New to Channels - have some choices to make as what to use as the DVR Server. Presently have it on my Synology DS718+ NAS (where video files are stored), I guess it works. Installed TV Everywhere as first try at adding stuff. Would like to know if some of my other items would make a better DVR server. Have a Synology DS916+. and a Mac mini A1347. Reading some of these topics it seems the Mac mini will make a better server. Your thoughts appreciated.
I had Channels on a DS918+ for years and it worked fine. However, newer models cannot transcode. So if you ever upgrade to a new Synology, you're out of luck. I just moved my installation to a Mac Mini M4 and O-M-God it was night and day! Transcoding and comskip are SO much faster. Your Mini is quite a bit older, so you won't experience the same level of improvement. But I suspect it will still be better than the Synology. And at least you have an upgrade path if you ever get a newer Mini.
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I have Channels on a 718+ too and it's running fine, but if you try to watch anything via the web UI or via remote streaming it will be very slow to start playing because those features require transcoding. The latest models will be the same: they are no longer powerful enough for Channels DVR if you need transcoding.
I'm sticking with the 718+ because it's a simple stable solution. For transcoding a Mac Mini A1347 would certainly perform much better than a Synology because it is an i5 while Synology CPUs are Celeron and similar, but in a recent thread a Channels DVR developer heartily endorsed the M1 Mac Mini and later:
Also there's this new wrinkle:
I recommend the dell tower plus running xubuntu. It has 2 sata bays and 2 nvme slots. It has more than enough power for transcoding and dell sells a version with ubuntu preinstalled so you don't have to pay for windows. I used to run a mac mini m1 back in my tivo days for ctivo but it had a lot of issues with samba. samba is essential to me as I run mcebuddy to process recordings and it wont run on a mac. I also like having a pcie nic as nics tend to fail. I also have a rtx 2000 ada installed but probably don't need it. I tend to like nvidia gpus for some odd reason. If I was rebuilding from scratch, I would probably go for the newer rtx 2000e ada single slot version so it does not take up an extra pcie x4 slot. I don't know if you are going to run docker for extra channels but I would only run that on linux as wsl tends to cause stability issues for me with long term use.
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FYI already have a mini M1 as my daily machine. Thinking of upgrading to an M4 in near future. So I guess the M1 would make a better DVR server.
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This is the way
I'm planning on sticking with my Synology. The system works great.
I'm using Iron wolf drives and all is running smoothly.
DS224+ with Channels for home. Plex lifetime for travel. Works great for me.
Depends on your needs. I started with and still use Synology NAS's because;
- I already had one (now two)
- It fit my needs
- I don't care about the speed of inaccurate comskip
- I'm the only one using it and I access it (6 CDVR Servers in docker containers) remotely with TailScale
I totally agree with what @chDVRuser is saying here. @rpvmlvol, you're going to need to determine what you're looking for a server to do, and what familiarity you have with various operating systems. There is no one perfect server for all needs and all users, and the responses you'll get will tend to be along the lines of "this works great for me".
Those sentiments may, or may not, match up with your needs. Many users are looking for the cheapest system they can find to meet their minimum requirements. Others will want systems with exceptional specifications, with the knowledge they'll be able to use those systems for many years to come. Some are interested in learning the ins-and-outs of various operating systems, others couldn't care less.
The Mac Mini is going to be the better platform for commercial skip processing, and transcoding, but will need to be on 24/7 if used for CDVR. If those things aren't important to you, and you like the idea of having everything server-oriented running on the Synology, and only want one system running round-the-clock -- then go with the Synology.
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Exactly.
It's like saying "I need a vehicle, what should I get"
You'll hear reasons for unicycle, bicycle, moped, kayak, atv, suv, mini-van, helicopter, jet, etc.
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With both a Synology and a Mac Mini, I would try using the Mac Mini for CDVR and store the recordings on the Synology. But I've heard that SMB mounts have issues on Macs, so wouldn't personally do it.
It's easy to backup/restore CDVR between devices if you follow the procedure.
I've moved my CDVR's both ways between bare metal and container installs and between different container installs. If you follow the procedure, it's pretty simple.
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