[ctviggen]

Currently it does not.  But there is nothing that prevents you from using something like BDDecryptor to handle the ripping and then move files to the server.  I need to do some more investigating, but I think there are legal issues here.

- Jim

Under the digital millennium copyright act, if you circumvent encryption technology, you've broken the law.  So, DVDs and Blurays are going to be problematic.   See, eg:

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3513_7-5128652-1.html

There are exemptions to this, but people copying DVDs for themselves likely don't fit into the exemptions. 

[jsalk]

I've been looking for something like this for DVD storage. Any idea on cost?

I would guess this iteration would run about $1800.  There are so many options available for building this type of system, the costs can vary greatly.  This is fanless, has high-end audio performance, etc.  With a less expensive case and fewer or less expensive options, one could be built for less.  This is very close to what I was looking for personally.

- Jim

[Alexdad54]

I'm in for one if you ever decide to manufacture it!  Sounds like it could combine the capabilities of my Briteview Cinematube 5005HD media server for video and my two music server rigs, one a W7 , the other a (soon to be finalized) Linux Voyage-based system.

[Stercom]

I'm in if you can make it happen.

[Nuance]

This is not only a desirable device, but that's a pretty cool looking prototype, IMHO.  Go for it, Jim.

And oh yeah...another vote for the drawer.  Slot not.   

Ditto!  I really hope this works out for you, Jim; what a great idea!

[ratso]

I would guess this iteration would run about $1800.  There are so many options available for building this type of system, the costs can vary greatly.  This is fanless, has high-end audio performance, etc.  With a less expensive case and fewer or less expensive options, one could be built for less.  This is very close to what I was looking for personally.

- Jim

sounds reasonable. if it's good enough for you, it's good enough for us. BTW as i go through my touch with vortexbox, i am strictly 2 channel. if you burn a dvd (i would assume dvd-a) to vortexbox, does it output in 5.1 sound or does it downsample to 2 channel?

p.s. not to hijack this thread but this has been bugging me lately. we have heard about your studio work, but i can't find what you played or what band(s) you were in?

[jsalk]

sounds reasonable. if it's good enough for you, it's good enough for us. BTW as i go through my touch with vortexbox, i am strictly 2 channel. if you burn a dvd (i would assume dvd-a) to vortexbox, does it output in 5.1 sound or does it downsample to 2 channel?

That is a very good question.  I'll have to do some investigation and get back to you.

p.s. not to hijack this thread but this has been bugging me lately. we have heard about your studio work, but i can't find what you played or what band(s) you were in?

I played guitar, bass, keyboards, trumpet and drums, mostly in R&B bands.  The last band I played with was called the "Hot Half Dozen."  We played mostly in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota.  We were about the highest paid band in the region in the late '60's.  The band was inducted into the Midwest Rock and Country Hall of Fame about two years ago.  Great Fun.

Because we were all versatile musicians, we got calls to do quite a bit of studio work.  They could hire us and have just about any instrument available that they needed.  That got me interested in studios.

So I built my first studio in 1973 and spent about four years producing and engineering albums and radio jingles.  Then I moved on to the advertising agency business (more money), but continued to specialize in radio jingles and commercials.  For the next 30 years, I produced all kinds of music, audio and video at studios around the country.

After 9/11, things got really slow.  No one was spending money.  I had time on my hands, so I started building speakers.  Now I don't have time for much else.  And so it goes.

- Jim

[alexcd]

I am familiar with MKV and have done all my DVD/BR rips in this format.  What bit rate are you using?  You would ideally maximize the available throughput of the network but wirelessly this is limited to less than DVD quality and you end up with this big fancy streaming machine with VHS looking video.  Of course audio is going to stream effortlessly.  Are you going to have hard wired gigabit ethernet?  Also, how much storage is built in?  How will that be scalable?  10GB per movie is realistic at high quality.

[jsalk]

alexcd -

I am familiar with MKV and have done all my DVD/BR rips in this format.  What bit rate are you using? 

