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HP MediaSmart Server EX490 and EX495: Q&A

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Get help and learn what you need to know about the HP MediaSmart Server EX490 and EX495

HP MediaSmart Server EX490 and EX495

What’s New in the EX490 and EX495?

A. The new MediaSmart Servers feature faster processors, with the EX495 sporting a Dual core Pentium, to optimize the extensive HP added software functionality of the products. They also have higher capacity out of the box.
EX490 – Intel Celeron 2.2 GHz processor and 1x 1TB SATA HDD
EX495 – Intel Pentium Dual Core 2.5 GHz processor and 1x 1.5TB SATA HDD
A. The new MediaSmart Servers have a new refined User interface and a more intuitive WHS Console (Admin interface), as well as more Mac features, Additional Video Converter functionality, and an enhanced Media Collector.

Interfaces – The User interfaces have been combined into one easy to navigate web based interface that can be accessed in the home, or by any computer on the internet. The Windows Home Server Console (for Admin) has a new look which features product tour pages, setup, system status, and info and configuration for the HP added software features like the HP Media Streamer, HP Media Collector, HP Video Converter, and HP Photo Publisher.

Macs – Both the new User interface and the WHS Console can now be accessed on the Mac. You can access files and features, and administer the MedisSmart Server from a Mac, however initial Server set up out of the box has to be done on a PC. The HP Media Collector will automatically copy and organize media files on your Mac, including iPhoto, iTunes, and iMovie libraries. There is also an improved bare metal recovery feature for Macs which will recover the O/S, applications, settings, and files in one step, utilizing the Mac OSX disk and a pre-prepared USB flash drive which contains the recovery commands for the system.



Video Converter – Create additional profiles aside from the default Full and Mobile profiles to directly match the viewing device. Define new profiles by which Server nested folders to monitor, how to handle multiple titles on a DVD, and the size and bit rate of the conversion.

The HP Video Converter converts your video library on the server (including unprotected DVD's) into a MPEG-4 (H.264) video format that will stream using popular streaming devices. It also creates a mobile version that you can download to play on your iPod, iPhone, PlayStation®Portable (PSP®), Zune® or other popular mobile devices.

HP Video Converter also supports some new formats and codecs, generally these are:
  • AVC video codec - enables conversion of videos from several HD camcorder manufacturers (Canon, Panasonic, Sanyo, Sony), and also from our output video format
  • AC3 5.1 audio codec - enables conversion of DVDs with 5.1 channel sound tracks; and also videos from several HD camcorder manufacturers (Canon, Panasonic, Sony). The Converter takes all 5 channels from the AC3 5.1 and matrixes the five channels into stereo (two channels)
  • MKV file format - a new, popular format for high def videos on the internet
Media Collector – Now enable collection of photos, music, or videos individually for each computer. Drill down and select specific folders to collect from on each computer. Media Collector has been optimized to perform more of the collection processing on the server vs the client, and provide more status information to the customer … and it collects from Macs.

And of course the new MediaSmart Servers contain and build upon the core WHS features, as well as the HP added software features for the Mac, and the HP Media Streamer, iStream app, HP Media Collector, HP Video Converter, HP Photo Publisher and more.
A. The EX495 has a powerful Intel Pentium Dual Core 2.5 GHz processor, and ships with 1x 1.5 TB HDD. The dual core processor provides for a more responsive user interface, faster network throughput, and video conversion at twice the speed.

HP Video Converter

A. The HP MediaSmart Server automatically converts your library of videos (including unprotected DVDs) into a video format that can be played in your home or remotely on an internet connected computer, or mobile devices like the iPod Touch or iPhone.

The Video Converter will convert most popular video formats to an MPEG-4 video file using an H.264 video codec and AAC stereo encoding for compression. Choose to create Full (original resolution) and/or Mobile resolution copies. The Full resolution file will stream to most devices attached to your home network including PCs, Macs and gaming systems. The Mobile resolution version of the video will stream remotely to your PCs, Macs and iPhone/iPod touch. Your original source video files are left completely intact after conversion, allowing you to archive them or re-convert them at a later date.

With the new EX490 series, you can now create additional profiles aside from the default Full and Mobile profiles to directly match the viewing device. Define new profiles by which Server nested folders to monitor, how to handle multiple titles on a DVD, and the size and bit rate of the conversion. Additionally, the new video converter can “up res” a file, for example the converter can take a DVD and convert it to a 720p format, or take a 480p file and convert it to a 720p format.
A. Yes, the new AC3 5.1 audio codec enables conversion of DVDs with 5.1 channel sound tracks; and also videos from several HD camcorder manufacturers (Canon, Panasonic, Sony). Takes 5 channel AC3 5.1 format and matrixes (converts) the 5 audio channels into stereo (2 audio channels)
A. The default profiles are – Full (original) resolution and Mobile resolution.

Full - we attempt to auto match the source media type and source video resolution (ie. 16:9 or 4:3). The auto match may not create an exact but instead a scaled copy since the H.264 may allow for a smaller file size. The video bit rate is left unchanged. The audio bit rate is converted to 192 Kbps. The video converter can convert higher resolutions than what is offered in the default settings, for example you can convert a 1080 to a 1080, or a 1080 to a 720.

