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I want to build an HTPC and have been trying to do a lot of research and am less certain now than I was before I started. I want to build something that can do the following:
- Play 1080p 2D and 3D movies ripped from Bluray without issue
- 5.1 Surround
- Internet streaming (Amazon Prime, Youtube, Google Play, Netflix, Hulu, etc...)
- Light console emulation (nothing higher than PS1, maybe PS2)
- Stream 1080p video to one remote source (phone, tablet, Xbox 360, another PC, etc...) while playing 1080p video on main TV through HDMI
- Data storage for documents, web/graphic design work, photographs, camcorder videos, etc... to be accessed by other local computers (currently between 3-4TB but growing)
- Be quiet (I tried to use a hand-me-down tower PC as an HTPC a couple years ago, but the fan was so loud, I gave it back.)
- Be power efficient as I want to have access to the data files and movie streaming 24/7.
- I am not interested in any modern gaming. I have too much of a backlog to play on my consoles. If I decide to get back into PC gaming and want to do it on my big screen, I'll end up building a much more powerful Steambox.
- I am not interested in live TV or DVR
- Preferably have a simple "appliance" like interface for my wife and 5 yr old daughter (Doesn't matter if it takes me a lot of tweaking in the back end to get to this as I am comfortable with it, but they aren't)
Which of these options would be best? And, what hardware would be best? Any advice, pro/cons, tips you have would be appreciated.
(1) - A media server with plex server to hold all of the movies and data files that runs 24/7 with a simple HTPC that I turn on only when I want to use it.
(2) - A simple NAS with the movies and data files on it and an HTPC running plex server; both running 24/7.
(3) - A single HTPC running plex server with the additional storage for the data files running 24/7.
(A note about placement: my modem and router are located near my TV. Also due to the layout of my house, most likely anything I would build, even if split into a separate HTPC & server, would also be placed near my TV so that it could be hardwired into the network.)
A few questions about these options: Which would be the cheapest to build? Which would use the least amount of power? Which would be the easiest to use & maintain over time?
About my situation:
I originally decided to build an HTPC so that I could rip all of my daughter's movies and have them in one organized, easy to use place. Then move on to my movie collection. Then I thought about my current computer usage and thought it might also be a good idea to have a NAS or server. I have a power hungry desktop, an older laptop, a Surface Pro, two android phones, and a Nexus 7 tablet. I do a lot of photography (enthusiast not pro). The desktop has an extra 4TB hard drive that is about 75% full (and continually filling) with mostly photos and some videos (and web/graphic design work). The data is backed up to a local external hard drive as well as to the cloud with crashplan. I do all of my photo/video editing on the desktop, but my wife likes to digital scrapbook with the laptop using the photos stored on the 4TB desktop hard drive. So, she has to turn on the desktop every time she wants to use the laptop for her scrapbooking. I thought it would be nice to offload the data storage to a NAS or server that would run 24/7.
So, my first thought before researching was that I could build an HTPC that included the storage for my photography & web/graphic design. But then I read a lot of places that recommended having the storage separate from the HTPC. One main reason for this had to do with sound issues; having multiple hard drives in the HTPC would create additional noise. However, my router is in my entertainment center and so a separate NAS or server would still have to be placed close to the HTPC. So sound out of one or the other would make no difference. And, if I did split them, should I run the PLEX server on the HTPC or the NAS/server? I will be running the HTPC through a yamaha rx-v477 receiver to a Sharp 60" 3D TV. I am thinking either Kodi or Mediabrowser as the front end for the HTPC.
Thanks.
- Play 1080p 2D and 3D movies ripped from Bluray without issue
- 5.1 Surround
- Internet streaming (Amazon Prime, Youtube, Google Play, Netflix, Hulu, etc...)
- Light console emulation (nothing higher than PS1, maybe PS2)
- Stream 1080p video to one remote source (phone, tablet, Xbox 360, another PC, etc...) while playing 1080p video on main TV through HDMI
- Data storage for documents, web/graphic design work, photographs, camcorder videos, etc... to be accessed by other local computers (currently between 3-4TB but growing)
- Be quiet (I tried to use a hand-me-down tower PC as an HTPC a couple years ago, but the fan was so loud, I gave it back.)
- Be power efficient as I want to have access to the data files and movie streaming 24/7.
- I am not interested in any modern gaming. I have too much of a backlog to play on my consoles. If I decide to get back into PC gaming and want to do it on my big screen, I'll end up building a much more powerful Steambox.
- I am not interested in live TV or DVR
- Preferably have a simple "appliance" like interface for my wife and 5 yr old daughter (Doesn't matter if it takes me a lot of tweaking in the back end to get to this as I am comfortable with it, but they aren't)
Which of these options would be best? And, what hardware would be best? Any advice, pro/cons, tips you have would be appreciated.
(1) - A media server with plex server to hold all of the movies and data files that runs 24/7 with a simple HTPC that I turn on only when I want to use it.
(2) - A simple NAS with the movies and data files on it and an HTPC running plex server; both running 24/7.
(3) - A single HTPC running plex server with the additional storage for the data files running 24/7.
(A note about placement: my modem and router are located near my TV. Also due to the layout of my house, most likely anything I would build, even if split into a separate HTPC & server, would also be placed near my TV so that it could be hardwired into the network.)
A few questions about these options: Which would be the cheapest to build? Which would use the least amount of power? Which would be the easiest to use & maintain over time?
About my situation:
I originally decided to build an HTPC so that I could rip all of my daughter's movies and have them in one organized, easy to use place. Then move on to my movie collection. Then I thought about my current computer usage and thought it might also be a good idea to have a NAS or server. I have a power hungry desktop, an older laptop, a Surface Pro, two android phones, and a Nexus 7 tablet. I do a lot of photography (enthusiast not pro). The desktop has an extra 4TB hard drive that is about 75% full (and continually filling) with mostly photos and some videos (and web/graphic design work). The data is backed up to a local external hard drive as well as to the cloud with crashplan. I do all of my photo/video editing on the desktop, but my wife likes to digital scrapbook with the laptop using the photos stored on the 4TB desktop hard drive. So, she has to turn on the desktop every time she wants to use the laptop for her scrapbooking. I thought it would be nice to offload the data storage to a NAS or server that would run 24/7.
So, my first thought before researching was that I could build an HTPC that included the storage for my photography & web/graphic design. But then I read a lot of places that recommended having the storage separate from the HTPC. One main reason for this had to do with sound issues; having multiple hard drives in the HTPC would create additional noise. However, my router is in my entertainment center and so a separate NAS or server would still have to be placed close to the HTPC. So sound out of one or the other would make no difference. And, if I did split them, should I run the PLEX server on the HTPC or the NAS/server? I will be running the HTPC through a yamaha rx-v477 receiver to a Sharp 60" 3D TV. I am thinking either Kodi or Mediabrowser as the front end for the HTPC.
Thanks.