HP responds to MediaSmart Server issues, offers no real solution at all
By Darren Murph 
posted July 29th 2008 3:43PM
posted July 29th 2008 3:43PM
[Image courtesy of Within Windows]
As you know HP released a software update for MediaSmart Server on July 21, following Microsoft's release of Windows Home Server Power Pack 1. The HP software update provides support for 64-bit operating systems, plus two optional add-ins that a user may choose to install – McAfee Total Protection Service and PacketVideo PVConnect media server. The 64 bit upgrade prepares the MediaSmart Server for support of Vista 64-bit systems. Users do not need to enable this feature. It is an automatic update.
The PacketVideo Connect add-in provides advanced graphics such as photo thumbnails, in-menu browsing, and album art during remote access, as well as broader support for the more popular video, music and photo formats. The McAfee anti-virus add-in will provide Server side anti-virus protection with free virus definitions for seven months. Both of these are add-ins will be automatically downloaded to the Add-In folder in the software folder on the HP MediaSmart Server. The user can add them if they choose just like any other add-in.
The McAfee Total Protection Service must index all of the files stored on the Server in order to provide the protection against a virus attack. The PacketVideo PVConnect will, upon installation, create a database of all the media files such as photos, music and videos on the Server. When these two services are installed together, the combined 'first run' indexing by McAfee and database creation by PacketVideo, can use the majority of the resources on the Server. This may result in slow response times from the Server until those activities have been completed. If the user has also installed other add-ins or software packages on the Server there may be an additional lag in response time. It has also been reported that the Windows Home Server Console can become unresponsive during this time.
As a result, we recommend that users install each update one at a time, independently. Users should first install Windows Home Server Power Pack 1, then PVConnect followed by McAfee.
Additionally, since the release of the HP MediaSmart Server software update, it has been discovered that PacketVideo no longer supports media streaming to a Sony Playstation 3. This is an issue with PacketVideo, not with the MediaSmart Server. There are directions for opening the PV database and fixing the problem by inserting a space between "PLAYSTATION" and "3" at http://forum.wegotserved.co.uk/index.php?s=61889a8d1ecc971a335b1d7e52d2eaf4&showtopic=2878
Well I see the problem right away. HP shipped them Galaga instead of mediasmart.
You derserver much praise for that comment, as Im sure no one had any idea what that pic was of. The response from HP is too funny though, serves you right for picking a server box instead of MAKING YOU OWN for MUCH less. My bare bones case and everything cost me 350, and I operates much smoother on server 2003 than this.
Bai Bai HP! :)
No problems with my MSS. It seems like the only people that are having real issues are the ones that haven't upgraded their RAM. A 2GB stick is the best $40 investment you'll ever have on one of these devices.
And PS3 streaming works just fine after one minor change; you need to go into the clients.db file for Twonky and change "PLAYSTATION3" to "PLAYSTATION 3"
I agree it's not that big of a deal, but HP should go put the god damn space in there and re-release it.
And who the fuck runs a server machine on 1GB of RAM?
yeah, but what if I want to go to 6 or 8....oh wait I can't.
Call me when these things are running a 64-bit OS.
I don't think the issue is that this stuff can't be fixed - it's more like: why did HP ship something that's so blatantly broken? If the target audience is your average Joe/Jane, you don't expect him/her to futz with sticks of RAM like you (or I) did, or to have the RDP into their MSS to modify a text file. What happened to the basic testing that should have occurred?
And why is HP pointing people to a WHS fan site for solutions rather than throwing up an HP KB article or something? Professionalism, people, professionalism!
I had 2Gb RAM upgrade but still experienced slow down. The way I remedied the issue is by upgrading to Windows Search 4. Then it still took a day to finish the media indexing and desktop search indexing. Now the CPU is about 35-45%, with demigrator taking up most of the CPU time. Hopefully this will come down soon.
My MediaSmart Server setup
4x 1TB HDDs (67% used)
2gb RAM
Installed add-ins: uTorrent, McAfee, PVConnect, Whiist, Fan Control
I have the stock 512 and mine runs fine. I didn't install the mcafee but I did install the PV connect. This can take a while to scan you whole database but when it is done it works the same as before. I moved a couple of gig's off mine yesterday and it was very fast.
@Zhao
I think you would see a gain if you got rid of McAfee.
@sogarth,
while i agree with you in principle, chances are the 'Average Joe/Jane' still have 12:00 blinking on their VCR, and either don't bother investing in a MSS, or pay someone else to hook it up for them and maintain it. that is if they even know what a MSS is in the first place.
The letter above is actually an entry from Penthouse for Droids.
Um, not funny?
whoa, an indiscernible graph! this MUST be serious!
yah, is that image trying to show "before and after" or just
FAIL
It's no graph. That's the WHS console hanging while waiting for the screen to draw. The console is accessed via Remote Desktop.
What is HP talking about? I just tried streaming a DivX and a Xvid to my PS3 and it's working for me. Before I installed PVConnect it did not work at all.
With all the problems the HP MediaSmart seems to be having, I'm glad I bought a cheaper, more energy-efficient, more stable Linux-based NAS.
To each their own, really. I'm having a much better time with the HP MSS than I did running a Debian-based Linux NAS. =)
I don't think you are going to get much more energy efficient than the HP MediaSmart.
