Network Attached Storage | Media Server ReviewsMedia Server Reviews

This recent upgrade to the popular Synology DiskStation DS212j looks to have hit the lead in the “most impressive media server (storage)” stakes.

The Synology DiskStation is a Network Attached Storage device for the home with multimedia support for all your movies, music and photos.

Fast, quiet and customizable via Synology’s impressive DiskStation OS, the media server oozes class and polish.

Just some of the features in this iteration:

Multimedia streaming to multiple devices at home and whilst away over the internet.
24×7 Downloading via bittorrent and multiple other protocols
Desktop backup
Personal Cloud – access your files from anywhere
Photo Station for video and photo sharing with blog and facebook syncing abilities
Energy Efficient 17.6 watts in operations with scheduled on/off feature
Max capacity 6Gb (2x 3Tb HD)

If you are looking to make the switch to a dedicated media server from an all in one media hub / player such as the Western Digital WD TV Media Player then this is the Media Server you should compare all others to.

Synology DS212J Hardware

CPU Frequency : 1.2GHz
Hardware Encrypted Engine
Memory : DDR2 256MB
Internal HDD/SSD : 3.5″ or 2.5″ SATA(II) X 2 (with Disk Holder) (Hard drive not included)
Max Internal Capacity : 6TB (2X 3TB HDD) (Capacity may vary by RAID types)
External HDD Interface : USB 2.0 Port X 2
Size (HxWxD) : 165 X 100 X 225.5 mm
Weight : 0.94Kg
LAN : Gigabit X1

System Fan : 92x92mm X 1
Wireless Support
Noise Level : 18.3 dB(A)
Power Recovery
AC Input Power Voltage : 100V to 240V AC
Power Frequency : 50 / 60Hz, Single Phase
Power Consumption : 17.6W (Access) ; 5.5W (HDD Hibernation)
Operating Temperature : 40 to 95°F (5 to 35°C)
Storage Temperature : 15 to 155°F (-10 to 70°C)
Relative Humidity : 5% to 95% RH
Maximum Operating Altitude : 10,000 feet
Certification : FCC Class B, CE Class B, BSMI Class B
Warranty : 2 Years

Synology DLNA/UPnP Media Server DS212J

PS3/Xbox 360 Support
Supported Audio Format : AAC, FLAC, M4A, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, PCM, WAV, WMA, WMA VBR, WMA PRO, WMA
Supported Video Format : 3GP, 3G2, ASF, AVI, DAT, DivX, DVR-MS, ISO, M2T, M2TS, M4V, MKV, MP4, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, MTS, MOV, QT, SWF, TP, TRP, TS, VOB, WMV, XviD, RMVB (The actual playback capabilities may vary depending on the DLNA/UPnP client)
Supported Image Format : BMP, JPG (jpe, jpeg), GIF, ICO, PNG, PSD, TIF (tiff), UFO

This model is diskless, so you will need to pair it with a couple of Hard Drives such as the Western Digital Caviar Green 3 TB SATA III 64 MB Cache Bare/OEM Desktop Hard Drive – WD30EZRX or for a cheaper option, a couple of 1Tb Drives can be bought for around half the price: Western Digital Caviar Green 1 TB SATA II 32 MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Desktop Hard Drive Retail Kit – WDBAAY0010HNC-NRSN

As a Media Server, this NAS is unmatched, with support for Tivo, PS3, XBOX, Logitech Squeezebox and Sonos.

The NETGEAR brand has become quite established in the home, and it is the aim of Netgear to take the ReadyNAS ULTRA family to the next level.

As a Network Attached Storage device, the NETGEAR ReadyNAS Ultra 2 Plus Network Attached Storage RNDP200U is quiet and rock-solid.

What we really love about it though is it’s Media Server Capabilities.

The Media Server capabilities of this NAS are truly brilliant, with it’s ReadyDLNA sporting Tivo, PS3, XBox 360 support and much much more.

