New NAS, getting rid of Apple TV 3

[mr-hexen]

If you're willing to go the unRaid route, having your server and client separate can be a really good thing.  With a decentralized server, you can have multiple clients throughout your house, allowing the whole house to enjoy your media collection, instead of just one location.

 

You can have both.

 

Plex Media Server docker, Plex Media Player plugin, and various plex clients throughout. I have this working just fine, even remote streaming to 2 plex clients 500KM away.

[mr-hexen]

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?

Yep.

 

Nope. You CAN do this, but you can ALSO have it all on the unRAID.

[De1taE1even]

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?

Yep.

 

Nope. You CAN do this, but you can ALSO have it all on the unRAID.

 

We're all saying the same thing.  If you read the context of the post, I think you'll see why I simply said "Yep".  I have already suggested that you can have an all-in-one box.  I simply presented the OP with two options.  A simple, easy to set up unRaid machine, acting as a media server, using a secondary set-top box such as a FireTV or Roku.  The second option, and the one you're talking about, is going down the road of virtualization, which we've also been talking about.

[De1taE1even]

If you're willing to go the unRaid route, having your server and client separate can be a really good thing.  With a decentralized server, you can have multiple clients throughout your house, allowing the whole house to enjoy your media collection, instead of just one location.

 

You can have both.

 

Plex Media Server docker, Plex Media Player plugin, and various plex clients throughout. I have this working just fine, even remote streaming to 2 plex clients 500KM away.

 

Again, I KNOW you can have both.  I posted the advantages of a decentralized server as an option.  OP is concerned about a large machine in the home theater area.  One option could be to build a larger, more versatile unRaid build, that could sit somewhere out of the way, and use a secondary set-top box in the HT area.  Lots of different ways to go about it.

[vurt]

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

[vurt]

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?

[Helmonder]

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?

 

Although possible I would not advise cobining these functions...

 

Build an unraid box to and use docker for couchpotato, sickrage/sickbeard, sabnzbd, transmission, deluge and plex.

 

Buy an apple tv 4gen and install MrMC (which is a basic KODI implementation that does all you need, including subtitles) and Plex client.

 

i have this setup and it is working like a charm.

 

If you combine settopbox and unraid you will have a system sitting with your tv that needs to be really quiet (that makes the setup more expensive) ..

[mr-hexen]

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?

Yep.

 

Nope. You CAN do this, but you can ALSO have it all on the unRAID.

 

We're all saying the same thing.  If you read the context of the post, I think you'll see why I simply said "Yep".  I have already suggested that you can have an all-in-one box.  I simply presented the OP with two options.  A simple, easy to set up unRaid machine, acting as a media server, using a secondary set-top box such as a FireTV or Roku.  The second option, and the one you're talking about, is going down the road of virtualization, which we've also been talking about.

 

it was the has in his question that I wanted to make sure was corrected.

[vurt]

Although possible I would not advise cobining these functions...

 

Build an unraid box to and use docker for couchpotato, sickrage/sickbeard, sabnzbd, transmission, deluge and plex.

 

Buy an apple tv 4gen and install MrMC (which is a basic KODI implementation that does all you need, including subtitles) and Plex client.

 

i have this setup and it is working like a charm.

 

If you combine settopbox and unraid you will have a system sitting with your tv that needs to be really quiet (that makes the setup more expensive) ..

 

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?

[dikkiedirk]

I have a now ancient Dune Smart B1 which plays mkv, avi, dvd, bluray and others of my unraid server without using plex or any other means of transcoding. If I need a subtitle I can add them by dropping a srt file in the mkv folder. no need for transcoding that way. This also works with popcorn hours vten. A core i5 cpu would be sufficient and you can use you server for downloading tasks too with sabnzb, nzbget and torrent client dockers, no need for vm's.

 

 

[De1taE1even]

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?

 

The biggest difference between the i3 and i5, is core count.  The i5 has 4 independent cores, whereas the i3 has 2 independent cores, with hyperthreading, to simulate 4 cores.  Otherwise, a direct comparison is pretty similar.  Personally, I'd go with the i5, but if you're looking to cut the budget, that i3 will serve your purposes just fine.  Though I don't think it has any bearing on your build, I find it very interesting that the i3 supports ECC memory.  Seems like a typo to me, but it's straight from the intel ark website, so who am I to question it.

 

Also, and sorry to keep driving up the cost of your build, but you can certainly not forget about a SSD cache drive.  In an unRaid media server build, your SSD cache drive will be where you want to put your all your plugin/docker stuff, so that your HDDs can spin down when not in use.  It is also where you'll configure Plex to transcode.  If you are only going to run one small virtual machine and a few dockers/plugins, you'd be fine with a 120GB SSD.  Seems to me though lately that the best price/size ratio is the 240GB drive.  You might not have to spend much more to go from 120 to 240.

 

In a basic unRAID config, the cache drive is where things are written to temporarily, to increase file transfer speeds.  I'll let you read more about the different functions of the cache drive, but I'll say that for your purposes (which are similar to mine), it'll primarily act as the location for all your docker/plugins and their configurations.  I don't even use the cache drive for file transfer.  In a media server setup, that functionality it isn't really needed.

