NAS that serve up [PS3 compatible] DLNA streams?

[jamena]

I've managed to get my PC to serve up mp3s and photos using TVersity and the PS3 Media Server, but it's annoying having to turn on my PC to get the music via the PS3. I've seen a few NAS units claiming DLNA certification but I have also seen a few complaints that some of these did not work happily with the PS3. Has anyone got one that works (out of the box preferrably!)

[Jiff Lemon]

My plan is to use windows home server running PS3 media server. Sadly its only ever got to the planning stage, never seem to find the time!

[jackvdbuk]

i have a readynas duo (netgear) streams fine, what problems are people having? :S
though major problem is adding a new file you have to RESCAN the WHOLE harddrive before you can play it...

but meh very good nas IMO

[Jay]

My plan is to use windows home server running PS3 media server. Sadly its only ever got to the planning stage, never seem to find the time!

I do exactly this and it works fine.

[menthel]

My WHS (a tranquil SQA-5H) does this just fine. Tversity is installed by default too so streams all sorts that the console can't read to it as well. Does the same for my xbox360 too.

[jamena]

readynas duo (netgear) streams fine, what problems are people having? :S
though major problem is adding a new file you have to RESCAN the WHOLE harddrive before you can play it...

but meh very good nas IMO

The netgear readynas sounds pretty decent at it... any that you know of that are a little cheaper (I was looking at the buffalo dlna one but that gets some poor reviews wrt the ps3 interoperability...) and/or don't require you to "RESCAN the WHOLE harddrive" One thing that really bugs me about dlna (from ps3 media server and tversity off my pc) is that the music is not readily searchable on the ps3 - any idea if this is a ps3/dlna/server issue? I have far too much music and if I want nirvana (for example) I have to scroll through aaabbbbbccccddd....which takes ages and often crashes the dlna stream or usb-wifi on the pc


p.s. I do have some old socket A parts lying around... maybe they could become a media server (assuming there's a straight-forward linux server that does dlna...) But truth be told I'm lazy so am really after an out-the-box solution

[dancingmatt]

I'm very interested in this too. Reluctant to build a WHS PC because I like the idea of a small, compact, low-power and low energy usage NAS than another PC running.

I'm just starting a business from home and need a proper backup system, ideally every night my main PC backs up to it etc. It strikes me that this would be a good opportunity to also buy a device that can network my USB printer, and share all my photos and music to any of our laptops and to the PS3 as well. At the mo everything lives in my main PC so obviously that has to be on.

Of course, like jamena says you'd presume that something advertised as DLNA and iTunes Server would work, but I have also read that some of them just don't... So what to buy? Or am I overlooking a low power and tidy WHS option?

Good thread...

[jamena]

ideally every night my main PC backs up to it etc. It strikes me that this would be a good opportunity to also buy a device that can network my USB printer, and share all my photos and music to any of our laptops and to the PS3 as well. At the mo everything lives in my main PC so obviously that has to be on.

hmmm, thinking about it a central server for all our "files" (photos, music, work, etc) would be good, - at the moment I ferry a usb stick between the laptop and pc and another between the ps3 and the pc Something tells me that a well-built, correctly set up home server would be the best answer but I know that I am too impatient. Of course a bespoke NAS that doesn't quite do something you'd expect it to do would be almost more irritating - leading to a fun RMA request process...

Of course, like jamena says you'd presume that something advertised as DLNA and iTunes Server would work, but I have also read that some of them just don't...

That netgear readynas is loking like a good option (Netgear's site specifically mentions PS3 and iTunes compatability) but even the most basic one doesn't feel so cheap to someone used to £20 icybox external drives! Might be a good price of course as I'm a cheapskate - one was reviewed in my IET magazine recently and came out well. seem to be a few versions... 23 readynas options on SCAN's site alone http://www.scan.co.uk/Search.aspx?q=readynas

Cheapest 3 (the readyNAS duo) options:
Netgear RND2000-100 READYNAS DUO 2 Bay Desktop NAS (w/o HDD) *Claim FREE 500gb HDD* £149.37
500Gb Netgear RND2150-100 READYNAS DUO 2 Bay Desktop NAS *Claim FOC 500Gb HDD £218.49
1Tb Netgear RND2110 100UKS READYNAS DUO2 Bay Desktop NAS *Claim FOC 1TB Hard Disk Drive £271.39

Given that £60-odd will net you a 1Tb SATA drive I guess you'd go for the cheapest - as far as I can tell the model number doesn't actually mean different hardware, just a different setup (i.e. no drive, 500Gb, 1Tb...)

[jackvdbuk]

you are correct, the hard-drived readynas models are all overpriced, ge tthe cheapest and buy some sammys for £50!

[dancingmatt]

i have a readynas duo (netgear) streams fine, what problems are people having? :S
though major problem is adding a new file you have to RESCAN the WHOLE harddrive before you can play it...

Rescan the whole harddrive from...? Do you mean a PS3? Or something in the ReadyNas Duo's software?

The RN Duo is looking increasingly like the route I'm going to go down. Does anyone know what the free drive they supply is?

People keep mentioning buy Sammy's - which Samsung drive is currently the most preferred then? I've been away from buying PC stuff for a while - is it the F1? I'd want 1 or 1.5TB drives which are power-efficient and quiet (although does the RN Duo run quietly anyway)?

I think my current plan is to use my main PC for all my work and editing files. So photo editing, music tagging etc, it's all on here. This gets backedup to the NAS and that is shared with everything else. No other devices should need to modify the files. Plus being able to access photos remotely when visiting relatives sounds like a great idea.

But it strikes me that I'm sharing the backup with everything and isn't that the "wrong" way to do things, shouldn't the backup be entirely untouched?

DM

[dancingmatt]

Given that £60-odd will net you a 1Tb SATA drive I guess you'd go for the cheapest - as far as I can tell the model number doesn't actually mean different hardware, just a different setup (i.e. no drive, 500Gb, 1Tb...)

Yep, according to their freedrive promotion site, they are identical: RND2000/RND2150/RND2110 are with no drive/500GB/1TB drives respectively.