HP ProLiant MicroServer

Flikka said:
Will the unit will be able to handle live stream to a Western digital live and other pc's/laptops on the network? All types of media mostly video. Basically watching a movie over the network without needing to copy it to the device being used?
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wait, let me re-read that line....

is this your setup: MicroS > WD Live > Connected devices ?

if so, then yes. I used my MicroS with a WDTV Live.

just not sure on quality when you do more than 1 stream at a time.
 
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Off-The-Chart said:
wait, let me re-read that line....

is this your setup: MicroS > WD Live > Connected devices ?

if so, then yes. I used my MicroS with a WDTV Live.

just not sure on quality when you do more than 1 stream at a time.
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Yes, not sure how to state it. Let me try again: The MicroS is in room A, WD live is in room B and the other connected devices being other pc's are in rooms C, D, E etc. If quality will be affected thats going to be a problem obviously but if there are two streams at a time max without quality loss and no stuttering then it will be fine.

If someone can test this and give me some feedback, would be much appreciated.
 
I think it should be fine.

you will be streaming from the WD while the MS is only sending it to the WD.

what is your connection? what is cable and is there wireless?
 
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100-1000 Mbps line and only my pc is on wireless since I haven't laid down a cable for this room. As I stated max two streams at a time: two pc's (one being wireless) OR one pc & one WD live. So far I think it looks promising, have been searching a bit but cant find anything worth while.
 
nadimm said:
Ok. I'm doing it.

N40L for R1360 + R55 delivery here.
Sapphire HD5450 for R375 from here

This is the cheapest I've found it for including delivery. Unless anyone else has anything to say???
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I also ordered one today from HPshop with WHS R1999.....this should be an interesting exercise :D
 
what WD is it?

what do you want your final setup to be?

make a rough 'sketch' like I did above and include where a router/switch/AP will be.
 
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Hi guys, hoping some knowledgeable oke can assist. I have one of these set up and running quite nicely 24/7. Now my issue, is with power i.e. thunderstorms, power failures etc With it being on all the time, it's at risk. So can someone please recommend me a good value UPS that will work nicely with my microserver?
 
Off-The-Chart said:
what WD is it?

what do you want your final setup to be?

make a rough 'sketch' like I did above and include where a router/switch/AP will be.
Click to expand...

Its a Western Digital TV Live: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=330

Double story house: Modem is downstairs > Cable to upstairs switch #1 > single cable going to WD Live AND single cable to another switch #2 > where a pc, ps3 and samsung TV is connected to. The MicroS will be connected directly to switch #2. My pc is connected via wireless as previously stated.

Hope that is clear enough, otherwise I'll break out Photoshop and make a pretty picture :)
 
nope, I think that should work just fine.

at the rate people say something like a Blu-Ray file transfers, your network seems more than capable.

and seeing as I know some1 who ran Bad Company 2 (a game) from his MS, I am sure it should be able to handle 2 streams at same time.

ooo that the new WDTV with the wireless... I wanted to upgrade, but just the added wireless wouldn't have benefit me at all so just kept the old WDTV.

just note that streaming wireless may cause jitter/lag/stutter if you were to watch larger files.
although mine was on a PS3 streaming wireless, so maybe the WD's could make it smoother.
 
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Sorry the WD Live I listed is the updated one as you said, I have the old one that is still connected via cable. Things paint is chipping off badly and looks crap but still works 100%.

Thanks a lot for the help & clearing everything up for me, going to order tomorrow with 2x Western Digital WD20EARS, please dont tell me that these drives wont do the job with what I intend to do, cant see how it will be a problem.

I'll get a gfx card to play on the main house TV but that will be the only thing the MicroS will do, not streaming aswell, did not mention this as it doesn't matter and wont use it to often.

Got windows home server 2011 ready, and I'll explore the other options like XBMC etc. Not to clued up on all that just yet.

