Just recently bought the Western Digital ShareSpace NAS 2TB and got another 2 x 1TB Caviar Green WD HDDs into the ShareSpace NAS, totalling 4TB.
















Some of the components are already in place. The 3 Apple TVs have been serving movies and music from the Time Capsule, but it is running out of space fast. 290 movies at 690GB, 4066 audio titles and music videos at 24.6GB, 45 TV Shows at 225GB, 114GB worth of vacation/home movies and 11GB worth of photos in varying resolutions, spread between the 320GB internal notebook HDD on the Macbook White and the 1TB Time Capsule, and it's coming to the last few remaining GBs on storage space. Time to move up.

Phase 1 - To configure RAID 5 on the 4 x 1TB WD Caviar Green HDDs, to prep them to receive the related medias.(movies, TV Shows, music, photos, essential/sensitive datas).The ShareSpace will be formatted to RAID 5, and still in the process at this moment, and only projected to finish the RAID process in 17 hours. Once that is done, the projected space available will be around 2.68GB, with both the protection of striping and mirroring.

Phase 2 - To relocate all the movies(DVDs or home vacation), music, photos, and TV Shows to the ShareSpace.

Phase 3 - Linking them to iTunes is also required so that they appear right on iTunes, with correct links pointing to the WD ShareSpace, with tagged album art/movie poster and song/movie/TV Show infoappearing correctly, will take another sizable chunk of time.

Phase 4 - It would also be important to test to see if all these transferred media, stream right to all three Apple TVs around the house.

Phase 5 - Once all that is in place, hopefully the Time Machine backup residing on the 2TB MyBook will not take that long to complete.

At the moment, is on Phase 1.Time to dig in the heels, get to work, and *pray* nothing goes wrong, else I'd be losing a lifetime worth of work/data.

The hopeful end result would be automated backup system running in tandem with the video-on-demand media serving capabilities between the Apple TVs and their storage containers(ShareSpace) working smoothly. The target objective is to have a pseudo-VOD-like system not unlike the hotel pay-per-view system, with vast array of selection of entertainment medium at the fingertips of the end user(or at the tip of their Apple Remote ). I'm not holding out much on the wired/wireless capabilities of using the WD ShareSpace as a scratch disk for video editing, but if that turns out to be somewhat manageable, then that would be a bonus. In the end, I hope I dont need to look into larger storage solution until much, much later. Thus, is the curse of an Apple TV user with library size spiralling out of control.

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Dec 3 2008, 06:38 PM

Omg so complicated for me to understand =.=

3 Apple TV? Omg even 1 I can't afford =.=

all those GB numbers driving me crazy =.=

Massive setup and time consuming data relocation. Good luck on your project.
I'm too lazy & poor for all that.

Yikes! Looks like a lot of work...

I just want a second AppleTV to show family photos on the dining room TV when we have the extended family over.

The living room Apple TV is the one where the movies are loaded onto. Don't really want to watch movies anywhere else but the living room.

And I completely refuse to have a TV in the bedroom....

Yikes and time consuming indeed. Phase 1 completed, RAID 5 clocking at 2.68GB. Enter Phase 2, transferring the data from Time Capsule and the iTunes folder from the Macbook White to the ShareSpace. Time til completion? 46 freaking hours! Sigh.......

Wait I'm a dummie guy, so your plan is to stream your videos using your Time Capsule by using another hard-drive? WOW! uhh still confused lol.

I plan to stream all iTunes-related contents via the Time Capsule, yes. The beauty of a NAS (ShareSpace) is that it acts like a connected external portable hard drive when it is attached to the Time Capsule via Gigabit Ethernet.Like a portable hard drive, you have access to all type of data, not just movies, music or the likes. And when the ShareSpace NAS is connected to the Time Capsule, the Time CApsule broadcasts its contents to all components you see in that diagram there, including the Apple TVs, which would arrange them as per how they are seen in the iTunes inside the Macbook White (also connected in the network to the Time Capsule), and present them as Front Row-like interfaces easily navigate-able by using the Apple Remote.

