Fresh Install - advice needed re Music app and Directory structure on NAS

[rossbrady]

Complete NMT and NAS noob here. I apologize if this is covered somewhere, but after a lot of searching I have only become more confused.

I just installed a Qnap NAS (TS-459) and I am trying to figure out the best way to store music files on this machine so that I can access them from the C-200 that is allegedly coming soon. I have a pile of CDs that I want to store on the existing NAS and then play through the C-200 in a jukebox like style (using my stereo system of course). I am planning on installing a hard drive in the C-200 before I fire it up so.

Since space is not an issue (3.6 TB RAID 6), I want to convert my CDs to FLAC or WAV files since these formats seem to do a good job of preserving the original CD quality. Finally, the Qnap NAS has Twonkymedia on it, but it does not seem to be a good option for the C-200.

Keeping in mind that I am a NAS and NMT noob, what is the cleanest way to put my music files on the NAS and then access them using the NMT? I would prefer to not need a PC to be involved, but I can if it is required only for setup (running Win7 64 bit).

While I am trying to figure out the best application to use, what is the best directory structure to use on my NAS? I was thinking…

\Multimedia\Music\Genre\Performer\album\songs

An example would be \Multimedia\Music\Rock\ACDC\Back in Black\Shoot to Thrill

My next step will be to move my DVD collection to the server, I mention this only in case there is a good application that would cover both music and video.

Thanks for your patience.

[hxall]

Let me say that directory (folder) structure in a NAS is more related to user preference than the programs (jukeboxes, streaming software, etc) used to access the media.

Hence, use whatever structure best works for you, in reality it needs to be intuitive for you, so that you can easily manage the files manually (browse, copy, move, delete, etc). I personally use the folder structure you have indicated (for example Video\Genre\movie-name or Music\Genre\Artist\Album\song-title)

Most jukeboxes will do an iterative search thru the directory structure looking for the specific media it needs and creates a database (either dynamic or static) containing the links to the media, when you use the jukebox it uses the links to find and play the media (so directory structure doesn't really matter much to these programs).

I keep all my music in FLAC format (takes about half the space as WAV and maintains full quality). For bluray's I prefer folder structure (full menus, extra's, etc).

As far as recommended programs, here's a list of what I use:
1) For music: Exact Audio Copy (for ripping CD's to FLAC) and Mp3tag (metadata cleanup, adding artwork to songs, etc), I also maintain a full duplicate MP3 version of my music library in the NAS (used for itunes and ipods), for this purpose I use foobar2000 to encode the FLAC files to MP3 (all these programs are free)
2) For movies: AnyDVD HD (for ripping DVD's and BD's to folder structure)
3) For playing the media there is a wide choice of options, for example music jukebox for music and YAMJ or UMC for movies, these are good choices but not perfect
4) I'm personally waiting for the next version of UMC and the new RobG GUI for the C-200 as I think these will be a better solution

[jerseyjoe123]

Generally, I would just structure the folders alphabetically. i.e:

\Multimedia\Music\A\Performer\album\songs
\Multimedia\Music\B\Performer\album\songs
\Multimedia\Music\C\Performer\album\songs

Creating the folders based on categories like Genre makes it harder when deciding where to place an artist, such as should you put ACDC under Metal, Hard Rock, Classic Rock,etc?

The same would apply to movies, however I do separate my high definition movies from the standard definition ones, but you don't have to.

Over the years, this design works best for me. My folder structure on the NAS looks like:

\Audio\A\Performer\album\songs
\Music Videos\A\Performer

\Standard Definition Movies\A\Movie Title folder
\High Definition Movies\A\Movie Title folder
\Television Shows\A\Series Name\Season #\Episodes

\Photos\Year Taken\Event

You will notice that I didn't put them all under common folders on the NAS called \Multimedia\Video, \Multimedia\Music, etc. Rather, I have shares on the NAS called:

\\NAS\Audio
\\NAS\Music Videos
\\NAS\Standard Definition Movies
\\NAS\High Definition Movies
\\NAS\Television Shows
\\NAS\Photos

The reason is that I found, over time, my collection grew beyond the capacity of the single NAS, thereby requiring a second NAS. By having the folders the way I do, I can move, say Television Shows, to the second NAS to better distribute the files. Also, since SMB on the PCH only allows you to mount the share at the top level (\\NAS\Multimedia is legal, \\NAS\Multimedia\Movies is not legal), it makes it much easier to change Network share mountpoints around in the future.

On my PCH HDD, in the /share folder, I created folders called:

media/Video/Standard Definition Movies
media/Video/High Definition Movies
media/Video/Television Shows
media/Music/Audio
media/Music/Music Videos
media/Photos

I don't use the existing Video, Music, and Photos folders because the PCH stores themes, webservices, and waitscreen files in the Photos folder, which I didn't want to appear when I browse through my pictures. Wish they had chosen a different place for that.

