Home theatre storage solution?

[bazmlb]

Looking for a expandable home storage solution that can interface to a hdmi connector on a tv and have some remote function to be able to select what video to watch from the storage unit, I have seen the NAS units, but they require a seperate box for the interface function, is this still the best answer? or just use a PC, which I currently use, need to get quieter case fans if i continue this path.

Solution would need around 2-4tb, posiibly also act as a NAS for the home network and NO i do not want a cloud solution, the internet isnt good enough even to load gmail.

[IMHO]

IMHO, yes, it's still better to keep the storage separate from the media player - all-in-one's typically are a master-of-none, and by keeping them separate, you can upgrade them separately too, when/if the time comes.

There are many different ways to piece this together...

If you're concerned about clutter, one solution might be locate the NAS in another room, and just make it accessible to the media player in your AV rack over WiFi. The only thing you will want to do is have it interface to your router directly over ethernet.

As for the media player, if you're willing to spend some time (note: by that I mean, you could spend several hours or more) configuring something just the way you want, it's hard to beat Kodi's (AKA: XBMC) abilities. Kodi doesn't need a PC - it will run happily on a small/cheap Android box which is silent, and comes with a remote fit for the purpose. If you want something more powerful than that, the next step up in speed and (and several steps up in price) is an Intel Nuc box, which in turn can run Linux or Windows as the OS. At the other end of the scale, it will also run on an 1300 Baht Raspberry Pi - but I wouldn't recommend it

If you want something that "just works" with nothing more than WiFi setup, there are a number of well respected media player boxes which can also do the job (but without the level of customization and overall features XBMC offers) such as: Dune TV, Xtreamer, and the grandfather of them all (and showing it's age), the WDTV

[JohnnyJazz]

The solution I'm currently implementing is a NAS that stores everything : movie library, picture collection, time machine .... (be carefull RAID does not replace a proper back up solution) and a small fanless computer attached behind the TV, linked to the NAS through the home network.

I use a ZOTAC but there are more and more similar computers (http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/793591-the-answer-to-the-not-so-smart-smart-tv/) on the market. I believe the cost of a "dumb" TV plus a mini computer doesn't exceed the price of a "smart" TV plus the additional advantage that you can chose the OS of your computer/TV combo and upgrade it.

For the software, XBMC/KODI and PLEX seem to be the reference.

Edited January 22, 2015 by JohnnyJazz

[bazmlb]

IMHO, yes, it's still better to keep the storage separate from the media player - all-in-one's typically are a master-of-none, and by keeping them separate, you can upgrade them separately too, when/if the time comes.

All great info and just what i am looking for, also its why my modem and router are seperate, the modem the scaraficial lamb for line spikes and at 900baht don't mind replacing it, while the router is optimum for the tasks a hand. Same logic for sound system and multi room idea is great, forgot about that.

[bazmlb]

(be carefull RAID does not replace a proper back up solution)

coming from the IT side implementing servers I know what you mean, telling them to buy backup for their raid solutions was like trying to extract teeth.

My idea is FTP everything up to a private hosting account where it can be preserved.

Thanks for reminding me.

[pieeyed]

Have a look at DBM servers from the U.K.

[LivinLOS]

My current setup is a NAS running the drives and mysql library.. And android nodes around the house to each display. Its a bit involved.

I have spare a boxee box network media streamer and a usb 3 drive bay without drive.. The boxee box can even double as a basic NAS on your net with the drivebay to fileserve to other streamers. This was my setup before with multiple boxees (one died).

Make an offer if you want them as a package. They are just gathering dust ATM.

[craigt3365]

There are so many options, it makes your head spin at times. And it changes on a constant basis! You are quite technical, Baz, so probably easier for you. I've got 2 setups at my house, but trying to get just one storage device for 3 TVs. Not there yet.

So, for now, I have a 2TB portable HD that I update from time to time with new content. It's almost fully packed with TV shows and movies. One TV has a WD box connected to it and I love it. Much easier than the internal "smart TV" solution for sorting and selecting files from the various folders. I run it into my receiver first for processing, then video out to the TV. I've got 5.1 surround sound via the receiver with a bunch of different audio options depending on the media source. I love it.

In the other room I go directly to the TV as it's got a bit better internal software for dealing with the hard drive. But still, no where near as good as the WDTV box. But I don't have a receiver in that room, so not too bad.

The WDTV boxes are relatively cheap. And from what I've heard from others, offer an easier to use interface than many android options. Phil Connors got one and didn't seem too enthused with what he got. Though it was cheap. This was a bit over a year ago, so things have probably changed by now.

Bruce has the ultimate setup, though it does require constant care and feeding and it's quite technical. It's an XBMC setup and all is served up by a NAS drive. You might check with Raro as Bruce set this up for him, but I think it hiccuped and Raro never got things back in synch. As mentioned above, these setups can be a bit technical.

I love that new Intel PC. But it's not cheap. I've got the WDTV Live box, but as you say, the internet is not great here and streaming just doesn't work for me. I also tried wifi streaming a few weeks ago. Worked OK. But I tend to watch 1080p content. Seemed to get bogged down from time to time, especially if there are other wifi devices in use.