Think of it like Astro, only difference is, I choose my contents. And of course, not service disruption when it is raining outside.

Dear Stringfellow,

So in total how much is the total price for the hardrives & stuff. Umm oh yeah do you require mac to be online to to stream the video, Your idea is really great !!

Dear iAce,

Yes, you need a Mac to be on to do so. Reason being, the Apple TV needs to use A Mac's iTunes library to be used as reference content to choose from. I can choose to sync the Apple TV with some content, but the largest HDD on an Apple TV without modification is 160GB. Not big enough in my books.

So, in my configuration, I'm using the Apple TV as Streaming receiver, 3 Apple TVs connected to 3 different TVs throughout my household. If I choose to, I can offer different amount of content for those 3 different Apple TVs, or use Parental Locks if I want to, since all my movies and TV Shows are tagged with ratings(R, MA, PG-13, etc). At the moment, I'm just planning to spread them evenly and offer all three Apple TV all the content available.

I just realized something. With all the content relocated to the Sharespace, I can finally add another type of download into my daily routine: Podcast. I had deferred downloading podcast in the past, because of space constraints. Not anymore!

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Added on December 4, 2008, 9:09 pmTo answer your question, the Mac just need to be on, not online. The Apple TVs need a reference library to stream from, and the links are inside the iTunes inside the White Macbook. I don't have to turn on the White Macbook if I choose to sync (copy) selected content into the Apple TV's hard drive, but there is not much you can put inside the Apple TV's small size HDD. Therefore, I choose to "relocate" the "HDD" into the ShareSpace, and stream it over to the Apple TVs. This mode requires the White Macbook to be turned on.

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Dec 4 2008, 09:09 PM

Haha a very complicated process for a 16 year old. Anyways good luck with your idea.

PS : I got it.

you setup is my dream, but mine idea setup is much more simple.

PS3 + Apple Tv (hacked) + Netgear NAS + wireless N MIMO
- Mainly cause of PS3, listen to music using ps3 is quite fun cuz the visualizer (the earth) very nice.
- Reason why choose Netgear NAS, simply it can direct set torrent in and download with on my computer all the time.
- Hack apple tv, as i read gizmodo b4, hack version can do alot thing.

but dunno when can I make it happen.
(Ps3 also ship back to japan, with my brother right now)


1 question, in this kind of sharing network setup, it's very important to use RAID?
or else will be lag?

how much Aussie dollor it costs for these setups


This post has been edited by cRazYee: Dec 5 2008, 10:25 AM

A few problems with that setup, to me at least.

The PS3 requires me retagging the music I have to allow the album art to show. I am a perfectionist, and I would not rest until I get things right, and having that little thing called album art, is important to me. I set this up as if I will be evaluated by a tender approver , so it has to be perfect to my own self-imposed standards. I know to some it is enough already to have just the contents appearing, even if they are only appearing in list text form. But this is more for my own self-satisfaction and i hope it makes my guests coming over during movie/TV show nights feel like they have fun using them without complicated instructions.

uPNP on PS3 requires me to retag all the music , and the interface is kinda lifeless to me. Plus I do more than just music. TV Shows and Movies with synopsis, info like actors, directors, date produced, so all this would not appear correctly on uPNP device. I've tried uPnP with Medialink and EyeConnect, pairing it with PS3, but the result is bland, to say the least.

I don't torrent, my media downloads comes primarily from iTunes itself, so pairing a Mac with an Apple TV is a no-brainer. I all for hacking the AppleTV, but my need for a hacked Apple TV only comes for the need for Boxee, which now connects to Hulu.com video streaming service. I don't download TV Shows unless they are shows that I really want to keep, and if I do, I get them through iTunes. TV Shows on iTunes come ONE day after they are broadcasted on their respective network in the States, and I like their quality to be perfect, not with advertisement scrolling at the bottom of them screen, or things like that. If it is a show I'd like to watch but not keep, I watch them streamed from Hulu.com, that way, I abide all the copyright rulings, and still get them fast. Just my opinion.

