QNAP NMP-1000 Network Media Player Review

Final Thoughts and Conclusions

The QNAP NMP-1000 is actually one of the better media players we have tested here at Legit Reviews. Never before have we seen a player on the market that has as many features and functions that is packed in this QNAP media player. After using the unit for a few weeks, we can see why QNAP chose the name NMP or Network Multimedia Player.

If you only want a media player that can communicate with your home network, then you will probably gag at the price of the QNAP NMP-1000. At over $400, it is far and away the most costly player we have seen. The thing is, if you want a box that completely integrates into your home theater AND your home network with full-fledged network sharing capabilities, then there is no other player out there that is more functional than the NMP-1000.

The NMP-1000s advanced storage and file sharing features alone put most stand-alone NASs on the market to shame. The user interface is slick and intuitive and gives the user many different options on how and where you could use it. Newbies to network sharing wont get lost in the muck and techno-babble as they are setting up the unit for simple tasks, and more seasoned users will appreciate how comprehensive the QNAP engineers made the NMP-1000 with its huge suite of sharing capabilities.

At the heart of the NMP-1000 though, lies a very capable media player. Its performance with all of our media files – with the exception of the Blu-ray ISO – was excellent. HD MKV files started up and played quickly and clearly on all of our test screens. The NMP-1000 is certified for use with Dolby True HD and DTS HD but will not decode these tracks; rather, it will pass along the information for a receiver to do decode.

If money were no object, then the NMP-1000 would be at the top of my list to recommend for others. With its current performance and the ability to have on-board storage for media access and networked storage, this player is uniquely cool for certain households and businesses.

For those looking to kill two birds with one stone, QNAP has delivered an excellent NAS that has the ability to expand its functionality further than its included bay. Like most of QNAPs other network attached storage products, the user interface is smooth and pleasant to use. I have to admit, up until the QNAP NMP-1000, my favorite media player GUI was the Seagate Box Office. QNAP really did a good job in their menu layout, and made it very intuitive to work with.

But this player isnt for everyone. Since the beginning of the year, media player prices have been steadily dropping and currently you can get a very capable Western Digital or Seagate media player for around $100. Combine that with a beefy external hard-drive and your costs are still well under $200. There are even a few external enclosures that will double as network attached storage for less than $100. Granted, these solutions will not have all the bells and whistles that the QNAP NMP-1000 will have, but for those on a budget it is certainly an alternative.

Priced around $400, this media player isnt for everyone. In fact, if you dont want the advanced NAS functions of the NMP-1000, you might want to look elsewhere. You can find the NMP-1000 at certain vendors sold with hard drives already installed but it seems that the cost for these packages are a bit exorbitant. If you are thinking about this player, we would recommend that you purchase the stand alone box and then add a beefy hard drive later.

Legit Bottom Line: The QNAP NMP-1000 Network Multimedia Player is packed with tons of features and is one of the best functioning media players we have seen. Its also one of the most expensive with good reason. If you are looking for a media player with the most advanced file sharing abilities like BitTorrent, file server, and other sophisticated NAS features, then you should look no further.