HP launches new SmartMedia network storage servers

The new SmartMedia EX495 from HP.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)

I reviewed the HP MediaSmart LX190 a while ago, and though I wished it had more storage, I still gave it the editors' choice award for its great performance. And now both the storage and performance have been increased.

HP launched Monday the two new models of the MediaSmart EX490 and MediaSmart EX495 Home Servers, offering increased capacity, high-performance processors, and more features.

Similar to previous models, both new servers are based on the Microsoft Windows Home Server platform. However, they both now have a refined user interface and a Web-based home page that further facilitates accessing and using the server.

The servers also come equipped with 2GB of RAM and faster processors. The EX495 sports an Intel Pentium Dual Core CPU, while the budget-line EX490 runs an Intel Celeron CPU.

The first of these two models' new feature is a Video Converter that automatically converts video libraries; including unprotected DVDs. Users then can stream the video, as well as other digital content, from within the home network or over the Internet.

The second new feature is the Media Collector, which allows users to collect media by computer, media type, or file location. This features enable the SmartMedia server to automatically collect and organize media files from across Macs and PCs and store them on the server for later streaming.

HP MediaSmart EX495--photos

Other than that, both the EX490 and the EX495 offer additional features for Mac users, including administration, media collection, and a new disc recovery utility that provides complete recovery on a Mac using Time Machine.

iPod Touch and iPhone users can also download a free app called MediaSmart Server Stream from Apple's App Store to play digital media stored on a new SmartMedia server, be it music or photos or video.

Both new servers can support up to 4 SATA hard dives and a total of up to 7TB of internal storage, plus 10TB of storage via external hard drives (connected via USB and eSATA ports). They are, however, shipped with only one hard drive. The EX490 comes with 1TB of hard disk storage and costs $549, while the EX495 comes with 1.5TB and costs $699.

The servers don't support any RAID configuration but has a duplication feature that keeps data safe in case of hard-drive failure. The omission of RAID support also means you can use hard drives of different capacities with the new servers, without losing their storage space.

The new HP SmartMedia servers will be available by October, but you can preorder them starting today.

[wisers4me]

How could you give a NAS device without RAID (even if it is a home server) an Editor's Choice award? Having all your media on a NAS without RAID is about as safe as keeping it all on your computer without at least partitioning off a space for media. I know the point here is to centralize everything and make it easily accessible and I'll agree it probably does a good job of that. I just don't see how you could promote a product that doesn't have very good backup features. Duplication? How long could that take? Almost seems like a cop out, there's no reason they couldn't have put raid 5 in with a 4 bay NAS.

[Crematum]

I've been using an older one of these since they came out. Duplication basically spreads your files across the storage array and ensures that two copies of it exist at any one time on at least two different drives (assuming you have more than one drive installed). This feature can be enabled on a share-by-share basis. Works quite well. I had a drive go bad and didn't lose anything. It's a workable solution to keep these servers easy to use for an average home user who might not be technically inclined enough to setup RAID or understand it's benefits. I also have an external drive connected and use the backup feature to keep my server backed up to an external drive that I can easily unplug and access from any PC if server hardware were to die.

[ngodong]

Duplication is actually a very good backup mechanism and it's done without you knowing it once you have turned it on for particular folders. The LX195 got an EC award for its superb performance, which is, for now, still the fastest among home NAS servers. The review actually explains the reasons in detail, read it when you get a chance.

[heulenwolf]

Backup to USB or eSATA is great but they're just another collocated backup, susceptible to the same risks as the data on the server. What I'd really love to see these things make simple is site-to-site backup. They have the windows live site taking care of the dynamic IP and NAT traversal issues. They have apps for various offsite backup providers (e.g. jungledisk/amazon s3). Why not buy a second unit for Mom's house and use a few of those otherwise unused TBs of capacity to exchange backups over a VPN? That would truly add value and convince me to buy more than one.

[wisers4me]

Sorry, I haven't had a chance to actually try one of these out. If that duplication method works well, then it would have been nice to see a mention of how it's more than likely easier to use for a home user than setting up RAID. No biggie, I just thought it was some draconian method of hooking up another drive and copying to it, but if there is no hands-on part and you just plug it in, enable the feature and set the drive to dupe to, then I can see how it would be nice for home users. The 1.5TB@$699 is a very nice price point with a device coming from HP, and using Windows Home Server... might be my next jump in NAS device. I imagine they don't have an issue streaming HD video?

[heulenwolf]

With a Pentium Dual Core, I doubt the server would have a problem serving HD video to one user as long as no trans-coding is necessary. If you have multiple users all attempting to watch different content simultaneously, I think it might have some trouble. I think everyone's imagining that to be a rare scenario in the home, however.

