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Media Center Server Edition, Naw - Chris Lanier's Blog

Media Center Server Edition, Naw

Do We Need a Media Center Server Edition? (Ian Dixon) | Ian Dixon has a posting about Steve Makofsky who has moved his Media Center PC into a server only roll.  Ian wonders if it’s time to think about “Media Center Server Edition”.  Alexander Grundner expressed a similar opinion on the matter, however there are some things to think about here.

First of all, the market isn’t going to grab at “Media Center Server Edition”, under that name.  The average consumer doesn’t want a rackmount server, they want a Windows PC.  They want something that they know how-to operate and configure.  Thus, the market for true “servers” at this point isn’t large enough to warrant a full “Media Center Server Edition”.  The average consumer also wantsto know that when they spend + $1,000 for a PC, they are getting more than something you tuck away never to see.

Second, Intel Viiv-based PCs ship with “Intel Matrix Storage Technology”, which the rest of the world calls RAID.  These PCs will also ship with Dual Core processors and SATA 3GBs.  These PCs are “servers” folks.  However, they are “servers” that the average consumer can not only afford without giving up basic amenities like support for HD Audio, PCI Express, Windows XP (and Vista at launch), and in some cases Integrated Graphics that are (somewhat) worth a damn.

Everything that you need to serve up media to your “clients” (Media Center Extenders, Windows Media Connect Devices) is shipped with a Viiv-based PC.  An SKU of Media Center transformed into “Server Edition” isn’t going to appeal to most in this market.  Will it appeal to some, sure.  I’m sure that many in the CE Pro market would be interested in “Media Center Server Edition”.  However, for those interested in “Media Center Server Edition” it might be better just to buy a rackmountable case and stick your Media Center PC away for a true “server” role.  A large part of the market purchases Media Center PCs because it’s a Windows XP PC in addition to a Media Center.  It can function as both, without this Media Center would not be where it is today and it wouldn’t be going much further.

Published Mon, Feb 20 2006 9:36 by chrisl
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Comments

# re: Media Center Server Edition, Naw

Sure. Valid points, but you need to consider the commersial value of Media Center servers. One that I've acctually been working on is implementing Media Center servers and extender for hotels and such.

Monday, February 20, 2006 10:55 AM by Seb

# re: Media Center Server Edition, Naw

What exactly would you need different in a "Server Edition" for that application? About the only thing I can think of is more Extenders all supported at once. Is there anything else? A Domain environment is out of the question, since Extender use FUS and Domains disable that. Would you be looking for something else that Media Center PC's can't do right now to fit your implementation?

Monday, February 20, 2006 11:15 AM by chrisl

# re: Media Center Server Edition, Naw

Well for a commersial applications it would be necessary to set up different users that have access to certain content somehow. Working from the assumption that you can connect several hotel rooms to the same server. So users only have access to their own recording by default but maybe also able to share recordings. Perferably the user should be tied to a certain extender. I'm not sure whether or not this is possible with the current set up because I haven't tested extenders thoroughly enough. Even though a domain enviroment is out of the question now, it should be atleast considered for Vista.

It would be even better if you could incorporate more thin-client style features such as keyboard and mouse and a proper Internet browser aswell.

Obviously you also need more extenders supported at once which isn't a small task in it's own. But the main issue right now is the TV distribution. There is a limited number of tuners you can use in MCE. In a hotel enviroment every extender needs to be able to watch a separate channel at once. In many scenarios you acctually have more rooms than channels in which case it would be preferable to have a very different delivery system (as opposed to 100 tuner cards) built especially for redistribution of many channels over these networks.

Obviously there are limitations to the number of concurrent extenders that can be connected to each server which means you may need several servers interacting. This in itself may need a system for the servers to interact. Perhaps an IPTV multicasting solution.

Ofcourse these are all major issues which we probably won't see solutions for in while. But I'm sure Microsoft have something along these lines considered with their IPTV projects.

Monday, February 20, 2006 12:03 PM by Seb

# re: Media Center Server Edition, Naw

I dont think there needs to be a seperate edition. I'm saying just throw yer MCE into a rack into the closet and be done with it.

My wife is ALOT happier now, she can actually USE the TV, not fight with it.

Monday, February 20, 2006 2:24 PM by Steve

# I Want My Closet Form Factor, Media Server PC

Link is malformed above: http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/entry/2143/i_want_my

Monday, February 20, 2006 11:35 PM by Alexander Grundner

# I Want My Closet Form Factor, Media Server PC

I want to make a clarification about the "malformed" link comment above so there's no misunderstanding.

