media servers: LinuxMCE

[VJ]

Hello,

I'd like to configure a computer to hold various media (.flac, dvd-rips, photos, video files, ...) and to allow this data to be streamed to various clients.

My plan is to configure my old dual Xeon (2x 2.4 GHz, 32 bit), for this purpose, and I thought of installing VMWare ESXi, with a number of virtual servers (each with a dedicated function):
FreeNAS, to manage storage
LinuxMCE, for the media aspects
Windows XP (remote applications)
Windows (dedicated streaming servers for purposes - but I'd like to avoid this)

Any experience with LinuxMCE? I have just started reading up on it... any pitfalls (incompatibility with streaming clients, ...) to be aware of? Are there alternatives?

Is it possible to get streams from LinuxMCE into Windows 7 Media Center? Or does that only work from a Windows Media Server?

Thanks!

Jörg

[Haig]

Hi VJ,

Is it possible to get streams from LinuxMCE into Windows 7 Media Center? Or does that only work from a Windows Media Server?

I've used VLC from within Kubuntu to stream out video clips to linux & windows systems without any problems yet. The only hitch is that the clip has to be an mpeg file or else it needs to frist re-encode it and then stream it.

Haig

[VJ]

Thanks...
But I mean using the Media Center software (no 3rd party application), is it then possible?

I'm still a bit puzzled on how remote computers will gain access to the video/audio: I could just point a remote computer the to the NAS, and bypass the LinuxMCE entirely. Using web-orbiter (or on Windows Pluto-Orbiter), the data is streamed from the LinuxMCE, with - I hope - more features and functionality.

Jörg

[VJ]

Do I need LinuxMCE?
The more I read up on it, the more I think I could just use Fuppes or Mediatomb on the FreeNAS...

Jörg

[WxDude]

If all you are looking for is to stream files, mediatomb is a nice package. You can have it just stream the media straight, or transcode it on the fly if need be. I use it to stream flac/mp3/mkv/mpegs/etc to my DirecTV HR-21 dvr. So long as your frontend can work with UPnP streaming, you should be all set.

However, the Duron 1600 (running at 1200 MHz) I have just doesn't have enough grunt for some of the videos. I'd be a little concerned about the 2 x 2.4 GHz Xeon keeping up. I am assuming this is a P4 generation Xeon? It will be a power hungry bugger if it is.

[VJ]

These are the specs:

http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Xeon/Intel-Xeon%202.4%20GHz%20-%20RK80532KE056512%20(BX80532KE2400D%20-%20BX80532KE2400DU).html

The system is on an Intel 7505 chipset, has 3 GB and uses a 15K and a 10K scsi drive as system drive; data is stored on a sata hardware raid 5. But as far as I can tell, it throttles its power usage down very nicely.
It would be mainly for audio (flac, which may need transcoding) and dvds (which I think won't require on-the-fly transcoding).

What is the best format to store dvds? Currently, I'm using dvdfabdecrypter with dvdshrink (to remove some unneeded things); which yields me directories with VOB. Are rips obtained this way easily readable? Or should I just go for .iso files (currently not supported by many players though)?

I'm beginning to understand how this streaming thing works.
The LinuxMCE just adds features (regarding control of playback), etc. I haven't fully decided on the clients yet, so guess that it the next step. One of the clients would be my W7 media center, which I read now has better uPnP support (actually support servers other than Windows Media Server).

Next step for me is to install the FreeNAS, and try to connect from a softwarebased client (the media center, or some third party software), and experiment somewhat.


Jörg