Just bought the Readynas Ultra 2 Plus for streaming media to my PS3 by a good WiFi network. I chose the Ultra 2 Plus because it has a dualcore processor powerful enough for transcoding my movies so that my PS3 will work with all the diffrent formats that I have movies in. Now after some serious testing I realize that both "ReadyDLNA" and "Twonky" lack the simple feature to transcode movies on the fly. Ive spent a full week to search the web after i really good NAS with this feature and now when I own one it does not work, not fun at all! I see this as a key feature for a NAS made for home users. Most home users have their NASes for media storage and streaming, and the PS3 is now the most common mediabox in a normal household.
Please upgrade the software with otf transcoding so it can work for all the PS3 users...
Depending on the video file resolution/format the transcoding is or isn't possible with Ultra2 Plus. Most probably not possible, regardless the dual core processor. Real-time transcoding is extremely hungry stuff. There is a SW for ReadyNAS that can do the transcoding, you can give it a try. The SW is called Plex Media Server. Here is a link for more info: http://www.readynas.com/?p=5523 Quote from here:
Because Plex Media Server will do real-time transcoding, you will need to run it on a super fast CPU, and there’s no faster desktop NAS to do that than the ReadyNAS Pro
I also have a PS3 with Ultra, but I didn't give transcoding a try because I am almost sure the processor is too weak for this in the Ultra/Ultra2.
Depending on the video file resolution/format the transcoding is or isn't possible with Ultra2 Plus. Most probably not possible, regardless the dual core processor. Real-time transcoding is extremely hungry stuff.
I agree with dudeeg. I don't think the Ultra 2 Plus has the horsepower to handle on-the-fly transcoding. I tried Plex on my Pro-2 (same specs as the Ultra 2 Plus) with poor results but I was also trying to transcode 1080p and 720p rips to my iPhone.
Ive sucessfully transcoded videos on the fly with my old PC in the past using "TVersity". That crappy old PC i a single core AMD 1.2Ghz, 512 RAM and a slow memory-bus that runs in only 330. That old PC did it for me. Problem though is that is sounds as a vaccum-cleaner, for that reason I really want the NAS to manage it right, Its the future... Ive never tested 1080p material on my old PC but 720P worked fine. Ive recently read about a transcoding test thats works on a far slower NAS than mine. The important thing seems to be to do the transcoding in the right way. Many old-style transcoders just converts the whole file and creates a new one on the fly and that takes alot of horsepower. A modern way of transcoding is just to swap the container on the file (example from avi to mpeg) and let the rest just slide by in the stream. The diffrence in CPU usage is huge and the technique is not hard to manage or exotic in any manner.
I just hope that someone will solve this problem...
That only works if the video & audio stream formats are directly supported by the client - Plex, for example, does this when streaming to mobile clients. But it does not work in all instances and is of course heavily dependent on client capabilities.
I just think that the media server that came with the nas should be more powerful and stable. Havin a NAS is really a whole new world and I hope that the software becomes better soon. If you´ve ever tested TVersity you´ll know how simple it should be to stream media from a NAS...
I have high hopes for the future though, I´ve seen that "Super Poussin" is making a crack at improving the "Playstation media server". Its really godd with guys like him that does this om their free time but I hope that Netgear themselves wakes up and sees the potential in this now and devotes some resources in a stable software with some powerful functions incorporated.
over double the number of pixels just in one frame alone
Many old-style transcoders just converts the whole file and creates a new one on the fly and that takes alot of horsepower.
this is the only way transcoding happens.
A modern way of transcoding is just to swap the container on the file (example from avi to mpeg) and let the rest just slide by in the stream. The diffrence in CPU usage is huge and the technique is not hard to manage or exotic in any manner.
this is called re-muxing, and while yes it is alot different cpu usage, its not the same as transcoding, and as already mentioned, the CLIENT has to support/understand the data stream inside the container (the container is mostly irrelevant).
For example, there is absolutely no technological reason that the PS3 can't play MKV containers. It plays H.264 AVIs no problem, but the second it sees the MKV file extension, it goes all "UNSUPPORTED FILE FORMAT" on you. The device is totally capable of playing damn near any format natively, but for whatever reason, Sony has opted not to incorporate that functionality.
For comparison, I have a cheap Lacie LaCinema box that will play every single movie format I have ever thrown at it without a hiccup, and new ones are added all the time with every firmware update.
I think it is quite simple. Everyone -including Sony- knows that the most of the illegal HD content (eg BluRay grabs) is distributed in mkv format. Why would they support this? Sony is a 'publisher', it is not okay for them to support pirate mkvs.
