what OS for just HTPC

[Dreameriz]

ok i know ever one is talking about the server part but if i only using one then which is the best os to run and most stable

[S_M_E]

I'll be using WHS for Sage until WHS v2 comes out.

[bastafidli]

I would add another option: None and use extender instead.

[Motofreak75]

I vote for server 2008


It's the best so far. A lot better than WHS. but that's just me

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by Motofreak75

I vote for server 2008


It's the best so far. A lot better than WHS. but that's just me

You jumped thru a few hoops to get that to work, didn't you?

Gerry

[Motofreak75]

not really Dreamspark was giving server 2008 licenses away, that hardest part of the whole build is finding x64 drivers that work.

It took 3 minutes to install the BDA mod and registry files to make analog tuners to work and a reboot later and I was in business.

Windows XP X64 has the same kernel as Server 2003/whs and that's why you guys find it very stable. But what I found out was that server 2008 network performance boot over 2003 was impressive. I can stream 4 BR movies at one without dropping a lot packets like I was with a 2003 OS. I noticed this during wireshark logging for stp.

enjoy

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by Motofreak75

that hardest part of the whole build is finding x64 drivers that work.

It took 3 minutes to install the BDA mod and registry files to make analog tuners to work and a reboot later and I was in business.

Didn't you have to follow the workstation setup that's out there along with getting the multimedia stuff working or are you just using it as a server? I also saw a lot of issues of 2008 just not installing drivers ar apps because of it being a server OS. That's what I meant by jumping tru hoops.

Originally Posted by Motofreak75

Windows XP X64 has the same kernel as Server 2003/whs and that's why you guys find it very stable.

WHS is 32bit so I wouldn't call it the same kernel. I believe it's more closely related to Vista kernel.


Gerry

[sandor]

I'm having great success with Macintosh 10.5 - having moved from Windows 2000 and then XP, i have enjoyed incredibly greater amounts of stability with OS X.

the client version of OS X also includes everything that the server version does, just without the GUI to access it- so it ends up being a powerful little system.

There are still small issues that the latest betas are ironing out, but for all my basic DVR/HTPC usage, it works splendidly.

[Motofreak75]

Originally Posted by gplasky

Didn't you have to follow the workstation setup that's out there along with getting the multimedia stuff working or are you just using it as a server? I also saw a lot of issues of 2008 just not installing drivers ar apps because of it being a server OS. That's what I meant by jumping tru hoops.


WHS is 32bit so I wouldn't call it the same kernel. I believe it's more closely related to Vista kernel.


Gerry

No I am running it headless, so there is nothing else I did but install the OS,BDA files, registry import and java/sage thats all nothing else. its very stable and yes 2003 server x86/WHS a lot of the same code as x64 of XP+ I should've been a bit more clear about that.

I think Dreamspark will be giving away more licenses for 2008 std server soon, you just have to check back a lot with them. and be little creative\lucky when signing up.

[najames]

I need some help and this is a good thread to start at the operating system level. It looks like Sage will be used with up to 4 extenders.

Goals:
PVR from OTA (HDhomerun not purchased yet) and ComCast (possibly UVerse or Satellite)
HD and SD Video streaming
Rips or anything else needed, don't want it to disturb previous 2 items
Backups (unraid perhaps?)
Lots of music files, not sure if it will all integrate via SageTV though

Software on hand:
Vista 32 Premium
Vista 64 premium
Win2003 64 enterprise server
Ancient dead PC has 32bit XP Pro too
Linux

Would you use one of these or get WHS instead for a server? I would love to use Linux, but think there might be too many issues right now. Pools sound like a nice deal, but is it all really stable and non-corruptable? How much can I expect the server to do and still play/record flawlessly?


Hardware on hand:
AMD 2Ghz X2, Biostar 690G MB, very stable little rig
AMD 2.6Ghz X2, Gigabyte 690G, time issues, not stable enough
AMD 2.2Ghz X2, 939 Asus, Sata dead, one IDE drive only, not stable enough
AMD Opteron dual 246s, Tyan, rock solid, 4 250GB disks, power hog?
Intel Q6600, Asus G35 board, very stable

I have several fast WD 640GB drives, some 300GB and a 500GB Seagate already, others too if needed. Plenty of RAM available, exept on dual Tyan box, which has only 1GB on each CPU.

Use one of the above platforms or something else? If I am correct video card is not important in Sage server. Anyone used Vmware ESXi and Sagetv?

