PCDoc wanted to upgrade his WHS 2011 box with faster and larger hard drives and after a lot of research settled on the Seagate ST3000DM001 3TB drives – 6 of them enabling him to have 21TB of storage.
PCDoc goes through his upgrade process using a copy of AllwaySync and gives us the results of the Seagate’s in a RAID5 setup which you can find here.
As you are probably aware when you install WHS 2011 that main hard disk is divided into a 60GB C partition and a D partition for the data. But what if you wish to use the entire disk for just the operating system install and use separate hard drives for your data?
Then you will need to use an answer file and doing so will enable you to use the entire drive for the operating system install.
The Official SBS Blog has a post on this and although it is aimed at Small Business Server 2011 Essentials users it still applies to WHS 2011 users also.
You can find the post here.
StableBit DrivePool have released version 1.0.2.6131 BETA of its Drive Extender type add-in for WHS 2011 users.
Here’s the change log:
[D] = Driver was modified (reboot required after update)
NOTE: This version is for testers only – Non testers please use the final version 1.0.1.6008.
Version 2.0.0.2066 BETA of StableBit Scanner is available for download.
This latest release of the advanced hard disk surface scanner and monitor has the following changes:
More information on StableBit Scanner is available from here.
DVBLink for Android has had an update.
DVBLink for Android is a client for DVBLink Connect! Server enabling you to watch Live TV, browse EPG, view program details and manage timer recordings from your Android mobile phone or tablet.
Here is what’s new and fixed in version 1.1.3:
This app requires DVBLink Connect! Server installation on the server computer.
DVBLink for Android is free from Google play.
DVBLogic have released v4.5 beta 1 of DVBLink.
Here are all the details:
DVBLink TVSource, DVBLink Connect! Server and DVBLink EPG Loader for Digiguide v4.5 are released for public beta!
v4.5 is a major milestone in DVBLink products development. It contains a lot of fixes and improvements, namely:
General– Added: New product licensing engine
– Added: Default EPG source to each channel (e.g. with this feature TVSource channels will use EPG from stream automatically without manual mapping)
– Added: New channel selection control for improved speed and convenience
– Added: UI improvements for web configuration interface
– Added: Automatic sequential channel numbering
– Added: Automatic shifted channel numbering (after inserting a channel number all channel numbers above it shift up by one)
– Fixed: A number of MediaCenter growing database fixes (also some new ones not present in the previously released patches)
– Fixed: xmltv source causes stutter every hour (there are two fixes here actually: xmltv update period is 12 hours now and the priority of update thread was lowered)
– Added: optional authorization when accessing DVBLink web configuration, web streaming interface and DVBLink Remote APIDVBLink Connect! Server
– Added: built-in dvblink recorder (please read more about it in notes below)
– Fixed: DLNA server hang-up on start
– Fixed: DLNA server compatibility with XBMC Eden (and some other DLNA clients)
– Fixed: Network MediaCenter client uses TCP streaming by default (instead of UDP)
– Fixed: Improved sound quality for Android and IPhone streamingDVBLink TVSource
– Added: Prescanned channel files for Astra 19 and HotBird 13 with automatic channel selection for Austrian, German and Swiss channel presets
– Fixed: Updated transponder files
– (Re)Added: Channels tab to TVSource configuration
– Added: Channel streaming statistics (bitrate, errors, packet discontinuity) to Channels tab of TVSource configuration
– Added: "Wait for lock on tune" flag to TVSource tuner device properties (especially important for timer recordings on partially offline channels like BBC3 and BBC4)
– Added: CI module support for TBS tuners
– Added: Support for DigitalDevices CI4All module, which works with DigitalDevices as well as other brands of tuners
– Fixed: Long load time for PCTV nanoStick T2 290e
– Fixed: No signal on NBC-QPSK transponders for SkyStar HD2Notes
– Although the software was extensively tested internally, it may still contain bugs and undesired side effects (aka features:). Please be careful with installing this beta on "production systems"
– This version is not binary compatible with version 2.x, 3.x and 4.0/4.1. You will have to uninstall them completely before installing this version. Do not forget to make a backup!
– 1geek1tool products are not supported (yet) in this version
– v4.5 products use new licensing engine. This means that at the moment only trial activation is possible (e.g. your licenses for already purchased DVBLink products cannot be used with this version while it is in beta phase).
– The 4.5 update will be free of charge update for all v4 users. For v3 users the current paid upgrade rules apply.
