All in one: NAS server, Plex server and Plex client

[zbeegniev]

Recently my brother asked me for advice regarding NAS solutions. I myself have two Synology units (DS715 and DS212) but he was looking for something which would perform just as well as the DS715 while costing significantly less.
So I suggested a custom build with specs as follows:

• ASRock Q1900DC-ITX motherboard
• 2TB WD RED hard drive
• 4 gigs of RAM

Case wise, we couldn't agree on anything off the shelf that would meet both size and capacity requirements and when he showed me this 1985 Philips VCR on an Internet auction I told him I could make it work.

This VCR turned out to be perfect for this - lots of real estate with some good ventilation. Not wanting so much space go to waste I decided to throw in a Rasbperry Pi running RasPlex.

If I was building it for myself, I'd most definitely try unRaid and run Plex client off of the ASRock motherboard but since this build is my brothers who lives some 4 hrs drive away, I figured a dedicated hardware running plex client would be a better choice.

I gutted out the VCR.

Made aluminium frames for both PCBs and put some threaded inserts where screws go in.

I did all the wiring reusing the power and reset tactile switches and fixed a pair of power and hard drive activity LEDs. Made two frames to hold a pair of hard drives (mounting only one for the time being) and put everything together.

Hope no one will mind me posting this educational video (I know at least one person who could learn a thing or two from it *cough*Luke*cough*). I did read the rules a few times and I think I should be good but I know you can never be sure about anything  

 

 

[Samishere]

That's beautiful work, dude. Really creative. Excellent job!

[corbetto]

Thats a wicked build dude!

[babadoctor]

olol nice

[Jarsky]

Awesome work on the mod, and fantastic video.
It really makes you imagine all the possibilities of what you could do with repurposing an enclosure like that

[zbeegniev]

Thanks guys, really appreciate your comments