newbie need help with server build

[apilon47]

Good afternoon All ,

 

I am new in  this world of movie server and need an information about building one.

 

I browsed the hardware compatibility list and found the parts recommendation for building a server based on the RB-1200

 

MY question is that there is no indication of a dvd rom or blu-ray rom drive .......Do i need to add one? If not how to i transfer my dvd collection to this server? I even noticed that even the RB-1200 does not have a DVD drive added to it

 

Sorry if the question sound simplist but i am pretty new at this

 

Alain

 

 

[JP]

I'm a newbie as well, but I think I'm further along than you since I can answer this. You would transfer data to the Unraid server across the network.  A DVD or Blu-Ray drive isn't needed on the server, I'm not even sure if the Linux OS would detect it, but if it does I don't think it would serve much of a purpose on a server in this case.

[queeg]

The stock unRAID server software allows you to make a NAS where the data is protected by using a parity drive.  If a drive fails it can be replaced and it's data is rebuilt.  That by itself is what draws us all here. 

 

There are some add-ons available.  There are lots of references on the forum to other applications that users want to install on their unRAID servers or use in conjunction with their unRAID server.  All of those are user interests and none are part of the stock unRAID. 

 

The way many or maybe most users are streaming movies is that they rip their DVD's in whatever way they want and use some type of *player* to stream the movie.  By *player* I mean one of many possible ways.  I'm using a CinemaTube device that has a network connection and an HDMI connection that I hooked up to my TV.  The CinemaTube displays some menu's on my TV which I use to browse to the unRAID share where I have my movies. 

That's the simple basics. 

 

What the *player* displays on the TV and how to access it is the other part of the discussion.  For my set up I see folders of text movies names similar to what  you see in a file explorer window.  I'd rather see pictures that look like the DVD artwork or something like that because reading a bunch of text doesn't have much of a wow factor.  But it's still pretty cool all things considered. 

So various forum posts are about how to run software that will scan the movies and build pretty menus of pictures which I'm interested in.  Then the discussion turns to where does that software run from?  Does it run on the *player*, the unRAID server or perhaps another third machine.  Of course the merits of each are being discussed.  The optimal solution has not been created yet but people are working on many approaches.

 

So with unRAID the issue of "where do I put my movies" is solved and I believe it is the best of the best available.  All the other aspects regarding the playing are still evolving.  Even what format to store the movies in is still debated.  I for one am storing them as ISO images and using DVDFab7 to do the ripping. 

 

And just in case it's useful, it is possible to mount ntfs drives on the unRAID server (they will not be part of the unRAID array) and copy the files disk to disk.  If you have lots of movies this might be better for you.  Otherwise, you will probably make your unRAID server, rip the movies on a different machine and copy them to the unRAID across the network. 

 

Be sure to look at the unRAID Hardware Compatibility page as it is really helpful and there are some recommended builds there. 

[apilon47]

I'm a newbie as well, but I think I'm further along than you since I can answer this. You would transfer data to the Unraid server across the network.  A DVD or Blu-Ray drive isn't needed on the server, I'm not even sure if the Linux OS would detect it, but if it does I don't think it would serve much of a purpose on a server in this case.

 

Ok call me stupid but i don't get it Do you mean that i just rip the DVD to another computer then transfer it to my unraid server via network?

 

Then do i need another computer to  play that movie online?

 

Could i actually add a client to the server and use the same machine meaning adding a better graphic card, and sound card , a blu-ray dvd rom  a software like anydvd HD to rip the DVD  and something like powerDVD to play it ?

[abernardi]

I'm also fairly new, but my understanding is that the unRAID server is JUST a server:  It stores your data, that's all.  Think of it as a giant hard drive.  There's a lot of user activity to expand the uses that you can read about in these forums, but they are fairly advanced stuff.  I have a little Atom/Nvidia Ion based HTPC that I run XBMC (that's a media player) hooked up to my TV via HDMI.  I connect to the unRAID server via an SMB network over ethernet.  I also have an iMac and I've been ripping my DVD's on both the iMac and HTPC to the unRAID server.  Make sense?

[queeg]

Do you mean that i just rip the DVD to another computer then transfer it to my unraid server via network?

That's what most people are doing.

 

Then do i need another computer to  play that movie online?

Yes, another computer or device like I'm using.

 

 

Could i actually add a client to the server and use the same machine meaning adding a better graphic card, and sound card , a blu-ray dvd rom  a software like anydvd HD to rip the DVD  and something like powerDVD to play it ?

Some of the users in this forum are exploring this and other possibilities.  This doesn't exist currently.

 

You might find ways to combine the ripper onto the player but so far putting either or both of those functions on the unRAID server is still pioneer territory.

 

 

And even the philosophical "should it be done" is being discussed.  For example:

The Yes, do it:  

A. Add all the features onto a single server so I don't have redundant computers just sitting around.

B. whatever reason you can think up.

 

The No, don't argument:  The unRAID server should be keep separate because

A. it naturally has a low power cpu and small amount of ram coupled with many drives.  That configuration brings about a psu requirement that suits a NAS type server.  Whereas the ripper and/or player have other hardware requirements.  

B. The data is put at unnecessary risk by adding all those other functions on the machine.

C. It complicates the administration of the machine.

D. You don't want all those hard drives churning away sitting in your living room anyway.

E: Make it sleep.  Buy a motherboard supporting S3 and make the unRAID server sleep when not in use!

[apilon47]

I'm also fairly new, but my understanding is that the unRAID server is JUST a server:  It stores your data, that's all.  Think of it as a giant hard drive.  There's a lot of user activity to expand the uses that you can read about in these forums, but they are fairly advanced stuff.  I have a little Atom/Nvidia Ion based HTPC that I run XBMC (that's a media player) hooked up to my TV via HDMI.  I connect to the unRAID server via an SMB network over ethernet.  I also have an iMac and I've been ripping my DVD's on both the iMac and HTPC to the unRAID server.  Make sense?

 

Thank you very much  it actually make sense now ...............i build the unraid server, build a HTPC get a gigabyte router and switch hook up the router htpc and server to the switch then configure the network

 

Thanks a lot

 

Alain

 

 

[abernardi]

Glad to help! 

[PeterB]

... but my understanding is that the unRAID server is JUST a server:  It stores your data, that's all.  Think of it as a giant hard drive.

 

That's absolutely correct.  It's a hard drive which isn't limited to the capacity constraints of a physical drive ... with an ordinary drive, if you run out of space, you have to buy a new bigger drive and copy all your data across.  With a user share on unRAID, you just add another drive to the configuration and the logical disk becomes bigger.

 

If looking for proven working hardware configurations, it is also worth reading through the 'Motherboards' section of this forum.  I just built my new system last night and, given a few days to make sure there are no 'gotchas', I'll be adding details to the motherboard section.  As far as I can see, no one has reported using the motherboard I've based my system on.

 

My new system is fast, quiet, good-looking and has low power consumption.  It's now installed alongside my Audio and Home Theatre gear and is a great improvement on my old Windows box which I used to run an unRAID trial over the last few weeks.