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+--- Thread: A few questions on first htpc setup (/showthread.php?tid=82550)
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A few questions on first htpc setup - lolcat61 - 2010-10-05 02:47
I am interested in setting up an Htpc in my house I would like to have a small client using xbmc to play blu ray rips off of a server. My first question is what is the easiest,fastest and most efficient way of ripping blu rays and putting them onto a server to be played by the client. My second question is about the network to play this over I have fios so I need to run something off of my router because of the vod features would something like a gigabit switch off of the router work for this. I also need 2 ethernet cables upstairs where I know have an old router acting as a switch could I use a hub or something to split the one ethernet cable I have running upstairs into two?
Thanks in advance.
- Mallet21 - 2010-10-05 03:26
I like using DVD Fab for ripping...It will let you rip the entire disk or just the main movie. If you want to save space on your server, it will also re-encode the video by compressing the file to a smaller size.
http://www.dvdfab.com/blu-ray-copy.htm
- lolcat61 - 2010-10-05 03:30
Great thanks for the help. Can you encode to a small size without losing quality? Also do you suggest ripping on the client end and moving it or ripping for the server? What would be the best setup?
Thanks again for the help.
- Mallet21 - 2010-10-05 03:41
You lose quality when you encode....though whether the naked eye can tell the difference is subjective.
Not sure what type of hardware your server has but if you are just ripping 1:1 then you can probably rip right on the server.
If you are compressing HD movies then you will need more robust hardware. Encoding is processor dependent. I was shrinking 25-35gb movies down to 10gb using an Intel dual core and it was taking up to 24 hours to make the conversion. I just put together a new system using a quad-core AMD processor and now it only takes 8 hours to encode my HD movies.
- lolcat61 - 2010-10-05 03:43
I haven't gotten anything yet I am still debating. I am trying to keep it as cheap and efficient as possible. Any suggestions?
- poofyhairguy - 2010-10-05 06:43
lolcat61 Wrote:My first question is what is the easiest,fastest and most efficient way of ripping blu rays and putting them onto a server to be played by the client.
I use this guide:
http://www.curtpalme.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17002
[quote[
My second question is about the network to play this over I have fios so I need to run something off of my router because of the vod features would something like a gigabit switch off of the router work for this.[/quote]
I would get a gigabit switch and run it off the hub. Connect the hub via one wire to the switch and run everything else through the switch.
Get another gigbit switch for upstairs. The smaller ones are cheap. Avoid hubs.
lolcat61 Wrote:I haven't gotten anything yet I am still debating. I am trying to keep it as cheap and efficient as possible. Any suggestions?
For a NAS I highly recommend an Unraid box. Nothing beat it for Blu Ray rips (I have over 200).
- lolcat61 - 2010-10-05 16:38
Awesome guys thanks for the help. Would you recommend any specific switch thats cost efficient. Also what is the normal cost of building an unraid box minus the drives.
- misterpink - 2010-10-05 16:47
poofyhairguy Wrote:I would get a gigabit switch and run it off the hub. Connect the hub via one wire to the switch and run everything else through the switch.
I'm going to assume PHG meant to say router in the above quote instead of hub. Just want to avoid any confusion on the matter.
You'll need a gig switch in both described locations if you want to maintain gig speeds. Or run new cabling and just keep the one switch.
Also - If you aren't going to be watching multiple bluray rips simultaneously on different xbmc client machines, you may not even need to go gigabit. Plenty of people on this forum are streaming bluray off of 100/fullduplex connections.
- poofyhairguy - 2010-10-05 20:10
lolcat61 Wrote:Awesome guys thanks for the help. Would you recommend any specific switch thats cost efficient.
Honestly get what is one sale. So for example, this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833127082
Quote:Also what is the normal cost of building an unraid box minus the drives.
Depends on how many HD bays you want. My 10 drive Unraid box cost a lot more to build than my 16 drive one.
- lolcat61 - 2010-10-05 21:03
So its cheaper to have more bays?