I then use NetworkMounter to mount the NAS shares to those folders. To your PCH, all of you files appear in a set of neatly organized folders under the media folder. It's more of an old school approach, but it is still the best.

I don't use the Network Shares in the PCH setup interface as, with that method, the PCH only actually mounts one share at a time. With Network Mounter, they are all mounted all the time.

As far as a good jukebox app that covers both video and audio, and resides entirely on the PCH, I've never found one. NMTServer works well and covers everything, but it only runs an external on Windows box. UMC might do both, but I've never played with it.

[rossbrady]

Both of your posts were very helpful, thanks!

I have one follow-up question. After I use your advice and build my library of flac files using one of these directory structures, can I use the C-200 right out of the box to stream Flac files from my NAS into my stereo? That would give me some time to get used to the NMT and do some more digging to figure out which "jukebox app" I want to use.

From the reviews I have read, it sounds like you can do basic music playback functions like playing all of the songs in a directory (and its sub-directories) in sequential order, or playing all of them using a shuffle function.

Or, do I need to settle on the "jukebox app" right away?

Thanks again.

[hxall]

The C-200 plays FLAC songs just fine without a jukebox. Your approach sounds sensible, the new UMC version looks very promising and it will have music functions as well.

[jerseyjoe123]

Yes, you should be able to plug the PCH into your stereo right away and play. Is your stereo receiver an AV receiver with Dolby surround, in that it has inputs/outputs for video as well? If so, if you connect the PCH and TV to the receiver, then you can play your movies that have surround sound as well.

Choosing a jukebox is something you can do later. It's more of a cosmetic thing.

[rossbrady]

The Mitsubishi TV has a audio built in, so I plan to just connect it to the PCH using one of the TV's HDMI inputs.

[hxall]

(03-28-2010 04:50 PM)rossbrady Wrote:  The Mitsubishi TV has a audio built in, so I plan to just connect it to the PCH using one of the TV's HDMI inputs.

Does that TV decode HD audio (DTS-MA or TrueHD)? If not, you may want to invest in a AV receiver to get the full experience that the C-200 can provide when playing HD audio from blurays, etc.

Also, if you intend to play FLAC thru the TV, you probably won't get the sound quality you are paying for (thru storage), if this is your long term plan then probably MP3 would be a better use of storage space...

[rossbrady]

Yes, TV does a great job with both video and sound - have blue ray hooked up to it now. Only using the TV for Movies, the FLAC files will go through my Yamaha amplifier that pushes sound through speakers wired all around the house - PCH will replace the CD jukebox I have hooked up to it.

[hxall]

(03-28-2010 03:54 PM)jerseyjoe123 Wrote:  I then use NetworkMounter to mount the NAS shares to those folders. To your PCH, all of you files appear in a set of neatly organized folders under the media folder. It's more of an old school approach, but it is still the best.

I don't use the Network Shares in the PCH setup interface as, with that method, the PCH only actually mounts one share at a time. With Network Mounter, they are all mounted all the time.

As far as I know, NetworkMounter doesn't work with the C-200, what PCH are you using?

[jerseyjoe123]

I have a PCH-a100. I don't know if it works with the 200 Series. According to the NetworkMounter thread, a lot of people have asked that question, but no one has confirmed it does, or said it doesn't. You could always try to install it, via CSI, and see if it does. Basically, it's just a php script that reads the values in its config file and calls the mount/umount commands in Busybox, so it SHOULD work.

Before you do, make sure that you don't have any shares defined under Network Shares in the PCH setup, and also make sure you don't have the Mono.Wrapper app installed, as NetworkMounter will conflict with them. The conflicts appear with the behavior of the PCH hanging on shutdown, forcing you to power cycle it.

[hxall]

(03-29-2010 02:10 AM)jerseyjoe123 Wrote:  I have a PCH-a100. I don't know if it works with the 200 Series. According to the NetworkMounter thread, a lot of people have asked that question, but no one has confirmed it does, or said it doesn't. You could always try to install it, via CSI, and see if it does.

Nope, as I said, it is not supported for C-200 nor is it available in CSI for C-200.

[jerseyjoe123]

OK, Fair enough.

[jctcom]

(03-29-2010 04:26 AM)hxall Wrote:  Nope, as I said, it is not supported for C-200 nor is it available in CSI for C-200.

Is there any other solution for this problem? I would like to be able to use a jukebox that can access my various network shares.

Carl.

[rossbrady]

(04-04-2010 07:11 AM)jctcom Wrote:  Is there any other solution for this problem? I would like to be able to use a jukebox that can access my various network shares.

Carl.

Hx and Jersey supplied the best summary I have been able to find regarding this topic. I did read that you can only map PCH to one network share at a time, so it seems to me that streaming music from multiple locations at once is not possible. But I think you might be able access music from multiple locations - one location at a time (NAS for one set of files, your PC for another, your wife's PC for another...), but each would have a separate mapped location and separate menu files.

I am a noob (still waiting for the box to arrive - hopefully tomorrow), so I am not positive about any of this right now.