Heres a cable you could use
http://www.divineo.c...e-for-xbox.html that ones vga I wouldn't know where to get a component one. If you have a modchip you will need to flash a vga bios download frostys vga 5035 bios from the usual places and for softmods there are other methods. To switch to ntsc go and download enigmah Ntsc-Pal video switcher from the usual places or get it off the aid4 disc. Install it on your xbox and its pretty self explanatory from there. I don't know how to rip dvds sorry but rip them to avi 2gb and under and you shouldn't have any problems anything over 2gig and your pushing it for the original xbox. Hope that answered most of your questions I have a similar setup streaming movies from a 1tb external hdd connected to my computer it works very well.
Thank you would Love to know if I can rip dvds this is what is going to make it or brake it thank you. The files on the server are complete dvd rips (4.7 gb) will the xbox be able to play it ?? thank you.