Many are not satisfied with the limited streaming features of subscription facilities like Netflix, Disney +, YouTube, and Amazon Prime. And while there is rarely the best network media solution for everyone, physical media enthusiasts and record-sharers will find a satisfied media on a compromised media server.
These are essentially HTTP servers with a compromised user interface and a feature set for managing media libraries. Just load up a wireless multimedia keyboard and you can turn any PC into a home theater.
And while some have streaming built in, those features are more productive and suitable for those who already have a counterfeit media collection and need to enjoy it in an orderly fashion. So whether you need to streamline your home theater, revamp your commercial media, or host a semi-legal collection of DVD movies, check out the most productive home media servers below.
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Plex is the most popular media server software because it offers simple setup and a very flexible formula for managing other types of media libraries. Plex can be set up on any hard drive, preferably a NAS (network attached garage device), however since my PC runs almost 24/7 I had no challenge for it my main device will host my own Plex server.
Setting up your Plex server is a largely automated process, and setting up a stream on the other end is as simple as downloading the loose app for the platform of your choice, be it a smart TV. PlayStation or Apple TV. Remote access is out of the box and does not require any port forwarding or additional configuration.
One of the first things you notice about Plex is that its menus look impressive on all platforms. The menus were quick and easy to navigate, although I ran into a problem while looking to explore my stupidly giant music collection. If you have multiple terabytes of media with metadata, covers, etc. , that data will only fill at the speed of your connection.
Aside from this specific folder issue, the menus are nice, fast, and easy to navigate from each and every platform I’ve tried. Plex transforms your library by adding metadata like canopy art and IMDB effects to your viewing experience.
Like other options, Plex also transcodes on the fly and automatically adjusts its functionality and quality based on available bandwidth. During my testing, I had no issues with wireless streaming on my old router and mid-tier web service, and I didn’t encounter any codec errors while playing with an incompatible file.
While you can enjoy the most of Plex’s features on the loose, you want to upgrade to a Plex Pass if you want to enjoy more exciting features. These come with access to some cool features of the Plex mobile apps released in a different way, the ability to sync a garage system to the cloud, and much more. The Plex Pass offers several payment options, the cheapest for a serious user is the Lifetime Pass for $ 149. 99. The remaining query will undoubtedly be: is the price a Plex Pass worth? And for many, the answer will definitely be.
Plex makes hosting your own media server incredibly easy, and the additional visual enhancements to your media collection are a marvel that will exceed the quality of peak streaming services, as long as the content is collected to complete it. A forged and comprehensive option, Plex is one of the top competitors for its multimedia garage solutions.
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Kodi is an open source media medium that has been around to the fullest since HTPCs (Home Theater PCs) were around. It’s not the easiest-to-use home multimedia software out there, yet it does offer an incredible number of add-ons, making it one of the top productive features for those who need to host downloaded content with their families. I liked the paid streaming services.
It will locate (unofficial) plugins for streaming facilities like YouTube, Spotify, Disney Plus, Netflix, etc. Kodi can even be used to download any of the other streaming media facilities we’ve recommended. Plex’s number of channels is negligible in comparison, so when it comes to variety of sources, Kodi really takes the cake.
Kodi is easy to install on any Windows, Linux, MacOS, Android, or iOS device. You can also install Kodi on almost any other playback device, however this regularly requires the use of unofficial methods. It may sound intimidating, but you can locate step-by-step commands for almost any device on the Kodi Wiki. It’s ironic that you have to take those extra steps, as Kodi’s UI is definitely optimized for a streaming box.
Make no mistake. Kodi’s keyboard and mouse interface is rarely that good, however its menu layout is definitely designed to be easy to use. (It was originally called Xbox Media Player, after all. ) No matter how you browse Kodi, it will automatically organize your content to make it look more polished. You can configure it to extract metadata from your resource selection to provide synopses, reviews, movie posters, titles, and genre scores for your uploaded media. You can also install traditional skins to give your media library its own unique feel.
The software is smooth and fast and pretty fast. It can deal with the maximum of all popular audio and video formats. Unfortunately, two of the most difficult features of the software – its open source license and a massive library of plugins – can be factored in if you’re not careful how you use them. The unofficial nature of this service means that it is much less difficult to accidentally download a malicious edition of a plugin if you don’t know what you are doing. New users are kindly requested to read the Wiki thoroughly before starting. However, if you are up to the task, Kodi can provide some of the maximum productive media server features located on the loose tier.
