The media streaming devices that connect to the cloud

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With the growth of cloud-based streaming video, there is a wealth of choice for media streaming devices that connect to your HDTV and serve up rented or purchased content as well as subscription sites and web videos. Here's a sampling:

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Other home entertainment devices can also connect to cloud-based media streaming services, including Internet-capable Blu-ray Disc players and HDTVs plus game consoles:

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Cloud computing takes files off of your computer's hard drive and makes them accessible wherever you roam and have access to the Internet. However, if you want to share your music and video library with just the multiple computers and media streaming devices in your home, you can create your own personal cloud using a Network-Attached Storage device--also known as NAS.

A NAS device connects hard drive storage to your home or small business network and allows that data to be accessed by other computers and devices connected to that local area network (LAN). With a NAS device, you can store all your photos, movies, songs, and documents in a single centralized location and have them be visible on every computer as well as compatible WiFi enabled mobile phones and tablets, networked TVs and set-top boxes, and game consoles connected to your network.

Additionally, most NAS devices are actually computers themselves with an internal processor and RAM to complement the hard drive storage, as well as an operating system (such as Microsoft Windows Home Server). This allows the NAS to multitask in serving files to multiple devices at the same time while also backing up files from your computers.

NAS devices enable you to create your own cloud storage and provide remote access to files from the server in your home or small business over the Internet. This is a great way to allow far-flung family members to access home movies and photos and co-workers to collaborate on projects, as well as give yourself the ability to stream movies and music while traveling.

For example, Iomega's StorCenter NAS devices now offer a Personal Cloud feature that can be set up in minutes and doesn't require any additional Internet hosting. You can invite up to 250 remote users to securely access the Personal Cloud from a wide variety of devices--from PC, Mac and Linux computers to Apple iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.

While a NAS device serves multiple computers and connected devices over a local area network and can even be remotely accessed over the Internet, a new type of NAS device adds portable functionality. The Seagate GoFlex Satellite is a portable hard drive with an integrated battery, Wireless-N Wi-Fi, and a web server. This enables you to serve music, video, photo, and document files to up to three iPads simultaneously. While a free iPad app is available, other tablets as well as PCs and Macs can access files using a web browser.