Mobile - files are converted to QVGA (320x240) resolution. The video output bit rate is 256 Kbps at 18 frames/second and audio is 96 Kbps. This output quality allows for a streamable resolution via the iStream application and/or the HP Media Streamer.
A. HP recommends a high-speed broadband connection with at least 400 Kbps upload speed for favorable performance. In addition, the HP MediaSmart Server iStream app works best on high speed connections like 3G and WiFi. If the connection speed is poor you will be alerted that the playback is not available and to connect to a higher speed connection.

HP iStream Application

A. The HP MediaSmart Server iStream application is a free downloadable software application that allows you to stream your photo, music and video* libraries stored on your HP MediaSmart Server (EX490/EX495) to your iPhone or iPod Touch.
There is also a full webpage explaining this application at www.hp.com/go/istream
A. Once you have downloaded the HP MediaSmart Server iStream application to your iPhone or iPod Touch – you are ready to go. It’s only a few simple clicks to start enjoying your digital media from anywhere within the range of your wireless network.
  1. Click on the MediaSmart icon
  2. The first time you run the app it takes you to the Settings screen.
    • On the Change Server screen, enter the domain name of your HP MediaSmart Server (EX490/EX495), your remote user name, and your remote user password.
    • Once you enter the settings, select Go to take you to the app home page.
  3. Once connected to your MediaSmart Server, you can now navigate to the Music, Photos, and Videos* each link will take you to the categorized content available on your server.
* Since the iPhone/iPod Touch QuickTime video player can only display H.264 encoded videos, only .mov and .mp4 files on your server will be available for streaming to the iPhone/iPod Touch. Copy protected files may not stream properly.

HP Media Collector

A. The HP Media Collector copies media files from the PCs and Macs in your network and organizes them on the server. This is a separate feature from the automated PC backup functionality included in Windows Home Server. The user can select which computers to enable for Collection, and these computers will be scanned continuously. You can individually enable collection for Photos, Music, or Videos, and collected media can be organized as follows:
Photos - by date or PC folder structure
Music - by artist/album or PC folder structure
Videos - copy to the server

With the EX490 series, you can now enable collection of photos, music, or videos individually for each computer, drill down and select specific folders to collect from on each computer. Media Collector has been optimized to run faster and provide more status information to the customer … and it collects from Macs.

HP Media Collector intelligence avoids copying duplicate content, and also avoids copying images like album art as a regular photo.

HP Photo Publisher and HP Photo Viewer

A. The Photo Publisher links to Facebook, Flickr, Picassa, and HP Snapfish. In each case, the customer will need to create and/or log in to their account on the 3rd party website, and then HP Photo Publisher will manage uploading photos or videos to those sites. Customers that want to share web photo albums directly from the MediaSmart Server can upload to HP Photo Viewer.
A. HP Photo Viewer is an easy way to share photos and video clips with friends, relatives or clients directly from the HP MediaSmart Server. The albums can be viewed in a slideshow or a filmstrip mode, and viewers can easily download pictures from Photo Viewer. Photo albums can be shared by cutting and pasting the URL of that album into an email. With a login you can administer the photo albums, can delete or rename them, and can make albums private.

Mac Features

A. The HP MediaSmart Server is great for households with PCs and Macs. Although the Server needs to be originally set up on a PC, you can then administer it by accessing the WHS Console locally on the Mac. This is accomplished through Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac 2, that RDPs into the Server and presents the WHS Console.

The MediaSmart Server looks like a network share to the Mac. There is a browser based User interface for the Mac, which is the same interface for the PC, and is accessible both locally in the home and remotely over the internet. The interface provides access to the Server shared folders, HP added software like the HP Photo Publisher and HP Media Streamer, Tools, and Help and Support, all in one user friendly window.

Media can be streamed to a Mac in the home or remotely. In addition, iPhone/iTouch users can download the HP MediaSmart Server iStream application and stream their media from their Server to these devices. Mac users can utilize the Photo Publishing and Photo Viewing applications, and can backup their Macs to the Server using Time Machine. The MediaSmart Server also has a “Server for iTunes” feature whereby music on the Server can be accessed from each individual computer’s iTunes library.

And now, the HP Media Collector will automatically copy and organize media files on your Mac, including iPhoto, iTunes, and iMovie libraries. There is also an improved bare metal recovery process for Macs which will recover the O/S, applications, and files in one step, utilizing the Mac OSX disk and a pre-prepared USB flash drive which contains the recovery commands for the system.
A. Time Machine is an automatic backup program that is built right into Mac OS X. Time Machine backs up your system files, applications, settings, documents, and media, and keeps snapshots of how the Mac looked on various dates in the past. With Time Machine you can restore individual files, complete folders, or your entire computer to any previous date. To do Time Machine backups to the HP MediaSmart Server, just allocate disk space and ‘start’ the disk on the Server, select the HP MediaSmart Server in Time Machine preferences, and turn Time Machine ‘on’. Disk space that is allocated to Time Machine is reserved in the Mac shared folder on the Server, and free server storage will be reduced by this amount. Time Machine backup to the Server is accomplished by emulating a hard drive destination.
A. Unique to the HP MediaSmart Server, the improved bare metal recovery process for Macs will recover the O/S, applications, and files in one step. The customer will pre-prepare (prior to a hard drive crash) a USB flash drive which contains the recovery commands for the system. After replacing the Macs HDD, just plug in the USB flash drive and reboot the Mac from the OSX System disk. Type the first command and the one step recovery will proceed.