Thanks again Off-The-Chart
 
hehehe yeah there was a few times when I was replying and was thinking, "WTF!!!" :D

yeah so your MS will be connected directly to a TV and watch on there, while your WD will be streaming to something else via the MS (or even your own pc if you cable it to the network).

what will the WD be connected to?

well what do you intend to do with the drives, besides storage? :p
 
Lack of sleep is catching up to me...badly

Yes the MS will be connected to the TV via HDMI from the gfx card and to the network via cable. WD will be streaming from the MS to a TV (I have a old TV, brother's TV can connected to the network) and two pc's will stream from the MS when needed.

Just storage, a lot of images as I'm a photographer and streaming video(movies, series what have you) obv aswell hence why we having this big conversation :)
 
it would actually be good if some1 here could post how many streams that had going successfully at once from a MS.

meaning watching from it directly as 1, and then as many network streams as possible.

I can only test watching from it directly and streaming from it once via a WDTV Live.

even though atm I am not even streaming FROM my MS, but rather just VIA it.
 
Off-The-Chart said:
it would actually be good if some1 here could post how many streams that had going successfully at once from a MS.

meaning watching from it directly as 1, and then as many network streams as possible.

I can only test watching from it directly and streaming from it once via a WDTV Live.

even though atm I am not even streaming FROM my MS, but rather just VIA it.
Click to expand...

I got my MS from Cybernatic for R1,359 with 2GB RAM and a 250GB HDD.
Addsd Windows 7 Ultimate, 5TB storage and a GT210.
Entire house is gigabit ethernet.
I have 3 wireless access points dotted around the house but don't use them at all for streaming media except to tablets and cellphones. They are mainly for internet access from cells, tablets and laptops.
MS lives upstairs in my home theater room. It is connected directly to a 720p projector via HDMI.
I use Plex to play movies on the projector.

Installed as servers I have the Plex server and Mezzmo DLNA server.

In the lounge I play movies via a Plex Client on a Samsung BD5300 Blu-Ray player.
Everywhere else in the house movies are served up via the Mezzmo DLNA server to whatever DLNA client. Computers use the Plex Media Server though.

The most I have had running at once was...
1. Movie playing on the projector (Plex Client).
2. Movie playing in the lounge (Plex Client).
3. Movie playing in my sons room via his Xbox (DLNA Client)
4. Movie playing in the main bedroom via the LG built in DLNA Client.
5. Then to boot, I also streamed a movie to my Android phone using the Plex Client for Android. This was just to test if I could push the MS that much further.

All the above worked fine. No complaints from anyone about skipping, stuttering etc...

This weekend I will push it to the max I can and report back. I have a setup that would allow 7 Plex Clients and 4 DLNA Clients (1 LG TV, 2 WDTV Lives and 1 WDTV Live Hub).

Overall, the value this little HP Microserver offers is incredible.

The only snag I have encountered is when transferring content over from my download server to the MS. Because of the drive activity, the movie playing on the projector (Plex Client on the MS) stutters. So I just don't transfer content while watching :)
Will also test this on Saturday to see if it affects other clients.
 
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@Mike Smit excellent write up and thanks in advance for your further testing. All I can say is that I didn't understand half of what you said about Plex server etc, my network and server knowledge is exactly zero, brother handles all of that, I setup pc's and build them haha.

You running on Windows 7 Ultimate, is there even a need to go the Home Server 2011 route - seems like a big hassle to get setup but I dont know as I have never done it - clearly

Cybernatic is the cheapest I have seen with shipping R1400, getting mine for R1500 here in Cape Town so not really a loss.
 
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awesome Mike, thanks for that.

now we have confirmation that it really can be pushed to it's limits and will still do more than the average person would need to do.

and man that is quite a setup you have there.
 
Hi guys, nice setup Mike,
Any recommendation on a Bluetooth keyboard and mice or a combo of the 2 something that I can use while sitting on the couch.
 
Is anyone using their MS as both a download machine and a HTPC for playback?

I want to use mine with Sickbeard for series dowloads and as a playback machine for media. The MS will be permanently hard wired to my router and connected to my AVR via HDMI.

I still havnt decided on what OS to use as yet. Researching my options.............
 
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