yes you can but not mkv without transcoding first
Easy/Simple or pain in the arse?
Does it retain the quality?
buy a wd tv live. £100 supported mkv and network support.
Do this.
EDIT: In my experience transcoding does not retain 100% quality. Using the PS3 and PS3 Media Server, I often noticed compression artefacts in dark or shadowy scenes. Far less so with WDTV Live. The advantages of using it (or something similar) over streaming via PC/Console, are so numerous I can't be arsed to go into it too much. Video/audio/stability are all better. You don't need any PC or Mac switched on, and your bandwidth isn't saturated while you watch. Do it.
Local bandwidth? Streaming doesn't use the Internet at all, just your network, there's no bandwidth involved. You could unplug net from modem and still stream.
Then again I'm tempted to buy one of these - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/182588
ION chipset which handles mkv and every other hi-def format that can be thrown at it. Plus it has the advantage of being able to watch Youtube HD, iPlayer, TVcatchup etc..
Anyone own a Revo?
My WDTV Live arrived at lunctime!
It's taken me from 4.30 until a few minutes ago to setup a network share folder and actually get the WDTV to see it but it was worth it! I can sit in comfort on the sofa and browse all the media files on my gaming rig in the spare room.
All my MKV and h.264 files play effortlessly!
Tversity for the win.....
This is quite funny actually. My old man was going to setup his on the network today. I warned him that apparently it was a pain on Windows 7. Went out to wash the shed, and he rolled out a few minutes later saying it was a piece of piss. Stepped indoors and he's streaming his heart out.
He's 69. Roffle. You lose.
Streaming shows/movies is gay. Local content FTW every time.
Streaming shows/movies is gay. Local content FTW every time.
Buy external HD, plug into PC/Mac, transfer media, unplug from PC/Mac, move to WDTV, plug in to WDTV, watch stuff, need more stuff, unplug from WDTV, move to PC/Mac and so on....
Or..
Stream media from PC/Mac to WDTV via ethernet.
Hmmm...
Still, surely it sucks the network dry if you're also trying to download on the same PC?