(2012-05-22, 05:17)james Wrote: Both a NAS and a local drive in a HTPC have sharing capabilities, so what would be the benefit in using a NAS instead of a local drive? Wouldn't a NAS cause more issues when files are streamed over wifi? I currently have a DNS-323 NAS in another room which I use for other purposes but has a empty slot, I want to rip my DVD's and a few Bluray's for the HTPC, and saw some people mentioning the use of NAS but I'm not understanding the benefit of using one instead of a local HTPC drive. Would appreciate help on this, tnx.
Here are a couple of reason why a local drive may not make sense:
Heat - The more drives you add in you HTPC, the more you have to be concerned with heat issues.
Space - Typically, HTPC's are build with as compact a case as possible. This doesn't leave much room for HDD. Even if their small SSDs.
Redundancy - Chances are, that you won't be able to run soem form of raid on a HTPC. At best perhaps Mirroring drives,..but then you lose one drive and also space. If you lose a local drive,..all of your data could potentially be lost. Not a happy thought for me,..or others that have TB of data.
Reason to use NAS or better yet, unRaid:
Heat - What heat? You're using a case designed to be roomy, and these typically have the fans to deal with heat issues.
Space - Depending on the case,...you can load up 8++ HDDs
Redundancy - Typically, NAS drives come prepared to run some form of redundancy (RAID). unRaid is, IN MY OPINION,..the best solution possible. In unRaid,.you can have multiple drives all forming a share that's a cumulation of all the drive's free space. If you lose a drive,..you take it out and replace it,..then unRaid rebuild the data to the new drive.
See here for
my HTPC and unRaid build and pictures of the case, the mobo, and fan.
(2012-05-22, 05:17)james Wrote: Both a NAS and a local drive in a HTPC have sharing capabilities, so what would be the benefit in using a NAS instead of a local drive? Wouldn't a NAS cause more issues when files are streamed over wifi? I currently have a DNS-323 NAS in another room which I use for other purposes but has a empty slot, I want to rip my DVD's and a few Bluray's for the HTPC, and saw some people mentioning the use of NAS but I'm not understanding the benefit of using one instead of a local HTPC drive. Would appreciate help on this, tnx.
Since you also mentioned wireless. I am in the same boat. My wireless has been okay, but there are times where I might get a stutter when watching movies stored on my unRaid Server.
Since I don't want to run CAT cables through my walls,...a few coworkers Highly Recommended these and said he uses them flawlessly with his HTPC.
ZyXEL PLA401v3 HomePlug AV 200 Mbps Powerline Wall-plug Adapter (Starter Kit - 2 units)
These should arrive this Thursday for me.