Help and advice on building a media server

[laie_techie]

In essence, a Media Server is like any other computer server you would build - tons of RAM, HD, fast processor, fast network, etc. What sets a media server apart is the need for a BD drive and a server software which conforms to DLNA and / or UPnP (unless you want to actually play your media on the server and just have the video and audio routed through your receiver).

In order to get the kind of storage you're looking for, you will need to put several HDs together into a RAID. Research the various RAID levels to determine which is right for you 9including the capability to add more drives in the future).