- Jun 27, 2013
- 2
- 0
- 10,510
Hey guys,
Let me start by explaining what I am trying to accomplish. I am starting to run out of room for my collection of DVDs and Blu-rays in my main media room. I used to have this problem with CDs, but then iTunes came around and I burned them all to my computer. Once they were on my computer, I moved my entire CD collection to a work room in my basement. What I would like to do is digitally decrypt my entire movie collection (using tools I already have experience with...) so that I can store it in a central location and access it from multiple devices like smartphones (that support UPnP or similar protocol) TVs and computers. Before I get into the bulk of my dilemma, I will explain my setup. I have (1) Smart TV that is wireless capable, although I have never used the 'Smart Hub'. I have a PS3 and Xbox 360 that are both UPnP capable. I have my smartphone, a Galaxy Note 3 which, using Archos Media Player (which is fantastic by the way) can stream UPnP files, and sooner or later I will update my TV in the basement to one that will most likely support something compatible. At the bare minimum, I want to be able to stream these decrypted video files, most likely .mkv, to at least 2 devices simultaneously with at least 720p quality although 1080p is ideal. My wireless equipment is a dual band ASUS RT-N56U streaming wireless N at 300Mbps per band, though I might upgrade to 801.11ac soon.
Of course, if it can do other things, that would be fine too! For instance, I know that an HTPC could record my shows and play my movies and stream from the web and wipe my butt but that all seems a little pricey. (To be honest, I am building this for my parents so if they are interested and are OK with the price, I might go HTPC) Another option is to do a NAS or Media Server that can serve my devices with stored media over UPnP. I guess the most ideal feature that may or may not be practical would be to remotely access my server, say, on vacation to view movies or music. The only problem with a media server is that right now, I could connect the actual server to the router via Ethernet but all of my other devices would be wireless. The upside of the HTPC is that I could connect directly to my main TV, but not to the router or any other device.
Basically, what I am trying to ask here is what is really the best option for what I am looking to do here. I'm no noob with computers, I am very capable of building a PC or server and configuring Linux or Windows with the proper frontend, such as XMBC, Plex, or Ubuntu server. I really just want someone who is familiar with this stuff to make sure I am not making a beginner's error that I might not know about when it comes to home theater setups.
That being said, here's what I'm looking at for server/HTPC specs:
-BIOSTAR Hi-Fi A85S3 FM2 AMD A85X (Hudson D4) HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX
-AMD A6-6400K Richland 3.9GHz Socket FM2 65W Built in Graphics
-Western Digital WD Green WD20EZRX 2TB IntelliPower 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s
-SAMSUNG 840 EVO MZ-7TE120BW 2.5" 120GB
-4GB DDR3 RAM
-Passive power supply, ~400W at 80+Cert, at least silver
-ASUS Bluray Reader (to decrypt)
-Ubuntu Linux (Server frontend with Virtual Desktop to conserve resources)
-Low profile case
You may notice that I'm going for as little power as possible. That is because this will be running 24/7 so power becomes a factor. I also want quietness because it will either be under my TV or in my kitchen. Ideally, I'd like to be able to remotely monitor temperature inside the case and have it power itself off and notify me when it becomes too hot. Another nice feature would be remote shutdown so that if I want to turn it off at night, I do not have to get up on a chair to where I keep my router to hit power off.
That may be a lot to take in and maybe I didn't cover it all but feel free to call me out on mistakes, ask questions for clarification, etc. trust me I will not be offended if you call out my stupid mistakes. That said, please help me out, I could really use it!
Nintendork
Let me start by explaining what I am trying to accomplish. I am starting to run out of room for my collection of DVDs and Blu-rays in my main media room. I used to have this problem with CDs, but then iTunes came around and I burned them all to my computer. Once they were on my computer, I moved my entire CD collection to a work room in my basement. What I would like to do is digitally decrypt my entire movie collection (using tools I already have experience with...) so that I can store it in a central location and access it from multiple devices like smartphones (that support UPnP or similar protocol) TVs and computers. Before I get into the bulk of my dilemma, I will explain my setup. I have (1) Smart TV that is wireless capable, although I have never used the 'Smart Hub'. I have a PS3 and Xbox 360 that are both UPnP capable. I have my smartphone, a Galaxy Note 3 which, using Archos Media Player (which is fantastic by the way) can stream UPnP files, and sooner or later I will update my TV in the basement to one that will most likely support something compatible. At the bare minimum, I want to be able to stream these decrypted video files, most likely .mkv, to at least 2 devices simultaneously with at least 720p quality although 1080p is ideal. My wireless equipment is a dual band ASUS RT-N56U streaming wireless N at 300Mbps per band, though I might upgrade to 801.11ac soon.
Of course, if it can do other things, that would be fine too! For instance, I know that an HTPC could record my shows and play my movies and stream from the web and wipe my butt but that all seems a little pricey. (To be honest, I am building this for my parents so if they are interested and are OK with the price, I might go HTPC) Another option is to do a NAS or Media Server that can serve my devices with stored media over UPnP. I guess the most ideal feature that may or may not be practical would be to remotely access my server, say, on vacation to view movies or music. The only problem with a media server is that right now, I could connect the actual server to the router via Ethernet but all of my other devices would be wireless. The upside of the HTPC is that I could connect directly to my main TV, but not to the router or any other device.
Basically, what I am trying to ask here is what is really the best option for what I am looking to do here. I'm no noob with computers, I am very capable of building a PC or server and configuring Linux or Windows with the proper frontend, such as XMBC, Plex, or Ubuntu server. I really just want someone who is familiar with this stuff to make sure I am not making a beginner's error that I might not know about when it comes to home theater setups.
That being said, here's what I'm looking at for server/HTPC specs:
-BIOSTAR Hi-Fi A85S3 FM2 AMD A85X (Hudson D4) HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX
-AMD A6-6400K Richland 3.9GHz Socket FM2 65W Built in Graphics
-Western Digital WD Green WD20EZRX 2TB IntelliPower 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s
-SAMSUNG 840 EVO MZ-7TE120BW 2.5" 120GB
-4GB DDR3 RAM
-Passive power supply, ~400W at 80+Cert, at least silver
-ASUS Bluray Reader (to decrypt)
-Ubuntu Linux (Server frontend with Virtual Desktop to conserve resources)
-Low profile case
You may notice that I'm going for as little power as possible. That is because this will be running 24/7 so power becomes a factor. I also want quietness because it will either be under my TV or in my kitchen. Ideally, I'd like to be able to remotely monitor temperature inside the case and have it power itself off and notify me when it becomes too hot. Another nice feature would be remote shutdown so that if I want to turn it off at night, I do not have to get up on a chair to where I keep my router to hit power off.
That may be a lot to take in and maybe I didn't cover it all but feel free to call me out on mistakes, ask questions for clarification, etc. trust me I will not be offended if you call out my stupid mistakes. That said, please help me out, I could really use it!
Nintendork
/www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HVKLSVC/ref=s9_simh_gw_p147_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0J0R9GGZ7MD6VPCRFNSX&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846
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