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Use PC as a media server?

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  • 20-05-2014 10:38pm
    #1
    mcw92
    Registered Users Posts: 1,497 ✭✭✭


    I have a Desktop PC that i want to connect upto my TV to use as a media server and etc.

    But the PC has a 550W PSU, so im wondering if i install say a less intensive linux OS will it still use a lot of power?
    Does the OS have anything to do with power consumption?

    Thanks.


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    #2
    same ol sh1te
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,837 ✭✭✭same ol sh1te


    mcw92 wrote: »
    I have a Desktop PC that i want to connect upto my TV to use as a media server and etc.

    But the PC has a 550W PSU, so im wondering if i install say a less intensive linux OS will it still use a lot of power?
    Does the OS have anything to do with power consumption?

    Thanks.

    It will make very little difference, Linux could even be slightly heavier, Windows is well optimised and has lots of power saving features


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    #3
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 14,007 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    mcw92 wrote: »
    I have a Desktop PC that i want to connect upto my TV to use as a media server and etc.

    But the PC has a 550W PSU, so im wondering if i install say a less intensive linux OS will it still use a lot of power?
    Does the OS have anything to do with power consumption?

    Thanks.

    I am unsure what you think is the situation or what you are getting at.

    The fact that the PC has a 550W PSU does not mean it is supplying that power constantly ..... quite the opposite in fact.

    Maybe you could explain why you are asking?

    For a light weight media server I suggest you look at Openelec.tv ..... it will run well on low resourced hardware ... it even runs well on a Raspberry Pi!


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    #4
    mcw92
    Registered Users Posts: 1,497 ✭✭✭mcw92


    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    I am unsure what you think is the situation or what you are getting at.

    The fact that the PC has a 550W PSU does not mean it is supplying that power constantly ..... quite the opposite in fact.

    Maybe you could explain why you are asking?

    For a light weight media server I suggest you look at Openelec.tv ..... it will run well on low resourced hardware ... it even runs well on a Raspberry Pi!

    I have a dell xps 420 pc.
    And I wish to connect it up to my tv.
    So I will be having it on alot. But I don't want it using loads electricity being constantly on.
    It has a 550w psu and 260GTX gpu, everything else is standard for the model.

    I just want it to connect to my tv to watch movies/tv etc from a hard drive, Netflix and streaming.


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    #5
    PeteFalk78
    Closed Accounts Posts: 762 ✭✭✭PeteFalk78


    How to ye plan to control the PC from the couch?

    All ye guys should really be looking at buying dedicated media players such as WDTV Live. It's worth the investment. Comes with netflix, remote control, less power consumption etc etc.


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    #6
    squonk
    Registered Users Posts: 8,898 ✭✭✭squonk


    That's a very big conspicuous setup for a media server tbh OP. I don't know what the power profile of the XPS 420 is but it'll vary depending on what tasks the machine is doing and how much of a load is on the system. Your bigger issue IMHO will be fan noise.Those bigger boxes were designed as standalone PCs so little if no attention was given to quietness etc. I'd sooner look at a light form factor like the NUC myself. You can pick up a celeron version fairly cheap which will do all it sounds like you need to do.


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    #7
    same ol sh1te
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,837 ✭✭✭same ol sh1te


    Are you guys getting your terminologies mixed up?
    A media server does not need to sit under the TV, that would be a HTPC. A media server is a networked backend that it hides away in the attic/under the stairs that you use a light front end media player or HTPC to connect to it.

    Edit: I see the thread was hijacked and not the original OP asking
    PeteFalk78 wrote: »
    How to ye plan to control the PC from the couch?

    There are lots of ways, apps, mce remotes, Rii keyboards etc
    http://riiminikeyboards.com/
    PeteFalk78 wrote: »
    All ye guys should really be looking at buying dedicated media players such as WDTV Live. It's worth the investment. Comes with netflix, remote control, less power consumption etc etc.

    Lots of us prefer the unlimited options a pc gives with XBMC, the WDTV is a locked down proprietary box


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    #8
    PeteFalk78
    Closed Accounts Posts: 762 ✭✭✭PeteFalk78


    same ol sh1te wrote: »
    Lots of us prefer the unlimited options a pc gives with XBMC, the WDTV is a locked down proprietary box

    I loosely agree. The ability to run Sky Go is another major advantage to the PC option.

    However for myself a PC is way too bulky and way to overspecd for a media player.

    Ideally I'd prefer a micro fanless Windows PC sitting under the telly running Windows 8 but these are very very expensive.


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    #9
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 14,007 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    mcw92 wrote: »
    I have a dell xps 420 pc.
    And I wish to connect it up to my tv.
    So I will be having it on alot. But I don't want it using loads electricity being constantly on.
    It has a 550w psu and 260GTX gpu, everything else is standard for the model.

    I just want it to connect to my tv to watch movies/tv etc from a hard drive, Netflix and streaming.

    You have a choice ...... you can connect it to the TV directly, in which case its fan noise is likely going to interfere with viewing, unless you make some arrangement for the box to be out of the room while still connected to the TV.
    (I am sitting next to an XPS 630i which is much louder than I would like)

    You can use the XPS as a server box from which a client device (small and quiet) would take the feed and display it on the TV. In that case the XPS could be out of the room for quietness.

    Sorry if this seems to be getting complicated, but there are so many options available these days that unless one is very certain what exactly the device/s must do, it can be difficult making a decision.


