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