So I have read the requirements and have determined that the only issue with the server platform is that the OS' don't support the capture cards. I have also read limpwhizkid's threads on setting up MP on server 2k8R2. In my case the capture card issue is not a problem at all. As I understand it, all the graphics lifting is done on the client machine correct? Since the server will be using it's crappy integrated graphics. My current plan is to build a server which is probably going to run SBS 2011, so this includes exchange, WSUS, a database application, and the RDP portal for remote windows access. In addition to all of the M$ things, I would like to run media portal on it as a backend server so it can host all the files and handle the delivery to potentially 5 client pc's. My question is, are there any other issues with mediaportal and server2k8 r2 aside from the tuner cards not working properly? The intent is to rip dvd's and audio to the server and have it available to the other machines. Since the server is going to be beefy anyways I figure the RAID array would better handle the file-server load than a single HDD and hope to consolidate equipment. Any pitfalls that I should know about before proceeding? Thanks guys.
Server 2k8Rd or sbs 2011 x64 (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter zinetwin
- Start date
New Zealand
One option to consider is running a Virtual Machine.
Ive got a fairly beefy machine running Mediaportal TV Server on Windows 7 64bit as the host OS with Virtual Box in a headless config.
Ive then added Win28K R2 as a Guest OS which runs: Active Directory, SQL , Exchange, IIS etc.
The only real downside is that if I reboot the Mediaportal machine I reboot everything .... but so far Ive found Mediaportal and Windows 7 to be rock solid and reboots are few and far between.
Considered going the other way and installing MP on Win2k8 but from what I read the server OS was not really optimised for this role.
If youa re using digital tuners (DVB-T/S/C) then using a server OS shouldn't be a problem, as you have already seen there are ways to get them working on 2K8 R2.
If you have USB tuners then you can assign them to a VM and have W7 inside that hosting TVServer and everything else in the main server OS. If TVServer goes down or you need to reboot it, you don't loose anything else as you are just restarting the VM.
What I'm going to do eventually is have one beefy HTPC in one room with an SSD just for OS and MP running both the client and TVServer, then have my server tucked away that will handle all the storage and anything else I decide to throw at it. I've got a few reasons for this, one of them is the satellite cables come into the house in a place I don't want the large noise storage server, and I don't want to move them either
If you have USB tuners then you can assign them to a VM and have W7 inside that hosting TVServer and everything else in the main server OS. If TVServer goes down or you need to reboot it, you don't loose anything else as you are just restarting the VM.
What I'm going to do eventually is have one beefy HTPC in one room with an SSD just for OS and MP running both the client and TVServer, then have my server tucked away that will handle all the storage and anything else I decide to throw at it. I've got a few reasons for this, one of them is the satellite cables come into the house in a place I don't want the large noise storage server, and I don't want to move them either
- Thread starter
- #5
There are no plans at all to use a tuner card. The server will only be hosting the files for the 4-6 client machines to access. Going to be using the server as the backend, and then all the clients will run the frontend. So as long as I'm not using a tuner then Server Os' should be ok?
Ah, so you will be using MediaPortal for playing content you already have, I assumed you would also be using the TV portion.
In that case you don't need the backend portion of MediaPortal at all, you just need one or more shared volumes which the front ends will connect to and play your media. So just set up 2K8 or whatever as a file server and away you go.
In that case you don't need the backend portion of MediaPortal at all, you just need one or more shared volumes which the front ends will connect to and play your media. So just set up 2K8 or whatever as a file server and away you go.