[Balinus]

I think you're in good shape. Possibly a remote if you don't have one.

Yes, i have remote issue in back of my mind; but can't seem to find a nice one. i just want a simple and cool remote ( i wondering if i can use the ones that will be included with new Panasonic tv's - new touchpad remotes):
http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/12/panas...-on-video/

...the htpc will be in a cabinet, as well

If the remote is IR, you could use it on XBMC by using "Flirc". Look here : http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=103350

[Bstrdsmkr]

I prefer the official Android remote. Pick up an IR blaster to operate everything else and you're good to go

[Monkeypox]

The other advantage to building your own NAS is the ability to repurpose or dual purpose it later on.

There are other choices besides unRaid. For less then the cost of the synology, you could build a WHS 2011 box and run FlexRaid, Sab, Sickbeard, and SQL for all your htpc needs.

[Van G]

I'm going through the same decision myself - Synology DS212j or unRAID build or combining HTPC/NAS with Win8 and it's Storage Spaces.

unRAID doesn't seem overly time consuming a project, especially since you are already building an HTPC then you've got the info and community resources right here.

But I'm concerned about the speed across the LAN. Doesn't it deliver data at slightly slower speeds than the drive it is coming from? Isn't this a future proof issue as the both the data size and number of devices in the home using the data increase?

If I were to go Synology I would probably do DS212j (2x2TB) and create some sort of backup plan between it, my workstation, external USB 3 drive, and cloud.

WRT to Win8 and Storage Spaces, if the case is cool enough, does this not provide the best of both worlds?

[woodyearl]

Why dont you build a homeserver yourself? It'll be a lot cheaper

Build a FreeNAS server. Use an old pc that's laying around doing nothing. CHEAP. FREE. Just buy hard drives.

[Monkeypox]

I'm going through the same decision myself - Synology DS212j or unRAID build or combining HTPC/NAS with Win8 and it's Storage Spaces.

unRAID doesn't seem overly time consuming a project, especially since you are already building an HTPC then you've got the info and community resources right here.

But I'm concerned about the speed across the LAN. Doesn't it deliver data at slightly slower speeds than the drive it is coming from? Isn't this a future proof issue as the both the data size and number of devices in the home using the data increase?

If I were to go Synology I would probably do DS212j (2x2TB) and create some sort of backup plan between it, my workstation, external USB 3 drive, and cloud.

WRT to Win8 and Storage Spaces, if the case is cool enough, does this not provide the best of both worlds?

There are more options then just unRaid or Storage Spaces. FlexRaid, SNAPRaid, etc... to name a few.
The only concern you should have re: speed across lan is the ability to deliver the media file as fast as your player needs it. If you're using gigabit you have nothing to worry about. Disk I/O speed is a non-factor in this occasion.

[bigdog66]

But I'm concerned about the speed across the LAN. Doesn't it deliver data at slightly slower speeds than the drive it is coming from? Isn't this a future proof issue as the both the data size and number of devices in the home using the data increase?

I would have to hunt it down but I know poofyhairguy tested running the same full bluray stream from an unraid server to 3 or 4 different xbmc boxes....maybe even 5 can't remember for sure
but i don't see you running into problems with read speed

BTW,,,,where the heck is poofy lol

[Bstrdsmkr]

FlexRAID, that's what I was trying to think of earlier, not FreeRAID lol

Price-wise it's a trivial difference, but WHS is going to need stronger hardware than any of the *nix based software raid solutions

Access speed is a non-issue. With that being said, if you plan to stream 1080p, you'll want gigabit in hand. With a soft-raid solution, it's about as future proof as it gets. When a bigger/faster drive comes out, pop it in the array. Once your bays are full and you don't want to upgrade the case/mobo, just retire the smallest/slowest drive. You can grow it a little at time instead of having to upgrade whole-hog with a pre-fab nas

[wildzx]

Received my DS712+ and copying files now. It is super duper awesome. And if needed, easily can to switched over to another synology server; so i think it well worth it.
Oh and I was using Plex media center before and Plex has server software and client side and how about in XBMC, does it also need server software or XBMC will run totally on client.
(haven't got all the parts for the htpc so haven't started with any of the XBMC stuff, yet)

[Bstrdsmkr]

If you're just converting to xbmc, get ready to have you face smashed in with awesome lol.

XBMC is self contained, it can access media just about anywhere you can cram it, no server software needed

[wildzx]

Yep, just converting....sounds good. thanks

[mcfreiz]

1. If you're like me, you'll out grow your storage in 8-12months.
Pre-fab: replace the whole system
unRaid: buy any hard drive you can get your hands on and stick it in the array

2. Harddrive failure
Pre-fab: all data lost, unless you kept a backup (in which case you need another NAS)
unRaid: Parity drive recovers the lost data over night
(The same pro/cons apply here as #1, some pre-fab NAS' need all the drives to be the same, unRAID could care less)

not entirely true, i've been using NAS for a wihle now (Readynas X6 and Synology 411+)

1) when i run out of storage i replace the current drives with larger drives, some of the higher end NAS allow for expansion units

2) most multibay NAS support RAID 1 or 5 which allows for a HDD failure.

edit: you should still backup your data, regardless of which method you choose

[mcfreiz]

The other advantage to building your own NAS is the ability to repurpose or dual purpose it later on.

There are other choices besides unRaid. For less then the cost of the synology, you could build a WHS 2011 box and run FlexRaid, Sab, Sickbeard, and SQL for all your htpc needs.

im pretty sure you can run sab, sickbeard and sql on your synology.

i repurpose my old nas to backup the important data on my new one.

[BLKMGK]

Regarding streaming from unRAID... for some reason my motherboard on my movie server only synchs at 100meg instead of a gig. i can run 2 different BD movies at once with no issues :-) Video is compressed and while the file sizes are fairly big it's not a big deal to stream it even on 100meg Cat5. 10meg, then it's more of an issue!

Drive loss - lose a drive in unRAId no biggie, likewise most decent RAID systems. Lose TWO drives in unRAID and you lose data but it's on standard ReiserFS drives and you do not lose the entire set. You also do not have your drives spinning full time. On regular RAID? Lose 2x drives and you lose the whole set unless you setup more redundancy. More redundancy means more drives devoted to recovery and not data storage, yuck! Recovery of RAID drives isn't simple and many data recovery services advertise their expertise at this with rates commensurate I'm sure. RAID with parity striped all over the place means all drives spin full time, again yuck!

Drive swapping on unRAID is awesome. No need to buy sets of drives, drive extenders, or anything goofy. i wait until I'm nearly out of space and THEN buy a new drive. I then swap it in place of a smaller drive or add it into a slot. Really for video streaming this works VERY well. Note that I run Sick and SAB on a desktop, I just don't want to funk with my unRAID boxes, they run great as-is. <shrug>