Noob Home media server build

andy125

Ok so i am starting to run out of space for all my movies and tv show file collection on the pc and many small harddrives and laptops.

So i need to create a server that can hold all these files but let me play these files from my tv (using a client if need be) phone, laptop and pc. I need the server to do all this on a local network and not use bandwidth from my isp. I also want it to be low in electricty consumption compared to say running the main pc 24/7 as a server.

So where do i need to start, what setups are my best option for 3tb library of movies and tv shows where i would be increasing the size of my library as time goes on and have that portable freedom to play my files throughout the house while not incurring much monthly charge and not costing a small fortune to get set up?

Stuxnet

Sounds like Plex server would suit you well.

andy125

Stuxnet wrote: »

Sounds like Plex server would suit you well.

I'm very ignorant when it comes to networking so I apologize for boring people with these simple questions

What type wireless router do I need in this setup And what storage server will do the job I need

Do I need to be connected to the internet in order to create a wlan

Which software is best xbmc or plex for playing 720p res files

Mickalus

andy125 wrote: »

I'm very ignorant when it comes to networking so I apologize for boring people with these simple questions

What type wireless router do I need in this setup And what storage server will do the job I need

Do I need to be connected to the internet in order to create a wlan

Which software is best xbmc or plex for playing 720p res files

Others may be able to give better advice on this, but here's my 2 cents.
Router: You want Wireless 'N' capability and Gigabit ethernet.
Your router will broadcast Wireless with or without an internet connection. An internet connect would be preferable, but not essential.
XBMC and Plex both have their pros and cons, and both should do what you need. Personal preference really.

You can get a dedicated NAS box (Network Attached Storage), which is basically a box that will hold your harddrives that you connect to your network, and the contents of those drives will be available to every device on the network. So you could play your media from whatever device you can connect to the network. Phones and tablets etc all have apps that will retrieve and play this content.
This would be lower on power consumption than a PC on 24/7.
Alternatively, you can just up the amount of drives on your PC/Server and do the same thing.


Also, have you considered deleting the crap you've already watched to free up some space? how often do you really go back and watch stuff?

White Heart Loon

You should only consider wired for media streaming, A HD encode can max wireless leaving nothing left for general browsing. Wireless should be for mobility, anything static should be cabled