iTunes Referencing w/ 2TB+ Data

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Level 1

15 points

iTunes Referencing w/ 2TB+ Data

My iTunes library has about 200GB of Music, and I have over 2TB of H.264 & MPEG-4 movies. Music & Videos reside on different HDs, with movies NOT living in MEDIA FOLDER.

Objective: Reference all movie files in iTunes so they're stream-accessible via Apple TV. I don't want to add them to iTunes.

- Music: HD 1 (iTunes Library)
- Movies: HD 2 & 3
- Computer: Mac Pro
- Device: Apple TV

I've heard a couple ways to reference content in iTunes:

1. Drag file(s) holding option key into iTunes, this will reference data instead of moving into iTunes MEDIA FOLDER. *Problem with this - you get no view options (CMD J) indicating whether or not it's referenced*.

2. iTunes > Preferences > Advanced > Uncheck 'Copy files to iTunes MEDIA FOLDER when adding to library' *Problem with this - you get no view options (CMD J) indicating whether or not it's referenced*.

Question: Is there an effective way to reference data that could be on multiple internal/external HD's and distinguish data that is IN MEDIA FOLDER from EXTERNAL SOURCE?

Mac Pro 2.8x8, Mac OS X (10.6.5), NVidia GT 120 | 10GB | RAID 0 | 20" Samsung | 23" ACD

Posted on Dec 25, 2010 9:46 PM

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Answer 1

Jolly Giant

Level 7

25,464 points

Dec 26, 2010 12:44 AM in response to Psilocybe

Psilocybe wrote:
1. Drag file(s) holding option key into iTunes, this will reference data instead of moving into iTunes MEDIA FOLDER. *Problem with this - you get no view options (CMD J) indicating whether or not it's referenced*.

2. iTunes > Preferences > Advanced > Uncheck 'Copy files to iTunes MEDIA FOLDER when adding to library' *Problem with this - you get no view options (CMD J) indicating whether or not it's referenced*.

both options will work.

you can check the path to the location of any given file by right-clicking (or ctrl-clicking) on it in iTunes, +get info+ and going to the summary tab

( *click on image to enlarge* )

J GG

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Answer 2

Psilocybe Author

Level 1

15 points

Dec 26, 2010 12:54 AM in response to Jolly Giant

So, holding option down while moving data into iTunes does NOT reference. Test and try to verify.

It's actually click + SHIFT to reference.

Don't you think there would be a view option (CMD J) for referenced data?

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Answer 3

Jolly Giant

Level 7

25,464 points

Dec 26, 2010 1:54 AM in response to Psilocybe

Psilocybe wrote:
So, holding option down while moving data into iTunes does NOT reference.

what do you mean by reference ?

if you have +*copy files to ... when adding to library+* check marked in preferences > advanced and option-drag content from e.g. an external HD into an open iTunes window, iTunes will index the path to the file's location, but not copy the file physically into the iTunes music (or media) folder.

Test and try to verify.

i'm using the above technique to add my lossless music files (stored on an external) to my library.

It's actually click + SHIFT to reference.

again, i'm not sure what you mean by reference.

Don't you think there would be a view option (CMD J) for referenced data?

cmd j brings up *view options* for me.

J GG

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