Topic: Simple NMT (dumb even)

[lncc63]

I'm thinking of centralizing all our media storage.  Right now our storage is distributed on 2 XTreamer PROs.  Once the data is centralized, I won't need these XTreamers.

Candidates can be dumb because I'd like an A/V receiver to do the audio decoding and video rescaling.  All the NMT needs to do is to access files on an SMB (windows) network, demux them, and then send the signals out via HDMI and SPDIF.

Has anyone come across such a device? 

[Verbl Kint]

How do you plan to "centralize" your media storage?

[lncc63]

Easiest would be a linux box with samba, Windows would be ok too.  It would merely be a file server.

[motion55]

Easiest would be a linux box with samba, Windows would be ok too.  It would merely be a file server.

I use a Buffalo Linkstation Duo enclosure. It costs 5990 at Comp-Link or eHub excluding the Sata hard drives. Or you can also buy a Buffalo Linkstation Live with 1TB drive for 6890. They are the best bang for the buck NAS available locally and they are cheaper than the DLink DNS-323. It serves as central storage for a pair of NMTs. The Linkstation does have a uTorrent like BT downloader.

[lncc63]

Thanks bro for the suggestion but I am thinking of a full chassis for the server.  I have already have 3 drives to put into it and can imagine needing several more.  Another thing, though may these NAS you mentioned have it, I'd like to have finer grained control of the access rights.  Some media should not be freely accessible to kids.

Actually, what I'm looking for is a simple, very much preferably disk-less, NMT to replace our XTreamer which currently host the hard disks I'm mentioned earlier.    Actually, the XTreamers can be used without the disks but I'm hoping I can simplify things. 

[motion55]

The Linkstation runs Debian Linux and it has the same access controls as a typical samba server. Even with these access controls, I wouldn't put in anything on a NAS or PC that should not be seen by my kids.

You ought to be concerned with power consumption. A typical PC will consume an average 50 to 100W and if running 24/7, that amounts to 350-700 pesos a month on the electricity bill.

The Linkstation Duo can take in 2x2TB drives. It consumes about 15W which is a big savings to the electricity bill. The NAS can pay for itself in the savings in a short time.

I don't have hard drives on my NMTs.

[lncc63]

Thank you again bro.  Good points all.  The Linkstation is an interesting device but it still can only take 2 drives, and I am already using 3, and if you count the system drive of our HTPC that's would be 4. 

Our HTPC uses a Gigabyte E350N motherboard that consumes only 35 watts according to one hardware review I read, and this is what I'm planning to use for the server since we really don't use it as an HTPC.  For me, NMTs are more convenient for playing media.  This is off-topic but since we're here let me also add that the E350N has SATA3 and USB3.0 interfaces which are good to have when dealing with media files.  Actually, the E350N can only take 4 drives but there is one PCI slot that I can use for a SATA card, so putting more than 4 drives won't be an issue.

Back to the topic ... a friend told me about these CDRKing media players, P2500 only.  Are these any good?   Those "smallest NMTs" also look promising though they again pack more technology that I really need.

[iiinas]

since you have two xtreamer already, why not just buy an etrayz nas of xtreamer. i have 2 xtreamer units, then an etrayz with 3tb. the etrayz is connected to my router through lan and the two xtreamer streams the contents from the etrayz via wifi. music streams great. for video though it only streams 720p contents flawlessly, for 1080p, some hiccups.

all in all its an ok system for me and my computer recognizes the etrayz as well so its being use also as our backup drive for important files. i think its 6k without the hdds. its capable of having two 2tb (total of 4tb) hdd, its the exact same size and almost same look as your xtreamer pro, you may need two xtreamer wifi antennae though.

[lncc63]

Originally, I did plan to buy an eTrayz but then I decided to monkey around with a HTPC - try out XMBC, see how it does with PC games, etc.  It did not do too well.  The PS3 does games much better, and the XTreamer is still a better media front end IMHO. 

By the way Bro, our XTreamers play media stored on the other regularly without any kind of problems.  The connection is a wired one but they are separated by a Belkin N150 router.  Oh and these are, more often than not, full HD files 1080p (8Gb or more).   Maybe you are using a wireless LAN.  Our system had hiccups too when I did this, and there were other issues as well, so I just wire them.

