Feasible? Android "Media Centre TV Boxes" as Cheap Network Storage?

[Flipmode11]

G'day guys,
Given NAS solutions have dropped in price and shifted from the workplace to home, has anyone tried setting up an Android Media Centre / TV Box with a network accessible NAS and has performed well?

I saw Asustor v2.5 and their new Beta (so many Mac screenshots!) and work with a several clients with Synology and physical Server's with RAID. I have never extensively tested Asus AICloud and similar storage solutions either. So before buying any basic Asustor celeron NAS boxes, can I increase flexibility with mass-produced media boxes?

Given some of these $100-$300 android boxes are fitted with 2-4x USB 3.0 ports, DDR4 RAM, Gigabit LAN, plus latest RockChip/AmLogic CPUs, etc... How feasible do you think it is to set-up a 'low-performance' dedicated NAS on a device with either AmLogic S905x/S912 or RockChip R3368/R3399? i.e. Distributing media across network and to a projector or television screen? [e.g. Freesat GTC, Mecool Kiii, Mecool M8S Pro, Tanix TX8 TX9 TX92, ....]

Really keen to learn what other people have done with centralising storage via Android-based Media Centres and NAS storage.
Thanks for all your time!
Cheers!

 

[thiggins]

Why would you bother doing this when you can pick up a full-featured single-bay NAS for $130?

 

[Flipmode11]

Thanks Tim @thiggins,
Well I was hoping to overlap functionality - i.e. HDMI, USB, Content media codecs (x265, x264, ...), GUI, and so on... I am not aware of this having any UI, except via another computer. But I understand, without being able to watch Photo slideshows, presentations, movies and network streams, USB storage content, and so on, this device would be fine for storage.

It's funny, I have never ever used or quoted anyone a QNAP NAS box or any of their other solutions.

 

[thiggins]

Sorry, I thought you were trying to repurpose one of the boxes as a dedicated NAS.

QNAP and Synology have also included HDMI ports and integrated Plex to function as media centers. A bit more expensive than $130, though. Some models also support real-time video transcoding, too.

 

[Flipmode11]

Thanks Tim,
Just been re-reading your articles on Asus and Netgear routers. You really do have some good setups! (Or "rigs" as you refer to them)

There must be something available for Android that allows the built-in multi-user functionality to integrate into some ACL-based NAS-style app, and assign permissions to resources, and be accessible via CIFS, SMB, NFS, AFP or any others...

With storage (already purchased, used, written off) ready to test with an existing (or newly purchased) Android box plus some NAS storage management app... there must be some alternatives/options out there...

Fingers remaining crossed...

 

[Flipmode11]

After more research and reading I've created a shortlist. Just to test and as of these apps can discover and connect to network resources and peripherals to playback content, photos, slideshows, etcetera...

Servers Ultimate Pro
Price: $10+ or Free edition.
Updated: 2016.03.30
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.icecoldapps.serversultimatepro
Expansion Packs: B (and maybe A, D, F...)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.icecoldapps.serversultimate.packb

Pixel Media Server DMS
Updated: 2015.03.09
Perhaps this is not suitable as may be designed to stream to a tv... Must check "Pixel Media Controller" and "Pixel Media Renderer"...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cmc.dms

AllConnect Play & Steam
Updated: 2017.11.30
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tuxera.streambels

Hi-Fi Cast + DLNA
Updated: 2018.02.09
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.findhdmusic.app.upnpcast

"Others"...
Nero Receiver (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nero.MediaHomeReceiver)
Media Server Pro (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=es.mediaserverpro)
Plex - seen it mentioned but know nothing about it... (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.plexapp.android)
....