use WHS for video encoding and conversion

T

theinv

Limp Gawd
Joined
Apr 17, 2008
Messages
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Since most WHS systems runs 24/7 but spend most of the time idle, has anyone try video encoding on their WHS box? It would be a great way to utilize the WHS.
 
Personally, I aim for my WHS system to use as little power at idle and as such it's mostly powered by a less perfect processor for encoding :

edit: but if your WHS setup does has the power for it, then I don't see anything wrong with it
 
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Yeah as long as it's got the nutz, I don't see why not. Might want to dedicate a drive or two to the job though.

Dustin
 
I've been considering the same thing, the server is running 24/7 and overnight, I don't care about speed, but I'd rather have my WHS box doing the encoding vs. my main desktop encoding the files vs leaving both comps on. That and I can remote into the box and continue to monitor the encoding process, adding files to the queue that way my collection gets encoded. Once I've archived everything, it would return back to lower power idle. That and I get to use my main comp while I'm encoding vs hogging up all my CPU resources.
 
I'd thought about all the wasted time on my WHS box as well, but over night is when my machine does all the computer backups, and updates the Parity disk. Those are usually the only times the CPU goes over the 800Mhz idle speed, and even then only upping itself to 1600Mhz.
 
dustNbone said:
Yeah as long as it's got the nutz, I don't see why not. Might want to dedicate a drive or two to the job though.

Dustin
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yes, that's what I am thinking.

I can have a few drives in WHS but don't add them to storage pool. My cpu is pentium dual core, not very powerful, but good enough for encoding job. I don't mind it runs a few more days than usual to get the job done.

What I am not sure is how compatible those video encoding software are with the WHS.
 
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theinv said:
What I am not sure is how compatible those video encoding software are with the WHS.
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It will work just fine, its runs on server2003/XP codebase.

I do encoding on mine, i just have an extra 2x 640gbWDs in RAID0 outside the pool for my encoding.

Actually i am upgrading my whole production WHS atm to Dual e5530's. 16 cores should be plenty right :)
 
nitrobass24 said:
It will work just fine, its runs on server2003/XP codebase.

I do encoding on mine, i just have an extra 2x 640gbWDs in RAID0 outside the pool for my encoding.

Actually i am upgrading my whole production WHS atm to Dual e5530's. 16 cores should be plenty right :)
Click to expand...

Haha let me know how long it takes to encode a bluray rip. If it's sub 1 hour then definitely worth the investment :cool:
 
The only way this would make sense is if you limited your cores to running at idle speeds in the BIOS. Otherwise they're going to ramp up and use 3x the power or more.
 
Yeah, it works fine. I use a combination of MediaShrink (encoding to h.264 in MP4 format) and DirMon2 for monitoring the folders. I have a spare 250GB drive that I do all the work on. I run VideoRedo on my SageTV recordings from another system (usually my laptop) to create the commercial breaks, then move the files to the spare drive which is monitored so it will detect the files and automatically encode.

Of course, I'm running an Phenom X4 9750 so it has the horsepower. Yeah, the system probably draws more power than necessary most of the time, but I can encode a file, run ShowAnalyzer to do initial commercial cutting on two shows, and watch HD all at the same time....
 
Been using handbrake in the E6420 WHS. Not a speed demon by any means. Then again that is a 3 yr old or so CPU? However on the new i7 server I've just gotten lazy and been doing it in the underlying Server 2008 R2 OS. BTW if you wanted to do this, and maintain low power, look into the new 32nm chips. I have two i7 920 (one OC'd/ watercooled) systems, and have been more than happy with even the i3-530 performance.
 
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