I’m considering biulding a media server/NAS…or rather gettng my lodger who is good with boulding PCs etc to help me biuld one. For the moment this is just a project to think about and occupy my mind over the next few days. I’m after some ideas on the spec, what to include, what not, what bits to consider etc.

I’m thinking something to store HD video and serve to the TV and something to store uncompressed music files and serve to the AV receiver.

I guess I need a huge amount of storage for hd video…how much should I go for?

I guess I need to keep it quiet…so quiet fans, quiet SSDs, low power stuff?

what processor, video card, sound card wizardry should I look for…beyond HDMI output to the TV, digital co-ax to the receiver?

what s/w should I run?

what other questions should I be asking?!

Bad time to do it, storage costs loads currently.

really? Oh. Well It is more of a fun projct to spec out and keep me amused right now than an urgent need so I can wait. Is it expected t ocome down in price any time? Is it related to exchange rate….and possibly the Japan earthquake/tidal wave damaging factories?

http://www.techradar.com/news/computing-components/storage/hard-drive-shortage-pushes-prices-up-150–1044021

taiwan floods innit

Just about to do this myself – my NAS kicked the bucket the other day, taking out several years worth of photographs 🙁 Decided that NAS is not the way to go as a result so looking to go for a mini-Windows server that I can actually get into the guts of and maintain.

Thinking one of the HP Micro Servers:

http://www.lambda-tek.com/664447-425-HPC-PROLIANT-N40L-1P-SATA-150-W-PS-MICRO~cs/2291809&origin=gbase24.5

Then drop in 8TB of raid array and jobs a good un. May go with Windows Home Server 2011 to keep costs down and things nice and simple!