Can I run a windows OS such as windows 7 or windows 8 off a hyper-v server, as a desktop. I would like to deploy windows desktops to different locations at home.

Also, if there is hardware connected physically to the server, is that hardware accessible to all the instances of the windows desktops - I am thinking webcams and speakers.  If I had as example 4 desktop instances running, would all 4 be able to access a single webcam physically connected to the server and would all 4 have the sound outputted to speakers physically connected to the server?

The VMs cannot share devices that are physical connected (your example of webcams and speakers).

If you make an RDP connection to your VM, then these devices will be / can be remoted into the VM via the RDP protocol from your client machine.  This would apply to your webcam and audio.

Can client devices around your home connect to the these VMs?  absolutely.  Again, use RDP to connect directly to the OS of the VM, don't use the Hyper-V VM console application.

Can I run a windows OS such as windows 7 or windows 8 off a hyper-v server, as a desktop. I would like to deploy windows desktops to different locations at home.

Also, if there is hardware connected physically to the server, is that hardware accessible to all the instances of the windows desktops - I am thinking webcams and speakers.  If I had as example 4 desktop instances running, would all 4 be able to access a single webcam physically connected to the server and would all 4 have the sound outputted to speakers physically connected to the server?

 I am a bit concerned with your basic plan. You plan to "deploy" these devices around the house. What device is actually going to be at the location? How will it display the desktop and accept user input? What is the advantage of having its OS running on the server rather than directly on that device?

I got two Dell FX 100 zero clients to try this out.  It has not gone well!  I can manage to create virtual machines (now using windows server 2008 R2 and hyper-v).......  But the video quality, such as you tube, is really poor.

This all may be a bad plan!

Quite honestly, if you are running Hyper-V 2008 R2 - you are using 5 year old software.  Don't make current judgments based on that. 

If you would like some assistance with your performance issues, lets start exploring around

Also, I just looked up the Dell FX 100 zero client, and it lists PC-over-IP as the protocol (besides being out of production).  This is a VMware specific protocol, it is not RDP which is the Windows protocol, nor the Citrix ICA protocol.

What exactly is your configuration?

I am completely new at all of this.  I tried this first with ESXi but had the same poor video - someone suggested server 2008 R2 or 2012.

I am trying to run this on a server using an i3-2120 processor and 16GB ram.

I know the Dell FX100 is old.  But I thought it did RDP as well as PCoIP.

And that is where you get into features and versions and improvements.

Always run the latest when possible.

And the speed of the CPU of the hypervisor has a huge impact in this situation.  As well as capabilities to offload to virtual or physical GPU.

The version of RDP has an impact as well as the version of the hypervisor and the version of the OS in the VM you are targeting.

RDP capabilities will be down-leveled to the lowest client version in the connection (the client and the server side determine the features).  Just because it does RDP doesn't mean it has the version that gives you the performance feature you desire.

And you only get high fidelity with the version in Windows 8 or later.  This has nothing to do with the version of the hypervisor.

However, features like vGPU have everything to do with the hypervisor.

I am guessing that your poor video experience is multi-fold.  It can be affected by any of the following: the version of the remoting protocol, the CPU speed of the hypervisor, the configuration of the VM (# of vCPU amount of RAM - and the optimum configuration is different for different OS releases), and storage speed if there is any caching.

I downloaded the windows 2012 server also so I will try that.  Is there a newer zero client I could look at?

I did assume my  hardware may need some upgrading.  I wanted to see if this all would work at all before buying new hardware.

I am really totally new to all this, but did not want to let that stop me from trying!

Then begin with the latest release - Server 2012 R2. ( Not Server 2008 R2 nor 2012.)

Due to old hardware, you have to take performance with a grain of salt.  Consider what element of usability is most important to you.

Frankly, YouTube videos will always be impacted by the version of the remoting protocol. 

So you need a new client to get the best possible performance.  Otherwise you cannot separate what is a client problem vs what is a server problem.

I would evaluate without using your zero clients to understand their impact.  Use a PC on the client end of the connections first.

I will try that.  I am sorry I revived an old thread here...... I started the tread when I was thinking of trying this and then reposted after I actually got some hardware.

no worries.

at least you hijacked your own thread and not someone else's  ;-)

Just to add clarity.  I also tried running the VM right in the hypervisor and got the same poor video - and also using just simple remote desktop from another computer.

I tried installing something called remoteFX but it seemed I then got a message saying that hyper-v should be the only role installed.

RemoteFX is one component of the MSFT VDI solution and has is own requirements.  It has multiple moving parts.

If you have the same poor video, then it is a VM issue.  Which can be CPU, RAM, or storage, or VM OS rooted.

We know that the processor is not screaming fast, but I would not expect choppy video streaming from that alone.

What is the OS in the VM?

What is the VM configuration? Another possibility is instead of using a VM, you use Terminal Server and divide the users by sessions (instead of individual VMs).  It is an option. But manages differently.

The virtual machine OS I am trying to install is windows 7 professional.  I assign it 6 GB ram and two processor cores.  I set the virtual hard drive to 40 GB and that is on a SSD drive.

I just installed the windows 2012 server and have not yet tried to do the VM in that version.  When I install the server should I let it use the driver for my video card that it installs or get the actual driver for the card?  It's a Geforce 9500 GT.

I noticed that the server says windows server 2012 and not windows server 2012 R2.  Will it update itself to windows server 2012 R2 with auto updates or do I actually need to go find windows server 2012 R2.

You will need to upgrade to 2012 R2.

And Windows 7 in the VM...  Flash might be decent, but YouTube might not.