Windows Home Server as OS for my HTPC (1 Viewer)

christiand

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December 21, 2007
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Currently I use windows vista with the vista mediacenter as my HTPC. There are a lot of things I hate about vista mce and offcourse things I love. Love is the interface and absolutely hate is the way it organizes movies for you.

I tried mediaportal at the start of this year and it just didnt work for me, but I tried it last week and was a bit blown away of the new stability and functions. The xface skin is just amazing. Also the new tv server (havent got it working with scrambled channels yet) is just as amazing, cause this way I can connect my whole house with TV by just using my network.

Another project I am working is on implementing an centralized storage, but I dont want to have extra appliances in my house. I mean my HTPC is always on or its in sleep mode and kicking. Another appliance gives me an extra energy bill and I dont want that.

I have read the last year on Windows Home Server and I like the concept of your files always being on different disks without the use of raid. Another big plus is that every disk is mapped towards the same drive so that I dont have to configure multiple folders with my music or video and having the need to browse them within a mediacenter software.

The ideal situation for me would be the windows home server as a base OS and on that the tv server with my firedtv tuners and the mediaportal software for direct viewing or listing of my media content. The whole box is then connected to my FullHD television.

Basically my questions are:

  • Can I install mediaportal tv server on windows home server?

  • Can I install mediaportal as my primary media center software on windows home server?

  • Is windows home server restricted in some way so it cant play audio or video?

  • Is it possible to install audio/video codecs on it so I can play divx, xvid, x264, wmv etc on windows home server?

  • Are there drivers for my firedtv so windows home server recognizes it?

  • For my downloads I use FTD and newsleecher. Can I install both applications on windows home server?

  • Are there any other limitations I should be aware of?


I know its quite a long list of questions, but I hope someone can answers these for me :D
 

christiand

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level20peon

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    As Windows home server has a Windows 2003 core I can answer some of your questions:

    Can I install mediaportal tv server on windows home server?

    Yes


    Can I install mediaportal as my primary media center software on windows home server?

    I am not sure what you mean. There is no MediaCenter included in windows home server at all so MediaPortal would be "primary" anyways.


    Is windows home server restricted in some way so it cant play audio or video?

    I cannot answer this for sure, but it should be possible (it is advertised as a "media central")...


    Is it possible to install audio/video codecs on it so I can play divx, xvid, x264, wmv etc on windows home server?

    yes


    Are there drivers for my firedtv so windows home server recognizes it?

    yes... the XP drivers work for 2003... besides this, windows home server is capable of using XP AND vista drivers explicitly.


    For my downloads I use FTD and newsleecher. Can I install both applications on windows home server?

    I don't know these applications... but why shouldn't you be able to install them ?


    Are there any other limitations I should be aware of?

    Windows home server doesn't have active directory integrated. It is not possible to install this feature at all, so Windows home server is not able to work as domain controller, unlike Windows 2003.


    -level20peon
     

    christiand

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    With "Can I install mediaportal as my primary media center software on windows home server?" I meant if I could use mediaportal as my mediacenter. So will mediaportal startup on windows home server so I can watch movies, tv, photos and listen to music or is a home server only restricted to remote access?
     

    level20peon

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    level20peon

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    EDIT: found directx (see screenshot) on WHS...
     

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    cheezey

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    I ran MP & TV Server on Home Server Beta for 1 month - all worked well.

    There are a number of posts in the forums about it, try a search for "home server".
     

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