media server questions

[FraGGleR]

Ok, I managed to get ahold of a throwaway pc from work which has a p3 550 processor and 256mb of pc100 ram. Obviously this has no sata ports. I am going to try to use this as the basis of a media server. I don't think I am going to have this do anything other than host and distribute my movies. The main questions I have are what types of drives and controllers (if needed) should I go with. My wife and I just purchased a townhouse in MD and will be dead broke for probably the next year so super duper budget is the consideration right now. I thought about grabbing a Seagate 500gb IDE hdd from outpost ($190) and starting with that. The thing that bugs me is buying IDE when SATA is the norm. If I went SATA, I would need a PCI card plus the extra cash for a SATA drive. This doesn't fit in with the cheapest route possible that I am trying to follow. I am not really worried about RAID right now even though most of you use it. In an ideal world I would build a newer server later down the line based on modern cpu and connections and would love it if my hdds could move along.

So should I buy for current need (just a single ide hdd) or for possible future upgrades (SATA hdd)? Thanks!

 

[IDversusEGO]

IDE is still just fine for media storage. The data bandwidth required for movies is pretty low. And a better use of money would be 2 of the 300gb seagates for $89 at outpost right now.

 

[valve1138]

What ID said. The best bang for the buck right now is still 300 gig drives.

Also, you can pick up an inexpensive SATA card for less than $30.

So for the cost of two 300 Gig drives and a controller you come out to maybe $220 pre-shipping.

Or just get two 300 gig PATA drives, which is totally fine, that interface isnt going away anytime soon.

 

[rayman2k2]

yeah what they said, besides once you aren't broke, then you can start worrying more about it.

my HTPC has only IDE and no complaints here. besides, it'll probably be network limited...