NAS with Media Extender

[tayloj6]

I have scoured the net for hours and found endless info on NAS, WMC, media extenders and the like and still can't seem to determine a solution to what I am looking for so I figured I would post the questions straight up and see what everyone had to say.

I have a Windows 7 PC and a Macbook Pro. I am looking at getting a NAS for three purposes. One as a centralized backup for the 2 computers, two as a file sync server for a few folders on the two computers and three as a media hub. With that said. I would like to be able serve/stream the media on the NAS to my HDTV/home theater center (surround sound system as well which would be good for music playing).

From all my reading it seems that the solution is to buy a NAS and then a media extender. This sound about right?
Along with that I was curious if anyone could point out a few key things to look for in these components to ensure compatibility with everything on the network. I was looking at the Synology DS209+II and then perhaps the Netgear EVA-8000. Any recommendations on other components instead or at least just things to consider?

Thanks for the help in advance.

 

[thiggins]

"Media extender" implies Microsoft's Windows Media Center based solution. "Media player", "media tank" are more current terms.

Yes, you have it about right. Most problems come from using players that depend on UPnP AV / DLNA servers, such as PS2 and Xbox 360's. The problems come from the wide variation in server implementations allowed by the UPnP AV / DLNA specs. You can remove this problem by using media players that don't require UPnP AV / DLNA and that can instead scan network shares and build their own database of playable content.

The other problems come from insufficient and unreliable bandwidth provided by most wireless connections, even 802.11n. If you're going to be watching HD video, Ethernet is the way to go. If you can't do Ethernet, next best is a pair of MoCA adapters like the NETGEAR MoCA Coax-Ethernet Adapter Kit or D-Link DXN-221.

If you must use wireless, you need a player with a lot of buffering capacity. The NETGEAR EVA9150 is the best player I've tested in that regard. It has an internal drive for both storing content and buffering network play.