Media Features

A. Yes. By default Windows Home Server provides the Windows Media Connect media streaming protocol, a superset of UPnP AV 2.0. Unlike Linux-based NAS products, the HP MediaSmart Server provides media streaming for downloaded “Hollywood” movies. What this means is that you can order a movie from your PC or TV that is connected to your network, and the movie can be downloaded to the server and streamed to your TV without having to keep the notebook powered up.
A. Twonky Media is delivered as an installable add-in on the MediaSmart Server, and provides enhanced media streaming functionality over the default Window Media Connect streaming. It will enable DLNA 1.0 certified, DLNA 1.5 compliant and UPnP media streaming from the HP MediaSmart Server to a variety of entertainment devices in the home. Twonky Media provides:
  • Album art when browsing to music folders on the Server using a DMR (digital media receiver) like the Xbox 360, PS3, HP MediaSmart Connect or others.
  • Picture thumbnails when browsing to picture folders on the Server using a DMR.
  • Support for a wider range of media file types like m4a, mp4, ogg for Music; and Divx, MPEG-4, vob for Video
  • Customer can now choose folders from which to stream content, and is not limited to Photos, Video or Music file folders.
Twonky Media is the engine behind the remote media streaming capabilities of the MediaSmart Server, and comes as a pre-installed add-in. You can stream photos and music to computers on the internet.

Remote Access

A. Remote access to the HP MediaSmart Server and it’s applications is through 128-bit secure https session only. Upon installation, you are given three options for setting up a secure, personal web address*. The web address can be used for remote access to shared folders and computers and by visitors to HP Photo Viewer. The three options are: 1) Register for a web address from TZO.com (e.g., https://yourname.hphome.com) that is free for the first year, then costs a nominal fee per year. 2) Upgrade to your own custom domain name from TZO.com (e.g., https://yourname.com) for a cost-competitive fee. 3) Register for a free Microsoft Live web address. TZO domain names provide additional value beyond the Microsoft Live option:
  • Some broadband ISPs block Port 80 which is required for easy remote access. The TZO service allows you to obtain easy remote access even if Port 80 is blocked.
  • With the Microsoft domain name, if you don't already have a Microsoft Live account, you'll have to set that up.
And with the TZO custom domain name option, you can get your own domain name (e.g., smithfamily.com). * Web addresses administration supplied by TZO.com
A: There’s no limitation set by the HP MediaSmart Server. You may be limited by the bandwidth of your broadband provider and their access policies.

Product Positioning

A. A server is a central repository for any type of computer data, acting like a mini-computer with very specific functions. The exponential growth in digital content in the home has spawned the need for a robust, dependable home server solution.
A. Consumers are increasingly looking for ways to easily protect their growing media libraries and share their content with friends and family. In addition, consumers want to be able to access their content anytime from anywhere, both inside and outside their home.
A. The HP MediaSmart Server is an easy-to-use Home Server that is based on the Microsoft Windows Home Server operating system. The MediaSmart Server provides users with automatic backup of all networked PCs and Macs, automatic organization of media across all of the PCs, media streaming across home networks and the internet, video conversion to optimize video streaming, photo sharing tied to popular social networking websites, remote access to files and virtually limitless storage expandability.

Competition

A. As a full-fledged server, the HP MediaSmart Server offers a more comprehensive and integrated solution than network storage products that use third party add-on software for backup, media streaming, etc. Other differentiators include:
  • Automatic organization of media from all of the PCs and Macs on the home network.
  • Media streaming to devices on the home network or remote devices (including PC’s, Macs and iPhone/iTouch iPod) on the internet.
  • Video Conversion to an Mpeg4 format that allows for greater success in video playback.
  • Secure remote access to files stored on the Server.
  • Secure remote access to PCs and their applications on the home network (for remote computer access, the network computer must be running Windows® XP Professional, Media Center Edition 2005 or Windows® Vista Ultimate).
  • Unique HP Photo Publisher and HP Photo Viewer features for secure and easy photo sharing right from your server, or through popular social networking websites.
  • Based on Microsoft’s Windows® Home Server software, the HP MediaSmart Server is highly integrated with Windows clients and includes Windows® Media Connect media streaming functionality.
  • More sophisticated storage management with selective folder duplication. Folder duplication is superior to RAID in that you don’t have to duplicate those folders that don’t need it – for instance, TV shows and PC backups (which are already a duplicate of what’s on the PC).
  • More powerful, integrated backup and restore software for PCs, including individual file restore. And integration with Apple Time Machine for Mac backup.
  • The Windows platform makes the HP MediaSmart Server an extensible platform for new applications and services in the future.

