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[Trumpetguy]

I have a home theater setup and MC has been the heart of this movie, photo and music system since MC...14'ish (first music only, later on with movies and photo collection). I have had MC running 24/7/365 for about 12 years on the computer used for HD and UHD projector video playback. It has also been the Plex server, home suveillance cameras server, and with hard drives with the master version of family photos, music collection and movies. Now I have finally moved all files, the surveillance and Plex server over to the Synology NAS, and pulled the power plug on the home server. By doing so, I have reduced the power consumption of this room from 200W (idle 24/7 continuous) to 65W (idle), corresponding to a reduction by 1000 to 1200kWh/year, which is 7-8% reduction in our home electricity power usage.

But - now I do not have a computer running JRiver Media Center server.

What I need is a low-power (<10W idle, maybe down to 5W?), headless computer that can host the MC main media server with the main library. The main file library can be on the NAS, and I need to be able to connect with MC clients for adding new photos/music/movies, do tagging work, remote playback of music, video and photos from mobile and nVidia shield (dlna). It will probably need to run Windows10, since I have a Win MC license, and also due to the photo/video requiement. Preferably, the CPU should be powerful enough to transcode 1 stream from Plex or 1 stream from MC server (multiple simultaneous streams not necessary). It will only need a small system disk M.2 SSD. It does not need to be very silent, it will be located in a separate room.

The old, power hungry computer with the Nvidia RTX2070 video card and Lynx Aurora 8ch DAC will still be booted every time we watch a movie or I want man cave time, accessing files either through cabled LAN or stored locally. So no need fo powerful graphics on the low-power server.

Budget - well below $500.

Anyone that can point me in the right direction?

   

[Trumpetguy]

Would a second hand Intel NUC Mini-PC NUC8i3BEK2 - Core i3, 512GB SSD, 16GB ram do (my main concern would be the i3)?

[Gedeon]

A J5040 could be a good starting point. Low cost and low consumption. Another alternative could be a basic Ryzen, from Zen 2 generation.

It depends about your priority about required realtime re-encoding power.

[Trumpetguy]

Ok, thanks, I'll look into it. I have built a number of PCs, but I have never used power usage as design criterion No 1. Wouldn't there be a significant risk of ending up with a non-optimal configuration when trying to get the idle power really low, i.e. well below 10W? I see that there are TDP specifications on processors, but to get all the components to play along to achieve a low-power total....? The reason I mentioned a NUC was that I saw actual use power measurements of <10W. The downside was that this was an i7version, which would set me back somewhere in the $1000 range. I was hoping someone knew some low-priced, powerful-enough turnkey computer.

I do not need UHD/HEVC video playback, but it should be powerful enough to transcode at least one video stream for remote playback.

[tij]

If you not transcoding video and/or convering DSD to PCM for clients, i3 should be fine.

SSD will help a lot for storing MC database

[tij]

Ok, thanks, I'll look into it. I have built a number of PCs, but I have never used power usage as design criterion No 1. Wouldn't there be a significant risk of ending up with a non-optimal configuration when trying to get the idle power really low, i.e. well below 10W? I see that there are TDP specifications on processors, but to get all the components to play along to achieve a low-power total....? The reason I mentioned a NUC was that I saw actual use power measurements of <10W. The downside was that this was an i7version, which would set me back somewhere in the $1000 range. I was hoping someone knew some low-priced, powerful-enough turnkey computer.

I do not need UHD/HEVC video playback, but it should be powerful enough to transcode at least one video stream for remote playback.

Generally speaking low power version of CPU will consume same amount power as regular one.

For a particular task normal CPU will increase its power but will complete task fast and go to idle. Low power version of CPU will consume less power but takes longer to complete task befire going to idke. On average, power consumption will be same.

Reason low power version of CPU exist ... is for environment were heat dissipation is limited due to environment (say pc is not in AC environment and installed in small box ... usually industrial application or laptop) ... or total available power is limited

Other than that ... just use normal CPU and forget low power version

just my 2 cents

[zybex]

This question pops up frequently, search the forums.