RAID is very important to me, especially RAID 5, since all these contents are purchased from iTunes, and if I lose them, I cannot redownload them again, unless I repurchase them. So keeping them safe requires RAID 5, which combines the speed and mirroring of RAID 1 and 0.

As for the price, I only bought the ShareSpace NAS in Melbourne, for AUD799. The other two 1TB WD CAviar Green was purchased in Lowyat, for RM720. The rest of the components you see in that setup diagram, is already in place.

oh, you remind me of music tagging problem with sony system,
untill today, i still dont how to settle with that, even though psp 1.
that;s why psp just for gaming, as the screen quality damn lousy.
iphone works better

Apple tv: ya, hacked for Boxee.

RAID 5 is it combines all the drive together? 5 drives to 1 partition?

looks like buy bluray sudah.... better quality
uk here damn cheap now. Batman the dark knight just 15 pounds

but as a student now, dunno when can happen all these thing\

just read your signature,
woa!
Sony SEP-10BT Sony Rolly + Sony DR-BT50 BT Headphones | Grado SR60

actually is the Rolly fun?
i tried once b4 in Japan @ Sony Concept centre, Ginza. but like.........????
but it's very beautiful, especially, the red color special edition 1

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Added on December 8, 2008, 8:49 ambro, wanna ask something out of topic.
how do you align your signature to center?

This post has been edited by cRazYee: Dec 8 2008, 08:49 AM

I've tried Boxee before, but the fact that Hulu block all non-US IP addresses, totally makes Boxee installation on Apple TV worthless.

RAID 5 is RAID 1 and RAID 0 combined. In my case, let say if I chose to format the 4 1TB drives to RAID 0, I would have the system see it as a large singular 4TB storage space. File access speed is also increased from this configuration. But if there are problems later and one of the drives kaput, I lose all other drives in the RAID array, and losing 4TB worth of data is not something I'd look forward to. Next would be RAID 1, which mirrors the drives, basically carbon-copying one another. In this case, a RAID 1 array on my config will result in a 2TB storage space only since the other 2TB is used to check parity and repair the other drives should one of them fail. Basically, it allows recovery of data from other still working drives. RAID 5 combines RAID 0 and RAID 1, which means it has the speed of RAID 0 and the redundancy of RAID 1, so I'm covered on both ends.

Yup, I buy Blu-rays too, but for independent movies, rom-com (don't look at me, ask my better half ), or other type of movies that I feel that it is not worth buying Blu-ray for, I buy them either in DVD format, or in lots of cases now, I buy them off iTunes. I also collect 4 TV shows, Family Guy, South Park, Lost and Heroes, so these shows I have bought season passes from iTunes, and they are downloaded into my system 1 day after they are broadcasted on US network television. The rest of the shows that I do watch, like House, Fringe, and the rest, I don't download them, I watch them via streaming from Hulu.com. That way, I save on storage space, I obey the copyright laws, and still able to enjoy the most current shows on American TV network.

I strictly buy Blu-rays on titles that showcases good image quality or outstanding audio quality. I don't waste my money buying Blu-rays on sitcoms of rom-coms or movies that dont show great scenes, or audio capabilities. (although sometimes my better half breaks that rule with her own choice of purchases like The Devil Wears Prada........women! ).

As for the Rolly, I use it as a living room talk piece. It is so hard not to notice it when it is docked on its docking station sitting on the center of the coffee table or the living room table, and not getting asked what it is. Once I pair it with my NWZ-A820 16GB Sony Walkman via Bluetooth, the Sony Rolly becomes 2 things: a Bluetooth speaker with DAMN GOOD bass/volume, as well as a dancing robot! That livens up any evening that I have guest over, they love seeing the little bugger dance. I don't keep my songs inside the Rolly, so the lack of storage space issue does not matter to me, because I stream the audio via Bluetooth from the 16GB Sony Walkman. The NWZ-A820 + SEP-10BT + DR-BT50 = match made in heaven! I got them in 3 different places, the Rolly in Osaka, the Walkman in Singapore, and the BT Headphones in KL. Phew!