Core Features

A. HP has strived to make the HP MediaSmart Server as energy as efficient as possible. If it is on for 24 hours a day, it will consume about the same amount of power as a mainstream PC. Our goal in product design was to balance the high performance needs of a multi-function device with power savings. Additionally, the HP MediaSmart Server can be configured for a predetermined daily ‘Sleep time’ and ‘Wake time’ in order to save energy. During this sleep time hard disk drives of the Server are spun down, the fans are stopped, and the Server is idle, drawing only 1 watt of power. You can also send a manual ‘Sleep now’ or ‘Wake server’ command to the Server from either your Mac or PC.
A: Maximum of 10 users plus a guest (for someone who brings their laptop to your home and wants to see your photos.)
A: The HP MediaSmart Server administrator can set Read/Write, Read Only or No Access privileges for each user, to each shared folder. The HP MediaSmart Server administrator also controls the remote access privilege for each user.
A. The MediaSmart Server connects directly to the router (sold separately) on the home network through an RJ45 Ethernet port, and supports up to Gigabit Ethernet speeds. It also offers 4 USB 2.0 ports and one eSATA port for connecting additional storage to the Server. The MediaSmart Server cannot be direct attached to a PC.
A. Although the HP MediaSmart Server needs to be wired to your network through an Ethernet cable, it supports both wired and wireless devices via your wireless router.
A. Windows Home Server does not support printer sharing. That said, most printers today offer network capabilities.
A. Limited hardware warranty and software technical support for one year from the date of purchase. HP offers 24/7 toll free consumer support.

Server Storage

A. The EX490 ships with one 1TB SATA drive and three empty bays, and the EX495 ships with one 1.5TB SATA drive and three empty bays. In both cases, expanding the capacity is extremely easy. Maximum capacity is only limited by hard disk drive capacities and number of bays (4), USB ports (4) and eSATA ports (1) on the HP MediaSmart Server. With 2 Terabyte drives, the user could conceivably have up to 17 Terabytes of capacity in the HP MediaSmart Server. Multiple MediaSmart Servers cannot be daisy-chained.
A. One terabyte of storage =
~18,000 - 10 megapixel digital photos
350 pictures per week for an entire year
~2,800 hours – Windows Media lossless music (may be compressed but no bits dropped)
116 days of unique music
~500 hours – Regular TV shows
Record every baseball game of 1 team for a season
Record every episode of “I Love Lucy” and “M*A*S*H”
~70 hours – HD TV shows
Record 3 one-hour long TV shows for an entire season
Record every football game of one team for a season
From Microsoft Windows Home Server AR presentation.
A: Any off-the-shelf internal 3.5” SATA I or SATA II drive will work in the HP MediaSmart Server. Today, these SATA drives are typically 7200 RPM. Any external USB drive will work with the four USB ports.
A. You can remove a hard drive (both SATA and external USB drives) without powering down the system, but first you must “remove it” via the Home Server Console. Content is migrated off the hard disk drive to be removed; you will get adequate warnings if there’s not enough room on other hard disk drives for the content. The hard disk drive indicator on the unit pulses aqua, telling you it’s ok to remove the hard disk drive. You insert a new hard disk drive, then go to the Home Server Console to “add it” to your volume. The overall capacity increases, and the LED glows solid aqua to indicate that the storage has been added.
A. The HP MediaSmart Server uses a sophisticated technology that is part of the Windows Home Server software called ‘folder duplication.’ By default, shared folders on the MediaSmart Server have folder duplication ‘On’, and every file in that folder is written to two separate hard drives in the array. This shared folder level mirroring provides the first level of redundancy for data on the Server.

Data Protection

A: Once you install the MediaSmart Server client software on a PC, it will automatically be backed up to the HP MediaSmart Server. This client software must be installed on each PC that you wish to include in the backup operation. The sophisticated WHS backup algorithm copies files, folders, and complete images of the PC hard drive. It can recognize the same file in two or more places, and will keep only one copy of the file, but with multiple pointers, in order to save storage space on the MediaSmart Server.

You can optionally customize the backup by selecting which volumes on the PC to backup, what files to exclude, the backup window, and the number of revisions to keep. You can also configure the Server to automatically ‘Wake up’ both the Server and PCs, when a backup is about to start.
A: Additional internal or external hard drives can be added to the Server as part of a separate backup volume, you can backup the shared folders on the MediaSmart Server to this drive, through the Computers and Backup tab in the WHS Console. If you add an external hard drive for your Home Server backups, you can store the hard drive in a separate location for disaster protection.
A. Yes, The HP MediaSmart Server automatically backs up the PC hard drive image and can save multiple versions. It also comes with a PC restore CD, and after replacing the failed PC hard drive, you merely insert the CD into your PC, and pull the desired hard drive image from the HP MediaSmart Server. If your computer has been corrupted by a virus, malware, spyware etc., you can re-image your hard drive to a known good state by bringing back an older version of the hard drive image from the HP MediaSmart Server.
A. It is not possible to re-image the new computer simply due to third party license restrictions. However, you will be able to restore your data as individual folders and files from the HP MediaSmart Server just like you had them in your old computer.
A: The HP MediaSmart Server includes several security measures. The HP MediaSmart Server administrator assigns a user name and password for up to 10 users plus an additional pre-defined Guest user account. Remote access is disabled by default and must be enabled for each of the user accounts. The Guest account is not enabled or given access to any shared folders by default.

Remote access to the HP MediaSmart Server for file access, media streaming and accessing HP Photo Publisher is handled through 128 bit https only. Users must login and authenticate to access the HP MediaSmart Server shared folders or PC applications through the Server.
A: The HP MediaSmart Server doesn’t include encryption as part of the solution, but users can use their own software encryption solution on the unit.
A: Users of the HP MediaSmart Server should have a router with built-in firewall protection. Additionally, the HP MediaSmart Server is built on the proven technologies of Windows Server and uses the software firewall technologies built into Windows Home Server to provide an additional level of protection. Also, Windows Home Server manages opening a port in the firewall for remote access in a secure fashion.
A. There is a McAfee Anti-Virus software add-in for the HP MediaSmart Server, which the customer can choose to install to the MediaSmart Server. The customer can also either use their existing PC AV software to scan the server, or there are 3rd party server AV add-ins from companies including F-Secure.

