Building a home server

Django x2 · 25 Jan 2011 at 15:50

Dudes,

Want to stream multiple content to different rooms and have decided to build a home server. The only thing I'm sticking on is a graphics card or similar than will allow more than one HDMI source out, or, every room will have to have a thin client and just use network shares.

Regardless of that, what sort of spec should I be using? I'll rip through the main HTPC in the lounge but storage and delivery is what I need this box to do.

Any ideas?

Mad Professor · 25 Jan 2011 at 16:35

I have build my self a multi-tasking server, to host a few of my own small web sites, media streaming, and CCTV DVR in one box.

In my houst all my TV's and Players, are DNLA ready, so I can just stream all my video and audio over the network.

As for hardware I am still upgrading as I go, but is running single AMD Opteron 275, 1024MB Ram, and 250GB SATA for the OS/Web Sites, and a 1.5TB WD Green for the media/cctv.

So far even with the limited memory the system seems to cope quite well, but does tend to bog down a little when there is any fast panning on the screen, but I am sure once I have got more memory installed, and maybe a 2nd processor it will run fine.

Hagar · 25 Jan 2011 at 16:39

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JonJ678 · 25 Jan 2011 at 17:38

I'm going down the thick client and network shares route. Thick as in using the client to decode the video, rather than sending the stream uncompressed over the network. Probably using something like the playon HD or a western digital effort.

File server I've chosen is the WD my book live, which is limited to 2TB but is remarkably cheap (£140). I'm not sure how much luck I'm going to have persuading it to run things like rsync or rtorrent, but for sharing media I'm confident it'll excel. This is moving from an amd dual core which is large, noisy and electrically inefficient (though it can hold more than one drive at a time).

Django x2 · 25 Jan 2011 at 18:22

So if I upgrade to a DLNA TV at somepoint, that will remove the need for HDMI matrix's etc? Does it pass HD video and audio of ethernet?

Mad Professor · 25 Jan 2011 at 19:04

Regarding DNLA Google and Wiki are your friend: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Living_Network_Alliance

I built this server due to me having 5 young children I have got feed up with all the DVD / Blu-Ray discs getting scratched.

My server runs Ubuntu 10.10 Server, and for media streaming side of things I use MediaTomb.

I am able to stream 1080 fine to my main Samsung TV that is hardwared via cat6e ethernet.
The TV in the bedroom is connected to a samsung blu-ray player that has built in WiFi, This plays 720 fine, but has buffering problems with 1080.

Django x2 · 25 Jan 2011 at 19:43

So does the server side software do all the decoding?

JonJ678 · 26 Jan 2011 at 22:16

I've no idea how this is working, so the best I can do is describe the set up.

I have a LG TV, which might be DLNA. Something which flashed up on the screen in store claimed it was, shop assistant didn't really know what was going on. Regardless, it has an ethernet port in the back, and a usb port. If I put avi files on a usb stick and plug it in, they play. Better though, it's possible to stream to it. Guy in the shop told me this wasn't possible.

So far I've succeeded with two programs. Mediatomb installed on debian, and twonky server which came on my NAS. Samba doesn't work unfortunately, the TV doesn't recognize the share. The result is I can move through a library using buttons on the TV remote, pick something and it starts playing. Almost like magic.

I've no idea whether the NAS or the TV is doing any decoding/transcoding, my hunch is that the burden is on the NAS. I haven't tried it with HD content yet, still poking around the NAS operating system to see what else I can get it to do. First on the list is getting an rsync server running and automating backups from a few computers.

Is it only streaming you're after?

coughs · 27 Jan 2011 at 17:37

Whats the benefits in running a home server?

JonJ678 · 27 Jan 2011 at 19:12

Depends on what you want to do with it.

I think the op likes the idea of a diskless media collection, browsable by remote.

I'm setting up automated hourly/weekly/monthly incremental backups for a few computers.

Otherwise an always-on computer works well as a file server / website host / torrent box / squid cache. Given a second network adapter (or a clever switch) it can do firewalling / dhcp / dns / vpn.

I'm sure there are more reasons, those are the ones i've looked into setting up so far.