Big SageTV Project... need input please :-)

[meink]

I don't rip dvds i dont already own. :-) So I will have the master copies of these dvds. I just want to be able to access these electronically via the sage client pcs. I want to be able to access it somehow from the sage tv interface..

[Grey_Goose]

FWIW, Houston Fry's had 400GB Seagates for $105 after rebate. Why encode?

[RandyJohnson]

Given the cost of disk drives, there really is no reason to compress the DVDs.

With DVDShrink you simply get rid of all of the "fluff" that you will never use (i.e. alternate sound tracks, different audio encodings, etc.).

After some experimentation, I was able to play DVDs being stored on the server from any client.

Granted I do not think that the DVD interface in standard Sage is very dynamic. But I am being told that some of the CustomSTVs really improve on this feature.

Undoubtably disk space will continue to get cheaper.

[src666]

My advice is to buy a good Gigabit ethernet switch (preferably one that support Jumbo Frames), and make sure all of your HTPCs are tied into it. The only system that needs a Gigibit ethernet card is the server, everything else can get by with a normal 100 MBit link.

You will also need a GigE adapter in the HD server as well, should you go that route.

[insomniac]

Originally Posted by RandyJohnson

nvidia 7800 GTX

wtf..you have way too much money to burn! Those things cost more than every one of my clients!

[dvd_maniac]

One more pro to encoding is bandwidth. The lower bitrate is better for watching with less stuttering and less chance for a hard drive or network bottleneck.
I have 5 tuners and the default reocrding is 12mbit/s what if all 5 are recording and three people are trying to watch something at the same time? I have had issues with Sage starting a second file while recording due to bandwidth limitations during a stress test. And since most of my family's veiwing habits are from my import (DVD encoded) video library, I'd thought it best to encode. Probably not for everybody, but for these reasons and also the magnitude of my DVD collection (1200+, wife almost bankrupted me when DVDs came out) I would have to almost be bankrupted again to buy the hard drive space to hold it uncompressed.

But to each his own

[JUC]

dvd maniac: your previous post definately sheds some light on your username

[dvd_maniac]

dvd maniac: your previous post definately sheds some light on your username

HEHEHE

It was either dvd_maniac or stop_my_wife_from_spending_before_i_have_a_heart_attack!!!

Since dvd_maniac is easier to log in with, I thought I'd use it instead, but I was leaning the other way....

[insomniac]

can u say netflix!?!?

[meink]

My entire network is already gigabit.. including all the NICs in the machines.. and I have a really nice rackmounted gigeswitch. hehe. I'd like to make the most of the hd space I have.. so I think I may try to encode the movies. Btw, thanks to everyone who put forth their input. It's helped me alot!

[parkimar]

DVD_MANIAC wrote

Stanger is right in that it is not natively supported in Sage. If you have Recode than you already have the codec installed and have to use an external video player in sage.

I can play Recode made MP4 files straight out from within Sage, no external player needed.

Are we talking about the same thing ?

Cheers

Mark

[salsbst]

Originally Posted by meink

...I have a really nice rackmounted gigeswitch...

Please pardon the interruption..., but I'm interested in such a thing... what model do you have, and are you happy with it?

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by parkimar

DVD_MANIAC wrote



I can play Recode made MP4 files straight out from within Sage, no external player needed.

Are we talking about the same thing ?

I believe you need recode on that box to get the appropriate filters installed, specifically the demux/file-source.

[meink]

Also,

I have the Linksys/Cisco SR2024 Managed Gigabit Switch. Picked it up for around 400.00.. comes with rack mounting hardware. Managed via serial console or webview interface.

No problems so far... very nice :-)

[meink]

Supports SNMP too :-p

[spike5884]

Originally Posted by RandyJohnson

My understanding is that there is a documented/unsupported way of having a "master server" and a "client server". This will be my next step to figure out. I need the additional server because the main server is out of PCI slots.

If you are out of PCI slots, check out a PCI Expansion Chassis . I have a few of these. Work great. If you watch eBay, you may get one for a good price. When I was getting mine a few months ago, they were going pretty cheap. Don't think people knew what they were really for. Now they seem to be going for a higher price. Look for mis-spelled listings too. Make sure it includes the Host card and the Chassis card. As a bonus, they have room to add things like had drives. Some even come with HD cages. Others, you would have to build you own.

Here is a great example of what I am talking about: eBay Item 7340989499 .

[ke6guj]

WOW!! Didn't know those existed, learn something new everyday.

[Lucas]

Meink,
jumping in a little bit late but here's my 2c worth.
I am in the same phase as you are.

I am relegating my existing do-everything HTPC internals to a server box (Coolermaster stacker) with extra drives as I found one can not ever have enough disk space .

My new setup is still on paper. I am waiting for the new house to finish by EOY.

Your server is way overkill especially since you will be using your workstation for encoding and other possibly cpu intensive work.

Since the server will have a pretty long life, I would suggest you give it enough CPU and memory to support the next Windows OS. From what I hear, a P4 3GHz with 1Gb RAM should be OK. That should mean it can be in service for the next 5 years without major changes in motherboard, cpu, ram. The only thing you will probably adding every 6 months or so is Disk so get a Big case with lots of disk slots and good disk ventilation.

[RandyJohnson]

Thanks spike5884

[dagar]

And have a RAID controller that supports online storage expansion (OSE)