I have dumped my £57 per month Sky subscription in favour of a Roku box
and a Freesat recorder. I am slowly getting used to it and have pretty
well the same functionality, although I have never found anything as good
as the Sky EPG.

I am streaming more and more stuff from my NAS (QNAP TS 451+) and always
get a bit confused because it doesn't navigate directly to the various
files but offers options like Artiste, Album, Genre etc. which I don't
know because if I like a video or piece of music I just like it, I don't
categorise it.

I though I'd look at the file layout on the QNAP. I have one directory
called "Mediashare" with sub-directories Music, Pictures and Video which
in turn have their own sub-directories. If I look at the QNAP in Windows
Explorer I see that layout. If I go the the QNAP (via a browser) and look
in that directory I see the same thing but also an empty "Multimedia"
directory. If, however, I look at the QNAP in its DNLA guise in Windows
Explorer there are different categories all seeming to contain the files
in my "Mediashare" directory. I assume they must be links of some sort
despite looking like files otherwise everything is hexuplicated.

I use the QNAP's own multimedia server (which works fine), nothing complex
like Plex.

Sorry, long explanation simple questions:

Are these actually links rather than copies of files?

Is there a benefit in putting my media in the QNAP's Multimedia directory
rather than slavishly following the setup on my PC?

Thanks.
--
Jeff Gaines Wiltshire UK
I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day.
Tomorrow, isn't looking good either.

On 2021-10-16, Jeff Gaines <jgaines_newsid@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>
> I have dumped my £57 per month Sky subscription in favour of a Roku box
> and a Freesat recorder. I am slowly getting used to it and have pretty
> well the same functionality, although I have never found anything as good
> as the Sky EPG.
>
> I am streaming more and more stuff from my NAS (QNAP TS 451+) and always
> get a bit confused because it doesn't navigate directly to the various
> files but offers options like Artiste, Album, Genre etc. which I don't
> know because if I like a video or piece of music I just like it, I don't
> categorise it.
>
> I though I'd look at the file layout on the QNAP. I have one directory
> called "Mediashare" with sub-directories Music, Pictures and Video which
> in turn have their own sub-directories. If I look at the QNAP in Windows
> Explorer I see that layout. If I go the the QNAP (via a browser) and look
> in that directory I see the same thing but also an empty "Multimedia"
> directory. If, however, I look at the QNAP in its DNLA guise in Windows
> Explorer there are different categories all seeming to contain the files
> in my "Mediashare" directory. I assume they must be links of some sort
> despite looking like files otherwise everything is hexuplicated.
>
> I use the QNAP's own multimedia server (which works fine), nothing complex
> like Plex.
>
> Sorry, long explanation simple questions:
>
> Are these actually links rather than copies of files?
>
> Is there a benefit in putting my media in the QNAP's Multimedia directory
> rather than slavishly following the setup on my PC?
>
At the end of the day you need to find something that works for you. This
sissue is caused by good old captialist competion. Add more features to help
sell your model. The end result is then something so complex that it is
left to history.

On 17/10/2021 03:54, Gordon wrote:

> At the end of the day you need to find something that works for you. This
> sissue is caused by good old captialist competion. Add more features to help
> sell your model. The end result is then something so complex that it is
> left to history.
>
>
About a decade ago I attached a HTPC on the TV. As time went by the TV
just became a computer monitor that I often watched video on. I have
very few problems with this set up.

On 16 Oct 2021 at 23:01:08 BST, ""Jeff Gaines""
<jgaines_newsid@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

>
> Are these actually links rather than copies of files?
>

On the proviso that I don't have a QNAP and don't know exactly how its
media server works: I expect they're not even links, they're just
representations. The media server is deriving the categories itself,
presumably by looking at the media files.

You may be able to find a 'just use a file explorer' type view,
alongside the autocategories?

> Is there a benefit in putting my media in the QNAP's Multimedia directory
> rather than slavishly following the setup on my PC?

If it's working, don't fix it.

Cheers - Jaimie
--
Imagine how happy you might be if you spent less time
imagining how happy you might be.
-- j comeau, a softer world