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However, AMD’s Ryzen processors have significantly increased their popularity. My recommendation is to get started with Kodi media center and then set up a back-end with Plex Media Server. This one is for advanced users that want to set up their home theater computer to link to their television. Once linked, you will be able to record live television programs and store them on your PC. JRiver Media Center is a jukebox-style media center like Windows Media Player or iTunes.
However, some NAS enclosures will have more than 1 ethernet port and other upgrade options that can allow you to expand and speed them up. Privacy– Unlike cloud storage services that are susceptible to hacking and data leaks, a home-based network that you control is more secure. We have had instances where these cloud services were hacked and where we saw massive data leaks. With your Media Server setup and your media files in tow, you're ready to truly experience Plex. In this last step, you'll install the Plex Media Center on your primary HTPC, and the program will automatically detect all the media from the computers with Plex Media Server installed.
JRiver Media Center
NAS servers also allow you to back up all your data by either setting up redundancies with 2 or more storage drives or using a clustered NAS. A clustered NAS server is where you set up 2 or more home servers at different locations with the ability to distribute data between them and can also work simultaneously. When compared to storing all your data in external drives, you or other people can access the stored data simultaneously as it is cloud storage. Choosing a channel like Netflix or Spotify, or playing a movie stored on your PC all happens swiftly from the seat of your couch. The Video and Music channels give you access to the channels you added while setting up the Plex Media Server, while the Music, Movies, and TV Shows tabs show you the media on your drive.
Plex has a built-in live TV and DVR server, so you can also record and watch live TV with it. However, you can customize the interface with skins that you can download online. Nero's Move It software encoder can use CUDA for video conversion, and Daniusoft's DVD Ripper claims that CUDA helps it attain a 500 per cent conversion speed.
Tips for managing your hard drives
Wireless is fast enough in theory, but not in practice – especially when slower devices are also connected or other people are consuming the bandwidth. We recommend a wired Powerline backbone for data streaming, and because nearly all motherboards include Gigabit Ethernet, this is all you're going to need here. The Origin Chronos is a bit pricey if you’re not looking for a home theater PC that can double as a powerful gaming rig, but it’s a fantastic option if that is what you’re looking for. The Dell Optiplex 3070 Micro is a great choice if you’re working on a bit of a budget and also have space constraints.
A 4-bay NAS tower enclosureFor a desktop enclosure, you can buy a built one with server-grade parts for greater compatibility. The computer should have gigabit LAN with a standard ATX PSU power supply unit) and motherboard. If you don't own an Xbox, but want this setup, you can still purchase a wired Xbox controller to get the same experience. One thing to note, though, is that these Wi-Fi keyboard apps can be unstable, and you should expect some delays when typing or mousing around. These apps communicate with your computer over your local network, and even a great Wi-Fi network can't combat this issue. Anyone who's owned a slide-out QWERTY keyboard will immediately find comfort in the FAVI handheld keyboard.
Best Home Theatre and Media Center Software [Review]
Vibration and heat control– If you have more than one drive in your enclosure, there will be vibrations, heat generation, and noise. A good NAS drive should have anti-vibration tech and thermal control mechanisms while maintaining high spindle speeds for better performance. Ease of use– I would recommend choosing a NAS enclosure with an easy user interface that can be easily set up with minimal effort.
If your NAS does not have an HDMI output port, then you can use Wi-Fi or LAN. The Asustor AS6602T LockerStor 2 might seem a little expensive for a two-bay Networked Attached Storage, especially for a home user. Still, it offers a convenient and useful feature that's worth the premium price. The docker installation method is outdated and doesn't run so you'll have to install fakeroot and run the command from the Readme. He is passionate about new and immerging technology from AI to hardware mechanics. You will also need to configure this server and the process will typically be the same but will depend on the software you use.
Transmission Docker Config
After its initial setup, you can sit back and enjoy your favorite videos or shows, and it can also play CDs/DVDs. The software also consists of extras and add-ons like skins, games, screensavers, web interface, etc. which can help enhance your overall experience. Kodi plays all major music & movies formats like MP3, AAC, WAV, etc. and lets you take total control over your media collection. You can also view pictures and live television, and do many more things using its community-created add-ons. You have a number of options for controlling your operating system, especially if you’ve chosen an XMBC-based option. Usually local networks have more than enough efficiency to carry even large files across your wireless network, and it comes along with a number of other advantages.
While this unit is small enough to fit into most home theater cabinets and other situations, you can actually mount it to the back of your VESA-compatible television with an optional bracket. Carefully route short cables behind your television as well, add a soundbar, and the Dell Optiplex 3070 can form the core of one of the stealthiest home theater systems around. The best thing about the ThinkStation P340 is the fact that it packs so much high-performance hardware into a remarkably small package.
There aren't as many features on offer as the Synology NAS. Still, you get full remote access to your files, multiple backup methods, AES hardware encryption, and several small office applications. Overall, this is a great budget NAS suitable for home multimedia entertainment. You can view your photos, stream your music library and movie collection, you can also record shows for later viewing, and do much more with the server. This can be done from any of your clients (phone, computer, tablet, etc.) with a media player installed on the device. File sharing– With a NAS server system, you can share data between different devices without an external hard drive or pen drive.
That means apps for TV streaming boxes, smartphones, tablets, and web-based interfaces for everything else. Microsoft no longer makes Windows Home Server and is phasing out Windows Media Center. But there are still great solutions if you want to run a home media server and stream to all your devices.
Real-time hardware transcoding of up to two concurrent 4K video streaming. Storage device— This is used to store all the media files such as videos, photos, computer files. The TerraMaster F2-221 is an entry-level NAS for Plex streaming and home use.
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.
Universal Media Server is an open-source and fully free media solution, that though quite a bit more complicated than Plex, is just as stable and reliable. This software can be set up on a PC or NAS open-source software, with about the same setup burden, but if any steps of the process get you hung up, a fairly robust support community will be able to help you out. Emby started out as an open-source project but in 2018 it moved towards Plex’s business model by developing some highly desired plugins and putting them behind a paywall.
The price of NAS OS and management software can vary from as low as $50 to as high as $500 for a server dealing with a lot of files. Most premade NAS enclosures come with a free lightweight OS enough for your needs. For repurposing an old computer into a NAS server you will need to install an OS that you can also use a free OS such as FreeNAS or invest in one for better performance. An 8 TB hard drive will go for around $200, a 10 TB for around $250, and a 14 TB for around $360 give or take. You can use 2 or more drives depending on the number of HDD bays on the enclosure.
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