Media Server Solutions.. VLC vs Myth vs Direct File Access

Ok so it is getting close to time for me to order and build my gateway/webserver/media server and I am looking more seriously at things, namely how to provide media to various computers on my network(And hopefully sometime set-top boxes or other options or possibly direct to TV)

Currently I am looking at VLC, unfortunatly remote control of VLC is tough, and by tough I mean fugly, and a typical windows user(My wife) would have problems with it. However it IS very powerful, will play most every media I have, and is great on a single machine. The web interface is still VERY basic, I would like to be able to load different playlists for example and cant seem to do that. I realise I can program my own, but that is time that would be better spent for me programming other things if I am going to program.

I have been looking at MythTV recently. Seems pretty decent, though my knowledge is very limited on it. Unfortunatly I dont notice a way to stream things out of it, is there one I am not aware of? However It has many other features I like, including already built in DVD ripping support, which would be great for me as I have to go through my dvd collection, Audio ripping and library support complete with CDDB I believe and uses cdparanoia, can encode to FLAC, and a list of other really good features at first glance. But the main hold up is the lack of streaming support...

Which of course brings us to the final option. Just storing the files on a network share and accessing them like that. Not sure how good this is which is why I ask. Pretty much I am curious if there will be any need for more bandwidth using the direct file access. I am currently looking at running everything over a 'G' network, so both this and internet traffic would be going along with possibly other things or multiple streams. Obviously doing this method would probably lose me any hope anytime soon of streaming to a set-top box or going direct to a TV, but it is definitly an option(I think

Comments suggestions? Name calling? Ok maybe not name calling, but random thoughts are welcome

Seablade

Err I suppose I should note that hopefully this solution will service several different client platforms(The server platform will either be Mac or Linux).

I use both Mac and Linux, my wife uses Windows..

Seablade

Heh funnily enough your choices on hardware are nearly IDENTICAL to mine, right now I am leaning towards the Mini, the Lacie Drives are one of two Lacie options I am considering, and even your freaking Battery Backup/PowerSupply I have two of already sitting in my house

Not a bad setup at all, I need to remember that, hadnt considered using a squuezebox, however the squeezzebox wont let me stream video will it? And streaming video is definitly a requirement. I dont tihnk I owuld go for the mods though as, well to be honest if I want the highest quality I will be doing it on my recording workstation However I dont nessecarily need that for a home AV system(Even a pioneer) or my wife's computer el cheapo computer speakers that seem to be tuned to play the rather poor quality we have all come to know and love of MP3s, so if I play anything decent thorugh them with no EQ the bass is rather heavy, and by rather heavy I mean it sounds like crud

Seablade

Yea its more I dont want to have to deal with the wires, I am renting still and already having to redo the phone wiring(And halfway done unfortunatly, wish I had run network with it because I dont trust the people here to not electrocute their arses because they have their thumb stuck so far up them when they dont know what they are doing and screw something up.

Or worse electrocute my equipment. Very hard to do with phone wiring I know, thats because I already tackled the fire hazard that was the electrical wiring in parts of this place.... Can you tell I really dont like this place much

At any rate I dont want to invest the time or money to properly run wires here, that is why I am looking to go wireless. My laptop already is, there are three desktops none of which use a huge amount of storage yet, in other words more than what is built into it, not that that is a tiny amount on any of the And only one will, being my audio workstation that WILL be wired to its storage as it needs the speed to access files.

Thanks for the note about wireless though, its worth keeping in my head at the least. I dont THINK itll be to much of a problem as everything will be within 30 feet of the Mini which will be acting as the access point and server. But hey wireless aint exactly my strong suit as I left computers before it started getting popular(Maybe before it even came out hard to remember

Seablade