I never thought I’d ever become a Network Attached Storage (NAS) evangelist but since I got my Synology DiskStation last year, it’s all I can do to keep from recommending it to everyone I know. DiskStations not only act as a reliable and speedy home file/backup server but they also provide a wealth of other features and apps for iOS and Android. On the server side, you can install just about any service you’d put on a Linux box (iTunes Music Server, WordPress, etc. the list is seriously impressive) but in a easy, reliable, speedy GUI.
On the client side, Diskstation iOS and Android apps are great ways to access your media and play them on just about any device you can connect to. You can do just about anything besides play your videos directly to your Apple TV (you can AirPlay them from an iOS device or add them to a local Mac’s iTunes library without moving the media with a ‘option-drag’).
So the news? With the release of DS 4.2 (Beta currently) you now can stream AirPlay videos directly from your DiskStation to your AppleTV. As a bonus, DS 4.2 radically improves the performance of Apple File Protocol (AFP) which means Time Machine backups are going to be that much quicker.
AirPlay Streaming to TV
Video Station turns your living room into a real home theater. Stream epic action movies or episodes full of suspense from Video Station onto your widescreen TV, via Airplay. Control the playback single-handedly with your mobile device, leaving you with a free hand for popcorn and chips.
DS video as Remote Control for AirPlay
Make the home theater experience everywhere with the movies and TV shows you love to watch. DS video lets you stream videos onto the big screen with AirPlay services. Whether you are comfortably at home or visiting a friend, full-screen visual entertainment is ready at your call.
AFP (Apple File Protocol) performance enhancements — The speed of file transfers to the DiskStation has improved up to 52%. The following is a comparison between DSM 4.1 and DSM 4.2.
DSM 4.1 DSM 4.2 Improvement DS212+ 45.2 MB/s 68.6 MB/s 51.6%
Lots more improvements come with 4.2. *High Five* fellow DiskStation owners!
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