External Hard Drive

feelgoodinc27

I'm looking to buy a 2TB external for my 360 (and someday my one), are there any specs you should look out for? In particular I want to get a portable as it's just handier but will the slower rpm compared to a desktop have a major effect?

I was looking at this one but it's listed data transfer rate is a lot slower that other portable drives, but I dont know if that's a typo: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Slimline-Portable-Hard-Drive/dp/B00FZU9JYI

CatInABox

I just got that one myself, no problems using it with my Xbox One at all. Speed isn't really an issue, as it's the same speed as the internal drive anyway. The USB3 interface is actually faster than the interface inside the Xbox as well, so it ends up with a slightly bizaare situation where the external drive is faster than the internal.

Just so you're aware, you can't use it dual use though, the entire disk has to be formatted for Xbox One, or not at all.

Slutmonkey57b

My 500gb XBone is basically stuffed full now; reading through the forum it looks like the storage breakdown is as follows?

* Internal hard drive can't be upgraded (so no possible speed boost for the console as a whole by replacing with an SSD...?)
* XBone can only use xbone-formatted storage for additional game storage, not a normal drive
* NAS solutions are ok if there is a built in DNLA server but the XBone won't see a NAS as a potential external drive for game storage?

I'd like to move digital media storage over to a NAS so all the devices in the house can access it all the time, but also have a drive for additional XBone storage. I was looking at NAS bays with Ethernet and USB 3.0 connections, would it be theoretically possible to have a 2-bay NAS with one drive formatted for xbox, which the xbox would access using the USB 3.0 port, and see the other media storage separately over the network using DNLA?

Otherwise it looks like the "correct" implementation is buy a dedicated external drive for the XBox and a NAS just for media playback?

CatInABox

Slutmonkey57b wrote: »

My 500gb XBone is basically stuffed full now; reading through the forum it looks like the storage breakdown is as follows?

* Internal hard drive can't be upgraded (so no possible speed boost for the console as a whole by replacing with an SSD...?)
* XBone can only use xbone-formatted storage for additional game storage, not a normal drive
* NAS solutions are ok if there is a built in DNLA server but the XBone won't see a NAS as a potential external drive for game storage?

I'd like to move digital media storage over to a NAS so all the devices in the house can access it all the time, but also have a drive for additional XBone storage. I was looking at NAS bays with Ethernet and USB 3.0 connections, would it be theoretically possible to have a 2-bay NAS with one drive formatted for xbox, which the xbox would access using the USB 3.0 port, and see the other media storage separately over the network using DNLA?

Otherwise it looks like the "correct" implementation is buy a dedicated external drive for the XBox and a NAS just for media playback?

1. Internal can be upgraded, but it's a bit of a faff, and it does have long term complications (i.e. can't factory reset, etc).

2. Correct.

3. Yes, a NAS will work with a DLNA server. In particular, you should look for one that is Plex Media Server compatible, as that app is brilliant. As you say though, it won't work for games storage though.

What you want to do with the NAS doesn't sound like it would work. I'm not sure how a NAS with a USB 3 port would appear to an Xbox One. Are you sure that the USB port on the NAS is even for direct access? I'd think it's more for adding another drive.

Slutmonkey57b

Frustratingly, reviews of NAS boxes I've seen tend to just state USB ports exist, but don't go into any more detail than that. It seems to be a case of "buy it and try it out"....

I'm very keen to avoid Plex as I've found that a) performance is awful, b) minimum spec requirements are farcical and c) I don't see the point in paying out a monthly/yearly licence for something that I can get for free with DNLA and putting things into folders. If I have to transcode something I can do that on the PC without trying to get a NAS to do it on the fly...

CatInABox

Slutmonkey57b wrote: »

Frustratingly, reviews of NAS boxes I've seen tend to just state USB ports exist, but don't go into any more detail than that. It seems to be a case of "buy it and try it out"....

I'm very keen to avoid Plex as I've found that a) performance is awful, b) minimum spec requirements are farcical and c) I don't see the point in paying out a monthly/yearly licence for something that I can get for free with DNLA and putting things into folders. If I have to transcode something I can do that on the PC without trying to get a NAS to do it on the fly...

The ones I've seen suggest that the USB ports are there for doing back-ups of connected drives.

Plex is free for local service, so you wouldn't need to pay anything.

mossym

Your idea with the USB drive in the nas will not work. USB ports are masters or slaves. The one on a nas drive is a master to allow you to hook up external USB drives as expanded storage. Not be used as slave drives themselves.