[S_M_E]

I'd always recommend WHS as a Sage server. It's simple and stable. I doubt that you need win2k3 Enterprise for Sage. The worse thing that can happen to a pooled drive is it could die but if the folders on that drive are duplicated (like your rips and music) then you wouldn't lose data. Another nice thing about the pool is that drives don't have to match.

I'd use the intel quad or the dual opteron for the server but I'd lean towards the intel, personally. YMMV...

[najames]

WHS round one....Jim loses.

I pulled the video card out of the Q6600 PC thinking I'd just use the G35 onboard, but lost the video, oops. Put the video back in, got into the BIOS and changed settings to use onboard, ready to go?

I was installing WHS, it rebooted to a BSOD. Evidently it doesn't like SATA drives. I went back into the BIOS and switched them temporarily to IDE mode. After what seemed like 1000 reboots, WHS is running.

Now I want to go back and figure out how to make the ACHI work for the SATA drives. I didn't have any drivers, still have a bunch of devices to configure.

[mikehaney]

For a server + client/extender setup, WHS is the hands-down winner. But I think the OP was asking about what OS to use for a single stand-alone HTPC.

In that case, I would say either XP or none (i.e. use one of the new extenders that can work stand-alone).

[S_M_E]

Originally Posted by mikehaney

For a server + client/extender setup, WHS is the hands-down winner. But I think the OP was asking about what OS to use for a single stand-alone HTPC.

In that case, I would say either XP or none (i.e. use one of the new extenders that can work stand-alone).

A single stand alone HTPC is still a SageTV server. It's just also the client.

[briands]

Originally Posted by S_M_E

A single stand alone HTPC is still a SageTV server. It's just also the client.

Not true... I have a client box that runs sage Client software and has no attributes of a sage server - no encoders or storage for media files.

[Djc208]

Originally Posted by mikehaney

For a server + client/extender setup, WHS is the hands-down winner. But I think the OP was asking about what OS to use for a single stand-alone HTPC.

In that case, I would say either XP or none (i.e. use one of the new extenders that can work stand-alone).

I second this. I like WHS but for a PC you're going to interact with like a desktop PC I'd stick with a desktop OS.

I guess the second question would be is it going to serve media to other PCs? Then WHS and it's backup and sharing features would make sense, otherwise a lot of the features of WHS become kind of useless.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by briands

Not true... I have a client box that runs sage Client software and has no attributes of a sage server - no encoders or storage for media files.

Well that's hardly a 'Stand-Alone' system then, isn't it?

Anyway, on to the actual question, If you are using the HTPC as your playback device, I would seriously look at Vista. The Vista EVR is actually a VERY nice improvement over VMR9 or Overlay. That being said, if you are just starting out, I'd recommend instead to run HD extenders instead of PC's. You could go with a much slower server, with no video card to speak of, and save more than enough money there to afford the Extender.

[Ryokurin]

For a stand alone system Vista. With XP I occasionally would get virtual memory running low errors after leaving the system along for a few weeks and that hasn't happened at all since the switch.

[najames]

Lets see, I've reinstalled trial WHS a few times since I last posted, fought floppy disk and floppy drive problems for AHCI drivers, had some problems finding out what some of the really strange unknown devices were, and tonight I finally have a fully functional WHS server, woohoo!! It is updating now from MS for final testing.

I installed SageTV 6.5 for WHS and like the way it is neatly integrated into the WHS server console. I only looked through the menus tonight, but like it so far.

I built my "home brew HD antenna" last weekend for the Super Bowl in HD, connected directly to the TV. Not bad, an 88/100 signal for an $8 antenna standing against the wall. WAF points.

Newegg has HDHomeruns on sale with a promo code, how timely!! My order is in for licensed WHS and a HDHomerun. I get to reinstall WHS all over again when it arrives, but at least I have everything I need for WHS on my flash drive now, and know the pitfalls to avoid.

I pray to the TV gods that this all works decently and I have some WAF when I'm finished. Man, I still have a LOT of work to do including pulling a few more wires.

[S_M_E]

AHCI support just doesn't seem worth the work and can cause issues with WHS. I like the simplicity of using IDE mode for my SATAII drives.

Since it is a test machine you may not want to fully populate it with your rips and music until you have the OEM WHS installed, configured and make sure it's stable. You should be able to do a "server reinstall" without having to format your DATA drives again but you may lose your existing backups and you will have to reinstall sage, codecs, add users, add shares, etc...