[De1taE1even]

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?

Yep.

 

Nope. You CAN do this, but you can ALSO have it all on the unRAID.

 

We're all saying the same thing.  If you read the context of the post, I think you'll see why I simply said "Yep".  I have already suggested that you can have an all-in-one box.  I simply presented the OP with two options.  A simple, easy to set up unRaid machine, acting as a media server, using a secondary set-top box such as a FireTV or Roku.  The second option, and the one you're talking about, is going down the road of virtualization, which we've also been talking about.

 

it was the has in his question that I wanted to make sure was corrected.

Gotcha, fair enough.

[vurt]

Also, and sorry to keep driving up the cost of your build, but you can certainly not forget about a SSD cache drive.  In an unRaid media server build, your SSD cache drive will be where you want to put your all your plugin/docker stuff, so that your HDDs can spin down when not in use.  It is also where you'll configure Plex to transcode.  If you are only going to run one small virtual machine and a few dockers/plugins, you'd be fine with a 120GB SSD.  Seems to me though lately that the best price/size ratio is the 240GB drive.  You might not have to spend much more to go from 120 to 240.

 

In a basic unRAID config, the cache drive is where things are written to temporarily, to increase file transfer speeds.  I'll let you read more about the different functions of the cache drive, but I'll say that for your purposes (which are similar to mine), it'll primarily act as the location for all your docker/plugins and their configurations.  I don't even use the cache drive for file transfer.  In a media server setup, that functionality it isn't really needed.

 

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?

[testdasi]

Yes you can run initial setup without a monitor. As long as the server is plugged into the network, you can access the GUI using a browser from a 2nd computer (including tablets, phones etc. that connect to the same network).

 

In fact - before 6.2.0, I don't think it was even possible to (easily) configure unRAID without a 2nd device.

6.2.0 was AFAIK the first version to include a GUI that can be access from the server.

[vurt]

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.

[De1taE1even]

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.

Yes, you'll be able to access your bios using a monitor connected directly.

[Helmonder]

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.

 

If your mainboard has an hdmi output then that should work... You do not need a monitor with unraid basically..  Complete setup is done thru the webgui and IF you need to do something on console then telnet works fine..

[vurt]

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

 

 

[mr-hexen]

The video card is way overkill for a simple KODI or Plex VM. a nVidia 210 would be sufficient.

[vurt]

The video card is way overkill for a simple KODI or Plex VM. a nVidia 210 would be sufficient.

 

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!

[Jorgen]

You might get away with using your tv remote to control Kodi via HDMI CEC. This works well for Openelec on a raspberry pi, but I have no idea if an openelec VM can support CEC. Your TV also needs to support it. Just another option if you want to look into it.

 

You mentioned Netflix above, I had problems finding a good Kodi Netflix addon when I looked into it a few years ago. Things might have changed though, just want you to be aware of potential problem there since it could completely ruin the WAF...

Hopefully someone else have hands on experience about Netflix on openelec and can comment on this area.

 

Also, I'd like to echo the advice above about noise levels with the NAS close to your TV. I specifically built my server for low noise since I have no choice but to place it in my living room, about 3 meters away from the couch. I've since spent a lot of time and energy trying to make it as quiet as possible, but it's not completely silent. In quiet movie scenes I can hear the drives and some fan noise too.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mr-hexen]

I had it lying around. It works, but if I reboot the VM I must also reboot the server so the video card "resets" otherwise the VM will crash on all subsequent reboots.

 

i hear nVidia cards do not suffer this problem. I would suggest some searching in the VM section of the forum or see if anyone with a 210 has some experience with this.

[vurt]

 

i hear nVidia cards do not suffer this problem. I would suggest some searching in the VM section of the forum or see if anyone with a 210 has some experience with this.

 

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.

[mr-hexen]

It'll work its just that if you have to reboot the Kodi or Plex VM that will require (maybe) a full server reboot. Honestly, my HD5450 suffers this issue and I just leave the VM on 24/7 and it works.

 

I've had to reboot it completely maybe 2 or 3 times in 6 months.

[vurt]

It'll work its just that if you have to reboot the Kodi or Plex VM that will require (maybe) a full server reboot. Honestly, my HD5450 suffers this issue and I just leave the VM on 24/7 and it works.

 

I've had to reboot it completely maybe 2 or 3 times in 6 months.

 

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

 

Q. I've heard only certain Android or Win10 Kodi machines can play 1080p or 4K DRM copy protected video streaming ?

 

Yes that is correct. Netflix is very particular about which devices they 1080p or 2160p (4K) certify and NO cheap Android devices from Asia, can or are willing to get the required certification and HDCP keys to stream copy protected video content. They will be limited to 480p Max resolution for protected video content. See the Green comparison link above for further details.

Supported 1080p DRM Kodi devices:

nVIDIA Shield (4K + HDR)

Amazon Stick/FTV1 + FTV2 (4K)

Intel machines running Win10, using either dedicated Apps or a Web Browser, very likely other OS's as well.

WeTek's Core and Hub devices (note audio is 2.0 only)

Apple TV4

 

It seems like getting a WeTek box might be a simpler solution even though I started out looking for an all-in-one box.