Small, efficient, streaming media server

[eflat123]

Hello!

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

Main functions:
- storage and access for audio, video, photo, and ebook files (300+ gigs currently)
- would like to serve audio and video to 2 laptops within the home, and stream audio to myself at work; recommendations for programs to do this are welcome
- always on, low power, low heat, quiet, small footprint (itx? matx?)
- once set up, run and administer headless from a laptop (vnc? remote desktop?)
- back up this server to another hdd (external, I presume?)

Nice to have:
- Wake On Lan from the laptops *and* WOL over the internet. Last time I tried this, I gave up as I couldn't get it to work reliably over the internet.

Lesser function:
- back up laptops to this server
- hook up computer speakers and play audio from the server using some sort of android app from my phone
- hook up an old vcr and cassette deck (not simulaneously!) to rip a few dozen old tapes

2. What YOUR budget is.
$300-$400?

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
Kalifornia (sales tax free would be nice, but not strictly necessary)

4. IF YOU have a brand preference.
I've been leaning Intel these days, but open.

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
- External USB enclosure with a 500GB drive where my media currently resides. I don't like it though. It has it's own power supply; would be nice if it got power from USB.
- Ripping of new media can be done from a laptop, so I don't think I absolutely need a optical drive.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
I've done some in the past, but don't envision overclocking this one.

8. What resolution will you be using?
Intend to run this headless. The laptops connecting to it are 15.6".

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Between now and Black Friday.

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?
- I do have an XP license I can use here. (I'm somewhat open to Linux but I'm afraid configuration and maintanance would take more time than I have vs. a windows box.)
- I have a MediaMonkey Gold license.
- I plan to use open-source Calibre for ebooks/pdfs.


Questions:
- From an energy point of view, would having the OS on a small ssd be worthwhile? I'm thinking that would allow the larger data drive(s) to stay mostly spun down and quiet.
- Also, given the above, how would the following change your recomendation: hook up a screen no larger than 24" for streaming vids most likely from Amazon and YouTube. I'd just like to understand how big a change that would be to the system.


Thanks!

 

[mfenn]

Wake on LAN is a dirty, dirty Ethernet level hack, so it isn't going to work over the Internet unless you can log into another machine on your local network and send the magic packet (yes, that is literally what it is called) from there. I know that the pfsense routing platform can do it, and I imagine that open source router firmwares like DD-WRT can as well.

Do you want to use your external drive as media storage? You should be able to pull the case apart and get the bare drive out of it.

What does "streaming to laptops" entail? Just serving the raw media files or do you want it to do transcoding to different formats?

 

[masteryoda34]

and I imagine that open source router firmwares like DD-WRT can as well

I can confirm WOL in DD-WRT works for me. (You have to log into your router and click a button to wake the computer.)

 

[eflat123]

Wake on LAN is a dirty, dirty Ethernet level hack, so it isn't going to work over the Internet unless you can log into another machine on your local network and send the magic packet (yes, that is literally what it is called) from there. I know that the pfsense routing platform can do it, and I imagine that open source router firmwares like DD-WRT can as well.

Hmmm... may have to give DD-WRT a try but that will have to wait.

Do you want to use your external drive as media storage? You should be able to pull the case apart and get the bare drive out of it.

For the server, I think I'd rather start with a new storage drive.

What does "streaming to laptops" entail? Just serving the raw media files or do you want it to do transcoding to different formats?

Plan B is that we can get to the video files by mapped drive and play with GOM or something, but first I want to try out the Subsonic server on it to transcode and feed the video. Video won't leave the house. Definitely want to use Subsonic (or something like it) for accessing my music from work.

 

[mfenn]

Transcoding video on the fly is a pretty intensive task (especially HD video). I'm thinking that you will need a quad core to be able to do it in real-time reliably.

Here's a build:
i5 3330 $190
MSI B75MA-E33 $60
Corsair DDR3 1333 4GB $18
Hitachi 7K1000.D $80
Corsair CX430 $20 AR AP
Rosewill MicroATX case $29
Total: $397

You can hook this machine up to your TV (or any other monitor with an HDMI port) to watch media locally.

 

[fread2281]

If you want efficient, use Linux.