Combined NAS, Media PC help required

[sepulchre]

Hi all,

I currently have an aging NAS and an even older Windows Media PC (12+ years) both are needing to be replaced as they are noisy even after cleaning out and starting to get very slow in general usage.

I'm looking at a 3U rack case to go in my network rack but beyond that I need a some advice, I'm sure there is plenty I've not thought about as I'm just starting down this path and DIY NAS systems are a bit of mystery.

Usage requirements (to replace the current systems) -

1. NAS for storing family documents, TV shows, Movies, Music, Photos and TV Recordings. Only family documents and Photo's need to be backed up - this will go to the NAS which I will repurpose as a backup drive.
2. Next PVR Server - this handles 4 live TV feeds into a TBS6984 PCI-E satellite card and distributes to various PC's and mobile devices and records live TV to the NAS
3. Headless Kodi for centralised SQL Database updates
4. No transcoding is needed

Questions

1. Considering the above usage requirements what OS/NAS system (FreeNAS etc) should I look at?
2. Hardware, this will run headless so only needs built in graphics for initial setup afterwards I will connect remotely into the box, but what hardware should I be looking at, I don't need mind blowing performance so budget options or 2nd hand is fine.

Thanks!

 

[Cookie12]

You could go with something as simple as an i3 8100 as your processor and get the appropriate supporting hardware to match. Would be relatively cheap, and deffo cheaper than an off the shelf nas. Also instead of kodi have you thought about plex?

Will handle all your media, will also handle watch status of said media across all your devices I.e. no need for sql database. In my opinion plex is better suited anyway to multiple device usage for media.

Plex, well plex pass, also has dvr built in too which will also handle your dvr requirements.

I had an i3 8100 based system for a few years and never had any issues. Even used Windows as my operating system, although that's frowned upon in most forums lol. I3 8100 also has built in uhd 630 graphics which will handle trancoding if it is ever needed at some point. In fact quicksync on intel chips is amazing at transcoding media.

My usage is pretty much the same as yours, storing documents, photos, media, backup drives then plex.

 

[sepulchre]

Thanks @Cookie12, I looked into plex a few years ago and discounted as it didn’t support satellite cards, I checked again and incredibly it still doesn’t. I’ll take a look into the 8100.

regarding os/and software I don’t believe windows really offers the level of NAS features I need but obviously does allow me to use a lot of the software running on my media pc but I guess I could run windows 10 in a docker to get around this. But this is something I don’t really know where to start with.

Perhaps the best way is to start with the NAS software, with docker support?

 

[Armageus]

Rather than Plex, try emby which I believe has a next PVR plugin.

If that doesn't work for you, then tvheadend will work and connect to emby via m3u playlists