Video server

[HewittC4]

One of my goals is to have a nice video server to store all my DVD's on. I currently have a little over 150 discs and buy 3 or 4 new movies each month(average 2 discs per movie). My DVD player is a 400 disc changer, which is nice because I don't have to physically change the discs, but it is very slow and takes almost as long to change discs as if I were to physically change the discs.

I want to build a computer that will store DVDs on the HDD,and play my movies on the TV. I have recently seen machines like these at home shows, but the HDD space is always really small (approx. 400GB.) I have also heard about the software being available for Linux to do this.

How much hard disk space do you think I will need? What components would you use? What software is available to do this? I would prefer Windose, only because I am not that familiar with Linux yet. Am I dreaming or do you think it would work? Is that the MPAA and RIAA at my door right now? :eek:

Thanks

[pave_spectre]

Sounds like you want something lke VideoLAN (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/).

It can be used to stream many different formats, as well as actual DVDs. Plus it has a windows version.

How much hard drive space will be required depends on what format/quality you choose to store the DVD's as.

[saphalline]

How much hard disk space do you think I will need?
Ballpark figure? My guess is at least 300GB for mediocre recording quality (and your current library), and at least 1TB for higher quality with room to grow. If you go through with this, expect to buy a large case and many hard drives.