By on April 01st, 2010

Add-In: FirePlay 0.92.0.1

The FirePlay add-in for Windows Home Server has been updated to version 0.92.0.1

The add-in allows you to remotely stream over the internet all the music stored on their Home Server.

The key changes to this latest version are:

  • Updated FirePlay code to 0.92.
  • Installer searches for FireFly.exe and will fail if not found.
  • Installer updated to improve on IIS install for “unusual” setups.
  • By popular demand, the “Prevent Downloads” setting is now enabled by default (stops people “leeching” your music).

You can download it from here.

add-ins • Windows Home Server
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By on April 01st, 2010

A Windows 7 Media Center Install Guide

Windows Media Center MVP Pete Stagman has a great post on how he installed and configures his Windows 7 Media Center from start to finish.

Pete had to do a fresh install and decided to document the process, which includes a Raid 0 array, which is recommended when either recording 2 or more HD streams or when recording 3 or more standard streams at the same time. Having a Raid 0 array enables the hard drives to keep up with the amount of data continually being written to them and avoids a "bottleneck", where video or audio may start to skip or freeze.

Pete also includes the steps to install the Windows Home Server connector client onto Windows 7 Media Center as well as many tips, which you can read here.

Tutorial • Windows Home Server
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By on March 31st, 2010

DVBLink Version 2.1 Available

The DVBLink software allows your tuner cards to become network aware, allowing you for example to install the tuner cards into WHS and enabling you to watch TV in the lounge on Windows Media center which is accessing those tuners.

The DVBLink software has been updated with new features and fixes.

The major change in version 2.1 is that you can now have simultaneous playback of the same channel on multiple clients instead of just on one.

DVBLink TVSource

  • Added diseqc support for AnySee satellite tuners
  • Fixed CI control for TT3650 tuners (both CT and S)
  • Added diseqc support for TBS 6950 and TBS 6980 tuners
  • Added "Retry tuning on no signal lock" feature
  • Made "Stop streaming on Idle" optional. This has caused some tuners to report "0 services found" during scan
  • Added WinTVCI support
  • Increased size of decoding buffer when working with ffdecsa.dll. This brings performance improvement of almost 50% (depending on CPU).
  • Added new cable transponder listings and updated several existing (both sat and cable)
  • UI localization in English, German, Danish, Spanish, Ukrainian, Russian and French
  • User manuals in English, German, Danish, Spanish, Dutch, Russian and French

DVBLink Server Network Pack

  • Added simultaneous playback of the same channel on multiple clients
  • Added generation of "Tuner busy" stream when there are no tuners available
  • Improved channel change speed on WD TV Live (HD media player) when it is used as a upnp client of DVBLink Server. The channel change time has gone from 30-45 seconds to 12-18 seconds.
  • UI localization in English, German, Danish, Spanish, Ukrainian, Russian and French
  • User manuals in English, German, Danish, Spanish, Dutch, Russian and French

If you are upgrading from a previously installed version use the enclosed bat files within the download package. Upgrade the server first, followed by upgrade of source(s) and network pack/client(s). You will also need to enter DVBLink Server host name/IP address again on the client computer after upgrade.

You can grab the latest version from here.

Other Software • Windows Home Server
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By on March 31st, 2010

Another ASUS TS mini Home Server Review

SmallNetBuilder has a review of the Asus TS mini Home Server.

The review looks at the unit, both inside and out as well as looking at the value added software Asus has included on top of the Windows Home Server platform.

Asus Xtor Manager

Asus WebStorage

Specifications and performance charts for file copy read/write performance are also included.

…the TS mini is a good alternative for those looking for a Windows Home Server machine with more internal storage and more external storage options than HP’s LX195. It’s rougher around the edges than HP’s offerings..

You can read their review here.

News • Windows Home Server
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By on March 31st, 2010

Don’t Get a Drobo Build a Server

Don’t Get a Drobo (Build a Server) is a post by Ian Aleksander Adams, who states:

…I’ve also recommended the Drobo product in the past. After lengthy use, I’m revoking my recommendation entirely.

