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General discussion

Need suggestions for a home media server solution...

by ebeamsales Oct 17, 2008 1:36PM PDT

OK, here is my dilemma. I have a collection of DVDs which numbers about 300. I am running out of physical storage space and besides that I am lazy in that I hate digging thru my entertaiment center trying to decide on a movie or worse, looking for a particular movie but not finding it.

I have heard about these home media servers and what I want is something I can rip all my movies to digitally so that I can do away with the physical DVDs collecting dust. I am NOT interested in music, only consolidating all my DVDs digitally. I do NOT have an HDTV yet, I also DON'T have TIVO or even digital cable. I am not looking for anything pricey or complex either.

I DO have a wireless network with one desktop and two laptops and a DVD burner.

I have read about people who refurbished old PCs as it sounds like you are only concerned about storage. Then I have read about super expensive systems that have Windows Media Center 2005 installed and all that. What are my options?

Discussion is locked

4 Posts
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by givemeaname Oct 17, 2008 2:40PM PDT

well what I did (I have over 500 dvd's + 124 blu ray's) I just ordered 300 super slim cases off ebay for about $40 & moved may of my dvd's (not the blu ray's) into those, they are 1/4 the thicken of normal dvd case. Then I recycled the old large sized dvd cases. Then I just put the movie back in the same spot when done so I can find it fast next time.

home media server can be VERY costly... the cheapest way is to get a PC that has a super super big HDD & then just rip all the movies to the HDD... for 300 movies you will need min 2.5TB of store if you do zero compression.

do you want it to be wireless?
how many tv's will it be hooked up too?

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Ripping DVDs...
by ebeamsales Oct 17, 2008 2:58PM PDT

Yes, I have already switched to the thin DVD cases, and I do have a wireless network in our home. I figure I would start with our main TV in the living room but we also have a TV in the bedroom and a small one in the kitchen.

Ripping all the DVDs to the HDD sounds right but how would I interface this with my TV?

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Did catch that estimate for storage via external hard disc
by NM_Bill Oct 19, 2008 11:52AM PDT

to require 2 and a half TERRA bytes? Big requirement. Two 1/2 TBs cost quite a lot of bucks & you then still have the onus of interfacing the storage with the TV.

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harddrives
by empire29 Oct 19, 2008 1:33PM PDT

Just get a nice big computer case w good ventilation/cooling and pop a couple 1TB harddrives in -- they only run about $130 each. The more harddrives you add the noisier the computer will be though - so youll have to either keep your media server someplace that prevents the noise from entering your dvd-watching space (but someplace with good ventilation too)

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