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Torn between SSD vs non SSD Terra server for first time owner

I think I've decided to order the 8TB SSD Terra server and the K Strato player. This will immediately get me into cinematic and if I find it irritating to be re-downloading titles periodically then I can just get more storage at a later time as it will take a bit to fill the storage, which is just augmenting Plex for those titles I want to view in the best quality possible.

Thanks all for all the input.
 
A used 40 GB Terra Movie Server off eBay was the sweet spot for me (I think I paid $6k). Field replaceable disks when one of drives dies, and I will just download the affected movies again.
 
jmpage2 said:
lose the 2.5Gb fast downloading
Click to expand...

My internet is 1.5Gig here at the house and my older HDD Terra and Strato S max out at 1GB. It takes maybe 15-20 minutes to download each 4K movie (and HD is less), and I really can't recall an instance where this wasn't fast enough. I'm sure others may use their systems differently and want a faster download (e.g., live movie nights, or premiers at midnight or something 🤷‍♂️), but I thought I'd share my perspective and use case.

Andy
 
andy said:
My internet is 1.5Gig here at the house and my older HDD Terra and Strato S max out at 1GB. It takes maybe 15-20 minutes to download each 4K movie (and HD is less), and I really can't recall an instance where this wasn't fast enough. I'm sure others may use their systems differently and want a faster download (e.g., live movie nights, or premiers at midnight or something 🤷‍♂️), but I thought I'd share my perspective and use case.

Andy
Click to expand...

I think for me it is as much as the long term reliability of the device as it is the faster downloads. The SSD model should be more reliable since it is fanless and if one of the discs goes out it will still work with the reduced capacity until that disc is at some point replaced.

I'm still waffling though the 30TB server would provide a lot more local storage at the downside of a higher cost and single disk failure taking it out of commission.

I could also just get the K player, see how much I like the movie watching experience and only invest in a server if I believe I will stick with the platform for many years.

Kind of annoying honestly as if the 8TB SSD was at the original launch price it would be a complete no brainer for me.
 
Personal opinion? I appreciate the detailed planning, but you’re overthinking your first step. You’ll sell your first Terra within the next few years so just grab a small used one. There’s usually quite a few for sale because, well, everyone sells their first small Terra. :)
 
jmpage2 said:
The SSD model should be more reliable since it is fanless
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That´s an odd conclusion. Fanless design has it´s advantages if you need a device to be silent, but I´d always take an active cooled device over a passive one.
 
DieZwei said:
That´s an odd conclusion. Fanless design has it´s advantages if you need a device to be silent, but I´d always take an active cooled device over a passive one.
Click to expand...

Well, I've been working in IT since the mid 90s so it's just based on my experience in the industry.
 
I know many have sold their large server and bought an 8tb SSD but I want all my movies available and not have to continually delete movies to make room
I finally moved to a 120 tb HD Prime server: it has two quiet fans in the back which are near silent, but you do hear the hard drives working. I also observed the Prime server ran very hot, but simply unlatching the front door brought the operating temperature down by 10 degrees C, and I can feel warm air coming from the front edges with the door partially open: a good thermal design should have addressed this, especially for the cost of the server.
I think keeping the drives as cool as possible (SSD or Hdd) is essential for a long life ( my business is cooling for high power electronics)
 
markrubin said:
I know many have sold their large server and bought an 8tb SSD but I want all my movies available and not have to continually delete movies to make room
I finally moved to a 120 tb HD Prime server: it has two quiet fans in the back which are near silent, but you do hear the hard drives working. I also observed the Prime server ran very hot, but simply unlatching the front door brought the operating temperature down by 10 degrees C, and I can feel warm air coming from the front edges with the door partially open: a good thermal design should have addressed this, especially for the cost of the server.
I think keeping the drives as cool as possible (SSD or Hdd) is essential for a long life (since I am in the business of cooling for high power electronics)
Click to expand...

Mark, it is nice to see you over here!

Did you have network speed and infrastructure to take advantage of the 2.5Gb on the SSD model?

I completely understand people wanting all of their movies at their fingertips as it were and not having to deal with deleting/downloading. We have two young kids so the number of times in a month we get to sit down and actually enjoy a movie is tiny... I just want to do it with the absolute best quality possible. I don't even have a theater, I am going to remodel my family room to accommodate an 85 TV and do some KEF in wall speakers.

I do know that I'm tired of schlepping discs around, and ripping 4K discs is a real pain, and Kaledeiscape has now surpassed the quality of physical media.