Make some kind of home server out of an old shell or buy something that doesn’t use a proprietary data format. Yes, the little “storage robot” is easy, but it is also practically impossible to troubleshoot on your own. The Drobo worked (on and off), but once the warranty is out (and you can only renew – with paying – for three years), all they will tell you to do is buy a new one if your unit fails. Even if the failing unit hasn’t accidentally destroyed your data, the hard drives and all your data are useless until you give in and buy a new unit.

Instead Ian recommends to just build a small tower server and set it up with either Amahi, Ubuntu, or Windows Home Server, because as Ian states:

When the damn thing dies (and it will), you can figure out what part to replace or at least access your drives

Ian’s post is available here.

News • Windows Home Server
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By on March 31st, 2010

Backup, Share, Listen and Watch – The Librarian Explains

The Shifted Librarian (also known as Jenny Levine) decided it was time to investigate a centralized backup solution, a way to listen to her music collection from anywhere, and the ability to listen to different music in different rooms of the house.

Ideally she also wanted similar access for her video, with an easy way to watch YouTube and Hulu etc on the TV and stream Netflix to it too.

Windows Home Server came to the rescue in the form of the HP MediaSmart EX485 Server for her sharing and backup needs and Orb was used for the remote access of music, pictures, and video.

orb-interface

Streaming Netflix videos to watch on the TV, was handled by the Xbox 360, whilst YouTube was handled by the PlayOn software.

Jenny achieved much more which you can read about in her post here.

News • Windows Home Server
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By on March 30th, 2010

Asus TS mini Home Server Arrives in Japan

The Asus TS mini Home Server in now available to the Japanese market.

Asus TS mini Home Server

It finally has reached Japan (26 March 2010), and costs 49,800 Yen ($536).

Powered by an Atom N280 1.66GHz processor, with 1GB of RAM (Max 2), 1TB of HDD (3.5”), an Intel 945GSE Express Card, Gigabyte Ethernet, 6x USB 2.0 ports and two e-Sata, it weighs just 2.7 kg and its total size is 245×96x204mm.

More details (in Japanese) are available here.

News • Windows Home Server
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By on March 30th, 2010

Mislabeled MediaSmart Server 3.0 Discs

Some MediaSmart Server 3.0 Upgrade users received their discs with the labels on the PC restore disc and server recovery disc swapped, naturally causing confusion.

The error has now been corrected which affected North American English 3.0 upgrade discs for the EX470/EX475 series only. No other models, countries, and languages were affected. 

If your set of discs is mislabeled, then it will be like this:

  1. Software Installation Disc = Software Installation Disc
  2. Server Recovery Disc = PC Restore Disc
  3. PC Restore Disc = Server Recovery Disc

More details are available from here.

News • Windows Home Server
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By on March 30th, 2010

TV series Designing Spaces to Feature WHS

The Windows Home Server team have filmed a 10-minute feature story for the national TV show Designing Spaces, the show for homeowners and do-it-yourself enthusiasts.

Entitled “Innovations for the Connected Family, Solutions for Managing and Protecting Your Media”, it was filmed to educate families and home office users about Windows Home Server.

It features Senior Product Manager, Mark Pendergrast who overviews Home Server and does some short demos as well as talking to Jim and Cindy Combs for their love of Windows Home Server.

The show will begin airing on April 9, 2010 nationwide which includes: The Learning Channel (TLC), Womens Entertainment (WE), and Network affiliates for: ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX. The segment will also stream 24 hours a day on the www.designingspaces.tv website.

The Windows Home Server Team also has some flip-cam, behind the scenes filming of the day on their site as well as the full program schedule available on their site.

News • Windows Home Server
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By on March 30th, 2010

LAN Driver Package for Easier Recoverys

If you have ever needed to restore your Windows Home Server you would have inserted the recovery cd and carried on the recovery process from there.

If you are one of the unlucky ones, your LAN device may not have the necessary drivers on the CD and the restore process will pause waiting for you to specify the drivers location.

But now life has just got a little bit easier courtesy of Tranquil PC, who have placed almost all available LAN drivers into a 68meg download package, from the following driver makers:

  • ADMtek
  • Atheros Communications
  • Attansic
  • Bigfoot
  • Broadcom
  • Intel
  • Jmicron
  • Marvell
  • Nvidia
  • Realtek
  • SIS
  • VIA

This now makes it easy for you to place them onto a USB flash drive for an easier recovery experience – Great stuff!

You can grab the package from here.

News • Windows Home Server
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