Here's my reply, read a few posts above and below this one:
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,126065.msg873605.html#msg873605

Note that MC Client restricts some operations - for instance, you can't add new files from a client, you need to do so on the server itself. Other things work poorly on the client, like changing a movie Poster - you still need to "rebuild thumbnails" on the server to see the new one. Because of this I sometimes use VNC to connect to the server from my laptop without having to turn on the TV.

[Trumpetguy]

This question pops up frequently, search the forums.

Here's my reply, read a few posts above and below this one:
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,126065.msg873605.html#msg873605

Note that MC Client restricts some operations - for instance, you can't add new files from a client, you need to do so on the server itself. Other things work poorly on the client, like changing a movie Poster - you still need to "rebuild thumbnails" on the server to see the new one. Because of this I sometimes use VNC to connect to the server from my laptop without having to turn on the TV.

I did some searches, but I did not know the right search terms... The Brix is really interesting, thanks! Very similar principle to the Intel NUCs (and others I'm sure), so I am guessing this is the way forward for me.

I have been using MC client/server for a few years, so I am familiar with how this works regarding new files and thumbnails.

[zybex]

Note that these cheap Celerons will play anything and work just fine as a database, controller and general purpose machine, but they lack the horsepower for real-time video transcoding (audio should be ok). So if you want to stream video from outside your home, these are not enough.

[Trumpetguy]

Note that these cheap Celerons will play anything and work just fine as a database, controller and general purpose machine, but they lack the horsepower for real-time video transcoding (audio should be ok). So if you want to stream video from outside your home, these are not enough.

No, I was suspecting that. Which means I would probably would need to look into the Core or Ryzen CPU versions. I only have experience with an old i7-2600, which works just fine (in the old power-hungry server). Would a newer i3 be capable?

[zybex]

I guess it depends on which codecs/resolutions/bitrates you need to transcode, and whether the machine has a GPU that supports the output codec in realtime for offloading. With GPU acceleration it would even work with these Celerons. I don't use transcoding so I don't know what MC wants as an accelerator (does it even use the GPU for that?). I leave that for others to answer.

[Trumpetguy]

I found this: https://support.plex.tv/articles/201774043-what-kind-of-cpu-do-i-need-for-my-server/
which would give some general advice:

• No transcoding: Intel “Atom” 1.2GHz (NAS devices based on ARM processors should also be capable of at least one stream with no transcoding)
• Single 720p transcode: Intel Core i3 3.0 GHz
• Single 1080p transcode: Intel Core i5 3.0GHz
• Single 4K transcode: Intel Core i7 3.2GHz

On my wish-list, I would prefer 4K transcode. But may settle for an i5. Anything less capable would leave me just frustrated, I think.

[zybex]

On my wish-list, I would prefer 4K transcode. But may settle for an i5. Anything less capable would leave me just frustrated, I think.

4K as output resolution? If your source is 4K and you want 4K output... then no transcoding is needed.
Also, to play a given stream from your house to elsewhere, your internet connection must be able to upload it in realtime... do you have a good enough connection to upload 4K res in realtime? Transcoding is used to reduce the resolution/quality/size of the stream so that it can be sent faster, or to match the output device screen. To watch it on your cellphone you don't need 4K

[Dennis in FL]

Would a second hand Intel NUC Mini-PC NUC8i3BEK2 - Core i3, 512GB SSD, 16GB ram do (my main concern would be the i3)?

I'm using a $30 Raspberry Pi 4.  Works great (audio only).   

[Trumpetguy]

I'm using a $30 Raspberry Pi 4.  Works great (audio only).

Exactly - audio only... thought of that. Would be low-cost, though.
The usage for this is a JRiver MC server for audio, video and photos, all of them.

[Trumpetguy]

4K as output resolution? If your source is 4K and you want 4K output... then no transcoding is needed.
Also, to play a given stream from your house to elsewhere, your internet connection must be able to upload it in realtime... do you have a good enough connection to upload 4K res in realtime? Transcoding is used to reduce the resolution/quality/size of the stream so that it can be sent faster, or to match the output device screen. To watch it on your cellphone you don't need 4K

LAN/wifi speed is stable around a few hundred Mbps, where I use an nVidia Shield 2019pro connected with cable to the closest wifi mesh node. At least 10-15Mbps streams are ok. WAN speed is usually stable at 250Mbps in/out of the house, but other bottlenecks usually gives a much lower WAN speed
95% of my video files are 1080 (blurays), but there are some 4K i my library and they are increasing in number. Remote playback would typically be 1080 (mobile or laptop on work travels...from 2021, I hope) and living room TV (1080p).

