HybridDesk Station

The inclusion of HDMI ports with most multimedia-oriented NAS servers virtually transforms them into fully capable multimedia players. However, you need the software to fully exploit their multimedia capabilities, and QNAP provides users with HybridDesk Station to do so. HybridDesk Station will allow you to install the apps you need to reproduce multimedia files stored on the NAS, all while browsing the net, listening to music, controlling and monitoring IP surveillance cameras, etc.

According to QNAP, HybridDesk Station is a platform onto which various applications and other tools can be installed to browse the web or playback multimedia content through a TV that is connected to the NAS by the way of the two HDMI ports that equip the TS-453B. Home users will probably find this feature incredibly interesting since it makes multimedia players and HTPCs redundant. That said, HybridDesk Station can still be very useful in business environments since it makes locally accessing a NAS server's administration interface without a client possible.


Click on "Applications", "HybridDesk Station", and the "Get Started Now" button to install HybridDesk Station. Your NAS will now automatically install HybridDesk Station. You should also pick which applications you want to install as Kodi, Chrome, YouTube, CodexPack, and MyNAS are available, along with several others. We went ahead and installed all of them.


The resolutions HybridDesk Station supports depend on which TV or monitor you connect to the NAS. Use the bundled HDMI 2.0 port and you will avoid the 30 Hz maximum refresh rate limitation with UHD-1 resolution, which only applies to the HDMI 1.4b standard due to its lower bandwidth. The HDMI 2.0 version supports refresh rates of up to 60 Hz with DCI 4K (4096×2160p) resolution.


You should check if hardware accelerated transcoding is enabled, and QNAP also suggests the installation of the CodexPack app. We installed CodexPack and noticed that the hardware transcoding option was automatically enabled after HybridDesk Station had been installed.

HybridDesk Station Portal

Before you click on the Chrome icon or QTS option, connect a USB mouse to the NAS or use the Qremote app. QTS allows you to enter the local NAS administration webpage for a look at all NAS functions and settings.


HyribdDesk Station's interface includes a Settings menu with options that allow you to configure various settings. You can enable or disable applications, and the Display group of options allows you to change the screen's resolution and set the screen to turn itself off after a certain amount of time in idle. Options under the Preferences tab also allow you to change the language or type of remote control you use.

KODI

We will start with Kodi, whose installation we described on the previous page since you won't find it in App Center. This is our favorite media player, and every NAS featuring HDMI or DisplayPort connectivity should in our opinion have it installed.

Everything we tried with KODI, including 4K media, was reproduced without the slightest problem.

Video Station

You can use the Video Station application to playback multimedia content, create a personal video website, or share videos on social networking sites.


This is Video Station's main screen.


Video Station's performance was pretty good. We mostly tried streaming through a cable though, where even 4K files were reproduced flawlessly.

Plex

You can use Plex to wirelessly stream multimedia content. We installed the Plex app and streamed high-bit rate content to our iPhone 6s in order to check on the server's performance with Plex.


We used an iPhone 6s to access multimedia content on the NAS. The phone was connected to the network through a Xiaomi Mi WiFi router with support for IEEE 802.11ac, at theoretical speeds of up to 1167 Mbps. The router was twelve meters away from the phone and there were no walls or other obstacles between the router and the phone. Up to 1080p of very high bitrate (70 Mbps) content was reproduced without any problems. However, we ran into problems once we tried to stream 4K content.


High bit-rate 1080p files might not be a problem for wireless streaming through Plex, but they surely stress the server's CPU. We even saw up to 100% CPU utilization with 4K files!