from – Control4 Blog Post, Nate Cheng
If your household is like mine, you probably have a collection of memory sticks floating around inside drawers, coat pockets, backpacks and car glove compartments. For years, these little sticks have been our go-to devices to store our multimedia collection—music, videos, photos and other forms of entertainment—as well as important documents.
While memory sticks can be useful, they also have some drawbacks. They are easy to misplace and keep well organized. They are also easily damaged and, like loose change, they sometimes end up in the wash. Lose or break one, and poof, an entire vacation’s worth of photos is gone in the blink of an eye. Realizing that this is a problem, I started investigating better storage options. I wanted to find a solution that would keep my data well protected and organized, as well as easy to use and painless to set up for a tech novice like myself.
So what’s the antidote for my memory stick woes? The QNAP Network Attached Storage Device, or NAS for short. It’s a networked storage center that allows for sharing digital photos, music, and movies/videos, and backs up home computers. It’s radically simplified my life by making it a cinch to organize all my files. Plus, with a NAS connected to my home’s network router, I can easily share my digital memories with just a few clicks. The files are protected, located in one spot, and can be retrieved quickly. Plus, when I want to view photos, videos and other information on a big screen, or listen to music, I can just plus the NAS directly into the HDMI input of my family room TV. This setup has been a huge hit during holiday parties and family gatherings. I can share my favorite photos of places I’ve traveled, a collection of home videos, or a favorite movie or song from my media collection with everyone in the room from the comfort of the family room couch.
And just when you thought a NAS was only about entertainment, think again. By adding the QNAP VioStor Player to my QNAP NAS, I’ve been able to tie the NAS to my home video surveillance system. This allows me to watch TV and monitor surveillance video on the same screen.
A NAS works well with a Control4 system. I can access my movies through the Control4 on-screen interface and toggle between the show and the surveillance video by using the Control4 remote. Convenience, control and entertainment enjoyment are finally at my fingertips.