[SOLVED] HTPC vs NAS

[Oasis Curator]

I have a second PC that functions as a HTPC. It's got a couple of programs like media centre master and vlc but that's it.

I'm wondering whether a nas would be better for moving files from another PC and connecting to my TV for watching movies and stuff?

How would I navigate round the NAS through the TV?

 

[Lutfij]

A NAS would be a viable option if you have multiple folks in the residence/crib accessing data. Also, a NAS tends to be lower powered when compared to an HTPC which might have beefy hardware or will be having a higher power draw.

Depends, what NAS are you looking at?

 

[Oasis Curator]

None particularly as they've all been very low in storage space for what I have at the moment - 12GB.

But then again, it won't be "on" all the time so perhaps a low powered PC is still the route I should take.

 

[USAFRet]

An HTPC and NAS can complement each other nicely. That is exactly what I have.

Low power PC, simply to play out to the TV. VLC, browser for Netflix or Amazon, etc, etc.
2 x 120GB SSD's.

Also, a NAS for mass storage. 50TB of spinning drives. QNAP TS-453a.
24TB in the main NAS, 16TB in the attached TR-004, and another 11TB in another USB enclosure.
This holds, among other things, the movies and music.

The HTPC sees that as simply a mapped drive, and plays directly out to the TV.
The Qnap can, in theory, play directly out to the TV. I just haven't set that up yet.

The NAS, of course, does other things as well. Holding the backups from all the house systems, and other shared storage space.
And that Qnap has a tiny power draw. It is on 24/7.