• Directory Layout on a NAS

    From Jeff Gaines@21:1/5 to All on Sat Oct 16 22:01:08 2021
    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.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Gordon@21:1/5 to Jeff Gaines on Sun Oct 17 02:54:28 2021
    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.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Pancho@21:1/5 to Gordon on Sun Oct 17 08:53:43 2021
    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.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Jaimie Vandenbergh@21:1/5 to jgaines_newsid@yahoo.co.uk on Sun Oct 17 11:39:56 2021
    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

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)