To align any text to center, use this code:-



Replace whatever text you want centered in there.

Which broadband are you using that you're apple watch video streams from Hulu?

With all your season passes, you must be stocking up on those iTunes gift cards

Hulu video streams while in KL is painful to say the least. I have to cache it first, before hitting the play button if I'm using Streamyx. It really takes off when I'm at work. Places that I go, like Osaka and Tokyo, as well as European destinations all have blazingly fast Internet connection, so watching Hulu there is like pressing the play button on any movie playing software.

Yup, believe it or not, I've breached the USD1000 mark on the stuff I've bought from iTunes. And I still have Lost Season 5 season pass to buy.

Wow string bro.... your house is almost fully digitalized welcoming home.
I really amazed with the whole concepts you have to make it all digital+wirelessly

running RAID 5, I thought it would be great if you are having at least 3 hard disc in order to make to work better, which is the minimum requirements for RAID 5, if I'm not wrong about it.

I thought that stuffs purchased from iTunes can be re-download once we lost it, like Application/Games for iPhone/iPod Touch. Is it only movies, TV Shows and musics cannot be re-download if we purchased via iTunes ?

I wonder if those all devices are ON 24-7 ? With your huge collections in your NAS, it really suits perfectly for the use of Wireless and Remote features available in Tech World.

If I were your honoured guest to be able to your 'digital world'.... I think I will be totally stunned and speechless.

Anyhow... it is a good start for you (and for the rest of us to know how technology can helps us to make our dream comes true).

just looking at this thread also kena stun d lar no need to go his house

I've been trying to emulate those smart home concepts I see on movies and TV shows, but I don't want to spend a ton to do so. This way, I still have control over what component I use, and how much money I spend on doing so. If I had the money, I'd be splurging on the Kaleidescape Home Theater setup, and no having to worry a thing about setting things up as such.



The price of this setup? In the millions, so I think I'll stick with my own, thanks. There are TWO Malaysian dealers of this ultra-high-end setup, but I dare not even try and look them up and see if they allow a demonstration of the system.

RAID 5 needs 4 HDDs as minimum, well, that's what WD says in their manual for the ShareSpace.

Apps and games are redownloadable from iTunes, but not movies, TV Shows and music. Reason being, you can claim loss of content, but you can set up your iTunes account on a different computer and redownload it there if Apple allows redownloads of these contents. This is akin to piracy. With apps and games, they are tied to an iTunes account AND an iPhone/iPod Touch, so no hanky-panky there.

These devices are on when needed. I can leave them on 24/7 and allow remote management, but seeing how Malaysian weather being prone to lightning storms, I'm not too keen on playing chicken with God when it comes to my Terabytes of content.

This project is mainly done to make my guests at ease when they come over for movie/TV Show nights. One day, I'd like to be able to entertain them, hosting a movie or TV Show premiere at my place, at the ease of simply flicking a switch or a press of a button. At the moment, there are still rough spots, but it is on the way.

We usually have the Lost TV Show premieres with my other Lost fanatic friends, and seeing how Lost is coming back on Season 5 on January 21st, I have to get this done by that date. Heroes, not so much, but if they want, and when they decide it's my turn to host, I'll put it on, or any other Blu-ray titles I've just purchased. Different groups with different interest, some like movies and TV Shows, others love games. The gaming crowd would come mostly on games that are rare and/or fun to play on multiplayer, such as the recent Super Street Fighter II Turbo High Definition Remix on PS3/PSN. Otherwise, it is much more convinient if we only play each other while multiplaying online on Playstation Network or Xbox Live.

Don't worry, I keep a spare defibrillator handy. You stunned and pengsan, I shock you back to life......but outside the compound of the house lah. Nanti stun again.

Thanks for the detail info about stuffs purchased from iTunes.

With your own 'digitalize' entertainment concepts already blow me away... kudos ! And I believe you have done so many of research and gathering information.

Can't wait to see the rest of the phases' progress, while you trying to build them up.