A new little project I'm starting on which will have tons of issues but should be great once it's done. The legality of this is questionable so if you aren't a fan of people with eye patches and wooden legs, steer clear. The aim of this is to be as cheap as possible and still be as multifunctional and epic as it can be.
The aim:
To have a server automatically download all our favourite TV shows as soon as they're out, put them in the corresponding folders, sort them into the right categories, find the right metadata (cast, synopsis, reviews, etc), and then stream them on to any device anywhere in the world. Without me having to click a single button.
Here's a bit of a demo of Plex:
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yXTQN-IXxQ[/media]
What I've got:
Media PC:
i3 3220
4gb DDR3
750ti 2gb
80gb SSD
2tb HDD
1x Smart telly.
1x Non Smart telly.
1x Chromecast.
1x Xbox 360
2x PS3
1x PS4
For the actual media server side of things, I'll be using Plex. This is a fantastic server application which has apps for anything you can think of. I can have Plex running at home and watch any show I want anywhere in the world on Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, you name it.
The Smart telly in the lounge already has Plex installed, so that's one room covered. The Chromecast will go in the telly in the main bedroom so that's another room covered. The Xbox will go in the spare bedroom so that's another room covered.
My home internet is a bit rubbish sometimes so I need to get that sorted first. I ordered a Homehub 5 today which I bagged for £37.50 from work, and I bought a couple of Devolo dLAN 650+ homeplugs. I went for homeplugs over wifi because it's not only more reliable, but I can also use Wake On Lan (wake the PC from the sleep state over the internet) which means the PC can go to sleep when not in use, saving a bit of leccy. I've tried some cheap homeplugs before with dire results so I'm hoping that by throwing a decent amount of money at them this time, it'll work. If not, I'll have to run an ethernet cable through the ceiling which will definitely work.
Stay tuned for updates!