![[H]ard|Forum](/styles/hardforum/xenforo/logo_dark.png){kind=logo}
SadTelevision8558
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2008
- Messages
- 133
I currently have a NAS running napp-it via ESXi. I set it up back in 2011 or so and I've let it run on its own. It also has a Windows 7 VM that's in charge of doing media downloads.
However more recently I've been wondering if I can have an HTPC as well. Part of my desire is to have a Windows device be able to output its screen to my TV. Makes it much easier if my friends are over and they want to watch content. It's easy to fire up a browser, etc, and Amazon Prime Video as well as Comcast Xfinity streaming works flawlessly through a browser.
I'm wondering if the possible ideas could work:
Option 1: Windows 7/10 install and then VirtualBox for FreeNAS or napp-it via OmniOS. This would be pretty easy because then I could just put a wireless keyboard on the coffee table as a remote, and it would be very easy to consume content through Windows.
Option 2: Struggle to figure out passthrough of GPU to my current Windows 7 VM. The integrated graphics doesn't passthrough currently, and it just sounds like a nightmare in general to get passthrough to work properly.
I'd like to note here I'm not a command line pro and would like to steer away from something too difficult to setup. I managed to get where I am so far reading a lot of blogs and posts here, but not 100% sure if I want something too complicated going forward.
Finally, I'd like to leave my system specs here:
However more recently I've been wondering if I can have an HTPC as well. Part of my desire is to have a Windows device be able to output its screen to my TV. Makes it much easier if my friends are over and they want to watch content. It's easy to fire up a browser, etc, and Amazon Prime Video as well as Comcast Xfinity streaming works flawlessly through a browser.
I'm wondering if the possible ideas could work:
Option 1: Windows 7/10 install and then VirtualBox for FreeNAS or napp-it via OmniOS. This would be pretty easy because then I could just put a wireless keyboard on the coffee table as a remote, and it would be very easy to consume content through Windows.
Option 2: Struggle to figure out passthrough of GPU to my current Windows 7 VM. The integrated graphics doesn't passthrough currently, and it just sounds like a nightmare in general to get passthrough to work properly.
I'd like to note here I'm not a command line pro and would like to steer away from something too difficult to setup. I managed to get where I am so far reading a lot of blogs and posts here, but not 100% sure if I want something too complicated going forward.
Finally, I'd like to leave my system specs here:
- Intel i5 3400
- 16gb DDR3 RAM
- Asrock Z77 Extreme4M mATX Motherboard
- 6x Samsung 2TB F4 in raidz2 configuration
- 1TB WD Blue (boot drive)
- IBM 1015 SATA Controller flashed in IT mode