Home Media Networking HELP

dingdong1234567

Anywho......here's the thing.

I have a HTPC in living room 1.5TB and the main PC upstairs. Main PC is linked to a Netopia wireless router/switch and the HTPC is linked wirelessly to the router/switch via a Netgear USB adapter.

I have recently acquired a discarded PC from work with a P4 3.2Ghz. I was considering setting up a Home Media Network Server with this PC. Take the hard drives from the HTPC and the main PC a bang them into the P4 3.2 Ghz and stream all my media through CAT 5 cable and RJ 45 plugs (to be installed).

So........what would be the best OS to use here (pref windows based)? Both Main PC and HTPC are Vista Home Premium. What would be the best OS for the P4 3.2Ghz 'media server'?

Cheers, dingdong

Dardania

Windows Vista should be able to natively share media using UPnP DLNA (which is the open standard for sharing) using the built-in windows media player sharing function. have a look at:
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/help/079a4d8b-e19d-4d7f-bef1-116cb711364c1033.mspx

Windows 7 is on the horizon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Microsoft-Windows-Home-Premium-PC/dp/B002DUCMT2/ref=amb_link_84278153_2/280-2983601-4577038?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=0XTATENBDR7K44AD8K4Z&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470730533&pf_rd_i=468294 , which may be worth holding off for as as an OS its much more stable than vista.

Windows media sharing doesn't however necessarily support all possible media to be shared out there and has got some issues in its own right, so programs such as:

TVersity: http://tversity.com/ &
TwonkyMedia: http://www.twonkyvision.de/

can be used to provide full DLNA compatibility, in a stable fashion.

Regarding using your PC to share media from, have you considered the power consumption of it? A lower power option such as using a dedicated NAS, with all of your harddisks installed in it may pay for itself in a year or two compared to the cost of running a P4 constantly. What I do is use a Maxtor MSS2 with townky media running on it to share to a windows 7 netbook, windows vista laptop, Ps3, digital photo frame & an internet radio. Approx 30-40W power versus what 150W - 200W?

Dardania

Incidentally, Windows also do a server OS for home:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/windowshomeserver/default.mspx

I think its only available when you buy a new server though...

dingdong1234567

Thanks for the feedback Dardania. i'm thinking of going Windows XP Pro on the P4 3.2Ghz and simple file sharing out to the HTPC via CAT5 and wireless to laptop/phone for internet access etc.

As a matter of interest are there any goods online retails that stock CAT5 CAT6 cable along with faceplates and crimping tools etc.

Thanks again.