How well do your PS3 compatiple HD Movies play over the wireless network using the ReadyNas? From experience, wirlesss streaming to the PS3 is not very good. I'm curious to know how it is performing for you.
I think it is quite simple. Everyone -including Sony- knows that the most of the illegal HD content (eg BluRay grabs) is distributed in mkv format. Why would they support this? Sony is a 'publisher', it is not okay for them to support pirate mkvs.
While I don't disagree that alot of illegal content may be distributed in mkv, that is exactly ZERO difference than other illegal content being distributed in ZIP or ISO or AVI or XVID or MP3 or FLAC etc etc.
MKV is a file format. Legal content can be contained in MKV just as legal content can be contained in MP3 or any other file format.
/rant off
Lets ban ZIP files since illegal files can be stored in them!
I fully agree with you, but still I think this can be one reason why they don't support it. From technical point of view it is not challenging at all for a PS3 to play an mkv, so then why not?
I give you an example that is somehow comparable to this: in my country we have to pay an additional tax for each and every blank CD, DVD, usb stick, SD card etc that we buy, simply because you are able to store copied music/films on them, and this tax then goes to an organization that claims they are re-distributing the money from this tax amongst artists, musicians etc. So basically they suppose that if I buy a blank CD/DVD, then for sure I will store 'stolen' mp3s on it, and not my data, photos, etc...so I have to pay. And this is by law.
In thease last days I´ve tested both 720p and 1080p streamed to my PS3. It works good on my WiFi network.
I use the D-link DIR-635 N-router mouted in the middle of my house on the second floor, the PS3 is at the far end of the first floor, I use the readynas ultra 2 plus direct connected to the router. I use regular Western 5400/rev discs and no special settings. All the tested movies is Xvid. It works with twonky and the standard streamer. I´ve not yet tested with all types of 1080p movies, it will problibly fail with super high bitrate ones. But I will test that later on...
The key thing with a good WiFi I think is to find a set channel on the router with low interference. If you have problem start with the router..
I think It´s simple lazyness from Sonys side. They have a great product and they don´t want to develop It more. Sony got BluRay players with WiFi and support for mkv so they do think its ok to use it. Mkv is great for legal purposes as home movies and to have your own bought DVD collection on your NAS. I´ve used TVersity for a long while to transcode all kinds of movie, music and picture formats and it works prefectly! If someone were to port Tversity to the readynas It would be great
Yeah I agree with you Johan. The PS3 has got some great potential however Sony are just doing nothing with it. Even the menu system on the PS3 is starting to look dated. How about some intergration with IMDB for example. Teh PS3 cost a fair bit of money back in the day and Sony should consider this whilst they sit on thier hands.
BTW, I am really impressd with PS3 media server. Not bad for a freeware. I can save movies with Subtitle files on my readynas and stream them to my PS3 via PS3 meadia server software. Works really well 🙂
Yeah I agree with you Johan. The PS3 has got some great potential however Sony are just doing nothing with it. Even the menu system on the PS3 is starting to look dated. How about some intergration with IMDB for example. Teh PS3 cost a fair bit of money back in the day and Sony should consider this whilst they sit on thier hands.
BTW, I am really impressd with PS3 media server. Not bad for a freeware. I can save movies with Subtitle files on my readynas and stream them to my PS3 via PS3 meadia server software. Works really well 🙂
From where you do you have this add-on for your ReadyNAS? I am looking for such server for exactly the same purpose (subtitle file support)
1- java 1.6 addon 2- mencoder, mplayer, +++ (mencoder not working for me) 3- Linux version of PS3 Media server. (update for the latest is very easy: only need to replace one file)
if mencoder is not used, no subtitles ( to my knowledge)
I jail broke my ps3 and installed showtime media player. Works well streaming 720p mkv files using readydlna. I believe some people have had success streaming 1080p by increasing showtime's buffer size.
Yeah I agree with you Johan. The PS3 has got some great potential however Sony are just doing nothing with it. Even the menu system on the PS3 is starting to look dated. How about some intergration with IMDB for example. Teh PS3 cost a fair bit of money back in the day and Sony should consider this whilst they sit on thier hands.
BTW, I am really impressd with PS3 media server. Not bad for a freeware. I can save movies with Subtitle files on my readynas and stream them to my PS3 via PS3 meadia server software. Works really well 🙂
From where you do you have this add-on for your ReadyNAS? I am looking for such server for exactly the same purpose (subtitle file support)
Thanks, G.
http://www.ps3mediaserver.org/ BUt its not a readynas add on. This is installed on your PC or Mac. The files on your Readnas can be streamed to the PS3 via this media server. Thsi means you can play MKv's and subtitle suppoprt. Only downside is you need to have your PC or Mac on to do this. Not ideal