Are you kidding me? First off this is not a NAS it is a server. The data problem was VERY minor and blown way out of proportion. I've been running mine since day 1 and it has been flawless.
Second, there has never been a stability problem with WHS or the HP box.
Third, how can you get more energy efficient that a Sempron? The power/performance if very high and very low power.
The CPU in the MediaSmart is a Sempron 3400+ 1.8Ghz, which consumes 62W under full load. However, AMD has something they call "Cool n Quiet." It is a technology that ramps down CPU frequency during periods of low CPU utilization. It routinely drops the cores to about half their normal frequency during idle to preserve energy use.
AMD also makes AM2 socket CPUs what only consume 45W under full load. You can upgrade your CPU to save a bit of energy; but it will takes a long time to offset the money you shell out for the new CPU.
NAS boxes with ARM or MIPS CPUs consume only 15 to 20 Watts - 1/3rd the power of the HP MediaSmart! And yet they are capable of serving files and running bittorrent just as fast as the MediaSmart because the Linux OS and software is not nearly as bloated as Windows Home Server.
Clearly you have know idea what WHS is or how it works. I agree a NAS just by itself should use less power but not that much. And then all you have is a NAS, the WHS is so much more.
Aaron mentioned 29W at the wall, well worth the juice imho.
My MediaSmart has been running fine. It ran the latest PowerPack and HP Update fine even on the stock 512MB of RAM. I upgraded it myself this weekend to 2 GB because 512MB is just kind of sad these days. Though I took care and didn't install that garbage McAfee.
The MediaSmart machines, especially with all their bloatware, do seem to suck.
However Windows Home Server is very very good. For Windows client backup it's hard to beat WHS, and AFAIK no Linux solution offers automatic incremental imaged backups of Windows clients.
My home-built WHS runs perfectly stable at an idle power consumption of 29 watts (measured from wall).
wbadmin start backup -backuptarget:[backup location on server] -include:C: -quiet
Add that to the Vista Task Scheduler. Doesn't have single instance storage, but you can get a 1TB hard drive for the price of WHS.
@Ben
Yup, that's a nice Vista feature and would work nicely if you're a real roll-up-your-sleeves kind of person who doesn't need the bells and whistles ...... and all of your home's Windows machines are Vista Ultimate, Vista Business or Vista Enterprise.
you were supposed to strike out the statement "implement its best damage control tactics" and not "make sure owners have a solution".
it's more funny when you strike the truth and tell the lie.
This looks like just a 3rd party software problem. They need to index one at a time, what's the big deal?
That's what you get for installing McAfee...
You should really use NOD32 or a distro of Sophos or something like that on a server...
"...your average Joe/Jane..." != Media Server Owner
Easy fix - Had this problem with my console, I uninstalled the PV Add-In through Remote Desktop/Add-Remove Programs and the problem cleared. Just need to figure out how to remove it from the Add-Ins menu.
I did the same. I don't plan on using it anyway.
To remove it from your Add-Ins menu, delete or move TwonkyMediaServer2.msi from the \\SERVER\Software\Add-Ins folder.
I did the same. I don't plan on using it anyway.
To remove it from your Add-Ins menu, delete or move TwonkyMediaServer2.msi from the \\SERVER\Software\Add-Ins folder.
Dammit! Sorry for the dupe.
LOL
The HP answers here reminded me immediately the support they provide to their beloved Itanic servers and the half-baked thing called HP-UX.
My dad has an HP mediasmart with stock 512Mb RAM that right now he only uses for backup, not for central repository.
I installed a week ago for him both PVConnect and McAfee and he add that slowdown problem. I uninstalled both yesterday and it is now working again with decent performances.
Clearly the indexing issue is not culprit since there is no files on the server except the backup that I suspect are not scanned.
Thanks HP for shipping a windows server 2003 box that runs IIS, media library databases, antivirus crap and file services all with 512mb of ram.
Penny pinching that last $20 out really made your product that much more affordable and sold so many more.
They should offer a 1GB dimm to everyone who bought one of these.
Even before these updates if you had a lot of music/movies you needed 1GB. I put in 2GB just to be safe
Thanks HP for shipping a windows server 2003 box that runs IIS, media library databases, antivirus crap and file services all with 512mb of ram.
Penny pinching that last $20 out really made your product that much more affordable and sold so many more.
They should offer a 1GB dimm to everyone who bought one of these.
Even before these updates if you had a lot of music/movies you needed 1GB. I put in 2GB just to be safe
I just looked it up... my HP MediaServer's warranty is voided if I were to upgrade the RAM. That's nuts! Hmmm, warranty... or run right... hmmm.
I am using the Grid Junction UPS Add-in on my HP MSS and it is working great a must have addin.
http://www.gridjunction.com
I really like the Windows Home Server OS. Especially better that I built my own rig for less than what the HP solution cost.
As an added bonus it's 2X as fast has 2GB of RAM and consumes less power than the HP POS.
Um, not funny?
I like my HP-MSS the nightly auto back-up and simple restore already kept me from losing a ton of data when my 1TB HD failed. I do think the RAM should have been a little higher, I upgraded mine to 2GB the day I brought it in the house and have had no problems. I stream movies/music from it to my 360/PS3, use the remote desktop feature to access my home computer all the time, and set my friends up with user accounts so we can all have access to the same files/music. All in all I don't regret the purchase, though I may when they release the next one and it has all the kinks worked out.