How can I play local .MKV files from my unRAID server?  I have a 1080p TV hooked up to the monitor port of my unRAID server box.

 

Thanks!

I don't think you can use unraid in this manner.  Typically you would need another box to go between unraid and the TV (such as a WD-TV live or boxee box etc..) to do what you want.  I think unraid is designed to only push files out to other devices...

 

The possible exception here would be if your TV had an Ethernet port and software built in which could understand and play the videos files you want.

I would recommend taking a look on Plex. If that sounds too much or complicated then you could get away with running a DLNA-server on unRAID and connecting to that directly from your TV (if it supports DLNA). Unfortunately the official unRAID plugin page for version 5.0 is not yet available but you can try out eg. this MiniDLNA plugin.

 

DLNA will give you a very basic user interface for accessing your media files. If you are expecting something like below, then Plex can provide it. There are other alternatives like XBMC (Plex is also based on that) but in my mind Plex is currently the easiest to approach.

 

Plex Media Server (aka, PMS) is a great way to go.  unRAID at its core is just there to store and protect your data and make it available via several network file sharing protocols.  Don't get too confused in the forums about people who stream content directly from their unRAID box.  Many of us (including myself) run PMS directly on the unRAID server, but that is not a requirement.  I was sharing my TV shows from unRAID to a Mac Mini and then ran PMS from the Mac Mini successfully.  So, you still need something between your TV and your stored media to properly encode the format into a usable video.  I use a Roku3 hockey puck connected to my TV to stream HD content.  Plex is just one of many ways to deliver content, but is very popular.  Because it's free, you can experiment with it too.