SqueezeBox software is included, so you can stream directly to devices such as the Logitech Transporter SE Network Music Player natively!

Similarly, Sonos is also supported, just point your Sonos library to the ReadyNAS for multi-room playback.

The server is also able to run an iTunes service to playback your music collection to all your iPods, iPhones, iPads as well as on your Macs and PCs. Setup is as simple as enabling the service and moving your files to the ReadyNAS.

In addition to all these great Media Server features, ReadyNAS remote allows secure access to your files over the internet without the use of a VPN, using Explorer for Windows, or the Finder for mac.

Remote Media Streaming using Skifta also lets you shift your media to a remote player over the internet.

Backup your home computers and media

Paranoid about losing all your movies, videos and other data?

Netgear has ReadyNAS Vault allowing you to easily syncronise your data to the cloud, there is a free 30 day trial where you can check it out, after that you will need to pay for the service.

There is also support for Time Machine and a host of other backup solutions for your home network.

The entrly level model is diskless , meaning you will need to purchase hard drives such as the Western Digital Caviar Green 2 TB Desktop Hard Drive.

ReadyNAS Ultra 2 Plus Tech Specs

Media Streaming
DLNA Certified™ and can stream to media players (see www.dlna.org for latest):

NETGEAR® Digital Entertainers
Network DVD/Blu-ray players
Game consoles, like Sony® PlayStation® 3 , Nintendo® Wii and Microsoft® Xbox®, Xbox 360®
TiVo® DVRs
Skifta™ clients

Apple® iTunes® server
Logitech SqueezeBox
SONOS Digital Music Center
Windows MCE compatible

ReadyNAS Ultra 2

Physical Specifications
Intel® Atom Single-core CPU (Ultra 2)
Intel® Atom Dual-core CPU (Ultra 2 Plus)
1GB DDR2 SODIMM
Two (42) Serial ATA II channels
Hot swappable and lockable trays
Two (2) 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports
One (1) USB 3.0 port
Two (2) USB 2.0 ports
Embedded 128 MB Flash Memory for OS
Kensington Lock security hole
Software controlled 80 mm chassis cooling fan
Dimension (H x W x D): 101 x 142 x 220 mm (3.98 x 5.59 x 8.66 in)
Weight: 2.07 kg (4.56 lb), without hard disks

Electrical
60W External AC power supply
Input: 100-240V AC~ 50-60Hz 5A(Max)

Power Consumption
34W typical with 2 x 2TB disks
32W idle, 19W with disk spin-down

Environmental Compliance
0 to 40 C (32 to 104 F)
20% to 80% Humidity (non-condensing)
FCC, UL, CE, RoHS, C-tick, VCCI, CCC, KCC compliance

Available Configurations
Diskless
Half-populated

ReadyNAS Ultra 4

Physical Specifications
Intel® Atom Single-core CPU (Ultra 4)
Intel® Atom Dual-core CPU (Ultra 4 Plus)
1GB DDR2 SODIMM
Four (4) Serial ATA II channels
Hot swappable and lockable trays
Two (2) 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports
LCD Display
Three (3) USB 2.0 ports
Embedded 128 MB Flash Memory for OS
Kensington Lock security hole
Software controlled 92 mm chassis cooling fan
Dimension (H x W x D): 134 x 205 x 223 mm (5.28 x 8.07 x 8.78 in)
Weight: 4.70 kg (10.35 lb), without hard disks

Electrical
120W server-rated AC power supply
Input: 100-240V AC~ 50-60Hz 5A(Max)

Power Consumption
52W typical with 4 x 2TB disks
48W idle, 25W with disk spin-down

Environmental Compliance
0 to 40 C (32 to 104 F)
20% to 80% Humidity (non-condensing)
FCC, UL, CE, RoHS, C-tick, VCCI, CCC, KCC compliance

Available Configurations
Diskless
Half-populated

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Synology DiskStation DS212J