Category Archives: Latest News

New Media Server Reviews and Categories for 2012

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Frequent visitors to Media Server Reviews will have noticed a couple of new categories are appearing on our site.

The old categories of Basic, Mid-Range and Premium were just not useful enough when looking for the right devices for your needs.

The important thing to consider is not how much money a product costs, though that is obviously important, it is about finding the product that matches your requirements – what you want it to do and what needs it will meet. Will it be used as a single place to store all your movies, music and photos? Will it be connected to a TV or Projector? Or will you have other devices playing the media and connecting to your server over the home network?

We have started to break down the reviews into the following categories:

Media Centers – these are the units that run the interface you use to select and play media, they will typically be directly connected to either a TV or AV Receiver. This is where this site has historically placed most attention, these are otherwise known as Media Hubs, Media Players etc.

NAS Media Servers – NAS (Network Attached Storage) Devices are popular as they have all the ‘grunt’ of a fully fledged server, but they are ‘appliances’ – that is they are built for the single purpose, in this case storing and sharing your data – movies, music etc over the network. Many NAS devices have built in Media Services and will integrate with iTunes, Squeezebox and other services, reducing the need to have a computer turned on to stream your media around the house and over the internet.

Media Servers These are also in the same league as the HTPC, the Home Theatre PC, and are for people who enjoy fully customizing their setup.

Some of the reviews coming will be for the amazing Synology DiskStation range, as well as Home Servers, Media Server Software and more.

I really hope you find the new classification useful as you look for the reviews and information you need, we really appreciate your feedback so if you would like to comment below or email info@mediaserverreviews.com

New Apple TV for $99 with 1080p

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Apple have announced the new Apple TV will sport a new user interface as well as supporting 1080p.
 
The Apple TV MD199LL/A will have 1080p HD programming, including iTunes movies and TV shows, Netflix, Vimeo, photos and more in full HD.
 
It will be able to support the usual web media sources such as netflix, as well as streaming movies from iCloud and from your other apple devices using AirPlay.The new interface will have icons, apps and coverflow similar to iPad and iPhone.
 
Being released next week for $99, it will be interesting to see what happens to the existing Apple TV price on Amazon over the next few days..

 

 
 
 

Microsoft TV?

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Rumors abound that Microsoft will announce a TV service for the XBox tomorrow at E3. Winrumors is saying it will be called Xbox LIVE Diamond TV. Like Google TV it is more than just TV. In addition to featuring Microsoft partners Hulu, ESPN, and Netflix it is rumored to integrate with a music subscription service from Zune. This is of course added onto all the existing XBox Live services.

Unfortunately it still a ways away with predictions for XBox LIVE Diamond TV to go live this November. Also the subscription will not be free, but I haven’t seen any guesses on the cost. For those with an XBox all of these factors will need to be considered when buying a media server.

Google TV vs Boxee – Repeat of the Browser Wars?

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It wasn’t all that long ago really but in Internet terms it was at least a couple of light years since the Browser Wars. Remember it?

netscape logoA brief bit of history for the sake of interest and nostalgia then. The Netscape browser kicked off the commercial Internet as we know it today in 1994 and at one stage had over 90% of the market. Such a monopoly upset Microsoft (what a surprise) which responded with their Internet Explorer browser being bundled with the Windows operating system.

What followed was the Microsoft anti-trust trial (another story) which effectively killed off Netscape, although that slow death took until 2007 at which time it had less than 1% of market share. In the halcyon late 1990s, AOL thought Netscape was such a good thing that they paid over $4 billion for it and still owned it when Netscape was finally read the last rites.

Anyway, back to today and what are the similarities, if any, and what learning can we apply to this next generation of Internet expansion?

boxee softwareBoxee software has been free for download for the past few years, and many people have it installed on their PCs as a means to enjoy online media content.

It has been a great success but with the limitation that you either watch a movie on your poky PC screen or cart the PC to the lounge room and connect it to your TV. Clumsy and a bit messy really.

However, now Boxee has partnered with D-Link and built the Boxee Box DSM-380.

This great little box sits on your home network and connects to your TV set and becomes a part of your home entertainment system. Now you can watch and listen to whatever you want, in comfort and with quality high definition video and audio.

Google TVThe opposing contender in this battle for Internet turf in the lounge room is Google TV. Google TV has similarities to Boxee in that both make it easy to bring the Internet to your lounge using Apps, browsing and search capabilities.

Whereas Boxee has only the single product at this stage, Google has initially chosen two manufacturers to get the Google TV bandwagon moving. In direct competition with the Boxee Box is the Logitech Revue Box with Google TV which also sits between an existing TV set and the Internet.

