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Trying out unRaid. I forgot to set my server time when I registered for a trial and I thought it's the reason for the subsequent Error 1. But I managed to download Trial.key from the link in the email, so I copied it to the existing /config on the USB drive and rebooted the server. Didn't work, unRAID remains unregistered. So I tried the URL again and I noticed every time I pasted the URL and clicked on Get Key, the unRAID terminal was informing me it couldn't write to /boot/config or it doesn't exist. On a whim I created the /boot/config folder structure in the USB, copied Trial.key into it, rebooted unRaid, and I am now registered for trial. So I'm not sure if this is an actual bug but feels like it since I got it working after sticking the file in /boot/config which didn't exist until I made it.

Yeah unfortunately mine's a dumb TV. Thanks for your input though, seems like I have to decide which route to go or I do both. I'm not seeing much use for VM except to Netflix.

Thanks for clarifying, I understand now. It works except for the restart glitch. But it seems like Netflix as you mentioned can be problematic and looking through the Kodi forums, only specific devices will stream Netflix HD because it's a licensing issue, nothing to do with soft or hardware. http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=252916&pid=2192163#pid2192163 It seems like getting a WeTek box might be a simpler solution even though I started out looking for an all-in-one box.

I've been reading around on this issue and it seems dependent on the motherboard/video card setup, very luck of the draw. I saw this spreadsheet but my motherboard is not on it. Feels like whether I spend $100 or $30 bucks on a video card there is some risk of it not working, and I'm now considering a separate box instead. I'm checking out these WeTek boxes that can do Kodi and Netflix.

Something like this Gigabyte GeForce 210 1GB Video Card? I see you're using a HD 5450, would you recommend that instead? So there's no problems running a VM, like with heat or etc? And what remote do you use? Thanks mr-hexen!

Thanks everyone!! My current build with the inclusion of an SSD and video card brings it to $1318.44 And I think I still need to find a remote. PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($198.99 @ SuperBiiz) Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($129.99 @ SuperBiiz) Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($88.89 @ OutletPC) Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($157.95 @ Newegg) Storage: Western Digital Red 4TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($147.83 @ B&H) Storage: Western Digital Red 4TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($147.83 @ B&H) Storage: Western Digital Red 4TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($147.83 @ B&H) Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB STRIX Video Card ($103.98 @ Newegg) Case: Fractal Design Node 304 Mini ITX Tower Case ($89.99 @ NCIX US) Power Supply: Corsair SF 450W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg) Other: SilverStone Technology Universal ATX to SFX Power Supply Bracket RL-PP08B ($15.17) Total: $1318.44 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-08-22 17:24 EDT-0400

I meant even before setting up the unRaid. From what I understand of the installation instructions, I would have to get the motherboard BIOS to boot from USB first? So if I connect the box to my TV via HDMI will I be able to see the BIOS screen? Probably a very basic and dumb question but I had this thought of putting everything together and not having a display on hand.

Hmmm yeah it's certainly adding to the cost but I'll look into it. I just read this "240GB would be sufficient for average uses. 120GB might be a little too low but serviceable. 500GB is enough for most people." It sounds like maybe I should just go for a 500GB? The cheapest seems to be SK hynix SL308 500GB for $124.99 while the cheapest 250GB is SK hynix SL308 for $63.99. I'll have to decide if 500GB is worth the "future proof." I may have forgotten a fundamental question. Even though these unRaid boxes will run headless, can I do the initial setup without a monitor? I only have a laptop. The motherboard will have HDMI—can I connect to the TV and use that as a monitor so I can change the BIOS setting to boot from USB?

Thank you, I suppose I can look into that after I've built my box. I'm thinking of my last build list with the i5 and wondering if I can/should lower the cost. But if I don't go the VM route it just means no video card and I'd keep the build as is?

My second attempt with i5-6500. PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($198.99 @ SuperBiiz) Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($129.99 @ SuperBiiz) Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($81.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Western Digital Red 4TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($147.83 @ B&H) Storage: Western Digital Red 4TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($147.83 @ B&H) Storage: Western Digital Red 4TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($147.83 @ B&H) Case: Fractal Design Node 304 Mini ITX Tower Case ($89.99 @ NCIX US) Power Supply: Corsair SF 450W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg) Total: $1034.44 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-08-21 02:05 EDT-0400 What kind of video card should I be looking at? Should I consider the i3-6100 instead?

All good, I'm learning a lot from everyone's input! Checking out mr-hexen's build and more googling for me.

That's pretty cool. Have you had any heat issues running a VM all the time? And a separate graphics card is a must?

Thanks a lot for your help De1taE1even, a lot to research and process. Stuff like IPMI and VTD, IOMMU are completely foreign to me, gonna have to google around. To be honest I'm getting worried this is a bit overwhelming. The separate NAS and media box route seems to be the simplest. I also have to factor in the usability of the GUI for my non-techie girlfriend. Fairly certain she won't have the patience nor interest to launch a VM in unRaid so she can Netflix or play a video. Took her a few tries just to differentiate Netflix from local media in the Apple TV UI!

