I have a Mac mini running als server, 24/7.
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I also have a Macmini running 24/7. It's never been switched off in its life (except when it had internal HD failure). It is not the latest model but it is ok. It's also connected to 10.5gb of storage (5gb is used as a Time Machine backup)
I don't think it so unusual since with the ATV people usually use iTunes etc and Macs. These Linux NAS boxes scare me a bit.
An awful lot of people have Mac Minis and Iâm not convinced requiring people to have a NAS is any more friendly to new users than requiring people to have a computer (and in the case of a household with an Apple TV, quite likely a Mac). I donât think the 24x7 thing is such a big issue as itâs made out to be. I have a Mac Mini which I use as my âmainâ computer. Itâs set to sleep after a short while when Iâm not using it (rather than being fully powered down). I would imagine this is overwhelmingly the most common setup for a Mac. My current DVR solution is Elgato EyeTV and it runs on that Mac Mini just fine. The service thatâs installed with the software wakes the Mac automatically when thereâs a scheduled recording then sleeps it again when itâs done. I didnât have to set any of that up, it just works.
So while having a NAS option as well is clearly a great idea to cater for most common scenarios, I donât see that for those households with a Mac that the âalways onâ issue is an issue at all.
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My experience writing TCPIP Client/Server software (Command Line - No UI) there is very little difference between the Mac and Linux. The same code for Windows has a number of differences. So, assuming most (if not all) the UI is within the Apple TV I would not see a big issue with supporting both the Mac and some NAS Devices.
We have a server I built with unRAID and use dockers for everything. This makes docker support absolutely critical for me. I currently use an HDHomerunDVR docker for your channels beta and it works flawlessly! I hope to be able to do the same with your new implementation 
Can you link to your Dockerfile etc for your current setup?
From a cost perspective WD MyCloud is the best way to go. Using a MAC will be very expensive if you donât own one. Cloud based NAS might be great⌠Someday.
Unfortunately WD MyCloud makes no sense whatever for people who already own either a Mac or a different NAS. Nope, the Channels team have their work cut out needing to support multiple platforms simultaneously in order to have a large enough potential customer base who can buy in without major additional outlay on equipment.
But Iâm sure they already realise that!
I donât understand why you say that the mycloud makes no sense? Iâm a all Mac house and use a mycloud cause I donât want to leave my iMacs on 24/7.
Clearly mycloud makes sense for you since you already own one! I on the other hand have already spent several hundred pounds on a Synology NAS and nothing is going to persuade me to spend a further ÂŁ150 on a mycloud just to run Channels DVR. So if only mycloud were supported, Iâd be a lost customer. I do have a Mac, however, and would be very happy to run channels DVR on it (leaving it on 24x7 is a non-issue: it can just sleep, auto-wake to record then auto-sleep again afterwards). So supporting Mac and my cloud gains me as a customer again whilst keeping you as a customer too (whether you choose to run on Mac or mycloud)
If you extend the logic out beyond just you and me to all the various makes and models of NAS, the overwhelmingly most sensible route in terms of maximising customer base is to support Mac + as many different NAS platforms as possible. Because Mac is the one single platform that âcapturesâ the maximum number of households who either have no NAS or one of the tens of NAS models that inevitably will be on the âunsupportedâ list.
So then the only question becomes the priority order in which to support NASs in addition to Mac (which the developers have said theyâve already developed for anyway). And in answer to that, despite being a Synology owner I can see the logic of putting MyCloud at the top for the simple reason that if youâre a non-NAS, non-computer household thatâs the cheapest route in plus it has good market share amongst those households with a NAS.
I agree with you. I miss understood your original post. You didnât mean that MyCloud wonât work, but that it wonât work for you and other people that may have already spent a lot of money on different equipment.
The guys at channels have a big task ahead of them. I think the survey that they are running will play a relatively big part on hardware that they initially support. I hope everyone goes and votes in the survey so that they can get a good statistical feel for the equipment layout of the community.
Yeah I realised my post was confusingly worded. When I said âWD MyCloud makes no sense whatever for people who already own either a Mac or a different NASâ what I actually meant was âWD MyCloud makes no sense whatever for people who own either only a Mac and no NAS, or a different NASâ.
Iâm quite sure the team will do all they can to support a variety of divices. The poll just stands as a way for them to understand which ones are the most popular and to aim for the largest customer bases first. I wouldnât be surprised to see this rolled out on Mac and a variety of NAS simultaneously when the main launch happens. During the Beta stage I think weâll see it appearing on the Mac, then stagger across the NASâs in order of popularity.
Iâm sure weâll all be happy with the outcome in the end.
For anyone asking why they would write for the mac first, my guess is that its easier. These guys are iOS developers (obviously) and since the appletv, iphone and mac OS all can use the same language its a no brainer. Theyâll be able to crank out the mac much faster. In linux, Im guessing theyâll use C or C++. Im sure they know C as most developers start there but it may not be their everyday language.
Im on board with the NAS solution as I dont have a mac on 24/7 but it does make since why that would be first.
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My vote would be for FreeNAS / BSD support (this would likely dovetail nicely with developing MacOS and Linux support as well).
Those external hard drives look very sleek, which make/model are they?
- thank you
They are LaCie Porsche Design desktop drives. The darker PC version.
http://www.lacie.com/gb/en/products/desktop-storage/porsche-design-desktop-pc/
They are now an old model. I had a little trouble to get the 5Gb example recently. Since my Macmini only has USB 2 they are a bit slow but get there in the end.
I also use a 1Tb FireWire 800 drive for faster needs.
Add a vote for Mac, my Mac Mini stays on all day and I do not own a NAS(well other then a time capsule).
Docker Container for the Channels DVR to run in a NAS is an excellent idea (as long as it works) to reduce development costs.