Good question.  I will have to check into that.  This was built primarily as a music server.  But since a neighbor wanted to store DVD's, I started playing around with it for that application.  So I have only now started to explore the ripping capabilities where DVD's are concerned.  But since it is basically a server, you can obviously rip whatever you want, whatever way you want to do it and then just move the resulting file(s) to it.  No problem.

You would ideally maximize the available throughput of the network but wirelessly this is limited to less than DVD quality and you end up with this big fancy streaming machine with VHS looking video.  Of course audio is going to stream effortlessly.  Are you going to have hard wired gigabit ethernet?

You could certainly do this if required.  Not a problem.

Also, how much storage is built in?  How will that be scalable?  10GB per movie is realistic at high quality.

Well, 3TB drives are now available and the case holds two of them.  If 6TB is not enough, you could probably add  external drives.

I think for most people, a single 2TB drive is probably going to be plenty sufficient.

- Jim

[alexcd]

Specific things I'd look for is the capability for this server to maintain a high enough transfer rate to play high quality video rips.  I've done quite a bit of research and ended up with a pretty serious server to do this duty for myself.  Many NAS (network attached storage) boxes that offer DLNA server capabilities can't handle 20Mbit/s.  I would shoot for a number like that if are putting your name on this product.

You have your bases covered in terms of storage.  I think two drives is enough for anyone and 2TB are dirt cheap these days.  4.7GB/DVD and 11GB/BRrip = 217 DVD's or 93 BRrips per TB.  Nice!

[ratso]

i emailed andrew at vortexbox and he said that the output of of dvd's is bit perfect so it will play in 5.1. he did mention that it does not rip dvd-a's or sacd's. what i didn't ask him is whether or not you can play those formats if you rip them yourself. ** edit ok so that won't work, i just poked around online a little. oh well, the oppo has that covered anyways. **  so i would think your box should have at least two outputs - one we can run to our surround sound AVR's and one that could hopefully carry 24/192 to an external dac (coax)?

[rlee8394]

I've been looking for something like this for DVD storage. Any idea on cost?

Go for one of these:

http://shop.smallgreencomputer.com/

A lot less expensive. Same thing without the flashy case and icons. Same server os, Vortexbox. Get more info and download the ISO here and make your own server!
http://vortexbox.org/

Ron

[ratso]

of course you can get a VB appliance. the real big diff is that it's not a fanless device. it's not overly loud OTOH, so it's just a matter of whether or not you want that on your rack. i can hear mine from the other room when it's accessing it's drive and i think that would bother me if it was in the same room as my system.

[rlee8394]

of course you can get a VB appliance. the real big diff is that it's not a fanless device. it's not overly loud OTOH, so it's just a matter of whether or not you want that on your rack. i can hear mine from the other room when it's accessing it's drive and i think that would bother me if it was in the same room as my system.

It really doesn't matter. The server can be anywhere in the house. You're streaming the digital signal via Ethernet, wired or wireless. I built a system using a 60GB SSD, (4) 1 TB HDD for 2.7 TB storage, ThermalTake power supply that is very quite. It sits about ten feet from my system. Can't hear a thing, even when the room is quite. Real convenient to have all of your music and movies at the click of a remote!

Ron

[Nuance]

^ Very nice system build.  Did you go with one of the new sandy bridge CPU's?

[rlee8394]

No, I went with an AMD Athlon II X2 260 3.2 GHz processor and 4 GB RAM. More than enough power for ripping and serving up media. Also used a Blu-ray ROM so I could rip Blu-ray DVDs. The system boots very fast with the SSD. I'll probably use SSD for the system drive for all of my systems from here on out.

Ron

[chip]

Which ssd did you get?

[rlee8394]

Got this one from Newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227542&nm_mc=TEMC-RMA-Approvel&cm_mmc=TEMC-RMA-Approvel-_-Content-_-text-_-

OCZ Agility 2 60GB

Ron

[adydula]

I have been doing solid state drives for 2 years now.
2 30gb in raid 0 for boot drive. 2 120gb in raid 0 for data.

Alex

[Nuance]

Very nice, fellas, very nice. SSD is the way to go for boot IMO.  For data...well, I have just under 1TB of music now, so I have to stick with SATA.