I originally added a comment letting others know that I have expanded on the media server idea with a new post entitled "I Want My Closet Form Factor, Media Server PC," but for some reason Chris deleted it. Unfortunately, the blog app Chris is using does not accept simple HTML like <a href=""></a>. Being the case, I decided to follow up with a correction link, noting that *my* original comment above was showing a malformed link.

-Alexander

Tuesday, February 21, 2006 4:40 PM by Alexander Grundner

# re: Media Center Server Edition, Naw

Sorry for the edit, I thought the rest of the second post was rather self explanatory.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006 4:53 PM by chrisl

# re: Media Center Server Edition, Naw

No problem. I was hoping you were just going to to edit the HTML out of the original post and delete the correction :)

Tuesday, February 21, 2006 5:06 PM by Alexander Grundner

# re: Media Center Server Edition, Naw

That's t what I would have done when these blogs were using .Text, however with CS I only have the choice to Publish, Un-publish, and Delete comments. I can't edit them at all.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006 5:40 PM by chrisl

# re: Media Center Server Edition, Naw

I suggest adding "preview" to your comments or state explicitly that HTML is not supported.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006 6:52 PM by Alexander Grundner

# re: Media Center Server Edition, Naw

I can't add anything to it, what's there is what's there. I don't have the ability to change it.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006 7:23 PM by chrisl

# re: Media Center Server Edition, Naw

I can agree that overall demand would not be huge for a "server" edition of MCE. However, the current extender options are not quite there.

I recently acquired a 360, but I have been using a hybrid approach up to now. I have a big fat 2-ATSC 2-NTSC MCE "server" in my basement. I have been using self-built MCE PCs as "clients" on my network. The upside of this is that my "clients" can play any video format I want , and will stream DVDs via "My Movies" plugin. The DOWNside is that I can't watch live TV and cannot edit my "master" recording schedule from the client, because of its peer-to-peer (vs. client-server) relationship with the "server".

Now, with a 360, I have the opposite situation. I can watch live TV, schedule/re-schedule recordings, etc, but I am limited to watching the video formats that the 360 supports, and no "My Movies" support.

My ideal world would be a very small-form-factor Viiv-based client box (with no tuners, etc, required) which could do all the above. I guess in a sense I'm longing for the originally rumored "Softsled", or software MCE client.

This is probably the SOLE attractive feature of SageTV and SnapStream - the ability to run a fully functional streaming client on a remote box.

Thursday, February 23, 2006 1:23 AM by Larry McQueary

# Pow! First 8TB MCE Server May Come from VoodooPC

Chris, you wrongly estimated the market for a server MCE PC.

Pow! First 8TB MCE Server May Come from VoodooPC
http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/entry/2186/pow_first_8tb

Wednesday, March 01, 2006 12:32 PM by Alexander Grundner

# re: Media Center Server Edition, Naw

Quote: "I'm looking for a new type of home computing devices I guess. Maybe... Closet/Garage Form Factor PC?"

Is it going to be rackmount or living room/desktop form factor? It doesn't matter if it's 8TB or not, if it's a living room PC that's not exactly what you said you want. You said rackmount/closest, correct?

I have never said that large amount of hard drive space isn't what people want, nor did you ever express that's what makes up a server. :) The only case you made about storage was NAS, IIRC.

Also, $8,000-$9,000 targets a VERY small market, like selling in the dozens. :)

No doubt PCs will include massive hard drive space in the years to come, that doesn't make it what you sad you were looking for however.

Are you really looking for fast PC with loads of storage, or something to stuff in the closet like you said before? Fast PC with storage is Viiv, they just have form factors more appealing to the market. (eg, not rackmount)

Chris

Wednesday, March 01, 2006 12:56 PM by chrisl

# re: Media Center Server Edition, Naw

Go ahead and take what I say out of context. All anyone has to do is read the following articles and comments linked to in this post to understand where I'm coming from.

FYI, $8,000 - $9,000 isn't attractive to me either. But as you know, PCs from Voodoo and Niveus are high-end, designer/luxury PCs that usually sell for a premium. I'm sure a low cost solution will show up.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006 8:26 PM by Alexander Grundner

# re: Media Center Server Edition, Naw

I'm sorry if it looks out of context, but from everything I read in your posts a massive hard drive isn't what you were exactly looking for.

I hold to these machines being perfectly fine "server" without needing any specical case or needing to keep it in a closet or something. :)

Wednesday, March 01, 2006 8:50 PM by chrisl