Advice needed on setting up streaming!

This is not my expertise, but this article, and its links, may help.

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/features/focus/listening-wirelessly

It is from Gramophone, WHF's sister title.  Its author, Andrew Everard, is a regular contributor here, though maybe he is busy at the Manchester show today.  Someone more expert will be along soon, I hope.

Meanwhile, your post gets bumped to the top again!

Good luck.

Apple Airport Express would seem appropriate.

You can start by setting up a media server on your PC. Windows Media player will do it through the sharing menu, or you can use Twonky, PS3MediaServer etc etc.

Then make sure media servers are allowed on the PS3 (under network settings). Then you will see them appear in the relevant XMB menu under music, video, photos (do a search if not).

So there you have streaming from your PC to PS3.

As for the iPad, no idea.

Not at the Manchester Show - someone has to mind the store!

Assuming all your content is in an iTunes library, you need media server software on your computer to enable external devices to access the library. Some good suggestions above, and I'd also add Allegro Media Server, which you can get as a time-limited demo version to try before you pay the US$39.95 licence fee if you like it. Or you could use something like Twonky for Windows, which has the added benefit of being free.

You can then access the content on your PS3 or directly on the Onkyo, which is already network-capable. For the second room you'll need a separate streaming device connected to the network to receive content: this could be something like an internet radio, either used alone or connected into an amp or speakers, or a simple streaming system such as the Marantz M-CR603.

As far as the iPad is concerned, to stream content from the computer to it, you can use the free wifi2hifi app/software: you could then use the iPad in the second room as the streaming receiver, connected into a suitable amp and speakers if you wanted to.

Or you could just use the iPad to control the Onkyo receiver, using Onkyo's free control app for the TX-NR609.

The only thing to bear in mind with all the above is that your computer needs to be permanently, or at least always on when you want to access your music. To avoid this you'll need to add a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device – basically a networked hard-drive connected to your network router – which you leave on all the time, and which runs its own server software other devices (such as your PC, PS3 and the Onkyo) can use to access the music, which of course you need to transfer to, and store on, the NAS.

Wow, thanks for all of the replies! Some really good advice. I like the sound of using a NAS device so that the PC doesn't always have to be on, I'm assuming it could be hidden away discreetly so no-one would even know its there. 

What I'd ideally like to do is be able to pick up either my iPhone or iPad and play music in either one of the rooms I had in mind - either on the Onkyo setup in the living room and either use a second zone from this in the dining room or use the stereo setup I have there. Would the NAS option enable this? I've also had Sonos mentioned to me as a possibility but don't know enough about it?

Yes, exactly that: once installed and set-up it's accessed remotely from the streaming devices (or from a web interface on your PC if you need to reset anything or make adjustments), so it can go anywhere there's a network cable and a power supply

Yes, Sonos would enable you to do that, but it will involve more expense: you'll need a ZoneBridge, which is £39, connected to your router, and a ZonePlayer 90 in each room, at £279 a pop. The ZonePlayers provide a line output, which you just plug into the Onkyo in one room and the stereo in the second room, just like you would a CD player or whatever. You need these because Sonos doesn't work on standard wi-fi, but sets up its own wireless mesh network independent of your main wi-fi set-up.

Yes, I know it seems that these are duplicating the network functions of your PS3 and Onkyo, but that's how Sonos works, and that's how the company makes its system so simple to use.

You can control the Sonos system in each room from anywhere there's wi-fi using the iPad or iPhone running a free control app. This will let you control what's playing in each room from either device.

Would one ZonePlayer and the use of zone 2 on the Onkyo work? I've never tried two zones so have no idea if that would work?

Would do, provided you're happy playing the same content from the NAS or computer in both zones, and don't mind running long speaker cables or interconnects between the two rooms. The Sonos system gives you the flexibility to play the same or different music in each zone, and of course does it all wirelessly.

Thanks for the reply, I'm not worried about being able to have different music in each zone, it's more about being able to play the music I want in either of those rooms. Would that mean then that I could use a NAS accessed through the Onkyo (both connected directly into a router) and select tracks via the Onkyo but controlled on the Apple base app and not need to shell out on the Sonos (might not be as slick though?).

Yes, absolutely.

Perfect! Thanks!

I'd best get a NAS sorted then!