Any of you guys set up your own personal cloud streaming servers?

[scootermaster]

Cliffs

- Large music collection (on Macbook Pro)
- ALAC + MP3 based (i.e. iTunes ecosystem, although the server can be Windows, Hackintosh or Linux)
- Tired of slow HD.
- Don't want to pay for 500gb SSD

Solution?

- Set up dedicated server at home, with all media
- Have small subset of media locally on laptop (single playlist?)
- Stream [rest of] media from server to laptop and iDevices (when internet is available)

Quesitons:
- Software to do streaming?
- How does iTunes library handle "local" vs. "network" media? (i.e. When I'm not connected to the internet, I'd like to access only local music. When I am, I want everything available)
- How does sync work with the laptop? (i.e. how to I sync only some content to be local)
- How does this impact iDevice syncing? (I can likely have enough of my library on my iDevices as to not need streaming, as I a). don't use them very much for this, and b). downsample it in iTunes)

So, this sounds a lot like iTunes match. But I'm likely going to set up this HTPC anyway, so I might as well make it a cloud streamer. Also, it just might be fun to set up.

The only issue(s) I see are how my laptop would handle local music. Ideally, I could maybe have a playlist with select songs that would sync to my laptop. When I open iTunes, I could just go to that playlist if I knew I wasn't connected. If I was connected, then the main "music" playlist would have everything available (although some would have to be streamed). Presumably I could alter the content in the local playlist as I saw fit.

Is this possible?

I assume I'm not the only person with this issue. Thanks!

 

[TerryMathews]

This is the best solution for something you have control over : http://www.subsonic.org/pages/index.jsp

 

[ImpulsE69]

I've recently begun using myPlex and find it to be pretty cool being able to stream my content to my phones, tablets and laptops (and to other people as well).

 

[vshah]

Another vote for subsonic... Excellent program

 

[Plugers]

This is the best solution for something you have control over : http://www.subsonic.org/pages/index.jsp

Another vote for subsonic... Excellent program

x3. I use this also.

 

[scootermaster]

This is the best solution for something you have control over : http://www.subsonic.org/pages/index.jsp

Another vote for subsonic... Excellent program

x3. I use this also.

Hmm.

It's looking like I may have to sacrifice something, I guess. That software, from an infrastructure standpoint, looks like it'd work. The problem is the interface. I use iTunes now, and I'd prefer to stay in that ecosystem.

Do you guys use iTunes? I mean, when you're not streaming things, what do you use as a media player (preferably, those of you with Macs)?

Again, what I really would like would be an iTunes experience where part of my library can be non-local, and available on the Internet. That's really it.

Makes me wonder if a better approach would be an Internet-addressable NAS?

Has anyone tried this approach? Seems like it would do what I want: iTunes interface, and the files would be there, either available through my LAN or through the Internet.

Anyone try this? Advantages? Disadvantages?

 

[Plugers]

Hmm.

It's looking like I may have to sacrifice something, I guess. That software, from an infrastructure standpoint, looks like it'd work. The problem is the interface. I use iTunes now, and I'd prefer to stay in that ecosystem.

Do you guys use iTunes? I mean, when you're not streaming things, what do you use as a media player (preferably, those of you with Macs)?

Again, what I really would like would be an iTunes experience where part of my library can be non-local, and available on the Internet. That's really it.

Makes me wonder if a better approach would be an Internet-addressable NAS?

Has anyone tried this approach? Seems like it would do what I want: iTunes interface, and the files would be there, either available through my LAN or through the Internet.

Anyone try this? Advantages? Disadvantages?

All my content is available anytime I have a data connection.

I use a free DNYDNS account and port forward Subsonic. you can also set up a "user" just for your phone that transcodes on the fly to prevent buffering in 3g areas.

Sorry, I do not use Macs or iTunes, so I cant help you there.

 

[TerryMathews]

Hmm.

It's looking like I may have to sacrifice something, I guess. That software, from an infrastructure standpoint, looks like it'd work. The problem is the interface. I use iTunes now, and I'd prefer to stay in that ecosystem.

