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In addition to its own front-end software, Plex Media Player, the back-end server application is compatible with many other front-ends like Kodi. You might think you can skip the expensive 3D graphics card in favour of a machine that's meant only for 2D video, but there's an interesting technology that might make you reconsider. If you're after the perfect living room experience, you can now buy devices that will grab data from numerous sources and push it through an HDMI cable straight to your television.
Some casings will have removable trays where you can mount the drives and insert them back into the enclosure. Gold HDDs are mainly used for centers that have multiple users such as data centers. Also, for the RAM , ensure that it has ECC and helps detect and correct memory errors that can even cause you to lose your data. I am also assuming that you have all the other components such as ethernet cables, a TV, speakers, a good internet connection with enough bandwidth, and so on.
Configure your home media server
Many dream of a completely wireless setup where the TV mirrors the PC display wirelessly through some magical contraption. Unsurprisingly, a few companies have developed products that let you wirelessly mirror your PC, but they're hardly reliable. In fact, the only wireless -- albeit expensive -- solution is a Mac coupled with an Apple TV, mirroring via AirPlay. An out-of-use laptop or desktop is the ideal candidate for your HTPC, since it can be stationed in your media center along with the rest of your home theater equipment. Alternatively, you can use a roving laptop that gets put into HTPC mode when you plunk down onto the couch after work.
At some point, you've probably considered hooking your computer up to your TV. Maybe you even purchased a video cable, only to realize that being hunched over your computer and tethered to the TV is far from the awesome setup you had in mind. PlayOn Media Server is the only working and user friendly way to watch Netflix, Hulu, and other premium content with Kodi. You don’t need to use hardware acceleration with Intel Core i3/i5/i7, as CPU is powerful enough. If you have a decent enough video card and optimal settings, then it all should look pretty good really. The scaling and deinterlacing can be set in the Kodi video settings, as well as post processing.
Choose a low-TDP processor
For the most reliable performance, make sure the NAS has a capable processor to handle streaming and transcoding if some of your devices don't support 4K movies or have a limited data connection. A NAS with an Intel processor and integrated graphics ticks the boxes for Plex streaming. Network-attached storage has emerged as one of the top options for setting up a home media server. With the increasing popularity of Plex and Kodi, you can easily set up your own video streaming service for all of your devices in your home network or over the internet. If you think anything less than a terabyte just won’t do for your media files, buying a Network Attached Storage device may be an even more efficient option. Rather than store all of your videos and photos locally, you could instead transfer them to a set of hard drives that’s connected to your network.
That said, Emby still offers a considerable set of features even if you just stick with the free version of the software. Once you have installed this software, you can watch movies on Kodi with add-ons. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. The unit is excellent for 4K video transcoding, running virtual machines, and more.
Graphics card is only needed for gaming
If you do not have a manual on how to transfer the data, you can search for an online manual or call customer support. You may also need to format your drives once you turn on your home media server to a format that is designed for large storage, for example, Btrfs for Synology. After that, you can then create assigning permissions and shared folders depending on the number of users. Most media servers will have a management user interface with icons, a desktop, and windows just like any other OS.
At the end of the day, Subsonic will not be the best choice for everybody, especially since it is only compatible with a limited number of streaming devices. Avid show and movie watchers will have to deal with a lack of subtitle support, plus an inability to stream quality settings. For myself, music makes up over half the media I own, and Subsonic adequately meets my needs. As an older software, SubSonic doesn’t have the same regular updates as PlayOn, and will be a little harder to work with. But music lovers will have enough to keep them busy, even if they occasionally have to pull a foreign film up on VLC instead. Emby is a newer media server software that combines the polished interface of Plex with the open-source foundation of Kodi to deliver a highly customizable media experience that has a premium feel.
Q: Can a NAS Be Used as a Media Server?
Serviio is similar to UMS, as it is a fast and powerful open-source media server rich in advanced controls and functions. But unlike UMS, Serviio has a paid version that offers a convenient remote browser player, an Android app, and some other functionalities. This software runs on either a computer or NAS, and also streams content from online sources, like RSS feeds, live audio/video streams, web page content. Unfortunately, two of the software’s strongest features, its open-source license and its massive add-on library, can count against it if you aren’t careful about how you use them. The unofficial nature of this service means that it is far easier to accidentally download a malicious version of an add-on if you don’t know what you are doing.
You will also need to use OS and management software that is DLNA certified for better performance and security. After fitting the drives, you can then connect the NAS enclosure to power and internet then turn it on. For the fastest transfer speeds, I would recommend using a Cat 6 cable which you can then connect to a high-performance router. If you are going to use a desktop computer enclosure, consider the same specs as they are the most important for a home media server. It should not be filled with other unnecessary components such as graphics cards but if you are getting a deal for a cheap used desktop, buy it and take apart the components such as sound cards that are not essential. Apart from using a NAS server for entertainment purposes, you can also use it to run a small business, upload, and access important files.
Most of the small form factor motherboards are intended to be run in small PCs, where space is a factor, so manufacturers include sound, network, and other peripherals that would normally take up extra space. As long as you do a good job picking out a motherboard there should be no need for a discrete audio card. Most modern motherboards have a built-in chips that are able to handle music and move audio through HDMI, hopefully to your receiver or sound bar. You can buy a very small SSD for Windows alone and pair it with a big mechanical disk for files. There are also drives that blend a large solid state cache with a disk, such as those from Seagate.
Once you install a program (actually, a server, but it's as easy as installing a program) on your computer, your phone becomes your PC's input device. If you'd like the option to comfortably perform long-form typing or play PC games, this keyboard might be your best option. Like the SmartStick, this Logitech keyboard was built with HTPC users in mind.
While XBMC can be installed as software over Linux, Windows, or Mac OS X, it’s also available as a stand-alone install. If your system resources aren’t tied up managing the other processes of an operating system, the menus will be more responsive and the machine will boot in seconds. While there is a Linux-based version of XBMC available, the widely-used OpenElec is built specifically to maximize power on budget-friendly systems, and comes with a suite of software and enhancements pre-installed. While the latest Intel HD graphics can technically support 4K it’s never paired with HDMI 2.0, the only one-cable solution for connecting to most HDTVs. DisplayPort, which is more common, is almost never found on televisions. At the time of this writing only the Nvidia GTX 970 and 980 have HDMI 2.0, and both are large, power-hungry components.
The graphics chip you select has become relatively unimportant unless you plan to play games . The only option you need concern yourself is the output, but most motherboards offer HDMI-out. If integrated graphics for some reason is not available (a few high-end Intel chips come without it) then a $50 discrete card like the Nvidia GT 630 will do. One caveat is that you will need to go with a subscription plan to stream to non-PC devices like a smart TV, Roku, gaming console, or a mobile phone like iPhone 13 Pro Max. If, however, you only want to stream between a host PC and a home theater PC, then you can do that with the free version. That said, PlayOn runs a number of specials on their pricing, meaning you will rarely have to pay the full $69.99 for your lifetime pass.
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