Media Server questions

[maddogchen]

I'm thinking of creating a media server to store files and connect to a HTPC, pcs, macs, ipads and iphones. I'm going to be putting it in my living room where the wifi router is and where my tv will be. I'm going to build the media server first and get an htpc later. Any ideas on which direction i should go? I was thinking either to build one myself or to get a QNAP or Synology server?

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
-Media server to store movies, songs, etc. Needs to connect to both PCs, Macs, ipad, iphones and a future HTPC. Needs to be silent enough to store in the living room and not ugly looking.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
-$1000

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
-US

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.
-Intel?


5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
-none

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
-next 3-5 months


X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?
-Yes


The Synology and QNAPs I'm looking at:
Synology http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...066&Tpk=DS411j

Qnap http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822107069

 

[mfenn]

Both QNAP and Synology are basically Linux boxes with a nice NAS software stack preinstalled. Not that that is a bad thing because it can save you a lot of work, but you can build something yourself for less. Given your budget, I'd probably go the prebuilt NAS route unless I felt like fiddling.