Jan 23, '09 07:30:01AM • Contributed by: Anonymous
So here's what I do. I first begin a file transfer across the network of the movie I want to watch. (I typically do a file copy, not a move, so when I'm done, I can just trash the file on my MacBook.) I wait a second to let it get a head start, and then open the partially-transfered movie in VLC. Note that opening from the Finder won't work; either open the file inside VLC, or drag the file onto VLC in the Dock.
Now, VLC is going to think the file is broken, and ask if you want to repair it -- don't. Your movie will now start playing, and assuming your transfer speed is fast enough to keep up with the movie's speed, you should be able to watch the movie while it transfers in the background.
[robg adds: I've posted this because I think it's interesting that VLC will start playing an incomplete movie without (too many) complaints. However, for general viewing, it'd be much easier to just actually stream the movie using VLC. Just connect to the Power Mac over the network, mount the volume that holds the movie, and start playing. You my have to adjust VLC's cache settings to avoid stutters and drop-outs; for more on that, see this hint.]