Yeah I'm aware of the limitations, I was looking for a small box. I figured going from one 1TB in my current Buffalo NAS to 8TB if I get 3 x 4TB in unRaid will last me a while and I will still have 3 empty bays to expand. Actually nothing fancy since I don't have a home theater set up. The usual MKV and other video formats but I need subtitles. No fancy surround sound. What prompted all this is the limitations of Apple TV 3 and iTunes. After running PMS on my Buffalo NAS I realized the NAS is not powerful enough for PMS to do subtitles plus I just want to get a new NAS. I thought about getting Plex app onto ATV3 but I'm not sure if that can solve what I need, that is to play MKV files and subtitles.

Ok that's a bit frustrating, so there's no way I can build a single NAS/HTPC box. It seems a media box is not too expensive if I do it with a Raspberry Pi 3 and I can install OpenElec which is Kodi on it—would that be the recommended route? So the setup will be [NAS with unRaid and Emby] -> [Raspberry Pi 3 with OpenElec] -> TV?

Yeah I understand there is a plugin that allows Kodi to talk to Emby, so Kodi will treat Emby as though it is its database. So you're saying unRaid exists on the NAS, Emby runs on unRaid on the NAS, and Kodi has to run on a separate box like a Raspberry Pi 3?

Maybe I've hugely misunderstood how the software comes together. I had thought unRaid will give me a GUI that lets me install a Docker and I'm thinking of a Docker as a plug-in. I think that's how Qnap boxes work. The box comes with a desktop called the QTS which lets you install stuff like Plex Media Server. How would this unRaid/Emby/Kodi set up I read here work? http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=41207.0

Ok I understand Plex requires Plex Media Server and a Plex app to receive the video.. From what I've read, Emby is the server component that can be installed onto unRaid, and Kodi is the media player frontend.

Can you expand on the "Dockers are client side functionality"? If I'm installing the Kodi onto unRaid and it's playing media off the NAS wouldn't everything be server side? My non-smart TV is just a display? Thanks I will use a 4370 or 6100 as minimum and also look into LGA1151 options. That's good to know too, thanks for the tip! Power supply wasn't on my list of research and I didn't consider their sizes, I assumed if they fit in the case they're small enough.

I've very new to this so maybe I'm confused. (I'm basing my concept of the all-in-one box from looking at Qnap's offerings.) Maybe I'm misunderstanding how the software parts come together. I would install unRaid first, then Emby Docker, and then a Kodi Docker. The NAS will connect via HDMI to the TV. I would be able to watch stuff on my NAS -> HDMI -> TV via Kodi? Ok that's great to know, that's exactly the kinda watch-outs I was hoping to learn from the forum. I understand expandability options are always good but I would really like to keep it small. My current Buffalo NAS is 2-bay and measures 3.4 x 5.1 x 8.1 in (W x H x D), and I've survived many years on 1TB 3 x 4TB in unRaid would give me 8TB? The Node 304 has 6 bays so I'd have 3 more slots to expand to ...

Hi all, registered to seek your collective wisdom. I have an old Buffalo Linkstation Duo with one 1TB hard drive, an Apple TV 3, and a Samsung UN46EH5000 46-Inch 1080p 60Hz LED HDTV, basically a non-smart TV. Apple TV 3 is limiting because the laptop needs to be on, video formats are restricted, and I need to put everything into iTunes. The Buffalo NAS' cpu is too weak to do much with media. I'm currently running a custom firmware with Plex Media Server on it, tried to watch something on Chrome browser and it's having difficulty serving up shows with subtitles, probably because PMS needs to transcode. I watch all my shows with subtitles. I started out looking at Qnap but it looks like I can get more building my own NAS. Then I stumbled on a post about unRaid, Emby, and Kodi so I've been trying to read up on those stuff. I'm keen to build a single box that would be an NAS that plugs into my TV via HDMI. 1) Is this advisable? Or why not? Is running two boxes more of a purist thing or for future upgradability? If I were to look into a set top box should I get Kodi running on Raspberry Pi 3? What's the advantage of that over a Roku or some other ready-made box? 2) The Qnap TVS-471 came highly recommended but it averages at USD 1,000. So I found a 2015 sample build and incorporated the same CPU. PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($128.98 @ Newegg) Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($122.55 @ Newegg) Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($38.98 @ Newegg) Storage: Western Digital Red 4TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($149.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Western Digital Red 4TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($149.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Western Digital Red 4TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($149.99 @ Newegg) Case: Fractal Design Node 304 Mini ITX Tower Case ($98.98 @ Newegg) Power Supply: SeaSonic 350W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($43.98 @ Newegg) Total: $883.44 This is what prompted me to register to seek your advice! Is that a good build? Is it overkill, can I go cheaper? Should I swap any parts since this build is from 2015? Should I use a different cpu to "future proof"? Should I use a different motherboard and cpu altogether so I can upgrade in future? (Not sure how much life is left with the LGA1150 socket, just read the LGA1151 succeeds it.) Am I missing anything else?