See all

A. The new MediaSmart Servers feature faster processors, with the EX495 sporting a Dual core Pentium, to optimize the extensive HP added software functionality of the products. They also have higher capacity out of the box.
EX490 – Intel Celeron 2.2 GHz processor and 1x 1TB SATA HDD
EX495 – Intel Pentium Dual Core 2.5 GHz processor and 1x 1.5TB SATA HDD
A. The new MediaSmart Servers have a new refined User interface and a more intuitive WHS Console (Admin interface), as well as more Mac features, Additional Video Converter functionality, and an enhanced Media Collector.

Interfaces – The User interfaces have been combined into one easy to navigate web based interface that can be accessed in the home, or by any computer on the internet. The Windows Home Server Console (for Admin) has a new look which features product tour pages, setup, system status, and info and configuration for the HP added software features like the HP Media Streamer, HP Media Collector, HP Video Converter, and HP Photo Publisher.

Macs – Both the new User interface and the WHS Console can now be accessed on the Mac. You can access files and features, and administer the MedisSmart Server from a Mac, however initial Server set up out of the box has to be done on a PC. The HP Media Collector will automatically copy and organize media files on your Mac, including iPhoto, iTunes, and iMovie libraries. There is also an improved bare metal recovery feature for Macs which will recover the O/S, applications, settings, and files in one step, utilizing the Mac OSX disk and a pre-prepared USB flash drive which contains the recovery commands for the system.



Video Converter – Create additional profiles aside from the default Full and Mobile profiles to directly match the viewing device. Define new profiles by which Server nested folders to monitor, how to handle multiple titles on a DVD, and the size and bit rate of the conversion.

The HP Video Converter converts your video library on the server (including unprotected DVD's) into a MPEG-4 (H.264) video format that will stream using popular streaming devices. It also creates a mobile version that you can download to play on your iPod, iPhone, PlayStation®Portable (PSP®), Zune® or other popular mobile devices.

HP Video Converter also supports some new formats and codecs, generally these are:
  • AVC video codec - enables conversion of videos from several HD camcorder manufacturers (Canon, Panasonic, Sanyo, Sony), and also from our output video format
  • AC3 5.1 audio codec - enables conversion of DVDs with 5.1 channel sound tracks; and also videos from several HD camcorder manufacturers (Canon, Panasonic, Sony). The Converter takes all 5 channels from the AC3 5.1 and matrixes the five channels into stereo (two channels)
  • MKV file format - a new, popular format for high def videos on the internet
Media Collector – Now enable collection of photos, music, or videos individually for each computer. Drill down and select specific folders to collect from on each computer. Media Collector has been optimized to perform more of the collection processing on the server vs the client, and provide more status information to the customer … and it collects from Macs.

And of course the new MediaSmart Servers contain and build upon the core WHS features, as well as the HP added software features for the Mac, and the HP Media Streamer, iStream app, HP Media Collector, HP Video Converter, HP Photo Publisher and more.
A. The EX495 has a powerful Intel Pentium Dual Core 2.5 GHz processor, and ships with 1x 1.5 TB HDD. The dual core processor provides for a more responsive user interface, faster network throughput, and video conversion at twice the speed.
A. The HP MediaSmart Server automatically converts your library of videos (including unprotected DVDs) into a video format that can be played in your home or remotely on an internet connected computer, or mobile devices like the iPod Touch or iPhone.

The Video Converter will convert most popular video formats to an MPEG-4 video file using an H.264 video codec and AAC stereo encoding for compression. Choose to create Full (original resolution) and/or Mobile resolution copies. The Full resolution file will stream to most devices attached to your home network including PCs, Macs and gaming systems. The Mobile resolution version of the video will stream remotely to your PCs, Macs and iPhone/iPod touch. Your original source video files are left completely intact after conversion, allowing you to archive them or re-convert them at a later date.

With the new EX490 series, you can now create additional profiles aside from the default Full and Mobile profiles to directly match the viewing device. Define new profiles by which Server nested folders to monitor, how to handle multiple titles on a DVD, and the size and bit rate of the conversion. Additionally, the new video converter can “up res” a file, for example the converter can take a DVD and convert it to a 720p format, or take a 480p file and convert it to a 720p format.
A. Yes, the new AC3 5.1 audio codec enables conversion of DVDs with 5.1 channel sound tracks; and also videos from several HD camcorder manufacturers (Canon, Panasonic, Sony). Takes 5 channel AC3 5.1 format and matrixes (converts) the 5 audio channels into stereo (2 audio channels)
A. The default profiles are – Full (original) resolution and Mobile resolution.

Full - we attempt to auto match the source media type and source video resolution (ie. 16:9 or 4:3). The auto match may not create an exact but instead a scaled copy since the H.264 may allow for a smaller file size. The video bit rate is left unchanged. The audio bit rate is converted to 192 Kbps. The video converter can convert higher resolutions than what is offered in the default settings, for example you can convert a 1080 to a 1080, or a 1080 to a 720.

