iTunes server for new home theater system - best option?

[j2048b]

Remove the "-wire" from the name it is only Lime Technology. No need to associate the company with a program that is use to potentially download copyrighted material.

Also, you will NOT be able to hook the unRAID machine up to the mac mini via firewire. and unRAID box is a NAS (Network attached storage) device and needs to be hooked up to you network.


The Abit board should work just fine as it is the one I run in my server. and I current have 8 drives hooked up to it.

I play all the content off my server through a softmoded original xbox running XBMC.

sorry bout that! -wire does not fit in there!!

 

[blehargh]

Have you actually done the math about how much space you need?

- 1 CD is 700MB
- Apple Lossless will do about a 2:1 compression on it, so 350MB per cd.
- 500 CD x 350MB = 175,000 MB or 175GB

That's all you need, 175GB. for lossless. if you got AAC you'll get much better compression obviously.

Get the mini, and upgrade the HD to 500gigs.

a note on video, if you use handbrake and compress to the appleTV standard, then 1 movie will roughyl be like 1-1.5gig. still plenty of space for over 100 movies.

plus, byt the time you fill it up, there will be bigger drives available.

GL,
-don

 

[dawindmg08]

Glad that this has turned into an interesting discussion. So many choices now...

The Iomega StorCenter ix2 looks interesting, an easy plug-n-play NAS with server options. Not too expensive for 2TB either -- but they just came out and no one seems to have them in stock.

Also, has anyone found any refurb Minis lately? There must be a huge demand for them; haven't seen any at places like Smalldog and even Apple's clearance page has the Mini greyed out. Craigslist is full of the G4 models. I like the idea but I'm not paying for a new one with a 500 GB drive in it ($800!) eBay has a few under $500 but most of the final auction prices are near the cost of new one.

I think I'm settled on an AppleTV as the DMA, seems like the most reasonable (and easy) option. I can get a refurb 40GB model for $150, not bad. Hack it with NitoTV so it can see a NAS as a source.

Toying with getting something like a Guardian Maximus (http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer%20Technology/GM8Q7S10TB64/, only $320 for 2TB RAID 1 enclosure for all my A/V files. Plug that into my Time Capsule upstairs, feed the hacked ATV plugged into my receiver.

BTW, I got everything wired up, here's a photo. The AEBS is on top of the TivoHD, tucked under the shelf.

 

[dawindmg08]

Thanks blehargh, that makes sense. I wasn't sure what the Applossless ratio was in order to do the math. I just counted up the CDs and I think I have much more than I thought, closer to 400GB with your calculations. I might as well go for 1TB so I can future-proof the storage, especially if I decide to add a LOT of video.

Have you actually done the math about how much space you need?

- 1 CD is 700MB
- Apple Lossless will do about a 2:1 compression on it, so 350MB per cd.
- 500 CD x 350MB = 175,000 MB or 175GB

That's all you need, 175GB. for lossless. if you got AAC you'll get much better compression obviously.

Get the mini, and upgrade the HD to 500gigs.

a note on video, if you use handbrake and compress to the appleTV standard, then 1 movie will roughyl be like 1-1.5gig. still plenty of space for over 100 movies.

plus, byt the time you fill it up, there will be bigger drives available.

GL,
-don