One of the things I wish GOS had is a plugin for DLNA serving.
IMO, the Guardian OS is about as good as it gets for an NAS. However, one of the problems for a home user is multimedia. I mean really, if not for multimedia files, how many people would really need mass storage at home? But the GOS does not have anything built in, that I am aware of, for hosting multimedia files.
I freely admit I am a complete rookie when it comes to serving up multimedia files for home use. But, from my research, it looks like DLNA is the way most of the time. I encourage people to post on this subject with their knowlege or opinions on this subject please.
Many modern TVs, BluRay players, and many of those type of devices can now play multimedia files (videos, music, and show photos). But, most of the time, these devices have either/both USB connections for external drives and/or an ethernet (or wireless) network connection for using these files. This limits how you can access themultimedia files.
In the case of a USB port, it is simple enough. You plug in an external USB drive and off you go. But! This kind of limits what you can access by the size of the USB external drive you are using. I myself know of no way to attach an NAS to some unknown piece of hardware to plug it into a USB port simulating an external USB drive.
With the ethernet (or wireless) connection, a very few have the ability to go out and search the network for devices that have multimedia files. When I say a very few, I mean a very few, and not the ones I have (TV, BluRay player, PS3, XBox 360). What most of them do is look for a DLNA server on the network. Thus, unless someone throws something else in the mix here, this leads me to think DLNA is the way to go. Yes?
Okay, now the problem, at least for using Snap Servers and most other dedicated NAS units. You need something to locate the multimedia files on the NAS and then serve them up as DLNA.
Okay, the simplest way I know of is the have a dedicated host/server connected to the network, mapping the NAS, an then running a DLNA server program. IMO, this is a serious waste of a computer/server, not to mention waste of electricity. Unless you already have a server up and running for some other purpose (say Windows Home Server as one example), then there has to be a better way!
There are multimedia boxes out there like Patriot Box Office or WD TV Live as a couple examples. But, I have no idea if any of these devices can either 1) search a Network and discover an NAS and then serve up DLNA on a network, or 2) search a Network and discover an NAS and then play the files directly on an HDMI connection. Do they? Which ones? Beats me...
So in a nutshell, what we have here is; a TV (or other similar device) with HDMI inputs, a USB port, and an ethernet (or wireless connection) that can find a DLNA Server. That, and we have a Network with an NAS mass storage device with a ton of multimedia. So how do we bring the two together without running a decicated host/server that soaks up too much electricity and is just a waste of hardware? That is the question...
I truly hope this will stir up a good conversation with a lot of input (and maybe more questions) from many sources and find a great solution.
Time to stop lurking and just reading message posts here. Time to step up and throw what you know out there.
THIS MEANS YOU!