Mobile - files are converted to QVGA (320x240) resolution. The video output bit rate is 256 Kbps at 18 frames/second and audio is 96 Kbps. This output quality allows for a streamable resolution via the iStream application and/or the HP Media Streamer.
A. HP recommends a high-speed broadband connection with at least 400 Kbps upload speed for favorable performance. In addition, the HP MediaSmart Server iStream app works best on high speed connections like 3G and WiFi. If the connection speed is poor you will be alerted that the playback is not available and to connect to a higher speed connection.
A. The HP MediaSmart Server iStream application is a free downloadable software application that allows you to stream your photo, music and video* libraries stored on your HP MediaSmart Server (EX490/EX495) to your iPhone or iPod Touch.
There is also a full webpage explaining this application at www.hp.com/go/istream
A. Once you have downloaded the HP MediaSmart Server iStream application to your iPhone or iPod Touch – you are ready to go. It’s only a few simple clicks to start enjoying your digital media from anywhere within the range of your wireless network.
  1. Click on the MediaSmart icon
  2. The first time you run the app it takes you to the Settings screen.
    • On the Change Server screen, enter the domain name of your HP MediaSmart Server (EX490/EX495), your remote user name, and your remote user password.
    • Once you enter the settings, select Go to take you to the app home page.
  3. Once connected to your MediaSmart Server, you can now navigate to the Music, Photos, and Videos* each link will take you to the categorized content available on your server.
* Since the iPhone/iPod Touch QuickTime video player can only display H.264 encoded videos, only .mov and .mp4 files on your server will be available for streaming to the iPhone/iPod Touch. Copy protected files may not stream properly.
A. The HP Media Collector copies media files from the PCs and Macs in your network and organizes them on the server. This is a separate feature from the automated PC backup functionality included in Windows Home Server. The user can select which computers to enable for Collection, and these computers will be scanned continuously. You can individually enable collection for Photos, Music, or Videos, and collected media can be organized as follows:
Photos - by date or PC folder structure
Music - by artist/album or PC folder structure
Videos - copy to the server

With the EX490 series, you can now enable collection of photos, music, or videos individually for each computer, drill down and select specific folders to collect from on each computer. Media Collector has been optimized to run faster and provide more status information to the customer … and it collects from Macs.

HP Media Collector intelligence avoids copying duplicate content, and also avoids copying images like album art as a regular photo.
A. The Photo Publisher links to Facebook, Flickr, Picassa, and HP Snapfish. In each case, the customer will need to create and/or log in to their account on the 3rd party website, and then HP Photo Publisher will manage uploading photos or videos to those sites. Customers that want to share web photo albums directly from the MediaSmart Server can upload to HP Photo Viewer.
A. HP Photo Viewer is an easy way to share photos and video clips with friends, relatives or clients directly from the HP MediaSmart Server. The albums can be viewed in a slideshow or a filmstrip mode, and viewers can easily download pictures from Photo Viewer. Photo albums can be shared by cutting and pasting the URL of that album into an email. With a login you can administer the photo albums, can delete or rename them, and can make albums private.
A. The HP MediaSmart Server is great for households with PCs and Macs. Although the Server needs to be originally set up on a PC, you can then administer it by accessing the WHS Console locally on the Mac. This is accomplished through Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac 2, that RDPs into the Server and presents the WHS Console.

The MediaSmart Server looks like a network share to the Mac. There is a browser based User interface for the Mac, which is the same interface for the PC, and is accessible both locally in the home and remotely over the internet. The interface provides access to the Server shared folders, HP added software like the HP Photo Publisher and HP Media Streamer, Tools, and Help and Support, all in one user friendly window.

Media can be streamed to a Mac in the home or remotely. In addition, iPhone/iTouch users can download the HP MediaSmart Server iStream application and stream their media from their Server to these devices. Mac users can utilize the Photo Publishing and Photo Viewing applications, and can backup their Macs to the Server using Time Machine. The MediaSmart Server also has a “Server for iTunes” feature whereby music on the Server can be accessed from each individual computer’s iTunes library.