One thing I am annoyed with is always having to remember on which  XTreamer and which drive I put which.  Another is deciding where to put new files.   A single server would solve these issues. 

[comet]

Just want to share this one sir:

http://www.tipidpc.com/viewitem.php?iid=9626076

Bought one already just haven't had the time to try it.  Been thinking of trying to add drives to my Etrayz but adding thru the usb ports slows down opening of files.

[lncc63]

Not what I'm looking for Bro but thanks for sharing it.

[iiinas]

Originally, I did plan to buy an eTrayz but then I decided to monkey around with a HTPC - try out XMBC, see how it does with PC games, etc.  It did not do too well.  The PS3 does games much better, and the XTreamer is still a better media front end IMHO. 

By the way Bro, our XTreamers play media stored on the other regularly without any kind of problems.  The connection is a wired one but they are separated by a Belkin N150 router.  Oh and these are, more often than not, full HD files 1080p (8Gb or more).   Maybe you are using a wireless LAN.  Our system had hiccups too when I did this, and there were other issues as well, so I just wire them.

One thing I am annoyed with is always having to remember on which  XTreamer and which drive I put which.  Another is deciding where to put new files.   A single server would solve these issues. 

yup. in my case, i really need to stream the contents to my xtreamer since my router is a bit far from my ht. and since i only have 720p materials and flac files anyway. my wireless streaming works for me. although i do have external hdd connected to my two xtreamers. my main media server is my etrayz, arounf 60% of my contents are there. and since i am no techie, the auto handshake of xtreamer and etrayz is a plus for me (dont know much about networking like samba etc.

anyway, goodluck with your search for a good set-up. post it here, some members might want what you will have.

[Verbl Kint]

Can your tv's access your network?  If they can, why not just DLNA all your media through a central file server?

As for your box, I suggest you look at freenas as an option (it's BSD, though).

For the NMT, can't the Xtreamers stream from a file server/NAS?  Why buy an NMT when you already have xtreamers?

[lncc63]

One of our TVs can but the other cannot.  The one that can however can only handle a few formats.   TVs aren't as up to date as NMTs in format handling.  Having a media server transcode the media crossed my mind but that would require a lot of horsepower which seems like a waste of resources.

Thanks for the heads up on freenas.  I'll look into it.  I'm pretty ok with Linux and related stuff but simpler is better.

Yes, the XTreamer can be used as a NAS but I'd like a little more of some things and a little less of others.  For example, a new rip finished last night so when I woke up I had to figure out where to put it, setup the move and wait for it to finish.   After a few days, I'll forget where I put it and have to spend time looking for it every time.   With a central server, this will be a lot easier IMHO.

I could just move the disks and continue using the XTreamers, which is most likely what will happen since I've yet to find a NMT worth replacing them.   I could even keep a small disk on each with commonly used files .... it would be nice if the local disk were used to cache files from the central server .

[Verbl Kint]

In that case, I suggest you keep the xtreamers.  I don't really see a compelling need for you to get newer nmt's when the jump in functionality is minimal, particularly at the 5k and below price point.

[seymorebutts]

since you have two xtreamer already, why not just buy an etrayz nas of xtreamer. i have 2 xtreamer units, then an etrayz with 3tb. the etrayz is connected to my router through lan and the two xtreamer streams the contents from the etrayz via wifi. music streams great. for video though it only streams 720p contents flawlessly, for 1080p, some hiccups.

all in all its an ok system for me and my computer recognizes the etrayz as well so its being use also as our backup drive for important files. i think its 6k without the hdds. its capable of having two 2tb (total of 4tb) hdd, its the exact same size and almost same look as your xtreamer pro, you may need two xtreamer wifi antennae though.

i have this same setup but with m34a (diskless) as nmt, nas will make your files in order.

+1 on freenas, read more on that, yan din yung tinitingnan kong solution before nung wala pa yung etrayz, kaya lang malakas sa kuryente at nung time na yun, hindi ko pa alam yung low power consumption na mb's tulad ng atom

anyway good luck!