Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Which One to Choose?
The first option is convenient, but the second option is completely reliable. It's a pain
to swap between libraries, but you minimize the chance of something going wrong. If
you want the least amount of trouble, pick option two.
A number of third-party apps claim to split your iTunes library. I don't recommend
them. First, they don't do anything that you can't already do easily with system tools,
and second, they can be unreliable.
In either case, it's a good idea to back up your external media, particularly if you've
put a lot of effort into assigning metadata. The best way to do this is by cloning to a
second disk on a regular basis using
SuperDuper
or
Carbon Copy Cloner
. You can use
an online backup service like
CrashPlan
, but video files are so huge that backing them
up across an Internet connection may take weeks or months, and can cause you to
exceed bandwidth caps from your Internet service provider. Plus, restoring over the
Internet would likely take longer than ripping from scratch again.
Skip iTunes with Silver Screen
Put off by the hassle of iTunes? One alternative is
Silver Screen
,
from Page Zero Software
($19). It's a simple way to AirPlay any video in just about any format from your Mac to your
Apple TV, and it can be controlled by a Web browser from any device.
Note:
If you want a media storage and playback system that's even more powerful
(though harder to set up and use) than Silver Screen, see
In the Plex
.
OnceyouinstallandlaunchSilverScreen,youseeitsicon inyourMac'smenubar.Byde-
fault,SilverScreenlooksformoviesinyourMoviesfolder,aswellasanysubfolders.Thiscan
be changed by choosing Silver Screen > Preferences, and changing the Media Directory.
While you're there, you can also enter your Apple TV's AirPlay password, if it has one (see
Lock Down AirPlay
,
earlier).
ToplayavideoonyourAppleTV,chooseSilverScreen >OpenMediaBrowser.TheMedia
Browser opens in your default Web browser. Be sure to send the URL from your browser to
your mobile devices as well, so you can launch videos from the couch!
SilverScreenisdeadsimple.Clickavideo,clickPlay,anditplaysonyourAppleTV(
Figure
53
). You can also resume or restart a video you played previously.