– Trial activation currently requires internet connection! Offline trial/product activation will be available in the next beta
– Search feature for channel selection tab is not implemented (yet)
– DVBLink Connect! Server has built-it recorder– Recording timers can be programmed and managed using DVBLink clients: web interface and mobile clients. Web interface provides more advanced timer management functionality than mobile clients – e.g. schedule overview, timer conflict overview, changing recording settings and defaults
– Windows MediaCenter cannot be used to program timers in built-in DVBLin recorder. Timers programmed using MCE interface will be recorded locally on that MCE computer
– Windows MediaCenter EPG (delivered by Microsoft) is not used by built-in recorder
– Recorded content can be watched using special DVBLink Media Library MCE addin and using DLNA clients
– No playback of recorded content is possible on mobile clients (yet)
– Recordings are done in native transport stream format
– Recorded content is physically located (by default) in c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\DVBLink
– Resume functionality is not supported (yet) for recorded content
– There are certain restrictions on using AC3 decoder for playing back content in MediaCenter (outside of LiveTV/native recorded TV scope). This means that recordings with AC3 can be played back without sound (it still needs confirmation from users and might be worked around)
– Channel line-up, EPG information and timers, displayed in DVBLink clients, are taken from the built-in DVBLink recorder (not from MCE). This means that MediaCenter is not required anymore for clients operations.
– Those who prefer using the old way – e.g. working with MediaCenter database instead of internal DVBLink recorder – can do this by a) stop dvblink windows service, b) open dvblink_configuration.xml in text editor, c) changing all occurencies of "dlrecorder" into "mc_recorder", d) saving file and starting dvblink windows service– Remote API for accessing recorded content is not implemented (yet)
– If you observe any artifacts in web configuration page, try to reload the page before writing about it on the forumInstallation instructions
– Make a backup of your current DVBLink installation. Do not forget about the contents of your Plugin folder(s), additional playlists and other extra
– Uninstall all your DVBLink products, reboot and delete dvblink folder of the previous installation
– (Optional, but recommended) Delete MediaCenter database
– Download DVBLink v4.5 products from using the links below
– Install DVBLink Server first (dvblink_server.msi), followed by DVBLink TVSource (dvblink_tvsource.msi) and (optionally) DVBLink Connect! Server (dvblink_connect_server.msi) and DVBLink EPG Loader for Digiguide (dvblink_epg_loader_for_digiguide.msi)
– Open http://localhost:39876 and activate trial for each product (click on the red line and then press Activate button). Activation may take some time if there are a lot of users willing to activate the software, so please be patient
– Once products are activated, you may continue with restoration of your backup or doing a new configurationThe beta 1 of DVBLink v4.5 products can be downloaded here:
DVBLink TVSource
http://www.dvblogic.com/download/Trunk/ … _45_b1.zip
DVBLink Connect! Server
http://www.dvblogic.com/download/Trunk/ … _45_b1.zip
DVBLink EPG Loader for Digiguide
http://www.dvblogic.com/download/Trunk/ … _45_b1.zip
xmltv source patch:
xmltv_src_b1.zip
- (609.38 KiB)
To apply the patch stop dvblink windows service, copy attached xmltv_src.dll into dvblink\templates\sources\xmltv and dvblink\sources\<your xmltv source> overwriting the existing file and start dvblink windows service again.
Please let us know what you think!
DVBLogic team
Its that time of the week for another episode of The Home Server Show podcast.
In this weeks episode:
“How do you use your Windows Phone with your server? We talk a little bit about the Lumia 800 from Nokia. We also go over the big news of the week which is Seagate acquiring LaCie and what it means to storage enthusiasts. Also, if your looking to grow your server from Windows Home Server version 1 what do you do? All this and more…”
You can find episode 184 of the podcast here.
For those of you after the video, here it is:
To commemorate Memorial Day Raxco software are offering 25% off all of their software products (no exclusions) including PerfectDisk Home Server.
25% Off All Raxco Software Products – No Exclusions! Coupon Code: ENDOFMAY25 (Expires May 31, 2012, Cannot be combined.)
StableBit Scanner has been updated to address memory consumption fixes.
Version 2.0.0.1918 BETA has the following changes:
More details on StableBit Scanner are available from here.
NAS producer LaCie have announced an exclusive agreement with intent for Seagate to acquire them.
