Current options for Media Servers on OSX and Windows

I’ve been searching around for a Media Server to allow me to access and share my Movies, Music, Pictures, etc… from my Mac and my PC.  It seems there really isnt a clear cut leader in this field.  I’ve tried Microsoft Windows Home Server (WHS), Windows Media Center, Apple’s Front Row, boxee.tv, XBMC (Xbox Media Center), and a few others including Nero’s home media solution.

If you want to get technical, then you’re going to have to first learn the difference between true streaming and on demand video streaming.  You’ll also have to consider the new DLNA standard as well as uPnP.

More and more people are building massive libraries of videos, pictures, and music.  This is why a media server that can (aggregate, as boxee.tv says) all this into one interface on your big TV is what most people some to want these days but cannot seem to find.  It seems that there really isn’t a “great” solution yet that does everything.  You have to compromise in some area since not one of these products has everything you would need froma good home media server.

More after the break.