Do you guys use iTunes? I mean, when you're not streaming things, what do you use as a media player (preferably, those of you with Macs)?

Again, what I really would like would be an iTunes experience where part of my library can be non-local, and available on the Internet. That's really it.

Makes me wonder if a better approach would be an Internet-addressable NAS?

Has anyone tried this approach? Seems like it would do what I want: iTunes interface, and the files would be there, either available through my LAN or through the Internet.

Anyone try this? Advantages? Disadvantages?

ITunes will not stream over the Internet without A VPN.

The program I linked for you is probably the most iTunes like streaming suite available. And remember you can use iTunes and other software simultaneously. You just have to be careful of what program keeps the library in order. Don't let them both manage.

 

[vshah]

sorry, don't use itunes or macs. as another poster said, it will probably only work over a VPN since as far as I know, itunes only streams locally.

 

[Spicedaddy]

All my media is on a Windows 7 desktop that's always on. I use Windows Media Player's sharing feature to stream to my laptop and PS3 on the local network. I also have ServeToMe/StreamToMe to stream to my iPhone, and that works outside my LAN. (I use it mostly for music streaming to iPhone in the car...)

 

[JackBurton]

Hmm.

It's looking like I may have to sacrifice something, I guess. That software, from an infrastructure standpoint, looks like it'd work. The problem is the interface. I use iTunes now, and I'd prefer to stay in that ecosystem.

Do you guys use iTunes? I mean, when you're not streaming things, what do you use as a media player (preferably, those of you with Macs)?

Again, what I really would like would be an iTunes experience where part of my library can be non-local, and available on the Internet. That's really it.

Makes me wonder if a better approach would be an Internet-addressable NAS?

Has anyone tried this approach? Seems like it would do what I want: iTunes interface, and the files would be there, either available through my LAN or through the Internet.

Anyone try this? Advantages? Disadvantages?

You want iTunes Match. Awesome service. I've been using it for a few months now and love it!

Not sure why you want to build your own solution when iTunes Match already does what you are looking for, and for much cheaper.

Edit: Nevermind, it looks like you just want a project.

 

[scootermaster]

You want iTunes Match. Awesome service. I've been using it for a few months now and love it!

Not sure why you want to build your own solution when iTunes Match already does what you are looking for, and for much cheaper.

Edit: Nevermind, it looks like you just want a project.

I don't "just" want a project.

I have all the guts for a reasonable HTPC. I'm 90% sure I'm going to build that anyway, to stream all my media in-house. It seems like there really isn't a good reason to NOT have it stream all my media out-of-house. Unless that reason is "it isn't possible".

The $25 a year isn't really an issue, but hey, if I can save it, might as well. There really isn't any other benefit to me, given than my MP3 collection is already meticulously tagged and high-rez. If anything, iTunes Match would probably make my collection worse (and, of course, it's useless for my CDrips).

But, from the looks of it, it seems like what I want to do may not be all that doable. Even having a central iTunes over NAS is trickier than it needs to be. That being the case, I may just spring for a huge SSD or something.

I dunno.

 

[JackBurton]

I don't "just" want a project.

I have all the guts for a reasonable HTPC. I'm 90% sure I'm going to build that anyway, to stream all my media in-house. It seems like there really isn't a good reason to NOT have it stream all my media out-of-house. Unless that reason is "it isn't possible".

The $25 a year isn't really an issue, but hey, if I can save it, might as well. There really isn't any other benefit to me, given than my MP3 collection is already meticulously tagged and high-rez. If anything, iTunes Match would probably make my collection worse (and, of course, it's useless for my CDrips).

But, from the looks of it, it seems like what I want to do may not be all that doable. Even having a central iTunes over NAS is trickier than it needs to be. That being the case, I may just spring for a huge SSD or something.

I dunno.

Not sure what you mean about useless for CD rips. But I agree, if you ripped everything to apple lossless then yeah, 256k AAC would be a step down since that is what iTunes Match will use.