Hello Anandtech,
I'm looking for a little bit of guidance on what the best setup would be for my situation. I have been wanting to setup an HTPC and a NAS for a while now but every time I take 5 minutes to research I get a little overwhelmed.
Here are some of the things I am looking for:
- Some redundant backup where I can backup a Macbook Air (I've never done a time machine backup so I'm not sure how complex this is). I've looked into a NAS setup however it always leads me back to why don't I just spend a bit more and setup an HTPC. I'd also like to move all my wife's pictures, videos and music to this backup. We have Iphones, Ipads, Apple TV, a Macbook Air and a Lenovo laptop I use for work. I currently backup my work laptop on a USB stick but wouldn't mind backing it up to a more secure system.
- We have recently taken to the netflix bug through our Apple TV so I need a setup that will play netflix and hulu and any other item typically used by ex-cable people. I like the idea of backing up our DVD's and having them easily accessible on the PC. I'm not sure if OTA HD TV is worth it, we live in Ottawa, Ontario so I don't think we would get much of the US channels.
- Something that is truly easy and intuitive to use as far as navigating and quick to respond. I used to be a tinkerer and don't mind initial configuration but don't want something I need to update each month or it crashes.
I looked at the excellent guide from Assassin but it doesn't really seem to blend well with a redundant RAID backup type of device. I'm really not sure what the cost would be but would like to keep it around $1000 or lower if possible and would order from newegg.ca.
I really used to love researching this stuff but I'm now at a point where I just want a recommendation and to go with it!
Any help would be much appreciated.
I'm looking for a little bit of guidance on what the best setup would be for my situation. I have been wanting to setup an HTPC and a NAS for a while now but every time I take 5 minutes to research I get a little overwhelmed.
Here are some of the things I am looking for:
- Some redundant backup where I can backup a Macbook Air (I've never done a time machine backup so I'm not sure how complex this is). I've looked into a NAS setup however it always leads me back to why don't I just spend a bit more and setup an HTPC. I'd also like to move all my wife's pictures, videos and music to this backup. We have Iphones, Ipads, Apple TV, a Macbook Air and a Lenovo laptop I use for work. I currently backup my work laptop on a USB stick but wouldn't mind backing it up to a more secure system.
- We have recently taken to the netflix bug through our Apple TV so I need a setup that will play netflix and hulu and any other item typically used by ex-cable people. I like the idea of backing up our DVD's and having them easily accessible on the PC. I'm not sure if OTA HD TV is worth it, we live in Ottawa, Ontario so I don't think we would get much of the US channels.
- Something that is truly easy and intuitive to use as far as navigating and quick to respond. I used to be a tinkerer and don't mind initial configuration but don't want something I need to update each month or it crashes.
I looked at the excellent guide from Assassin but it doesn't really seem to blend well with a redundant RAID backup type of device. I'm really not sure what the cost would be but would like to keep it around $1000 or lower if possible and would order from newegg.ca.
I really used to love researching this stuff but I'm now at a point where I just want a recommendation and to go with it!
Any help would be much appreciated.