Ipad and External HDD

[Bradley]

I have an 1TB External HDD that i have tons on movies on and just wondering, if i will be able to connect that HDD to the Ipad? It will greatly Determine, which Size HDD i will get inside the Ipad. and how does apple OS go with AVI's will i need to change the format to MP4. this will be my 1st apple and just need want some more information. any help is appreciated.

 

[iDoug]

Man I don't know! Hopefully they will make a HD that does connect up to the iPad so that you can carry a pretty extensive movie library around or if you're like me, just hold your entire music collection!

 

[Dallasfreak]

that would be so sweet but I dont think that will happen.......

 

[Max]

The pad will only sync with iTunes, so yes, most likely your fileformats need to be converted to m4v!
Unless.....theres some genious hack for the USB camera connector which allows us to control/change what data to be sent through it!

 

[AbblePC]

Air Video to the Rescue!

From what everyone seems to be saying in this thread thus far...

You would all like a way to more or less carry your videos with you at all times and if that means tethering to an external Hard Drive or USB storage device so be it.

Well no need to do any of that, as long as your on a 3G or WiFi connection with the iPad.

The Air Video app in the app store is exactly what will allow you to stream any of your videos, EXCEPT DRM content. But for any of those movies you want to stream live from your desktop this app does it very well.

I stream all kinds of movies I saved from flash content sites or otherwise. This app will convert LIVE while streaming and all very fast too.

It's only $2.99 in the iTunes app store and they have a free version you can install to test, but will not allow you to maintain full movie lists and instead pull randomly several movies from your home server to show for viewing each time the free version is launched.

Its well worth the money and has passed some of my leisure time while out on the road.. I personally cant wait to try this app on my new iPad.


I have watched music videos, Youtube as well as others that I saved to my iMac or Time Capsule and share them through the small applet server that runs on your desktop to act as a live streaming server. Simply open the server preferences on the desktop, select which movie folder you want to share and voila! Your all ready to be mobile free and have your entire movie collection available for LIVE steaming. (no DRM support)

They all show up in your Air Video app on the iPhone - soon to be iPad.
One quick tap of a movie and you can choose to convert them on the fly and view/stream simultaneously or you can convert them by selecting convert and choose conversion settings to have them convert on your desktop at home while watching another video or movie while you wait.

If its DRM protected movies that were purchased on your iTunes account, then obviously that is as simple as syncing that movie to your iPad for viewing later.

Bleh to the iPad naysayers, they have no idea what they are going to be missing.. :ipad-movie: :comingsoon:

 

[iDoug]

From what everyone seems to be saying in this thread thus far...

You would all like a way to more or less carry your videos with you at all times and if that means tethering to an external Hard Drive or USB storage device so be it.

Well no need to do any of that, as long as your on a 3G or WiFi connection with the iPad.

The Air Video app in the app store is exactly what will allow you to stream any of your videos, EXCEPT DRM content. But for any of those movies you want to stream live from your desktop this app does it very well.

I stream all kinds of movies I saved from flash content sites or otherwise. This app will convert LIVE while streaming and all very fast too.

It's only $2.99 in the iTunes app store and they have a free version you can install to test, but will not allow you to maintain full movie lists and instead pull randomly several movies from your home server to show for viewing each time the free version is launched.

Its well worth the money and has passed some of my leisure time while out on the road.. I personally cant wait to try this app on my new iPad.


I have watched music videos, Youtube as well as others that I saved to my iMac or Time Capsule and share them through the small applet server that runs on your desktop to act as a live streaming server. Simply open the server preferences on the desktop, select which movie folder you want to share and voila! Your all ready to be mobile free and have your entire movie collection available for LIVE steaming. (no DRM support)

They all show up in your Air Video app on the iPhone - soon to be iPad.
One quick tap of a movie and you can choose to convert them on the fly and view/stream simultaneously or you can convert them by selecting convert and choose conversion settings to have them convert on your desktop at home while watching another video or movie while you wait.

If its DRM protected movies that were purchased on your iTunes account, then obviously that is as simple as syncing that movie to your iPad for viewing later.

Bleh to the iPad naysayers, they have no idea what they are going to be missing.. :ipad-movie: :comingsoon:

I think you're right! It's hard to think of change or doing things differently when you're used to a system, but on demand and streaming everything without having to actually store all that data is probably a lot better setup :ipad-movie:

 

[Bradley]

Reply

If that app from the Air Video app in the app store works like that, that would rock. would stop me from carrying around my HDD. Hearing that make me all the more excited for the Ipad. Thank you for all the Information, been a really big help and has influenced my decision on which one i will buy.

 

[iBean]

Thanks for the tip! I'll check it out right away.

 

[gentlefury]

I've always used Orb...but that Air Video is amazing! Great quality and actual stream/subtitle options in app!! Really annoyed I paid $10 for Orb now....

Oh well I bought Air Video and can't wait to see it on a big screen!

 

[lp1968]

The Airstash might be something you would also want to look at. The Air Video App is great if you are connected to WiFi, but if you are on the road and don't have a WiFi connection this seems great!

 

[iVan]

Anyone know of a wifi server that might work with an iPad?

 

[iBean]

My iTouch works with the WiFi unit we have set up in the house for our household computers. We went to a wireless setup when we got iMacs and my old Gateway laptop has a wireless card already in it, so it works too. When I got my iTouch, I gave it a try, and it works as well. So does hubby's Blackberry. So does the Tivo. It is a Linksys unit we got at Best Buy at least 4 years ago.
Is that what your question was regarding?
I have seen a portable WiFi unit advertized by Sprint that works where ever there is a 3G signal, that allows up to 5 devices to be conected at once. You can find it in the Business section of their website. It is like the MiFi unit, but better. Sprint has some rules about obtaining it, but if you can do it, that sounds like the way to go. It requires a monthly fee and maybe also a cell phone fee. I don't quite have the whole thing straight in my head yet. But it makes 3G available if you don't have it on your iPad, but you have to be in signal range, which is the same deal for the built in 3G on the iPad. I just don't know if I want to spend that kind of $ on a monthly basis unless I can replace my exsisting internet connection.

 

[iBean]

The Airstash might be something you would also want to look at. The Air Video App is great if you are connected to WiFi, but if you are on the road and don't have a WiFi connection this seems great!

I'm not familiar with Airstash. Does it only work within range of where the movies are stored (desktop)? Seems what most are looking for is a way to contact ones desktop or external HD to stream over the airwaves to ones distant location. Like, my desktop is at home, and I'm in Dallas and want to watch a movie - can I do that with Airstash?

 

[iVan]

Thanks for answering iBean but it's not quite the answer to my question. I'm looking for a server unit. It's a slave computer that contains large amounts of data that you use from other computers.

 

[gentlefury]

The Airstash might be something you would also want to look at. The Air Video App is great if you are connected to WiFi, but if you are on the road and don't have a WiFi connection this seems great!

I'm not familiar with Airstash. Does it only work within range of where the movies are stored (desktop)? Seems what most are looking for is a way to contact ones desktop or external HD to stream over the airwaves to ones distant location. Like, my desktop is at home, and I'm in Dallas and want to watch a movie - can I do that with Airstash?

Airstash works locally over wifi and over the internet as long as you know how to properly forward your router.