And now, the HP Media Collector will automatically copy and organize media files on your Mac, including iPhoto, iTunes, and iMovie libraries. There is also an improved bare metal recovery process for Macs which will recover the O/S, applications, and files in one step, utilizing the Mac OSX disk and a pre-prepared USB flash drive which contains the recovery commands for the system.
A. Time Machine is an automatic backup program that is built right into Mac OS X. Time Machine backs up your system files, applications, settings, documents, and media, and keeps snapshots of how the Mac looked on various dates in the past. With Time Machine you can restore individual files, complete folders, or your entire computer to any previous date. To do Time Machine backups to the HP MediaSmart Server, just allocate disk space and ‘start’ the disk on the Server, select the HP MediaSmart Server in Time Machine preferences, and turn Time Machine ‘on’. Disk space that is allocated to Time Machine is reserved in the Mac shared folder on the Server, and free server storage will be reduced by this amount. Time Machine backup to the Server is accomplished by emulating a hard drive destination.
A. Unique to the HP MediaSmart Server, the improved bare metal recovery process for Macs will recover the O/S, applications, and files in one step. The customer will pre-prepare (prior to a hard drive crash) a USB flash drive which contains the recovery commands for the system. After replacing the Macs HDD, just plug in the USB flash drive and reboot the Mac from the OSX System disk. Type the first command and the one step recovery will proceed.
A. Yes. By default Windows Home Server provides the Windows Media Connect media streaming protocol, a superset of UPnP AV 2.0. Unlike Linux-based NAS products, the HP MediaSmart Server provides media streaming for downloaded “Hollywood” movies. What this means is that you can order a movie from your PC or TV that is connected to your network, and the movie can be downloaded to the server and streamed to your TV without having to keep the notebook powered up.
A. Twonky Media is delivered as an installable add-in on the MediaSmart Server, and provides enhanced media streaming functionality over the default Window Media Connect streaming. It will enable DLNA 1.0 certified, DLNA 1.5 compliant and UPnP media streaming from the HP MediaSmart Server to a variety of entertainment devices in the home. Twonky Media provides:
  • Album art when browsing to music folders on the Server using a DMR (digital media receiver) like the Xbox 360, PS3, HP MediaSmart Connect or others.
  • Picture thumbnails when browsing to picture folders on the Server using a DMR.
  • Support for a wider range of media file types like m4a, mp4, ogg for Music; and Divx, MPEG-4, vob for Video
  • Customer can now choose folders from which to stream content, and is not limited to Photos, Video or Music file folders.
Twonky Media is the engine behind the remote media streaming capabilities of the MediaSmart Server, and comes as a pre-installed add-in. You can stream photos and music to computers on the internet.
A. Remote access to the HP MediaSmart Server and it’s applications is through 128-bit secure https session only. Upon installation, you are given three options for setting up a secure, personal web address*. The web address can be used for remote access to shared folders and computers and by visitors to HP Photo Viewer. The three options are: 1) Register for a web address from TZO.com (e.g., https://yourname.hphome.com) that is free for the first year, then costs a nominal fee per year. 2) Upgrade to your own custom domain name from TZO.com (e.g., https://yourname.com) for a cost-competitive fee. 3) Register for a free Microsoft Live web address. TZO domain names provide additional value beyond the Microsoft Live option:
  • Some broadband ISPs block Port 80 which is required for easy remote access. The TZO service allows you to obtain easy remote access even if Port 80 is blocked.
  • With the Microsoft domain name, if you don't already have a Microsoft Live account, you'll have to set that up.
And with the TZO custom domain name option, you can get your own domain name (e.g., smithfamily.com). * Web addresses administration supplied by TZO.com
A: There’s no limitation set by the HP MediaSmart Server. You may be limited by the bandwidth of your broadband provider and their access policies.
A. A server is a central repository for any type of computer data, acting like a mini-computer with very specific functions. The exponential growth in digital content in the home has spawned the need for a robust, dependable home server solution.
A. Consumers are increasingly looking for ways to easily protect their growing media libraries and share their content with friends and family. In addition, consumers want to be able to access their content anytime from anywhere, both inside and outside their home.
A. The HP MediaSmart Server is an easy-to-use Home Server that is based on the Microsoft Windows Home Server operating system. The MediaSmart Server provides users with automatic backup of all networked PCs and Macs, automatic organization of media across all of the PCs, media streaming across home networks and the internet, video conversion to optimize video streaming, photo sharing tied to popular social networking websites, remote access to files and virtually limitless storage expandability.
A. As a full-fledged server, the HP MediaSmart Server offers a more comprehensive and integrated solution than network storage products that use third party add-on software for backup, media streaming, etc. Other differentiators include:
  • Automatic organization of media from all of the PCs and Macs on the home network.
  • Media streaming to devices on the home network or remote devices (including PC’s, Macs and iPhone/iTouch iPod) on the internet.
  • Video Conversion to an Mpeg4 format that allows for greater success in video playback.
  • Secure remote access to files stored on the Server.
  • Secure remote access to PCs and their applications on the home network (for remote computer access, the network computer must be running Windows® XP Professional, Media Center Edition 2005 or Windows® Vista Ultimate).
  • Unique HP Photo Publisher and HP Photo Viewer features for secure and easy photo sharing right from your server, or through popular social networking websites.
  • Based on Microsoft’s Windows® Home Server software, the HP MediaSmart Server is highly integrated with Windows clients and includes Windows® Media Connect media streaming functionality.
  • More sophisticated storage management with selective folder duplication. Folder duplication is superior to RAID in that you don’t have to duplicate those folders that don’t need it – for instance, TV shows and PC backups (which are already a duplicate of what’s on the PC).
  • More powerful, integrated backup and restore software for PCs, including individual file restore. And integration with Apple Time Machine for Mac backup.
  • The Windows platform makes the HP MediaSmart Server an extensible platform for new applications and services in the future.
A. HP has strived to make the HP MediaSmart Server as energy as efficient as possible. If it is on for 24 hours a day, it will consume about the same amount of power as a mainstream PC. Our goal in product design was to balance the high performance needs of a multi-function device with power savings. Additionally, the HP MediaSmart Server can be configured for a predetermined daily ‘Sleep time’ and ‘Wake time’ in order to save energy. During this sleep time hard disk drives of the Server are spun down, the fans are stopped, and the Server is idle, drawing only 1 watt of power. You can also send a manual ‘Sleep now’ or ‘Wake server’ command to the Server from either your Mac or PC.
A: Maximum of 10 users plus a guest (for someone who brings their laptop to your home and wants to see your photos.)
A: The HP MediaSmart Server administrator can set Read/Write, Read Only or No Access privileges for each user, to each shared folder. The HP MediaSmart Server administrator also controls the remote access privilege for each user.
A. The MediaSmart Server connects directly to the router (sold separately) on the home network through an RJ45 Ethernet port, and supports up to Gigabit Ethernet speeds. It also offers 4 USB 2.0 ports and one eSATA port for connecting additional storage to the Server. The MediaSmart Server cannot be direct attached to a PC.
A. Although the HP MediaSmart Server needs to be wired to your network through an Ethernet cable, it supports both wired and wireless devices via your wireless router.
A. Windows Home Server does not support printer sharing. That said, most printers today offer network capabilities.
A. Limited hardware warranty and software technical support for one year from the date of purchase. HP offers 24/7 toll free consumer support.
A. The EX490 ships with one 1TB SATA drive and three empty bays, and the EX495 ships with one 1.5TB SATA drive and three empty bays. In both cases, expanding the capacity is extremely easy. Maximum capacity is only limited by hard disk drive capacities and number of bays (4), USB ports (4) and eSATA ports (1) on the HP MediaSmart Server. With 2 Terabyte drives, the user could conceivably have up to 17 Terabytes of capacity in the HP MediaSmart Server. Multiple MediaSmart Servers cannot be daisy-chained.
A. One terabyte of storage =
~18,000 - 10 megapixel digital photos
350 pictures per week for an entire year
~2,800 hours – Windows Media lossless music (may be compressed but no bits dropped)
116 days of unique music
~500 hours – Regular TV shows
Record every baseball game of 1 team for a season
Record every episode of “I Love Lucy” and “M*A*S*H”
~70 hours – HD TV shows
Record 3 one-hour long TV shows for an entire season
Record every football game of one team for a season
From Microsoft Windows Home Server AR presentation.
A: Any off-the-shelf internal 3.5” SATA I or SATA II drive will work in the HP MediaSmart Server. Today, these SATA drives are typically 7200 RPM. Any external USB drive will work with the four USB ports.
A. You can remove a hard drive (both SATA and external USB drives) without powering down the system, but first you must “remove it” via the Home Server Console. Content is migrated off the hard disk drive to be removed; you will get adequate warnings if there’s not enough room on other hard disk drives for the content. The hard disk drive indicator on the unit pulses aqua, telling you it’s ok to remove the hard disk drive. You insert a new hard disk drive, then go to the Home Server Console to “add it” to your volume. The overall capacity increases, and the LED glows solid aqua to indicate that the storage has been added.
A. The HP MediaSmart Server uses a sophisticated technology that is part of the Windows Home Server software called ‘folder duplication.’ By default, shared folders on the MediaSmart Server have folder duplication ‘On’, and every file in that folder is written to two separate hard drives in the array. This shared folder level mirroring provides the first level of redundancy for data on the Server.
A: Once you install the MediaSmart Server client software on a PC, it will automatically be backed up to the HP MediaSmart Server. This client software must be installed on each PC that you wish to include in the backup operation. The sophisticated WHS backup algorithm copies files, folders, and complete images of the PC hard drive. It can recognize the same file in two or more places, and will keep only one copy of the file, but with multiple pointers, in order to save storage space on the MediaSmart Server.