All of this gives a need to transcode video for remote streams of 1080 and somewhere between 1 and 15Mbps.

[Dennis in FL]

LAN/wifi speed is stable around a few hundred Mbps, where I use an nVidia Shield 2019pro connected with cable to the closest wifi mesh node. At least 10-15Mbps streams are ok. WAN speed is usually stable at 250Mbps in/out of the house, but other bottlenecks usually gives a much lower WAN speed
95% of my video files are 1080 (blurays), but there are some 4K i my library and they are increasing in number. Remote playback would typically be 1080 (mobile or laptop on work travels...from 2021, I hope) and living room TV (1080p).

All of this gives a need to transcode video for remote streams of 1080 and somewhere between 1 and 15Mbps.

Yep...I never tried it for video...it should work.....maybe someone else has tried it.  I'm using Emby and Infuse (not Plex) for a mix of blurays and dvds

[Trumpetguy]

Yep...I never tried it for video...it should work.....maybe someone else has tried it.  I'm using Emby and Infuse (not Plex) for a mix of blurays and dvds

I already have a Plex solution working for all media - nVidia shield 2019 Pro running Plex server playing media files from a NAS. What I am after here is a low-power computer running JRiver Media Center server connected to the same NAS. As far as I know, the only versions of MC playing video and photos (not only audio) is the Windows version (Mac also?). I think (but prove me wrong!) that the only solution then is a computer running Windows

[BillT]

As far as I know, the only versions of MC playing video and photos (not only audio) is the Windows version (Mac also?). I think (but prove me wrong!) that the only solution then is a computer running Windows

I may be misunderstanding, but the Linux version will serve files just as well as the Windows version. The Linux version has issues playing video on the Linux machine itself. Can't see any reason why there should be a problem displaying photos on the Linux machine.

I have recently moved my JRiver server to a Pi4 and it serves audio and video (up to 1080, haven't got any 4k) to my local machines without issues - no transcoding. It transcodes audio to a phone OK. As an experiment I tried playing videos to my phone, it worked but with pauses and the Pi4 was maxed out, so not a good idea.

The good thing about the Pi4 is that it consumes very little power, 2-3W.

the bad thing is that it's a nightmare trying to set it up unless you're a Linux expert. It took me a month to work out how to get VNC to a state where i could see the MC interface (you seem to have to add :0 to the end of the VNC server address). I still haven't managed to get the Windows version of the library on to the Linux system without half the library disappearing.

[Dennis in FL]

As far as I know, the only versions of MC playing video and photos (not only audio) is the Windows version (Mac also?).

As far as I know, the Linux version is no different than the Windows and Mac versions.   JRiver actually sells them preloaded with MC here ==> https://jriver.com/Id/.   Note some don't support video including the Pi4.  But that may be an out of date info....since MC vesrion 26, video works on Pi4's ( https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,106807.300.html ) but as BillT points out...video may max out the  Pi processor.

[Awesome Donkey]

Indeed, both the Linux and Mac versions have supported video and images for awhile now. However, video support won't ever be good as it is on Windows, as madVR is a Windows-only component for example.

[Trumpetguy]

Oh, I am outdated regarding the Linux version, thanks for the info. Then I need to re-think.

[zybex]

Regardless of windows or linux, if you want transcoding you need a good CPU/GPU. You won't get there with 10W, or with a Pi.

[Trumpetguy]

Ended up win Intel Nuc NUC7i7DNK2E Dawson Canyon second-hand and a new Win10home license:
https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/130392/intel-nuc-kit-nuc7i7dnke.html (i7-8650U CPU, 32GB RAM and a 500GB M.2 SSD)

The NUC is in the mail, so I am looking forward to receiving it over the weekend setting it up! Hopefully, ot will do the job. My old i7-2600 did an ok transcoding job, so I hope a much newer i7-8650U will do the same. Anyway, I see now that I will not be transcoding 4k UHD, since it is only my projector that will be able to play back such material.