The primary advantage I see in the automatic duplication scheme over RAID is that you don't have to match drives. You could, for example, buy an equally-priced drive every year to expand capacity. Round figures, a 500 GB drive two years ago cost about as much as a 750 GB last year and a 1 TB drive this year. It does the duplication regardless of the mixed drive capacities, allowing low-cost expansion. The added performance some high-end RAID hardware can provide is largely wasted on serving files to 1-2 users. The restrictions it places on expansion are less cost effective, too.

[twbrooklyn]

One of the best features is HD video streaming!!

[EricSyn]

I"m curious about this feature. First off, how well will it work on the lower end Celeron model?

Also, does this effectively mean that if I had ripped some of my DVD's to my MediaSmart Server, I could stream them to say, my XBox 360?

[troyoverton]

I'm looking for a device that will provide for user-rights managed content availability, and I would like to be able to take physical media away from the kids... they destroy DVD's like its going out of style. My only complaint is that I'll need to be able to manage the content and have the bandwidth to support streaming smooth video and audio to as many as 5 clients at the same time. The xbmc software has so far been an EXCELLENT option.

Right now... its a virtualized server that uses w2k3, a linux file server and a win7u64 RTM desktop. Seems like some things could be a little easier than that. But I have a PhD in overkill.

[Guido1435]

I bought the predecessor EX 485 about a month ago and have mucked around with it since then.

I wish there was something positive that I could say, but I am not happy with this device for the following reasons:

1. I have a mixed network that includes machines running XP, Vista, Win 7, Ubuntu Linux and Mac OS X. My main PC is a Macbook Pro. I cannot administer or in most cases, even connect to the EX 485 using OS X. Connection can be achieved but it can take 10-20 attempts and a lot of time. So I usually just don't bother. This thing inexplicably "won" some sort of Mac award when it was released. MS will not make Linux "connector" software.

2. I want to move large data/media files onto and off of the EX 485. However, if you connect a bare, eSATA or USB drive, it immediately attempts to format it. No override available. You cannot use a drive to server connection to import or export files. Only way to transfer data/media is via gigabit ethernet or remote connection. Small files are fine. Tried HD movie files in the 8gb range and after considerable time (15-30mins), getting 80-90% there, copy fails about 60% of the time. So my 2 terabyte collections will probably take a week, clog my network and most certainly will fail. Frankly, I do not know how to get my video media assets onto the server in a practical way.

3. Remote access to the server is a joke.Fast DSL connections on both ends, in the same city/same carrier, data transfer rate is slower than that achieved on a 1980's 1200 kb acoustic coupled modem.

4. Read the CNET review of the LG BluRay player that offers access to shared media files on a networked computer. Microsoft Home Server system requires that you install "connector" software on any device that wants to access the server. How do you install MS "connector" software on BluRay player?

What a great idea to be able to watch your PC shared media on your TV. Wonder why Microsoft and HP did not think of that application? Conclusion is that this thing has no future as more media devices become home network aware.

5. None of our Linux/MS office servers require "connector" software. MS Home Server is based on Windows 2003 Server. 2003 does not require "connector" software. Those systems do not automatically try and reformat any drive that you connect. Frankly, the sense you get with this system is that MS has made it so idiot proof that it is only useful for idiots.

6. Access is slow and cumbersome. Existing media server is an old Gen 1 Mac Mini, running basic Tiger with shared directories on USB drives. The workstations connect to it instantly and it often serves a file nearly twice as fast as the HP EX 485 on the same network. Absolutely no connection hassles ever. The EX 485, with internal SATA drives, faster dual core processors and gigabit ethernet, should have blown away my ancient Mac Mini. It didn't.

7. I am unimpressed with HP's lack of support to existing users - seems to border on contempt. This new model has a very modest hardware update to cheap processors that were available/cheap when the previous model was introduced. No matter, the hardware upgrades appear minimal. New model has significant software upgrades that apparently correct major dysfunctions in the previous model, but HP has made no announcement as to whether their existing user base will be eligible to obtain these software fixes. The hardware upgraded has no apparent compatibility/technological difference from the predecessor to preclude the software installation in the predecessor. Why are they ignoring their existing user base? I know it costs money, but if word gets out, surely will it not affect them from getting future sales?

8. This is supposed to be a media server. Most media is on DVD's and CD's. But you cannot import that data directly. You have to do a rip on a work station and then transfer it to the media server via ethernet. A ripped full length video file can take 15 minutes to transfer via gigabit ethernet.

My conclusion is that this thing does not handle large "media" files well and "smart" is not the first thing that I would call it. I also do not feel very "smart" for having purchased it.