I would probably even be fine with the built in storage on the Strato player and just use that initially but I do think that the temptation to start building a library quickly with some of the titles I really like is going to be tough to resist.

I'm split right now between getting a Terra 30TB Compact or a Terra 8TB SSD. I really have a hard time with the slow 1Gb interface on the compact server when 2.5Gb is available. I'm a network engineer by trade so this is my personal cross to bear.

A massive Terra prime server might be in the cards for me at some date in the future but definitely can't justify that expense right out of the gate when I don't even know how much use I will get out of the system initially.

The thought process was to have a reasonable amount of fast storage that I can swap titles in and out of and then if I really feel the need to grow the system in a year or two either add another Terra server or just replace it with a larger one as Kaleidescape seems to be constantly increasing storage on their devices over time.
 
jmpage2 said:
Well, I've been working in IT since the mid 90s
Click to expand...
Same here. :) I´ve seen fanless units die a unpleasant death over time in a crammed rack, same with active cooled units when their fan dies. Fanless designs are more dependant on their environment whereas active cooled units create their own airflow. The important thing is that the cooling design and the installation environment is proper, not if it´s with our without fans.
 
You arent committed to any one server long term and should consider buying used too. I have sold and purchased terras on this forum and avs. Kaleidescape’s 5 year warranty is transferable with the product.
 
madolfsson said:
A used 40 GB Terra Movie Server off eBay was the sweet spot for me (I think I paid $6k). Field replaceable disks when one of drives dies, and I will just download the affected movies again.
Click to expand...
This is my end goal. Not that much but somewhere around 24TB on a 2U. The discs are expensive but…… it is…… what it is…..

Also, I can’t see me selling my current server but to just add to it.
 
The premium for SSDs is bonkers currently. I understand why but that doesn’t help. I would naturally lean towards the SSD solution but for now makes no sense (to me). I don’t need the shorter download times as I tend to buy/collect in advance and choose from my library when it’s movie time. One the rare occasion we have fancied one we don’t have a short coffee/snack break sorts it. For now I prefer to download and store rather than download, watch delete to a smaller local server. Hence the need for a new larger hdd server. We are all different of course.
 
It's really a shame what has happened to K's server offerings as a result of the AI boom. Just a few years ago when I first stepped into the environment there was a wide range of both sizes and models. Compact Terra, Compact Terra Prime, Terra, Terra Prime, with multiple HDD or SSD options. Anything from 6TB to 92TB. You could still argue about the price, but the options were plentiful. I know K wishes they had that lineup again, as much as we do.

The used market still has plenty to offer but I've purchased two used Terras in the past few years and the latest cost more than 30% more even though it was the exact same model/size years later.
 
I recall the first time I encountered high memory costs: my business had to upgrade its servers/multiple users just when the Bitcoin craze hit: we got quoted for all the hardware but the contract allowed for the fluctuating cost of memory and video boards: it was a killer. Now with CMMC compliance and AI it is even worse
 
andy said:
... When I remove a movie, it loses its place in my custom collections, along with any metadata or cover art changes I’ve made. Having everything downloaded matters more once you’ve invested time in making that library your own.
..
Click to expand...
@MikeKobb is there on the roadmap the feature to somehow store this information on the Terra so as not to lose it on delete/redownloads?
 
Well all, I have gone ahead and placed an order with a very well known forum member for 30TB Compact Terra server and K series player. While it is a lot more than I anticipated and I'm going to miss the faster download speeds/performance of the SSD unit I have to look at my habits with previous formats and realize that I will start converting a portion of my collection to KScape over the next couple of years and it might become tedious to have to swap titles in and out constantly.

Another thing that factored into my decision is that the 30TB unit will probably hold more of it's resale over time if I upgrade compared to the smaller size SSD unit. This will potentially become even more apparent as KScape file sizes continue to grow.
 
todo said:
The best Combo IMHO for someone who has high speed Internet upwards of 2 GIGS.
Strato K and a 8 TB SSD Terra (which can download HD movies in 2 minutes 4K in 3 to 4 and Cinematic 6 to 8 Minutes).
You can hold unto 75 Cinematics on a 8 TB SSD.
There is no end to storage - I got rid off all my Premier Gear and K Players - the way to go is to leave your movies on the Cloud and Serve them as you need.
Buy Once Cry Once.
Click to expand...

I second that there is no end to storage as movies accumulate. Initially 40TB HDD, added 48TB HDD, sold both went to a 88TB HDD, movies went beyond that and I said heck, sold it and went with 8TB SSD! Naturally Ash Sharma had already done this and was a "BAD" influence.
 
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