However Google has gone a step further with the release of Sony Internet TV with Google TV. Here we have a Sony high definition TV receiver with Google TV built in, plus the necessary home network connections. It looks like Google TV has both components of the market covered – those who don’t want to buy a new TV and those who do.

Let’s hope for the sake of competitiveness and consumer choice that both Google TV and Boxee are successful and are able to further develop their respective products.

It would be a tragedy if one fell by the wayside for any reason. We certainly do not want an extended period of uncertainty and second rate products as happened during and immediately following the Browser Wars.

Time to Cancel the Cable Subscription

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netflix streaming home mediaThe recent announcement by Netflix (the online streaming people) of sharp profit growth and a total of over 15 million subscribers must have the cable people getting very nervous. The success of Netflix and other providers of streaming content (movies, TV, music) show that the consumer has gone beyond the “try it” phase and is grasping the online streaming reality with enthusiasm.

It is not just a matter of economics either, although the providers of streaming content certainly provide a more cost effective way of getting your video fix. The going subscription rate of around $10 per month compares favorably to what it often costs to upgrade just one channel on a cable pay TV subscription.

The cost of getting the media content physically to your TV screen can vary from a little to a lot, depending on your tastes, budget and existing home entertainment system. A very basic streaming media player (like the Roku) will only set you back about $100. If you want a high quality audio and visual experience with full connection to your home entertainment system, a built-in digital video recorder and an internal disk drive, then a streaming home media server will cost somewhat more.

The content itself being provided by the media streaming companies is quality stuff with exclusive deals for TV and movie content becoming more regular. Of course if you prefer the “pay as you go” model, then the video on demand services provided by Amazon and the like also utilize the streaming media approach.

It should not really be a surprise that the home entertainment market is heading towards a streaming world where consumers can pick and choose what they want to watch, and when, and for what cost. A similar model has existed for some years now in the music industry where downloads and a cost per track model has counter balanced the decline in CD sales.

More recently we have seen an extension of this approach with the e-reader phenomenon. The Kindle has redefined the entire process of finding a book to read, buying it, getting it home and reading it. The same goes for magazines and newspapers although there will probably always be some sort of romantic role for the humble newspaper to play.

As the technology for video streaming has improved and Internet speeds have increased, so has the sheer convenience of a choice driven, home viewing experience. Consumers love it (as they do in the music and reading worlds) and it is only a matter of time before all our video content is delivered in this way. Before then, we have a difficult decision to make – when to cancel the cable contract.

Has D-Link Put All Its Media Streamer Eggs in the Boxee Basket?

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dlink eggs in boxee basketAnybody with an interest in networked home entertainment would be aware of the forthcoming Boxee Box. The much hyped Boxee Box is the long awaited result of the collaboration between D-Link and Boxee.

By way of background, D-Link has long been a major player in the development of networking and communications products. And done it very successfully too it should be noted. Boxee started developing their open source software in 2004 and today offer users the ability to enjoy media content on their HDTV from a directly connected PC.

So the Boxee Box looks to be a marriage made in heaven – a combination of quality networking hardware from D-Link coupled with the functionality of a dynamic media server software package from Boxee.

But this is not about the various debatable aspects of the Boxee Box, which will be judged by the market when the product goes on sale in November. Instead, it is more about D-Link’s decision to commit to the Boxee Box.

For a few years now, D-Link has been building a reasonable stable of streaming home media servers under the MediaLounge banner, featuring the ActiveTV interface. Some of these products have included the very popular DSM-510 and DSM-520, and others such as the DSM-330 and DSM-750. This family of products is promoted by D-Link in their Home and Home Office product category, under the somewhat unexciting grouping called “Moving Media”.

In recent times, some of these products have been quietly announced by D-Link as having reached “End of Life” in certain countries. In other instances, product supply seems to have been considerably reduced. Even a very mild cynic might propose that D-Link is clearing the shelves for the Boxee Box.

boxee box by dlinkIf that is the case, and the Boxee Box is a huge success then the strategy can be claimed by D-Link as having been correct. However, that ignores the large number of loyal customers who own existing D-Link streaming home media server products and who must be wondering if they made the right decision. If the Boxee Box flops then D-Link has a more serious issue on its hands.

Whatever happens, it will be a fascinating time. The networked media streamer is quickly becoming a major part of the home entertainment industry as more and more people want to watch their preferred online content on their HDTVs. It is great that the industry is listening to consumer demands and responding accordingly.

If the Boxee Box is the huge success it is expected to be, then perhaps D-Link could offer a generous trade-in to its existing customers. That would be a welcome gesture.