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Emby is a new media server software that combines Plex’s subtle interface with Kodi’s open source base to deliver highly customizable media delight with a premium feel. But how precisely does this software combine an open source platform with commercially licensed features? It has evolved over time.
Emthrough started out as an open source project, but in 2018 it switched to the business style of Plex by creating highly sought-after plugins and turning them into a paywall. With that said, Emthrough still offers a rich feature set, even if you just stick with the loose edition of the software. Let’s go.
Like Plex, Emthrough uses a consumer / server setup, where you install the server on a host device and then install a playback consumer on a Roku, Apple TV, or Samsung / LG Smart TV. You can also use the Internet application on another PC. If it is the loose version, it will have to be on the same local network as your server. Emthrough automatically retrieves the metadata for your resource selection so you can organize your library by genre, date, cast, and more. It also allows you to create user profiles and apply parental controls to quick users.
While this set of foundational features is possibly sufficient for beginners, complex users will definitely need to invest in Emby Premiere, which carries a long list of additional features. Emby Premier is priced at $ five based on the month or $ 119 for a lifetime pass. The top vital feature of Emby Premiere is the ability to remotely access your media library, as well as from a wider variety of devices. The paid edition of Emby also includes access to the Emby apps for Linux, MacOS, iOS, Android, Fire TV, Xbox One, and PS4. To go up to that, you get Live TV (subscription required), DVRArray hardware accelerated transcoding, cloud syncing, offline viewing, and Cinema Mode that complements your viewing delight with sound-consistent intros and trailers.
The premiere features are worth the cost well, but unfortunately the loose edition doesn’t live up to the former glory of this app. Before using Emby’s loose edition, you might need to take a look at Jellyfin, which came out of the latest open source edition of Emby. It doesn’t have the same set of features and app help as Emby Premiere, but it does allow for loose remote playback on a wider variety of devices. Also, I review a number of other open source features that are also suitable for users on a budget.
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Universal Media Server is an open source and absolutely flexible media solution that a bit more confusing than Plex, it is just as robust and reliable. This software can be configured on an open source PC or NAS software, with more or less the same setup load, but if you get interrupted by one of the steps in the procedure, a fairly robust support network will be able to help.
Installing UMS is a convenient process. The software guides you through configuring each of the settings before you can turn on your server. To complicate matters, some of your gadgets may not locate your feed if you haven’t set it up correctly. On the other hand, if configured correctly, UMS will work with almost any streaming device.
UMS automatically scans the explained locations for new media content, but if you don’t manage your files, UMS will look like a mess. Chances are, if you have a serious collection, you’ve been careful enough to label everything correctly, and even if you don’t, the app is still very useful.
Once configured, UMS offers fast browsing and built-in transcoding to play media files on devices that are not formatted. You have access to plugins like SoundCloud, last. fm, and XBMC, but the variety is ultimately limited. You can find some cool new streaming facilities there, but they’re likely not the ones you already use.
And it will be very easy for some, but UMS cannot offer remote access, restricting your server to your local wireless network. For some, that’s all the appeal of a home media server, but for others, they will be satisfied enough to stream to multiple rooms in the house.
Although it can be difficult, adjusting UMS is customizing this software. If you can accept the challenge of doing it, the reward is to value yourself.
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Subsonic has been a long-time competitor in the media library game, originally it was designed to network a giant music library from a network. As such, video streaming, along with mobile and browser app streaming, are some of the premium features that require an undeniable $ 1 / month subscription. This means that you may not get the full features of the media server without a small fee.
Although this is a secondary feature, video streaming works well in Subsonic, and thanks to the huge number of transcoding plugins available, you can play virtually any codec. Subsonic Premium also allows you to watch videos from devices like Chromecast, Sonos system, or Android / iOS / Windows smartphone like Pixel four (which you can find wonderful examples on our most productive excursion to the horizon of Pixel four instances).
Unfortunately, this is limited compared to the other features available to you. Kodi has a Subsonic add-on and you can locate more side-download software like SubFire Player to use Subsonic with an Amazon Fire TV.
