Streaming mkv to PS3
10/10/2010
I was on the hunt for a simple solution to stream videos to my PS3, and after discovering that you can’t stream HD movies on a wireless network unless you are using ‘N’ (which I have heard and read that it there are still many problems) I purchased an NAS drive so that I could stream from that device instead. This drive has many great functions two include: it has a small Linux OS allowing customization, streams UPNP, it is easy to access from inside or outside of your network, and it has bit torrent built in.
One of the downfalls I have come across is mkv files. It is a real pain to stream mkv’s to the PS3. In fact, the only way I have figured this one out is to download the file, transfer it to another computer, convert it, transfer it back. I spend more time screwing around with the conversion process and end up not enjoying the fruits of my labor.
After doing some hunting around, I discovered “PS3 Media Server”. It is a powerful little program that transcode and streams directly to your PS3. It is very customizable and user friendly. I thought I would have to share this because of you don’t mind pluging a line into your router for 2 hours and streaming an HD movie, then this program is for you. So this program is ready to launch and play. No codec packs to install. No folder configuration and pre-parsing or this kind of annoying thing. All your folders are directly browsed by the PS3 and there’s an automatic refresh. Additionally, there is real-time video transcoding via MEncoder, tsMuxer or Avisynth. Includes OGG/FLAC/MPC/APE audio transcoding, thumbnail generation for videos, all formats PS3 natively supports: MP3/WMA, JPG/PNG/GIF/TIFF, and all kind of videos (AVI, MP4, TS, M2TS, MPEG) the ps3 is willing to play. Lastly, it supports Internet TV and Web Radio support with VLC, MEncoder or MPlayer and Podcasts audio/ Video feeds. The best part is that it developed in Java so there are Linux and Mac versions.
I recommend that anyone looking for a simple streaming solution check it out.