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Comparing Popular Media Server Applications

Now that you're presumably convinced that you need to install media server software to feed all your DNLA-compatible devices, what software should you choose? There are several good choices, depending on what precisely you want the server to do. Here are the most popular of them:

  • Mezzmo. Mezzmo is the newest DLNA media server app on this list, and gaining popularity fast. It's available for Windows only, and does a very good job of transcoding all manner of video, music, and image files. It's a little easier to set up than most of the other servers, and supports Network Media Single Source (NMSS) technology that links and centralizes all the media on your network through a single server. Mezzmo costs $29.95.
  • PlayOn. PlayOn is an interesting media server in that it not only streams your local media, it also provides access to Internet streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Video, and Hulu. You can stream to local media players and DLNA-compatible devices, as well as to iOS and Android phones and tablets. Like the other servers, PlayOn transcodes on the fly. Unlike the other servers, it's not free; you can pay $49.99/year for an annual subscription, or an $89.99 one-time fee.
  • Plex. Plex is arguably the most popular of today's media server programs. It's practically the default media server for owners of Roku media players; install the Plex software on your main PC and then activate the Plex channel on your Roku and it all works as promised. For other DNLA-compatible devices, Plex reads just about any digital media file and then does transcoding on the fly, adjusting performance and audio/video quality for available network bandwidth. It's pretty easy to set up, too. The home version of Plex is free, and you can serve to your smartphones and tablets by purchasing the Plex mobile app ($4.99) for each device.
  • PS3 Media Server. This one started out as a media server for PS3 game consoles, but has since branched out to be a general-purpose server that works with any DLNA-compatible device. It transcodes on the fly, supports browsing Flickr and Picasa photos online, and is available for all major operating systems. And it's free.
  • Serviio. This is a newer media server than some of the others; it streams local music, video, and images (including RAW files) to all manner of DLNA-compatible devices, and transcodes audio and SD/HD video on the fly. The Standard version is all you need and it's free; there's also a Pro version for $25 that adds a few bells and whistles. Serviio runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux machines.
  • Subsonic. Subsonic is another free streaming media server. It's a little more focused on streaming music than the other servers; it can easily handle 100,000+ track music libraries and transcode lossless files and resample to lower bitrates on the fly. Of course, it also streams movies and other media. The basic music-only version is free, but you'll need the $1/month Premium version if you want to stream video or stream audio to your portable devices.
  • Twonky Server. Twonky Server is one of the more established media servers. It streams and transcodes a variety of music, video, and photo files. It's available on Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms, and costs $19.95.

Each of these media server programs has its own group of loyal supporters. Plex is definitely the most popular of the bunch, but Mezzmo is gaining a lot of support quickly. And for music lovers, Subsonic has definite appeal. Most are free or have free trials, so try them out before you commit.

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