Share your media libraries
Access your film, TV and music from connected devices with Media Browser
One of the best ways to share your media – films, TV shows, photos and music – is by setting up a dedicated media server, which can be accessed by other devices both inside and outside your home.
The obvious solution is iTunes, but it restricts you to using Apple-friendly devices. Another option is Plex, but its best features are hidden behind a paid subscription. But there’s a third option: Media Browser, now available for Mac.
Media Browser is similar to Plex: it lets you set up separate libraries for different media files, including TV, films, music and more. You can access these through different connected devices: your Mac via your web browser or the Kodi media centre program (see tip box, opposite), a paid mobile app (including iPad and iPhone), or even smart living room devices such as Roku or a Samsung TV. Media Browser also supports the DLNA standard, widening access to more devices, including the WDTV box or even a free iOS media player app like Media Link Player Lite. While there’s no direct support for Apple TV devices, the Media Browser iOS app supports AirPlay mirroring, so all is not lost.
Before setting up your libraries though, make sure your media files are named in such a way as to make them easy to identify, which allows Media Browser to import artwork and extra information such as an episode title or a film synopsis from the internet. Visit bit.ly/15qKvrv for our exhaustive media naming guide. Nick Peers