Media Server/Client Stuff

[Labyrinthine]

Okay, so I spontaneously was infected with the media server bug. Rather than be smart about the whole thing, I dove in to everything head first and am being overwhelmed by a mass of information.

I do have a few questions for anyone who has experience in this and wanted your opinions.


First, let me lay out my goal:

Part 1: access to my media across the house from any device at any time. Call me a lazy twat, but I'm too lazy to lug around an external HD and set everything up every time I want to watch/listen to something.

Part 2: portable enough that I can easily take the setup with me when I move. I'd rather not lug around a ton of DVDs and Music.


Here is how I want to accomplish that goal.

Current setup:
Server:
Ubuntu Server 8.04 (Hardy) in my (growing) basement server farm. I plan on keeping all of everything here. It has enough room for up to 12 SATA drives, so I figure it wouldn't be a bad choice. It runs Fuppes to get media to the 360 - working relatively well. Hell, it's my only option for 360 + A/V transcoding, so I'll go with it. I can also run Twonky for obscure uPnP clients.
Clients: 360 and Xbox running XBMC

Future Setup: Keep the server, but build and HTPC to replace the 360. Install XBMC on it and use a remote to navigate things.

From my understanding, I should be able to access all my media providing I have a client which can receive twonky/fuppes/samba and all I would need to worry about moving is the server and HTPC. Yes, I realize I could combine the HTPC and the Server, but I'd rather keep them separate.

What do you think? Sound reasonable? Better alternatives?


Changing gears, does anyone here do much ripping of DVDs? I plan on starting with my whole collection and going from there.

I don't really have the motivation/energy to spend 6 months in a dark basement learning about the fine minutiae of everything DVD/BDVD. Rather, I'm planning on using AutoMKV or AutoGK with xVid in an AVI container. I'd much rather run x.264, but the 360 doesn't pick that up and video transcoding is more or less fubared for the 360.

How does that sound? Will I end up with high quality picture/sound which would look near source when watching on the home theater?


Thanks is advance for the help. Every little bit helps, even if it is just to tell me that I'm an idiot who should be studying right now rather than wasting his time on Media Stuffs.

[Latro]

For DVD ripping, you may want to look at HandBrake.. I'm not sure how it runs on Windows, but the OS X version allows you basically to set the quality of the created video.. It also runs on Linux.  http://handbrake.fr/?article=details

Of course, if you plan on ripping back to DVD, this isn't the best approach.

[Labyrinthine]

Yeah, I took a look at handbrake, but I think I'm sticking with DVD Decrypter.

[Mongoose]

I have a mythbuntu htpc and I like it a lot.  It has built in dvd ripping with customizable quality levels.  If I weren't keeping my buy more stuff impulses in check I would move the file storeage to a seperate box.  I used mythbuntu to rip my dvd collection to isos as I wasn't looking to port them to anything that couldn't use them and really just wanted that part of the system to work like a huge dvd jukebox.  I've been thinking of ripping just the actual movie tracks to some sort of video file lately though. 

In my opinion mythbuntu makes a great htpc, works great with my hauppauge tvtuners and the hauppauge remote.  The music playing interface is kind of crap but has been getting a lot better recently.

[jake]

I just bought one of these.  I'm looking for something with enough power to stream MKV files over my LAN.

Can't beat $215.  I'll throw in an old 6800, an old power supply, and two more 512 MB sticks that I have laying around, and I'll be in like Flynt.

[jake]

Crap, I guess I should have put the link...  This is the one I got.

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=TS-0001A-AMDX121-R&AID=10440852&CJPID=1225267

Here are some others for a little bit more.

http://search.geeks.com/?SH=A%3dhp+debranded~B%3dhp+debranded~K%3d4~L%3d1~M%3d1~&SI=a0c6e01c-b5c7-4873-96a7-36ad8e433fbc&LAP=0&SRM=0&Action=2&AnswerID=3167

[Labyrinthine]

Took a look around for XMBC stuff and I have to say I'm rather impressed

Especially the themes

http://www.aeonproject.com/

Is one of my favorites. Definitely think I'll be building a dedicated XBMC rig in a few months. I'll keep everyone updated on the process.

[iambud]

I just purchased stuff to make a HTPC/Multimedia Center. If anyone wants me to write my experience going through with this let me know and ill keep this post updated

[ariel]

Although really I should do something like this, we have a bunch of 2ghz computers lying around and my brother just got 18 of them because a client he was upgrading just wanted the old stuff gone.

[halloween]

send 5.  will pay with booze