Steam files locally + Over internet. Streaming software or NAS or?

[scootermaster]

I posted this over in the AV & HT forum, but I thought I'd get some opinions here.

Here's the short version:

1. I want to be able to stream my music (ALAC & MP3) to my MacBook Pro. Some music would be local, most would come from somewhere else.
2. This needs to be both LAN and WAN available (i.e. at home and over the Internet). Setting up a dedicated machine is fine, and that machine can be Hackintosh, PC or Linux.
3. Ideally, my front end would be iTunes.
4. Movies would be nice, but very non essential.

That's about it.

People have suggested subsonic, but what about just a world-accessable NAS? Does anyone do this?

My biggest concerns are how the library works. I would like things to be as seamless as possible, regarding what content is actually on my laptop and what is coming from "someplace else" (either the LAN or the Internet).

Ideally, I would have, say, a single playlist for "local" content, so if I knew I was disconnected, I could just play from that. Otherwise, the main "music" playlist in iTunes would play all my local content, plus all the other content from the...NAS? Server? Something else?

This started off from my desire to do this intra-household (i.e. I was going to build an HTPC). The only wrinkle is, I want it to be accessible via the Internet.

Any hints/thoughts? I can't imagine I'm the only person looking for things like this.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

I've never tried the music aspect on Plex, but I believe you can do this. Install the server on your main rig/server/NAS and then the client on whatever your streaming to. I've heard of subsonic too, but I've never tried it before because I don't stream music.

 

[Plugers]

A PogoPlug may work for you too.

 

[Stokes]

I believe RemotePotato can also work for you.

I use it because I wanted to watch my recordings anywhere, including on my iPad. That part works great, and I'm fairly certain there is a option to do this for music. Plus the server software is free and I think I just paid $6.99 for the app.

Now that I think of it, it might not have even been necessary because you can login using an ip address and port...