Users like me who are sitting on several terabytes of music will greatly appreciate the addition of MusicCabinet, a tag-based navigation plugin, non-public last. fm suggestions, and the lack of album recommendations for their favorite artists.
Ultimately, Subsonic may not be the most productive pick for everyone, especially since it’s only compatible with a limited number of streaming devices. Avid screen and movie viewers will face a lack of subtitle support, as well as an inability to deliver quality settings. For me, music represents a part of the media that I own and Subsonic satisfies my desires adequately. As older software, SubSonic does not have the same normal updates as PlayOn and will be a bit more complicated to use. But music lovers will have enough to keep busy, even if they have to release a foreign movie on VLC.
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Serviio is similar to UMS in that it is a fast and robust open source media server packed with complex functions and controls. But unlike UMS, Serviio offers a paid edition that provides a convenient remote browser player, Android app, and other features. This software runs on a PC or NAS, and also streams content from online resources such as RSS feeds, live audio / video feeds, internet page content.
Serviio asks that you already have your content organized and titled correctly, otherwise it will look like a general disaster. In the loose version, you can stream to the newest Playstation and XBox devices, as well as other computers; however, other devices such as the Sonos, Roku, and Chromecast have been known to have trouble running with Serviio. Due to its detailed configuration options, almost everything is imaginable with this software, although it may not be easy.
If you make a one-time payment of $ 25 for Serviio Pro, you get access to the convenient feature of MediaBrowser, which provides an intuitive browser-based user interface that makes viewing of mobile devices, pills, and PC just as good. MediaBrowser also provides less difficult access to captions and streaming quality controls. Beyond MediaBrowser, you also get other features like the ServiiGo Android app (there is no iOS app) for streaming content, and the ability to share content as well as the other people to share it with.
Even in the loose version, you must have access to a remote server, however you will have to have a compatible router, and this is a difficult feature to configure. Serviio’s plugin ecosystem is also available to loose users, providing a physically powerful selection, basically online page support. These come with sites like YouTube, Hulu, Twitch, and even possible more adult-oriented networking options.
Serviio Pro is a less expensive option than a Plex Pass, yet the software offers a competitive set of features even for loose users. If you are up to the challenge of more complex media server software, Serviio can be a very rewarding option.
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Although it has its quirks, PlayOn is a very functional option for streaming media, as long as you are running it from a Windows PC. PlayOn is only compatible with Windows, which unfortunately means that Linux and iOS users, as well as those with a NAS device, are left behind. Also, PlayOn’s specialty is not expertly managing its own files, but the streams it uses regularly to check for new content. To put it another way, it works like a Roku on the entire network.
Don’t worry, of course you can upload local content like movies, music and pictures to our PlayOn library, but the software puts even more focus on offering a variety of loose streaming services. and paying. That’s over a hundred channels to boot, adding Hulu, YouTube, Netflix, Comedy Central, and all the major TV networks. Navigating this wide variety is pretty simple with PlayOn’s user interface, which is pretty polished. I found the bookmark feature to be convenient for keeping up with daily broadcasts, and I also enjoyed using the PlayMark extension to stream videos from my favorite internet broadcasts.
One caveat is that you’ll want to go through a subscription plan to stream to non-PC devices like a TV, cell phone, Roku, or game console. Of course, you can broadcast over your local network. and your PC on the loose version, but PlayOn has a number of worthwhile promotions, which means you’ll rarely have to pay the full $ 69. 99 for your lifetime pass.
This is moderate when you consider that PlayOn Plus also includes the PlayLater service, a software for your PC or mobile device that records multimedia content in real time and saves it on your device for long-term viewing. This service mirrors creating your own non-public torrent of your own existing favorite show, but it does so in a perfectly legal way while allowing you to skip commercials. Also, PlayOn has a massive network that writes particular scripts to capture your favorite content type.
Ultimately, PlayOn may leave some enthusiasts without more features, however it has a less difficult user interface than Roku and offers PlayLater, which should record any streaming media and play it back later ad-free. Streamed content works wonders with remote access, and while it’s not the most consistent media server software, it will definitely fulfill the wishes of the utmost.
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