probably the biggest series of questions ever!

[Rockonmetal]

As for your questions about old computers, the definite thing to make them faster and more efficient is changing your operating system: you have broad choice from linux, BSDs, Solaris, and now also QNX- which makes you doubt you really need to have P4 for a web server (all will run out off 486- just needs memory management- for so called "swap memory" to function properly, and all are a really nice systems to manage).

you give very vague description of what is the site for and how you're gonna host the video and sound. More outlining would help to give yyou some more directions about system you'd need.

My site:
Name: Pureadd
Description: A site which allows users to submit videos, pictures, audio clips to be uploaded. Though only the funniest files get uploaded. If they're not funny then they don't get uploaded to the site.
I have been recommended to use Fusedhosting.net when the current plan I am on runs out. Because they offer better upload speed and better service.

If you have any more questions ask...

[ItsMeOnly]

Well, so the biggest problem of yours will not be computing power, it's gonna be disk space. Pictures are fine, however the videos tend to be bigger than 1 meg nowdays- you'll be hitting "no space available" pretty shortly on a single (and old it's even worse- remember BIOS limitations for drive sizes) PC. Therefore you'd be needing a dedicated storage devices (SCSI storage for example) to overcome shortcomings of the server. Secondly, DSL won't be enough unless you can negotiate for no transfer limit, which most ISPs enforce. Besides, even with DS3 you'll have a bottleneck, you'll be needing more than one.

As for any type of hosting: if you look at available space and transfer limits- and do simple math, you'll easily conclude that any form of hosting will be difficult to satisfy the needs for such site. Unless of course, it's just for a few buddies- that'll will change things completely.

[Rockonmetal]

I'm getting you except for whats a DS3? Ok, The fusedhosting offers up to 100g uploads i think, and its pretty cheap... for like $100 you get 1T and 100g max upload size

[Twey]

The real servers will be good headless (for they have dedicated console ports, or can be interacted from serial port). PC would be fine headless, until a major hardware failure and need for off-line diagnostics occurs (not mention lack of network response).

I'm not sure I'm understanding you right. You're trying to say that a 'real server' would be fine headless, but a server OS on a normal machine wouldn't because it would crash? They tend to be roughly the same, just less powerful. Administering a server via hardware is bad practice.

[ItsMeOnly]

Administering a server via hardware is bad practice.

Well, take a notice: most servers have dedicated console port. Only few PCs I know of can pull console on anything other than graphics adapter and you can diagnose hardware errors without prior running, if you even can, the operating system that redirect output to something like serial port- the "buried shovel" syndrome. If a true server malfunctions, you can still gain access from dedicated, like on serial port, console, where you can perform hardware maintenance.

[techno_race]

If you want to manually upload the files via FTP, the hosting I'm on offers great upload service for relatively cheap...
http://www.webhero.com
Note:
don't try to buy hosting from them in firefox...
or an isp? I get great service under WildBlue...
http://www.wildblue.net
ftp client
google!!!!!!!
filezilla?

[Twey]

Well, take a notice: most servers have dedicated console port. Only few PCs I know of can pull console on anything other than graphics adapter and you can diagnose hardware errors without prior running, if you even can, the operating system that redirect output to something like serial port- the "buried shovel" syndrome. If a true server malfunctions, you can still gain access from dedicated, like on serial port, console, where you can perform hardware maintenance.

Every Linux kernel I've seen has included the netconsole module, which allows access to input and output via (amongst other things) the serial port. More to the point, running headed really isn't an option when your server is in a datacentre in Manchester Virtualisation helps a bit.