at3iont or at5iont??
#1
Hello all!

Sorry to start another thread - I know there's loads already open on these two boards but my needs are quite specific... I'll start at the beginning;

I was originaly running an xbox with XBMC. Made the transition to HD with a WD TV mk1 - great player but lacked all of the great features of xbmc (interface, scrapers etc). So.... am currently running XBMC on my 1.2kW SLI PC rig through the TV and via optical into my Denon AV amp. My two - YES TWO!! - Icy box 4220 NAS boxes have BOTH packed up so i'm looking to replace these also.

To that end - I was thinking about a small, efficient HTPC that can operate as a NAS/Fileserver, can easily handle 1080p from both my HD DVD and BluRay collections, will be inaudible, and will have low power so it doesn't eat up all the lecky and turn the room into a sauna!

My brother has a 330 based ion HTPC at the moment. Can't remember off the top of my head the make of the mobo, although it was definitely billed as being able to handle 1080p. However - it doesn't even get close! That's why I'm leaning towards the new at5iont D525 board. I've not managed to find any info/reviews for it on the web at all. Does anyone know if this board will handle 1080p/BDs/HD DVDs? More importantly will it run 1080p video while performing file server duties etc. in the background? If so what would everyone recommend as an O/S? The main thing that I need which the at5iont currently lacks is 4 sata ports - I plan on having a system SSD, my sata BluRay/HD DVD combi drive and 2 of my 1TB Icy Box HDs. So can anyone reccomend a 330 based board that will fulfil my requirements if I opt for that rather than the at5iont - at3iont deluxe anyone?? Failing that are there any dedicated media players - Boxee box etc. - that might fit the bill?

Hope you guys can help, I'm just frying my brain with the myriad of options!

Many thanks in advance!

Thad
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#2
FlyingElk Wrote:Hello all!
To that end - I was thinking about a small, efficient HTPC that can operate as a NAS/Fileserver, can easily handle 1080p from both my HD DVD and BluRay collections, will be inaudible, and will have low power so it doesn't eat up all the lecky and turn the room into a sauna!
Personally I would keep nas/file server and htpc separate.

Quote:My brother has a 330 based ion HTPC at the moment. Can't remember off the top of my head the make of the mobo, although it was definitely billed as being able to handle 1080p. However - it doesn't even get close!
Then he either hasn't set it up right or isn't using hardware acceleration. Single core atom 230 is more than enough for flawless 1080p playback assuming you are using hw acceleration.

Quote:That's why I'm leaning towards the new at5iont D525 board. I've not managed to find any info/reviews for it on the web at all. Does anyone know if this board will handle 1080p/BDs/HD DVDs? More importantly will it run 1080p video while performing file server duties etc. in the background? If so what would everyone recommend as an O/S?

Should do although depends on how much you are doing in the background.

Quote:The main thing that I need which the at5iont currently lacks is 4 sata ports - I plan on having a system SSD, my sata BluRay/HD DVD combi drive and 2 of my 1TB Icy Box HDs. So can anyone reccomend a 330 based board that will fulfil my requirements if I opt for that rather than the at5iont - at3iont deluxe anyone?? Failing that are there any dedicated media players - Boxee box etc. - that might fit the bill?

Hope you guys can help, I'm just frying my brain with the myriad of options!

Many thanks in advance!

Thad
Just buy a revo 1600, can be had for about $180/£150 install livecd and you are done dedicated media player. Then buying something elise for you file server.
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#3
so you dont see any need to get a D525?
I really like the external PSU for the AT3IONT-I.
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#4
if you really need to have your bluray/HDDVD drive integrated to play originals you have to go the win7 route, no linux love there. this also limits your choices hardware-wise because you need a case that can take a 5.25" optical drive.

for the rest I'm with prae5: keep your NAS boxes so you have your video library separated from the main system just in case something goes wrong.
easiest route would be to go for an asrock 330 and switch the optical drive ADD.: I believe I'm wrong, it only has space for slimline optical drives
. in case you really want to build it yourself, there's an absolute magnitude regarding mainboards and cases available but poofy will help out for sure.

regarding a case for 5,25" optical: 3R Systems V20 MiniITX / SFX
OpenElec Standalone --> Asus Chromebox 'Panther' --> Onkyo TX-NR709 --> Sony 55" X85C Android TV (also with Kodi!)
Asus Chromebox EZ Script
Kodi on Sony Bravia Android TVs
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#5
Fantastic thanks for all your help!

I think I'll either plump for an at5 with a SSD and house it in a Lian Li PC-Q06A or similar case (seeming as I'll now be housing the NAS seperately), or I'll go for something like this. I have a week or so before I bite the bullet, so if it were your cash, what would you guys buy?

I'm still gutted about the Icy Boxes, they were great right up until the moment they died on me. Will a cheap VIA or single core atom board be fast enough for a 4 disc media file server?

Thanks again
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#6
FlyingElk Wrote:I'm still gutted about the Icy Boxes, they were great right up until the moment they died on me. Will a cheap VIA or single core atom board be fast enough for a 4 disc media file server?

Thanks again

I would stay away from VIA, they aren't cheap and VIA cpus are less power efficient than Atoms. An Atom board is a great choice for a fileserver, there is a complete overview here. Single core is ok as long as you don't plan to have multiple front-tends that all access the file server at the same time, in that case a dual core Atom is better.
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#7
Wow, searching for computer parts in the uk is a little harder. Kinda fun though.

Ok here is my recommendation. This frontend:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zotac-Mag-Mini-p...580&sr=1-1

Plus a NAS based on this mobo:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zotac-NF610I-K-E...236&sr=1-6

And this CPU:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-BX80571E54...502&sr=8-5

That gives you four drives, low power but enough power to do things like transcoding to Smartphones, being a backend server, etc.

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#8
Brilliant thanks for all your help guys. In the end I've plumped for this as a front end. Going to leave the NAS for the time being as I can't really justify it at the minute and I have everything backed up on a USB drive which I'll just hook up to the revo.

Thanks for all your input
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