As you may have noticed by now, with the release of DSM 7.2.2 Synology removed the Video Station package. A package that made thousands of NAS enthusiasts excited about not having to go through third-party products and instead having an integrated, affordable, fast and easy-to-use solution at their disposal. This is a choice that does not sit well with me to be honest. I do not approve of the fact that Synology did not give users fair notice that Video Station would no longer be available on DSM 7.2.2 prior to releasing the update. It is this absolute lack of communication and transparency that I do not approve of. You wake up one morning to a DSM update, install it, and the Video Station package vanishes. That doesn’t seem normal to me.
I don’t know what Synology’s strategy is, their vision for the future of their home users, and whether or not Video Station will be reinstated among the DSM packages at one point, but the fact remains that, today, that package is gone. As of today there’s also no trace of the official Video Station link that was present at the address below on Synology’s website – today, August 26, 2024, the former official URL for Video Station redirects to the Synology homepage.
Many people recommend using Plex for managing videos, but there are also those who feel it’s too complex and would prefer Video Station, the standard Synology Package. Synology’s Video Station was a free solution that also allowed for customization – in my opinion, it was much better than Plex in many aspects, with great potential for growth and development.
One of the things I loved about Synology Video Station was the fact that it was a 100% free package made by Synology especially for its users.
The latest Synology Video Station release was on April 15, 2024. For now, it’s available only on older DSM versions. You can decide to not update your DSM to version 7.2.2 and stay with DSM 7.2.1-69057 Update 5. This is however not a good option, should you choose to go this route, because a lot of security fixes are included in DSM 7.2.2. What to do then? The fact that Synology did not warn its users about abandoning Video Station in this update makes me think that they did not intend to publicly discuss the matter, such as, say, make a poll about whether or not users liked and wanted Synology Video Station. Therefore, the only solution left is to use alternative apps such as, for example, Jellyfin, Plex, Emby.
To all those who have emailed me to tell me that it is not right that Video Station has been removed, know that I am with you and think that you are absolutely right. I don’t agree with a lot of the choices Synology have made over the past few years either. There are marketing strategies that I don’t personally agree with. One of the consolations we have is that the competition represented by TerraMaster and UGREEN is rising from behind and making unprecedented strides. DSM still remains a very good operating system and the most stable and the most secure. What could Synology do? Synology could and should listen more to its users, a fact I’ve been saying on repeat for years now. They should open direct communication channels with NAS users and make polls, take suggestions and overall build a more transparent and effective communication that includes users in the decision-making process when it comes to changes in direction that impact them directly and significantly. Users should be able to participate in the conversation and have a say in big decisions such as the removal of the Video Station package.
This post was updated on Tuesday / September 17th, 2024 at 12:09 AM