Help me build a media server

[Zoli Cs]

Hi,

 

I have two screens, one in my bedroom at full HD, and one in the living room 4k. I want one system to connect to both of these devices. Originally I wanted a raspberry pi+OSMC, but this doesn't support dual screen output. I want the media server to act like a fileserver too, so that it can be accessed from our laptops. 

If possible I'd like to configure it with Raid 1 or 5, to keep my personal pictures and videos safe (if not, one single USB 3.0 drive with cloud backup is ok, too)

Is there any way to achieve this with one device? I want this to run 24/7 so energy efficiency is a must. 

 

Any ideas are welcome. 

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

Just to say what BudMan says "RAID # is not for backup" Putting on several drives, cloud, etc, is backup.

[Bryan R.]

1 hour ago, Zoli Cs said:

Hi,

 

I have two screens, one in my bedroom at full HD, and one in the living room 4k. I want one system to connect to both of these devices. Originally I wanted a raspberry pi+OSMC, but this doesn't support dual screen output. I want the media server to act like a fileserver too, so that it can be accessed from our laptops. 

If possible I'd like to configure it with Raid 1 or 5, to keep my personal pictures and videos safe (if not, one single USB 3.0 drive with cloud backup is ok, too)

Is there any way to achieve this with one device? I want this to run 24/7 so energy efficiency is a must. 

 

Any ideas are welcome. 

I have a Roku stick at each TV and a PLEX server running on my main desktop in a VM. This VM server also shares out files. The storage is made up of three drives setup using Storage Spaces in parity, to protect from drive failures. It is also backed up to the cloud but at 5TB it takes quite a long time.

[dipsylalapo Supervisor]

Not sure where you live but I have a HP Microserver sat in the home office, with a Ethernet connection to my router. I then have either Plex apps installed on devices for media or can simply remote into the desktop when I need access to the device itself.

 

The reason I ask where you live is because you're able to get some cashback via HP when buying from certain sites (eBuyer and Servers Plus). There's no OS so you can tailor it to your needs, but it's great when you have it set up. 

 

The server has 4 drive bays, and I think I have Raid (1+0) set up for some speed and redundancy, with the important files (documents, photos, videos) being back up to cloud (Crashplan) and the entire devices content being back up to an external drive periodically and stored off site. 

[+BudMan MVC]

"I have two screens, one in my bedroom at full HD, and one in the living room 4k"

 

How exactly where you going to connect these to the same system.  What is the distance?

 

As already mentioned plex server with tvs that support plex app or roku is way I do it.  I have a roku4 in the living room (supports 4k), and then sticks for kitchen and guestroom tvs.  I run plex on a esxi box in a vm.

 

What exactly do you consider low power? 5w, 15w?  My esxi box is on 24/7/365 it draws about 50-55w has 4 disks in it.  I know this for sure because I put a killawatt meter on it.  This is pretty low power for what it does if you ask me.  For my elec cost that is less than $5 a month.  If you want low power usage and cheap.. Get a raspberry pi3 and install plex on that.  Then play on your different TVs with apps if they support it or get a rokustick.. I don't think the sticks support 4k.. But sticks are CHEAP... $50 bucks, the new roku ultra that does 4k is $130 retail.

 

As already mentioned raid is not a backup.  Raid would be good if you want your files available even when 1 or more disks fail.  Highly wasteful and unnecessary in a home setup if you ask me.  Raid 0 might be useful if your looking for SPEED!!  But raid 1, 5, 6, 10 in a home like money to burn if you ask me.  Do you have money to burn?  Then sure go with a raid some raid 10 setup   So use 4 disks and have the size of 2 of them..

 

If you want a backup local - get/use another disk and copy your files over to it now and then.  Or yeah big fan of the crashplan as well, I use that and I store files on glacier as well for multiple locations and DR..

[Mando]

stretch to 2 boxes if possible, 1st one being a nas, makes everything available to all devices if connected to a port on your router. 

 

I personally use a chromecast 1st gen in bedroom, Desktop Pc 2nd output is a 47 Samsung tv/Lenovo laptop dock in mancave.

Main TV a 47 LG with a PC Dock for lenovo laptop, home cinema with netflix/youtube/miracast/LAN/sky HD+/DTS and steam streamer. 

 

And a NAS on main router for my local LAN/WAN consumption via home/VPN to mobile devices and laptop. I use my android phone as a remote for windows laptop and chromecast obviously, android app makes a superb netflix remote tbh

 

id suggest a good sized usb hdd to plug into back of NAS to backup and if possible use a cloud service. I whack mine on a 2nd usb drive and archive to LTO at work, but my local media (music mostley) fits in at just under 500Gb  

Edited October 19, 2016 by Mando

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

i have a NAS at home that supports DLNA. my tv's also support DLNA so they can browse/view data directly from the NAS. that's all it takes.

 

do your TVs support DLNA?

[Mando]

14 minutes ago, Jason S. said:

i have a NAS at home that supports DLNA. my tv's also support DLNA so they can browse/view data directly from the NAS. that's all it takes.

 

do your TVs support DLNA?

nah my home cinema does and chromecast thats all really, rest i play via unc mapped drives in windows. my larger tvs are 1080 but a couple years old now they are not smart tvs just 1080P LEDs ill probs go the new chromecasts when i finally replace both the 47s with 4k displays, itll be a while yet., heck ive only got 14.6mbps net  

 

[Inertia]

Plex is the answer for sure, many smart TV's have the app native, as do games consoles, and cheap android sticks (Roku, Firestick etc) its also handy to access content outside of the house (at a friends house on their games console if you all want to watch a movie you have at home or whatever)

 

Handy for smartphones too, I use mine to play my music collection in the car.

 

For fairly low power if you are only having 1 or 2 streams at a time this is adequate for the server ... Just add drives, configure RAID1 for redundancy.

 

Depending where you 'source' your 'media' then you may need additional separate storage for backup, however if the 'source' is fairly reliable you can always get it again if you loose it all.

 

http://www.ebuyer.com/735383-qnap-ts-453a-4g-4gb-ram-4-bay-desktop-nas-enclosure-ts-453a-4g?mkwid=s_dc&pcrid=51482423219&pkw=&pmt=&gclid=CNS7sM_C7M8CFYgYGwodxHcALA

 

However a lot of my friends and family stream mine offsite, so I have a more powerful machine for the job which isn't as economical but works well.