Computing on Demand PC News & Reviews
The back of the NAS is where half of the magic happens. Typically, the NAS magic resides solely in the firmware, but with the N5550 that magic is in the rear. There are audio ports (MIC, In, Out), an eSATA port, 4 USB 2.0 ports, 2 RJ45 (10/100/1000 – Intel 82574L) Ports, a cooling fan, the Power supply and the … wait for it … AN HDMI PORT!!!!! Eh? The N5550 has an HDMI port? Yes it does, for direct connection to a TV or monitor (it has a VGA Port too).
You are probably asking yourself why you would want to connect your NAS to your TV. The answer… Thecus is breaking down the walls that typically confine your NAS to your office or home office and expanding the device’s capabilities into the living room. As part of the latest firmware release from Thecus and the N5550, they have released a Local Display Module that allows you to control the device directly through an integrated FireFox browser, it incorporates a terminal application, you can run VLC, and it also allows you to install XBMC directly on the NAS!
Outside of including the Local Display Module and XBMC, the N5550 packages almost everything into its firmware.
