The Official PC building thread - 4th Edition

Not necessarily true. Newegg and Tigerdirect both have 2TB HDD's for $79. I have 313 DVD and Blu-ray movies on one 2TB drive, and still have 85GB free. Do the math HDD's are cheaper than DVD discs, unless one gets a HUGE discount.

 

So in other words, lets say I get a hardrive and a docking station, that can also mean it will not play with out it being connected to some kind of PC or laptop because it will need a media player, or my question is right back were I started from, hardrive in a docking station without a PC is just like a stick that won't play because it doesn't have a media player, I will try downloading a media player on a stick with a movie and will see what happens.

 

LOL, nice try syt but I'm way past that, I already have almost 7000 movies on disc's so you do the math on cost, I would need to build another room or garage to hold hardrives with that many movies.

 

I mentioned previously WD Live TV, is a device that connects to the TV, and will play in HD. In fact, it will play almost any type of format.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/230879513886?lpid=82

 

OK, than if I plug in a stick with a movie into this devise are you telling me it will play it without a media player of some kind that's normally needed?

 

It, obviously is a media player.

 

Well hot damn than, that's interesting, now I need to find out if cinavia affects it or not, after what Ken said it might or not be affected, now if I only could find one and test it before buying one that would be a homerun, unfortunately nobody in my neighborhood has one let alone even heard of one, but damn this thing really looks interesting.

 

I've been using it for years, and not one problem. It has played everything I've thrown out at it. I've never experienced the Cinavia problem, and I rib and burn about 2-3 movies a week.

 

Thanks syt I'm diffidently gonna look into it.

 

That isn't actually true as just the other day I didn't have my computer linked to the internet and Anydvd wasn't able to rip my movie sating it couldn't rip the disc until I connected to the internet and all was fine then.

 

How many of these are high definition?

Standard definition movies are usually ripped to 1CD or 2CD size, so 700MB or 1400MB apiece, depending on duration and source quality. In this format, one 4TB hard disk can hold 2500-5500 movies, so for a 7000 movie collection you'd need three of them in worst case.

HD movies, depending on whether 720p or 1080p, and again, source quality and duration, vary from 4GB to about 18GB. The average, assuming you go for 1080p where viable, is perhaps 9-10GB per movie. 7000 files in this format would be an impressive 70TB. This seems like an astronomical amount, and it wouldn't be cheap, but as it stands, my file server case with its current disk controller would fit 80TB if I maxed it out with 4TB drives, and it's actually smaller than the HAF932 my gaming PC sits in next to it. The case & disk controller together are worth about $1000, and 4TB disks are about $180 each, so all in you'd need about $5000 to build a system like that from scratch. Still, this assumes all 7000 of your HD movies are in high definition, and even then, it still fits in a single box no larger than most PCs.

 

Mr. Movies_That isn't actually true as just the other day I didn't have my computer linked to the internet and Anydvd wasn't able to rip my movie sating it couldn't rip the disc until I connected to the internet and all was fine then.

OK, Steve I really can't argue much when it comes to computers with you because your knowledge on PC's is way over mine, here is what I just did, I disconnected my Ethernet cable so now do not have any Internet access, I went over and got one of my store bought DVD movies, started the process with clone and anydvd to make a copy, all went thru with no problem, I made a tempo copy on a DVD_RW just to see how things worked, all went well, and of course to get updates you do need to be on the Internet, I use to make copies when I was in England using my nieces laptop using clone and anydvd and she had no Internet, so now were do we go from here lol.

 

I will not argue that point because you are right with your figures, first I know nothing about things like servers, now on average my movies are around 4gigs some times more and not often less than, I will not even attempt to copy a movie less than 3, most of the time when I buy my disc's when I search hard enough are on average 20 bucks for a 100 DVD+R's, verbs or ty's even though lately getting them at that price had become much harder, now even if I start paying 30 bucks for a 100 that's still a lot cheaper than what you are saying, I would love to go the route you are talking about, that would save me tons of time, but you need to remember this, and I mentioned this before during these discussions about disc's and hardrives, my kids, friends or neighbors just come on up to my collection and grab a movie, they watch it in the convenience of their room or home and bring it back when done, now on your system you can't do that unless my kids neighbors or friends stay with me in my whatever room to watch it thru hardrives or servers, now I don't want them up my behind bothering me watching a movie so to speak lol, but for the way you do things mostly on your own or maybe occasionally have a friend watching with you that's great, I don't just collect these movies for myself, I do it much more for my family and or friends, when they come back and with a big smile they say Fred or Dad that was a great movie thank you, that's what make it's all worth it for me.

