- May 16, 2009
- 8
- 0
- Home Country
-
United Kingdom
Hi,
I am currently planning to build a tv-server, and two media clients. The biggest goal out of this is to create a setup that does not increase the opex costs of running our house. I have changed all the light bulbs in the house from 60w -> 8w, so I now have some power I can make use of! This power works out at roughly 270 watts... so not a massive amount, but hopefully enough! As the light bulbs where never always on, the solution also can not be always on.
My requirements are:
- Clients must consume less than 60w
- One of the clients must include a standard dvd player
- Clients must be able to handle the smooth running of MediaPortal
- Clients must be able to come out of sleep mode/boot from cold in <60secs
- Server must be able act as TV-Server and NAS
- Server must consume less than 150w
- Server must be able to handle up to four tv streams simultaneously
- Server must be able to record up to four tv streams simultaneously
- Server must be able to record up to two HD streams simultaneously
- Server must be able to serve up to two HD streams simultaneously
- Solution must be able to timeshift one HD tv stream
There are no requirements around being able to anything beyond the above.
Questions:
1) Does the server decode any of the streams, or will it dump the digitial outputs from the cards straight to disk, and then out to the clients? If so, can I assume the Server does not need much more power than the clients?
2) For the clients I am considering the ION platform the dual core 330 Atom (1.6mhz) for the clients, meaning HD decoding will be smooth, but will Media Portal (the actual interface) run smoothly on this, or will it feel slow and clunky?
3) Can the TV-Server be run without a GUI? I am considering running it on Windows Server 2008, which has a core option running without a GUI.
4) What is the thinnest OS I can run the clients on? Are we thinkin XP or Windows 7?
5) How much RAM is required (actually used), for the TV-Server, and also for the Client? And which would benefit from more?
6) Do SDD make any difference to MP clients? I know they can faster, but is it noticable (especially in low powered rigs), and do they hang?
7) Has anyone attempted to create the TV-Server on an ITX platform? I was considering a blackgold 3540 card in a socket itx board (with a pcie slot), with a core 2 duo (the lowest powered model that would work).
I am currently planning to build a tv-server, and two media clients. The biggest goal out of this is to create a setup that does not increase the opex costs of running our house. I have changed all the light bulbs in the house from 60w -> 8w, so I now have some power I can make use of! This power works out at roughly 270 watts... so not a massive amount, but hopefully enough! As the light bulbs where never always on, the solution also can not be always on.
My requirements are:
- Clients must consume less than 60w
- One of the clients must include a standard dvd player
- Clients must be able to handle the smooth running of MediaPortal
- Clients must be able to come out of sleep mode/boot from cold in <60secs
- Server must be able act as TV-Server and NAS
- Server must consume less than 150w
- Server must be able to handle up to four tv streams simultaneously
- Server must be able to record up to four tv streams simultaneously
- Server must be able to record up to two HD streams simultaneously
- Server must be able to serve up to two HD streams simultaneously
- Solution must be able to timeshift one HD tv stream
There are no requirements around being able to anything beyond the above.
Questions:
1) Does the server decode any of the streams, or will it dump the digitial outputs from the cards straight to disk, and then out to the clients? If so, can I assume the Server does not need much more power than the clients?
2) For the clients I am considering the ION platform the dual core 330 Atom (1.6mhz) for the clients, meaning HD decoding will be smooth, but will Media Portal (the actual interface) run smoothly on this, or will it feel slow and clunky?
3) Can the TV-Server be run without a GUI? I am considering running it on Windows Server 2008, which has a core option running without a GUI.
4) What is the thinnest OS I can run the clients on? Are we thinkin XP or Windows 7?
5) How much RAM is required (actually used), for the TV-Server, and also for the Client? And which would benefit from more?
6) Do SDD make any difference to MP clients? I know they can faster, but is it noticable (especially in low powered rigs), and do they hang?
7) Has anyone attempted to create the TV-Server on an ITX platform? I was considering a blackgold 3540 card in a socket itx board (with a pcie slot), with a core 2 duo (the lowest powered model that would work).