase questions...

[McTrinsic]

Hi,

I am in need of a media server solution and I am considering Twonky Media Server.

Although this forum is great, it seems to supply too much information - I get confused.
So I would like to apologize if I ask questions which (probably) are addressed already.

I have a Mac Mini server [2011] and now would like to, well, serve media .

What I need is:
- Support for .iso - DVDs
- Transcoding to differerent PCs and iPods (PlugPlayer-DLNA-Client)
- starting without user-logon

Does Twonky Server do that?

If not, is there a workaround?

Sorry in case I posted in the wrong forum.

Yours,
McTrinsic

[DaemonBeetle]

Remember that you can download and try it before you buy it. There's also a search function that would have answered most of your questions

It can run without a user login and, if correctly configured, it can transcode (you'll want to read the various Transcoding threads). It also can handle ISO format, though there are problems and you're best off converting your media to something suitable for your clients.

[McTrinsic]

Hi DaemonBeetle,

yes, a lot of topics handle the informations I asked about.

Thanks a lot for answering nevertheless!

My problem is that I have a hard time to manage all this information - using the search function reveals a lot of informations about other platforms, for example.

One example: I did find out it can run in *linux* without loggin on. Didnt find anything about Mac os there, though.

Anyway, thanks for asking.

I will probably try out Twonky when / as soon as I have figured out precisely how to manage shares and users aand groups (...) on the mac server.

Thanks!
McTrinsic

[McTrinsic]

Hi again,

sorry to open up this again...

I have yet to find a reference stating that *.iso is actually possible at all.

What did find is "issues":

http://twonkyforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9958&p=37358

http://twonkyforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9428&p=34722

So in order to use Twonky Server I would have to convert my ISOs into the folder structure-files??

Thanks in advance!
McT

[DaemonBeetle]

I've never tried streaming .ISO files, because my TV doesn't understand the format, I'm going by what others have posted.

The best option is to use the likes of Handbrake to convert your DVD into a format all your clients understand (MP4 or MKV). The result should be visually identical to the original DVD, but a fraction of the size. That then also gives you the option of doing multiple conversions, each optimised for the resolution of different clients. That will avoid the transcoding issues that many people encounter.

[parnott]

Just as a clarification, you cannot stream ISO files. Twonky does not support it and I don't know any media players that can play ISO files via DLNA. That is a DLNA technology limitation.

ISO files are not media stream files, they are disc images- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_file

The content of an ISO file needs to be converted to a media stream file (e.g. MPEG, MP4, MKV, etc.) for Twonky to be able to stream the content. Of course you don't get menus, chapters, etc. though.

[DaemonBeetle]

Ah, I'd assumed that this post meant that there was some ISO support (where Twonky Support didn't say it wasn't supported, just that it was a problem).

[parnott]

Yes that statement is a bit ambiguous. But no, Twonky doesn't stream ISO files and there are no DLNA media players (to my knowledge) that could play them.

DLNA media players want a streamed media file. ISO files are archived directory/file structures so not media stream files.

[McTrinsic]

Sorry for the late answer...

Llink has some basic support, as does MediaTomb have.

What I seem to understand is that they mount the .iso file and then stream the files within.

Yours,
McT

[Sorwen]

[quote="parnott"]Yes that statement is a bit ambiguous. But no, Twonky doesn't stream ISO files and there are no DLNA media players (to my knowledge) that could play them.

DLNA media players want a streamed media file. ISO files are archived directory/file structures so not media stream files.[/quote]
I don't really know much about DLNA, but WD TV Live hub says it can stream files to a "WD TV Live media player or any DLNA/UPnP compatible TV". I'm using it to play ISO files from my WHS sending direct to my TV via its HDMI. It works great so far.

There is some "commercial" (their words) media center for about $500 that does as well. Those are the only things (other than mounting as virtual DVD drive) that I've found that will play ISO's directly.

It would be nice if Twonky could do so as my WHS uses it for streaming and I could cut out the middle man on some of my other devices if it could.

Edit: Oops I also forgot to mention this http://code.google.com/p/ps3mediaserver/ though I've never used it and don't know anything about it other than "PS3 Media Server is a DLNA compliant Upnp Media Server for the PS3".

[parnott]

If you are playing ISO files on a WD TV Live, Live+ or Hub from a server you are not using DLNA/UPNP. You are using Network Shares which is a completely different technology. And yes I do know a lot about the WD TV Live devices having used them since they were first released. The Live Hub cannot stream ISO files via DLNA but it can via Network shares.

The media servers that claim to play ISOs over DLNA/UPNP just mount the ISO file system and play the main movie. You don't get menus, chapters, scene selection, alternate tracks, etc. because it is not possible via DLNA. The media server just tricks the media player into thinking it is playing an mpeg2 file. In my book that is not playing a DVD.