Now when Syt told me about this WD Live thing that really sounds interesting to me, all that said most of you have done away with disc's, in the past I always disagreed, I will probably still keep using disc's but I think it's time for me to get on with the future and start doing what you guys do, as soon as I find out more about docking stations, movies on sticks WD Live etc. I will have to do something because I know in the future the disc situation just might disappear, at 65 I am not worrying about to far into the future but there is big talk already everywhere I read that disc's are becoming a thing of the past and soon.

 

Server this may be by role, but in practice literally all it is, is a standard Windows 8 PC running inside a case that, while 4U-compliant in shape, takes normal ATX parts. The CPU, motherboard etc. inside it came from my old gaming PC once upon a time, it's a Q9550 and X48-DS4 running in there with a standard HD4830 graphics card.

I haven't used Windows Server as when this system was first configured it used to also be used periodically as a workstation, for things Windows Server doesn't support as well.

I take the point about having a DVD to throw in whatever device each person has to hand in their room, for me, the only place this content really gets watched is in my bedroom on my PC monitor. Back when this server was sitting in a student house it was shared across the network, and all people had to do to get access was go to \\servername\sharename in windows to access the files, which they can of course mount as a drive if they wish, e.g. X:
This is actually how I access the content myself since I no longer connect my monitor directly to the server.

I have nonetheless been looking at getting an external playback device for the TV downstairs in the living room so my parents can watch content that I've collected - it's just a question of how I get the data down there on an 'on-demand' basis. In practice this may well mean trunking a cable to the staircase unless the wireless signal down there is very good. Then of course there's the hurdle of the TV being quite old, so it only has VGA, no HDMI.

 

I understand, now mostly what you just wrote I pretty much follow the basics, now if I wanted to get into the way you do these things that would be way over my head, and if I sent this post you just wrote to my friends or neighbors they would call me and say what the hell is this guy talking about lol, I slowly pick up these kinds of things threw reading, trial and error and mostly listening to you guys, I'll never understand most of what you people here know but that does not bother me anymore, I have picked up more from people like my friend Russ and you people here than I ever would have dreamed of, I'm not fully satisfied yet I still have plenty to learned but mostly I am very satisfied. Amongst you guys I'm still a dummy, in my neighborhood they think I'm a PC King LOL.

 

I came to this site as an arrogant, clueless, slobbering idiot. If I can be taught to think about things a little bit, maybe others can learn a few things as well. Don't feel like being less experienced or knowledgeable invalidates you from the conversation

 

Steve, you probably were ripping a movie, that wasn't in your current Anydvd local database(very new movie, very new protection). No software is intelligent enough, to adapt on the fly, without internet

 

Kev is right, anydvd updates almost come daily because of new crap that gets thrown at us all the time so of course you do need the internet other than cinavia of course, so far even the techs at slysoft can't defeat and they are known as the best.

 

That would be true but if it's a newer movie Anydvd may come up with a disc read error. I don't get this with everything but have seen it more often on new releases. I do have the auto update off so it isn't that but most likely it's a new encryption or some kind of structural difference that Anydvd hasn't addressed. I do have a corrupted driver on my main machine which can cause problems with just about anything I do as I get a BSOD from time-to-time but that wasn't it since I tried it on my lappy and had the same issue. I haven't dug into the real problem since I'm getting ready to go to Fort Myers, I just barely got my Brackets done for the NCAA64, I mean 68, Men's Basketball Tournament, I'm rebuilding my OS on my lappy for Florida and my mom's PC, I'm buying parts and building golf clubs for friends up here and for Florida friends before I leave on the 8th, and I'd like to finish a $1,200.00 set of tower speakers plus one of my family room windows that I'm totally rebuilding. Not that I'm busy though.... LOL

Yes Kev is right and that is exactly what I encountered. Kevin is very good with backing up movies and is a always great help with problems...

As too Sam's CD1/CD2 argument I would say no DVD movies are not going to be 700MB's or even 800MB's as they will be around 4.3GB's each for single DVD movies.

Hopefully I won't get slaughtered by too many upsets in my brackets as Dayton & Harvard has already cost me some.

It's great having you join the thread more Fred hope all is well for you and your family and always best wishes of course!!
Steve

 

So what has changed? LOL Just kidding as you are an extreme asset here!