Home Media Servers Review

Home media servers, such as the HP MediaSmart Server, the Iomega ScreenPlay Director HD Media Player and the Apple TV, provide a whole new dimension to home entertainment. In the past, users would rent movies from a store, or get DVDs and Blu-ray Discs (BD) through the mail, then watch them on a DVD or BD player. Home media servers allow movie and TV show rentals and purchases to be done online and played back on an HDTV or regular television.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg: These devices can also stream, store and/or playback users’ personal digital media content, such as home movies, music and photos, from a compatible computer. The devices can also access more content from such websites as YouTube (video sharing), Pandora (streaming music) and Flickr (photo sharing), along with many others.

Home Media Servers: What to Look For

There are many common features found in different home media servers that can be considered “must-haves.” Some of the devices may not be able to rent movies or playback specific internet content without a special third-party add-on, like PlayOn, which we discuss in our articles on home media servers. One unit, the HP MediaSmart Server, also acts as a computer back-up, allowing users to back files up to the device.

The Roku HD-XR Player, which is in fifth place on our list, can’t playback content from a computer. However, since it works great with Netflix and Amazon Video On Demand (VOD), along with many internet websites like Pandora, it made it onto the list.

Some of the features include:

Video & Sound Quality
It’s important to know what kind of quality the player can support. Video should support standard definition (SD) quality, 480p/i, up to high definition (HD), 720p or 1080p/i. Not all units support 1080p/i, but 720p is excellent video quality. Audio should be stereo surround sound.

Purchase/Rent Movies or TV Shows
The home media server should be able to purchase and/or rent movies or TV shows. Services include the iTunes Store (only works with the Apple TV), Netflix (subscription required; queue is usually set up on a computer), CinemaNow (Windows-only) and Amazon VOD.

Play Digital Media Content
This includes playback of home movies, music and photos found on a computer. As many formats should be supported; for example, a small selection of compatible formats include H.264 (video), AAC (audio) and JPEG (photo). If the unit can’t directly playback this content, there are websites where personal media can be uploaded; use the device to view personal content via the websites.

Internet Content
The devices should be able to access videos, music and photos through websites such as YouTube, Pandora and Flickr, or similar sites. This type of media looks and sounds fantastic through a home entertainment center.

Ease of Use
Just how easy is it to set-up and connect the home media server? Does it come with cables, such as HDMI, Component and/or Composite/RCA? It’s also important that the user interface (UI) is streamlined, making it easy to navigate through the menu system.

Help/Support
If a computer is required to run the home media server, or at least to get personal media to the device, does it support Mac OS X and/or Windows? If there’s a problem, the types of tech support are important. Options include phone, email, live chat, user forums, FAQs/Knowledge Base and a user’s manual.

Once home media servers are connected, a whole new dimension of home entertainment can be accessed easier than ever. Buying or renting movies or TV shows is as easy as clicking a couple of buttons. Watching YouTube videos or listening to internet radio never looked or sounded better.

Perhaps one of the best parts is personal media, such as watching precious home movies of kids, listening to music playlists through a surround sound system or view the photos from last summer’s beach vacation on an HDTV.

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