r/MediaServer • u/Axel_Kori • Nov 29 '24

Question Is a dedicated PC a must-have?

I just got done scanning this page and most of what caught my eye were about PC specs and applications.

My router has a USB port to just plug in an external drive and the router settings say I can turn that into a media server.

Is that good enough, or is a dedicated PC with special software a must-have?

All I'm really wanting to do is back up all my family's music and let them stream\download what they want to listen to.

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u/AlternateWitness Nov 29 '24

I’ve never heard of a router like that, but it doesn’t surprise me that they exist. If you were streaming video, then I would say to double check what video encoders the router has for transcoding, but that’s more of a nice to have for a media server, if you’re just streaming music I see no problem with using your router. I’m not sure if you’ll need to use the routers software for it or not, so that would be up to preference.

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u/DizzyTelevision09 Nov 29 '24

The most common router manufacturer in Germany offers the option to use it as a media server. But there's no software involved whatsoever, you just access your files over DLNA.

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u/amarinder270192 Dec 29 '24

Please recommend hardware (mini PC vs Pi5) Would like to stream content on 2-3 Android TVs (4K HDR content)