tamás

Q: Is the time capsule the best solution for me?

Dear Apple Support,

 

I am looking for a good solution for the followings:

- wireless backup saving of mey Macbook Air 13"

- Storage for different media files (Videos basically)

- Play multimedia files (iphoto libary and mkv videos) on my Smart TV (wifi capable, and has a built in media player)

 

I think about a Time Capsule and an Apple TV, but before purchase I would like to be sure those will fulfill the requirements above.

 

Thank you for your answer!

 

Kind regards

 

Tamas

MacBook Air, OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Sep 12, 2016 7:27 AM

Close

Q: Is the time capsule the best solution for me?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by JimmyCMPIT,Helpful

    JimmyCMPIT JimmyCMPIT Sep 13, 2016 1:12 AM in response to tamás
    Level 5 (7,436 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 13, 2016 1:12 AM in response to tamás

    if you format a drive for mac format to use as a Time Machine backup there is a chance your smart TV will not be able to read that drive.

  • by LaPastenague,

    LaPastenague LaPastenague Sep 12, 2016 3:28 PM in response to JimmyCMPIT
    Level 9 (52,464 points)
    Wireless
    Sep 12, 2016 3:28 PM in response to JimmyCMPIT

    JimmyCMPIT wrote:

     

    if you format a drive for mac format to use as a Time Machine backup there is a chance your smart TV will not be able to read that drive.

    chance.. is not strong enough.. there is no way it can read HFS+ drives directly.. ie you cannot plug in a USB drive to the TV formatted HFS+

     

    However this is not the situation over a network.. Any device that connects to a network resource has to use SMB or FTP or AFP etc to access files.. the format of the disk is handled by the local device not the network client.

    A true media player like WD live TV can access mkv files on a Time Capsule and play it on the TV. The smart TV cannot because it need DLNA extensions.

     

    I am looking for a good solution for the followings:

    - wireless backup saving of mey Macbook Air 13"

    - Storage for different media files (Videos basically)

    - Play multimedia files (iphoto libary and mkv videos) on my Smart TV (wifi capable, and has a built in media player)

     

    I think about a Time Capsule and an Apple TV, but before purchase I would like to be sure those will fulfill the requirements above.

    A Time Capsule is useless for media storage. It has zero media extensions.

     

    The problem is the SMART TV aint that smart as to read a hard disk directly.. it needs DLNA media extension. Apple do not provide this.

     

    So here are your choices. (or at least the main ones as I see it.. there are many variations on the theme).

     

    1. Buy a TC and use it for backups.. (this was its design function)

    You can store itunes and iphoto libraries on it .. even MKV videos.. however you need a player. TC is not a player nor a media device at all. mkv cannot be played by the TV.. it needs DLNA. But you can stream from a computer.. via apple TV which is also NOT a media player.. (up to v4 at any rate). It is a streamer.. the key part is having a Mac computer doing iTunes.. which will link to the apple TV. (MKV should be converted to MEPG4?? and included in iTunes library).

    There is one bad element in this.. wifi is not good at handling streams running in two directions.. so if you want to store the library on the TC use ethernet.. so that the stream to the TV over wifi is going to have sufficient bandwidth.

     

    2. Plug a Mac directly into the TV and use it as HTPC and media centre.. this works really well and a mini from 2011 onwards work great. You can load Plex onto it and bend the apple rules a bit.. but still have itunes to connect to your libraries.

     

    3. Buy a Synology NAS. This is more expensive cf Time Capsule, as you still need a wireless router. However the NAS has media extensions for both DLNA and iTunes and so can perform all the functions pretty well single handedly.. Some models now even come with HDMI video out.

     

    Apple TV Gen4 does have Plex client apparently but cannot function as server.. 

    But I think you should stick to apple world if you want to pay that kind of $$.

     

    Apple TV 4 - DLNA

  • by tamás,

    tamás tamás Sep 13, 2016 1:24 AM in response to LaPastenague
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 13, 2016 1:24 AM in response to LaPastenague

    Thank you for your answer!

     

    I visited an Apple store yesterday evening and the sales advisor said TC with Apple TV Gen 4 can work. He was sure that ATV gen 4 uses an application that can connect to TC and play those videos and other multimedia contents.

     

    On the other hand you pretty convinced me too. I would avoid Synology NAS, because I would like a solution that does not need "advanced" IT skills .

     

    Maybe I should purchase TC and ATV online, and if those do not work, I'll send them back to the reseller.

     

    Thanks

     

    Tamás

  • by LaPastenague,

    LaPastenague LaPastenague Sep 13, 2016 2:15 AM in response to tamás
    Level 9 (52,464 points)
    Wireless
    Sep 13, 2016 2:15 AM in response to tamás

    tamás wrote:

     

    Thank you for your answer!

     

    I visited an Apple store yesterday evening and the sales advisor said TC with Apple TV Gen 4 can work. He was sure that ATV gen 4 uses an application that can connect to TC and play those videos and other multimedia contents.

    Get the name of the App and do thorough research on it. AFAIK there is no such App.. but I don't have an Apple TV because of the strict limitations and forcing people to remain in the Apple walled garden.

     

    Outlaying money on the basis of snake oil is not a great plan.

  • by LaPastenague,Solvedanswer

    LaPastenague LaPastenague Sep 13, 2016 3:06 AM in response to LaPastenague
    Level 9 (52,464 points)
    Wireless
    Sep 13, 2016 3:06 AM in response to LaPastenague

    Just after a bit of a search you can download VLC app to the Gen4 Apple TV.

     

    What it doesn't say is that it can link to the TC.

     

    http://www.cultofmac.com/406734/how-to-use-vlc-to-watch-any-video-on-apple-tv/

     

    IMHO once you want to watch video feeds like MKV videos and you have already stepped outside of the walled garden then buy a Synology is a heck of a lot easier than trying to make Apple stuff do what Apple designed it NOT to do.