Media Center for MP3 and DVD´s

1TB drives (Under $500 each) are available now... but I've looked at this problem also, and determined that using something like DVDlobby with the Sony ES DVD changers (which can support like up to 5 or 6 that can support like 400+ DVD's each) was way cheaper method and a huge time savings of burning all those dvd's.. Otherwise rip them and convert them to Divx and drop out all the soundtracks except what you are using and drop all the extras.. Video quality goes down and the processors requirements go up..

Otherwise you are looking for a DAS(Direct Attached Storage)/NAS (Network Attached Storage.. basically a linux server with large disc array)..

The biggest problem is if you rip 6 TB of stuff onto a Hardware raid you still need to back it up otherwise hardware raids fail periodically and you might have to rip everything again.. uggh..

These big disk arrays also generate lots of heat which means lots NOISE! and you can't hide this in a closet without ventilation!

Cytocycle

First of all TY. I am probably looking for a DAS, I know that is less than fun to get everything into the computer, but I would probably hook it up with the rest of the TV´s around the house. The problem that I have is to organize more than 1.200 DVD´s, if i put it into a computer the selection of movies and music is much better. I would still have all original copies. I have also looked into Media Centers, like the Origen S21T, in Europe you can buy this one with 3,5 TB and moneyworth (take a look at it, it is great). Anyway hard to decide what is best.

I have another question, using the Sony, am I able to label and categorize all the DVD´s???

Thanks in advance

Javier

I think a DVD megachanger is not really worth it. DVD menus are painful and slow...I can't imagine making a "playlist" frm movies or concerts - therefore it is very little effort to open the jewel case and load the DVD into the player (after all a movie lasts two hours...)

The reason I use CD Megachangers is that I can play any track I want whenever I want from my listening position (I use a wireless keyboard and I my selection is via an HDTV monitor hooked up to a PC that controls all the audio equipment). Each track is immediately available once the previous track ends (no delay) as the megachangers can be staggered. It only slows down to change a disc if you select a CD from the same changer to follow a track you are already playing in that same changer... basically it performs 95% the equivalent of iTunes at lossless setting without having to burn all my CD's. It is worth it to me as burning CD's is time consuming and I also worry like Cytocycle about hardware crash. (I don't really want to dedicate a noisy RAID system with full backup just for my music collection). OF course, I have been running this for five years.....i.e. I made this decision at a time when hard drives were much more epxensive.

Just my two cents....