You can optionally customize the backup by selecting which volumes on the PC to backup, what files to exclude, the backup window, and the number of revisions to keep. You can also configure the Server to automatically ‘Wake up’ both the Server and PCs, when a backup is about to start.
A: Additional internal or external hard drives can be added to the Server as part of a separate backup volume, you can backup the shared folders on the MediaSmart Server to this drive, through the Computers and Backup tab in the WHS Console. If you add an external hard drive for your Home Server backups, you can store the hard drive in a separate location for disaster protection.
A. Yes, The HP MediaSmart Server automatically backs up the PC hard drive image and can save multiple versions. It also comes with a PC restore CD, and after replacing the failed PC hard drive, you merely insert the CD into your PC, and pull the desired hard drive image from the HP MediaSmart Server. If your computer has been corrupted by a virus, malware, spyware etc., you can re-image your hard drive to a known good state by bringing back an older version of the hard drive image from the HP MediaSmart Server.
A. It is not possible to re-image the new computer simply due to third party license restrictions. However, you will be able to restore your data as individual folders and files from the HP MediaSmart Server just like you had them in your old computer.
A: The HP MediaSmart Server includes several security measures. The HP MediaSmart Server administrator assigns a user name and password for up to 10 users plus an additional pre-defined Guest user account. Remote access is disabled by default and must be enabled for each of the user accounts. The Guest account is not enabled or given access to any shared folders by default.

Remote access to the HP MediaSmart Server for file access, media streaming and accessing HP Photo Publisher is handled through 128 bit https only. Users must login and authenticate to access the HP MediaSmart Server shared folders or PC applications through the Server.
A: The HP MediaSmart Server doesn’t include encryption as part of the solution, but users can use their own software encryption solution on the unit.
A: Users of the HP MediaSmart Server should have a router with built-in firewall protection. Additionally, the HP MediaSmart Server is built on the proven technologies of Windows Server and uses the software firewall technologies built into Windows Home Server to provide an additional level of protection. Also, Windows Home Server manages opening a port in the firewall for remote access in a secure fashion.
This system may require upgraded and/or separately purchased hardware and/or a DVD drive to install the Windows 7
software and take full advantage of Windows 7 functionality. See http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/
for details.