Is XMBC + server the solution here?

Nocky24

Nocky24

Nocky24

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I'm currently looking to revise my home setup so we can all have access to our video library (dvd/blu-ray rips) around the house, and also make it accessable via the HDTV in the living room.

I'm pretty new to this so please correct me if you have a beter way of doing this :)

Have a server setup running say Windows Home Server 2011 on a HP Microserver and have the video library loaded on there- making it accessable from all the pcs/laptops in the house.

For the living room I was thinking something like this:

Foxconn nT- 535 Intel NM10 Chipset DDR3 Nettop Barebones

And then load XMBC on that? I've also heard Apple Tv 2/Jailbroken would be a good solution, but I'm not sure how easy it is to obtain one of these at a decent price now.

Any thoughts?
 
Does the Intel chipset do HD these days (all my xbmc's are Nvidia).

BTW: my home server runs FreeBSD (for access to ZFS), the xbmcs Ubuntu.
 
Just a couple of more things I've thought about it!

I also use my iPad/MacBook around the house as well. What software will enable me to access the server from both Windows machines, Mac and iOS devices? I know there's Air Video, but that's just for iOS? Are there any other server/client software out there which are compatible with all of the above?

Another thing I'd really like to do is run routine backups of select folders from each of the 3 windows machines around the house - would something like WHS be required for this?

A lot of questions I know, but I'd just like some confirmation from all this searching I've been doing :)
 
jack.mitchell said:
Some Intel chipsets support hardware decoding via VAAPI (at least on Linux, unsure about on Windows).

Edit: http://intellinuxgraphics.org/h264.html
Click to expand...
I meant there is (or there certainly was) a problem with them getting 24p (actually 23.976) out exactly correctly.

The support is there in Windows too - the kids laptops use Intel integrated graphics for MPC-HC support of 720 and 1080p files, but exact 24p isn't required on 60Hz displays....

I guess it depends how <cough> retentive you are...
 
Nocky24 said:
Just a couple of more things I've thought about it!

I also use my iPad/MacBook around the house as well. What software will enable me to access the server from both Windows machines, Mac and iOS devices? I know there's Air Video, but that's just for iOS? Are there any other server/client software out there which are compatible with all of the above?

Another thing I'd really like to do is run routine backups of select folders from each of the 3 windows machines around the house - would something like WHS be required for this?

A lot of questions I know, but I'd just like some confirmation from all this searching I've been doing :)
Click to expand...

I have a very similar setup currently. HP Microserver as my main data storage for the network (music, tv, films, software, photos, backups), each PC and laptop in the house can browse content on here via a network drive. I have a HTPC that is a fair bit more powerful that the Microserver that rubs XBMC as well as other transcoding and streaming services (Subsonic for music, Plex for iOS and other supported devices. I believe there is a Plex client for most OS's and devices too).

I use XBMC Constellation and Plex Constellation apps on the iPad and iPhone to control XBMC (XBMC Constellation is an epic remote app that works over wifi) and Plex Constellation is a similar interface but allows you to stream/transcode to the iPad and iPhone. Some people say the official Plex app is much better but I do love the interface of this one and I've had no problems using it
 
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