Where am I to start with the QNAP NMP-1000. It manages to work extremely well in so many different areas that it is hard to wrap things up in a orderly fashion. Let me start with the device itself. It looks great, allows for easy installation of the hard drive, works well, is silent and draws very little power. I have yet to see a network media player that combines all these attributes into one device. The software of the NMP-1000 is fast and responsive. You will not experience any lag when traversing the graphical user interface and starting a movie only takes a few seconds. You can easily access any hard drive within the network to make the network media player your central hub in the living room. While the device itself is quite versatile and powerful, the included PC software further adds to the easy integration of the NMP-1000. The included applications allow you to easily manage your BitTorrent downloads to the media player or even back-up your data unto the unit just like a NAS storage device.
It is hard to find anything really wrong with the NMP-1000 itself, but there are a few small shortcomings in terms of accessories. First off, there is no eSATA cable included and you do not get wireless connectivity built-in. While the latter can be viewed as a positive aspect, giving the user the flexibility and upgrade possibility in the future, it does add an initial cost to the device. I am also a bit surprised of the JMicron IC used, as it only supports SATA I, but you will not notice any difference in real-world use of the NMP-1000. Even though the QNAP NMP-1000 will set you back 300 Euros or 400 US Dollars - the equivalent of an ION based HTPC, the unit has so many additional features and uses less than half the power of such home theater PCs, making it nearly the perfect network media player out there.