Xeon or i7 for video server?

[hokaro]

Hello

I need help, I appreciate any ideas

I am building a server. It is a video server. It is connected to our TV studio and to the HotBird matrix and sattelite broadcasting.
What the server will do is:

1) playing the MPEG-2 files from a play-list (these files are transferred to this server via FTP)
2) Playing the streaming which comes from the studio. (the streaming will be over IP, H264 or MPEG format).

in both cases the server will give out an SDI output (Serial Digital Interface) which is an uncompressed video format used for broadcasting.


now, my questions:

1) what will be the best CPU for this server? i7 or Xeon? why?
2) what will be the best SDI output card for this server? a Nvidia FX 3000/4000/5000 series card, or a MPEG/H264-TO-SDI Decoder?
3) what workstation format will be the best? rack? a big mid-tower? blade?

I appreciate any help.

regards
Ed

 

[aigomorla]

why do you need a full blown i7 for something that simple?

im lost.. you need something to play movies?

If you needed something to encode, id say grab an i7, but to just play movies on mpeg-2?

How about going cheaper and more energy conservative like an i5?

 

[hokaro]

there will be some decoding from H264 and MPEG-2 to SDI signal...

 

[jtisgeek]

why do you need a full blown i7 for something that simple?

im lost.. you need something to play movies?

If you needed something to encode, id say grab an i7, but to just play movies on mpeg-2?

How about going cheaper and more energy conservative like an i5?

Cause when people say sever doesn't even matter what it's doing they over build. People buy severs they do not build them sounds like you need a nice decode box for your videos or whatever it's not a sever.

Depending on your budge build whatever your money will get you. Xeons are usally overpriced and unless your doing dual quads or something and need ecc support your better off going with the desktop hardware.

 

[mozartrules]

Get the Xeon and ECC memory. Not dramatically more expensive (when you use the 35xx chips that is for single socket machines, they only have the $1000 W5670 in the 32nm) and you need something that works.

An alternative is the new L5609, a 4-core 32nm with a 40W TDP. This will be great if low noise if important to you (not clear from your description). Be careful with MB support though since this is a dual QPI chip that can be used in dual socket systems.

If you have a rack already get that, otherwise get a large tower (I like the Silverstone RV/FT02 models, great cooling and you will probably like the ability to plug cables from above). It doesn't sound like you need high density, so a blade is just asking for trouble.