Here is the full press release:
Seagate has Offered to Purchase LaCie CEO’s 64.5% Ownership Position;
Seagate to Subsequently Commence Tender Offer for Remaining Outstanding SharesExpands Seagate’s Product Line and Capabilities in the Growing Consumer Storage Market
CUPERTINO, CA and PARIS, FRANCE – May 23, 2012 – Seagate Technology plc (NASDAQ: STX) the worldwide leader in hard disk drives and storage solutions, and LaCie S.A. (Euronext: LAC), a leading manufacturer of consumer storage products, today announced an exclusive agreement with the intent for Seagate to acquire a controlling interest in LaCie. Seagate has offered to purchase from Philippe Spruch, LaCie’s chairman and CEO, and his affiliate, all of their shares, representing 64.5% of the outstanding shares of LaCie. Following receipt of governmental approvals and the close of this transaction, Seagate would commence an all-cash simplified tender offer (followed as the case may be by a squeeze-out procedure) to acquire the remaining outstanding shares in accordance with the General Regulation of the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF).
Seagate has offered Mr. Spruch and his affiliate €4.05 per share in cash, minus a potential adjustment depending on the cash and debt position of LaCie at closing. This price may be increased by a possible price supplement of 3% in the event that the threshold of 95% of the shares and voting rights of LaCie would be reached by Sparrow within 6 months following closing, resulting in a maximum potential price per LaCie share of €4.17. Without the price supplement, the offer currently values LaCie at an approximate €146 million, or $186 million total equity value, including acquired net cash of approximately €49 million, or $65 million, as of March 31, 2012. The €4.05 per share price represents a premium of 29% to LaCie’s average closing stock price over the 30 trading days ended May 22, 2012.
Ricol Lasteyrie & Associés was appointed today as independent expert by the board of directors of LaCie, to deliver a fairness opinion on the price that would be offered in the context of the tender offer, including in the perspective of a potential squeeze-out procedure.
The transaction would combine two highly complementary product and technology portfolios, adding LaCie’s line of premium branded consumer storage solutions, network-attached storage solutions and software offerings to Seagate’s array of mainstream consumer storage products. The combination would accelerate Seagate’s growth strategy in the expanding consumer storage market, particularly in Europe and Japan, and add strong engineering and software development capabilities, as well as relationships with several key retailers.
The transaction is expected to be neutral to Seagate’s fiscal 2013 earnings per share.
Following the close of the sale of his shares to Seagate, Mr. Spruch would join Seagate and lead the company’s consumer storage products organization. Reporting to him would be Patrick Connolly, who currently serves as vice president and general manager of Seagate’s retail group, as well as Pierre van der Elst, who currently serves as deputy general manager of LaCie. The financial terms of the new position of Mr Spruch are not determined as of today and would therefore be described subsequently, including in the tender offer documentation.
"Seagate has a strong commitment to the growing consumer storage market and bringing the most dynamic products to market. LaCie has built an exceptional consumer brand by delivering exciting and innovative high-end products for many years. This transaction would bring a highly complementary set of capabilities to Seagate, significantly expand our consumer product offerings, add a premium-branded direct-attached storage line, strengthen our network-attached storage business line and enhance our capabilities in software development," said Steve Luczo, Seagate chairman, president and CEO. "We are also excited that Philippe, who is a true visionary and leader in the consumer storage business, would join Seagate to run our consumer storage products organization."
"With the proliferation of devices and content being shared and stored today, consumer demand for high-quality branded storage solutions continues to grow," said Philippe Spruch, LaCie’s chairman and CEO. "We are excited about the potential for this combination to benefit customers and employees by creating significant scale and opening up new markets. We look forward to making the resources of a much larger company available to our customers around the world."
LaCie will initiate the information and consultation process required by its employee representative council in relation to the contemplated transaction, in accordance with French law. Upon completion of this process, Seagate and Mr. Spruch would execute a definitive share purchase agreement and finalize the purchase of the controlling interest held by Mr. Spruch and his affiliate. This share purchase transaction is expected to close in the third calendar quarter of 2012 pending completion of the relevant governmental reviews. Seagate would then commence a tender offer for the remaining outstanding shares of LaCie (followed as the case may be by a squeeze-out procedure), subject to a clearance decision from the AMF. The tender offer is expected to be completed in the third calendar quarter of 2012.
The transaction is subject to regulatory approval in the United States (antitrust filing), France (approval of foreign investments by the Ministry of Finance) and other jurisdictions (antitrust filing in Germany) and to other customary closing conditions.
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC served as financial advisor and Allen & Overy LLP served as legal advisor to Seagate in connection with the transaction. De Pardieu Brocas Maffei A.A.R.P.I served as legal advisor to LaCie.