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    #10
    same ol sh1te
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,837 ✭✭✭same ol sh1te


    PeteFalk78 wrote: »
    I loosely agree. The ability to run Sky Go is another major advantage to the PC option.

    However for myself a PC is way too bulky and way to overspecd for a media player.

    Ideally I'd prefer a micro fanless Windows PC sitting under the telly running Windows 8 but these are very very expensive.

    Windows, ewwww :p Openelec is all you need, no overheads of a heavy OS.

    I had a custom HTPC I built 3 years ago but the board blew so now I have an Arctic MC1001, fanless with a small SSD, the media is all on the network.
    http://www.amazon.com/Arctic-MC001-N-Passive-Cooling-Barebone-MC001-N-00-US/dp/B009Z8VWL4/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top


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    #11
    PeteFalk78
    Closed Accounts Posts: 762 ✭✭✭PeteFalk78


    same ol sh1te wrote: »
    Windows, ewwww :p Openelec is all you need, no overheads of a heavy OS.

    I had a custom HTPC I built 3 years ago but the board blew so now I have an Arctic MC1001, fanless with a small SSD, the media is all on the network.
    http://www.amazon.com/Arctic-MC001-N-Passive-Cooling-Barebone-MC001-N-00-US/dp/B009Z8VWL4/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

    Do Openelec support Sky Go?


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    #12
    same ol sh1te
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,837 ✭✭✭same ol sh1te


    PeteFalk78 wrote: »
    Do Openelec support Sky Go?

    No, Sky Go is Windows only. I think there's an addon for XBMC but it's Windows only, Openelec is linux. I don't bother with Sky Go myself as i have a non Sky sat box that streams Sky channels across my network


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    #13
    PeteFalk78
    Closed Accounts Posts: 762 ✭✭✭PeteFalk78


    same ol sh1te wrote: »
    No, Sky Go is Windows only. I think there's an addon for XBMC but it's Windows only, Openelec is linux. I don't bother with Sky Go myself as i have a non Sky sat box that streams Sky channels across my network

    Sky Go does run on Apple and some Android devices also. Personally not having Sky Go is a show stopper and its inability to hook in with Netflix is a problem also.

    However for a free product it certainly looks very very nice.


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    #14
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 14,007 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    I guess if you are committed to Sky services then your choices differ.

    I also use FTA Satellite and have no Sky service ... by deliberate choice ;)

    Openelec with XBMC and a couple of twin tuner cards provides all the live TV channels on the LAN, as well as recordings, videos stored on any storage device attached to the LAN.
    In addition there are lots of plugins for film watching such as IceFilms 1Channel Movies25 and so on.

    Raspberry Pi as the client device also running Openelec completes the set up nicely :)


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    #15
    same ol sh1te
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,837 ✭✭✭same ol sh1te


    PeteFalk78 wrote: »
    However for a free product it certainly looks very very nice.

    Openelec is just XBMC packaged into a light linux OS, it can run from a usb key and boot in 12-15 seconds. Check out XBMC and all the goodness it offers. You can run it on any platform, Windows, linux or Mac

    http://xbmc.org/about/
    http://forum.xbmc.org/


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    #16
    Dravokivich
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    same ol sh1te wrote: »
    Are you guys getting your terminologies mixed up?
    A media server does not need to sit under the TV, that would be a HTPC. A media server is a networked backend that it hides away in the attic/under the stairs that you use a light front end media player or HTPC to connect to it.

    It can be both, I use a microserver as both a media server and HTPC.


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    #17
    mcw92
    Registered Users Posts: 1,497 ✭✭✭mcw92


    I think I'm just going to connect the desktop to the tv, and just run media off the desktop. Can play games in it also so that's a plus.


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    #18
    kippy
    Registered Users Posts: 18,524 ✭✭✭✭kippy


    mcw92 wrote: »
    I have a Desktop PC that i want to connect upto my TV to use as a media server and etc.

    But the PC has a 550W PSU, so im wondering if i install say a less intensive linux OS will it still use a lot of power?
    Does the OS have anything to do with power consumption?

    Thanks.
    The main issue with the bigger PC's for use as a Media device in the living room, outside of power consumption are size and moreso noise.
    These devices can be fairly noisy with the various fans in them and obviously can be bulky.
    People also tend to want to "hide" them away in enclosed spaces also which isnt great for the cooling side of things as these machines aren't designed to have restricted airflow.

    The PC connected to the TV is a grand job if you have a spare one lying around.
    Miles ahead of any possible "media" player or "Smart" TV device out there as your options with it are limitless unlike most of those players and smart tv's which are exceptionally limited, especially when things change and other resources become available.

    I've a Zotac Zbox under my own TV which I picked up for 100 odd Euro (barebones), put some RAM and harddrive into it and its been running there for the past 2 years or so.
    Something like this one:
    http://www.ebay.ie/itm/ZOTAC-ZBOX-ID18-Barebone-Mini-PC-Intel-Dual-Core-1-5GHz-NM70-Express-Intel-HD-/380906177364?pt=UK_Computing_DesktopPCs&hash=item58afc70354

    Best of luck OP.


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    #19
    whomitconcerns
    Registered Users Posts: 4,331 ✭✭✭whomitconcerns


    i built myself a htpc a couple of years ago. Best thing ever, swap out the fans and get some fan management sw on there to make it quieter if possible but its not that noisy. And as regards PSU, that just the amount of power it can handle. Normal usage would be prob 20% or less of that even if watching HD.


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