Home Media Server with HTPC - MBS setup question

[whitman27 1]

Hi Everyone,

This may sound like a stupid question and I think I have my answer but I want to make sure.

I am in the process of completing the build of my actual Media Server, that is running Windows Home Server 2011 with FlexRaid.  Using Drive Pooling and a Partiy Drive for backup.

Also I have 2 HTPC's setup that are in 2 different rooms.

 

In the past I have only run 1 computer and it had server and MBTheatre running on the same machine.

 

Part of mne thinks the best setup is install server on each HTPC and map to the actual Media Server Shared folders, and install MBT on each HTPC also.

 

or should I be installing MBServer on the actual server and doing the HTPC setups differently?

 

Soprry if this seems rather stupid of a question.

Cheers

Whit

 

[Logos302 86]

If you have a server on each machine you loose watch status.  I would run a server that handles the server part, and then connect to it with your HTPC when needed.

[pritch33 5]

I used to run separate  servers as the wife mainly watched her TV shows/Movies on her end of the house and I up my end. But now find it it easier to run one server for maintenance side of things We do have each PC to auto log in as separate users and most of the main viewing we watch together is done at my setup. It comes down to how many users if you like to login each time, there seems a lot of variables but Im sure I am always doing it the hard way

[fraenhawk 58]

I run one server that does all the downloading, and MBS does the organizing and media serving and then run three HTPCs (plus wifi tablets) throughout the house. As @@pritch33 said, much easier to maintain one set of media. I have an adults and kids account, the playroom HTPC auto logs in as kids but I can still switch manually from inside MBC, the other two HTPCs auto login as adults (but also can switch). I can manage everyone's settings from a single MBS web interface, even from work. With the separate PCs, no you DO NOT need to map the shares to them at all. your MB client (I use MBC not MBT) talks to MBS and it takes care of displaying the libraries to the client. What you were describing with directly accessing the shares is how MB2 worked (there was no centralized server component).