#WIRELESS MEDIACENTER HOW TO#
#WIRELESS MEDIACENTER MAC OS#
#WIRELESS MEDIACENTER INSTALL#
#WIRELESS MEDIACENTER SOFTWARE#
#WIRELESS MEDIACENTER PC#

You can then install the appropriate apps on your TV-streaming boxes, smartphones, and tablets. Both Plex and Media Browser offer an optional account system, which can simplify signing into the mobile and TV apps and connecting to your server remotely over the Internet. Install the Plex or Media Browser on your system of choice and set it up to point at your media. The setup process should just take a few minutes, no matter what server you choose to use.

Set Up the Server, Install the Apps, and Start Streaming There’s also a web interface and powerful Plex application for computers, if you hook up a computer to your TV. They offer mobile apps for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and Windows 8. Plex offers clients for the Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox, and PlayStation platforms - as well as Chromecast support. You can install it on a desktop computer, a dedicated server, or get a pre-made NAS device that supports the server software.

#WIRELESS MEDIACENTER MAC OS#

Plex and Media Browser both offer servers that run on Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, BSD, and various NAS devices. You could also try Kodi, formerly known as XBMC - it can be a bit more complicated to set up and works a bit differently. Both work similarly, offering a server you install on a desktop PC, laptop, NAS device, or dedicated home server. The two biggest solutions to recommend are probably Plex and Media Browser.

#WIRELESS MEDIACENTER HOW TO#

RELATED: How to Set Up a NAS (Network-Attached Storage) Drive These apps often allow you to browse and access photos, too - perfect if you’re the type of person who keeps a local photo collection, too. If you have a large collection of local video and music files - perhaps videos ripped from DVDs and music ripped from audio CDs - this may be the ideal way to access that content on all your devices without relying on streaming services like Netflix and Spotify.

#WIRELESS MEDIACENTER SOFTWARE#

There are some good free software packages for this, but you’ll need to bring your own media.

#WIRELESS MEDIACENTER PC#

Once it’s all set up, open the MyHarmony software on your computer and select your remote from the list.RELATED: Why You Should Connect a PC to Your TV (Don't Worry It's Easy!) We recommend the FLIRC, though any generic USB receiver will probably work. Plug your receiver into your media center and make sure it’s within view of your sitting position, so you can point your remote in its general direction. You just need to know a few simple things.įirst, you’ll need a USB infrared receiver for your media PC. How to Control Your PC with Infrared (Available on All Harmony Remotes)Ĭontrolling your PC with infrared isn’t that different from setting up your Harmony remote with any other device. The closer you follow these instructions to the letter, and in the proper order, the less chance you have of running into a problem. While Logitech makes some great hardware, their software is not very good, and things can go wonky and get confusing very easily (especially when it comes to remotes with the Harmony Hub). NOTE: If you can, try to follow these instructions as closely as possible. RELATED: How to Control Your Entire Home Theater with a Logitech Harmony Remote If you haven’t, check out our guide to getting started with Harmony first. This guide assumes you’ve already become somewhat familiar with your remote and the MyHarmony software, and that you’ve set it up with your other devices. In this guide, I’ll discuss how to set up each method, and how I use both in tandem for the best of both worlds. I actually use a combination of both for my PC, to make up for each method’s inadequacies. But it’s more responsive than infrared, in my experience. On some PCs, it may not even be able to wake your computer from sleep. You’ll need a cheap Bluetooth receiver (or a computer that already has one built-in), and it isn’t quite as versatile. Bluetooth: If you have a Harmony Hub-supported remote, you can also control your PC with Bluetooth.Infrared can have a bit of lag on some systems, however (though some will be fine). You’ll need a USB infrared receiver, which is cheap, and if you have a non-Harmony Hub remote, you’ll need to point the remote at your media center to control it. Infrared: All Harmony remotes support this option, and it’s the most versatile with the least amount of fiddling.Don’t worry: Your Harmony can control your PC too, it just isn’t immediately obvious how.ĭepending on the remote you have, you have a few options when it comes to controlling your media PC. So you’ve got a fancy new Logitech Harmony remote, ready to control your entire home theater–but one of your devices is a home theater PC.

Wireless mediacenter