Using A Media Server The Easy Way

You Don’t Need to Be An Expert to Know

This title may be a bit deceptive as the “easy way” assumes a certain level of expertise with computers or ability to follow some instructions and leverage Google in the event you don’t have the needed know-how. What I’m talking about with the media server is a platform called MythTV which is a program that runs on Linux (normally) and can be used as a DVR and store your media content that can then be streamed to any player in the house whether laptop, other desktop, or even a TV with a wireless vie transmitter receiver attached, usually through an HDMI cable.

The ability to stream the high definition programs via the wireless connection should be very easy as this type of streaming can usually be done easily on a 40MB or more. Some things that may affect this through put is the type of construction. If you’re living in a home that has a wood frame with sheet-rock, usually no problems. If you’re living in an apartment building with brick walls or the cinder-block walls, this may cause some problems with effectively getting the signal from one room to another.

If you’re interested in something like MythTV and have zero Linux experience, you may consider seeing if there is a nearby college or even high school student you could get to install and configure the system for you. This is usually a low cost affair as most techies are intrigued by this type of system and consider this “fun”.

This same media server can also be configured to stream audio, both internet radio stations and a library of MP3 or other audio files to devices throughout the house. Wireless surround sound can be a cool edition to a home media system as well. If you’re in the construction phase just planning this out, you may consider running some conduit through the walls for speaker wire or even running the speaker wire yourself before the sheet-rock is put on to really get a high quality wired system setup.