Hello,
I've been planning to build an HTPC, where all the multimedia data is stored on a NAS. I was assuming that the NAS is just a file server that specializes in redundancy, and serving up files for stream. It would simply store raw multimedia at high resolution. For video, a lossless rip from DVD (or, say, 4k). For audio, 16/44, 24/96, FLAC (or archive-quality lossy). You know what I mean.
Anyway, part of this assumption was that the data gets streamed over the network and then transcoded to the desired display for by the small, powerful-enough, but inaudible, HTPC machine that site on the bookcase. Then, output by HDMI or DP to the screen (projector, in our case).
My confusion comes from the amount of people who think the transcoding should be done by the NAS, getting obscenely powerful CPU's for the NAS, maxing them out, and then complaining that the NAS isn't powerful enough to transcode 4K video in "real time".
Pardon me, but isn't this missing the whole point of the NAS? It's a file server, not a media system. Isn't that what the HTPC is for? Personally, I would use a Pentium J5005 for the HTPC and put FFmpeg or VLC on it, as that seems natural to me and my research so far indicates it _should_ be powerful enough. No?
On the other hand, maybe people are putting the HTPC and NAS in the same box. This seems kinda wrong to me, because the operating systems should be tuned for specific purposes.
What do other people think?
Kind regards,
ubk
I've been planning to build an HTPC, where all the multimedia data is stored on a NAS. I was assuming that the NAS is just a file server that specializes in redundancy, and serving up files for stream. It would simply store raw multimedia at high resolution. For video, a lossless rip from DVD (or, say, 4k). For audio, 16/44, 24/96, FLAC (or archive-quality lossy). You know what I mean.
Anyway, part of this assumption was that the data gets streamed over the network and then transcoded to the desired display for by the small, powerful-enough, but inaudible, HTPC machine that site on the bookcase. Then, output by HDMI or DP to the screen (projector, in our case).
My confusion comes from the amount of people who think the transcoding should be done by the NAS, getting obscenely powerful CPU's for the NAS, maxing them out, and then complaining that the NAS isn't powerful enough to transcode 4K video in "real time".
Pardon me, but isn't this missing the whole point of the NAS? It's a file server, not a media system. Isn't that what the HTPC is for? Personally, I would use a Pentium J5005 for the HTPC and put FFmpeg or VLC on it, as that seems natural to me and my research so far indicates it _should_ be powerful enough. No?
On the other hand, maybe people are putting the HTPC and NAS in the same box. This seems kinda wrong to me, because the operating systems should be tuned for specific purposes.
What do other people think?
Kind regards,
ubk