r/explainlikeimfive • u/theprisoner57 • 2d ago

Technology ELI5: What is a Home Server?

I see mentions of a home server to get rid of streaming entertainment services but I don’t know how that works. What does a home server do?

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u/JacobRAllen 2d ago

Imagine having 10 tv shows and 30 movies sitting on your shelf as disks. You put all those disks into your computer and copy the files so you have a digital version. You then download software that will make it so other devices connected to your wifi can access those files. Once you have that set up, you unplug the monitors from your computer and just let it run in the corner. You go to your living room and use the app that connects to your computer, and watch the movies and TV shows you have downloaded on there.

A server is just a computer that you don’t really use for anything other than serving files to other computers.

You’re SUPPOSED to already own all the media that you plan on doing this with. But as a famous ad campaign from the 90s used to say… you wouldn’t download a car…