Synology recently provided MyBroadband with several of its DiskStation DS220+ network-attached storage (NAS) units to give to our readers.
These were quickly snapped up, and in return, we asked these readers to provide us with feedback on their experiences with the Synology devices and the Synology Photos media management tool.
Those who tested these units all agreed that Synology Photos is an incredible tool that is easy to install and use.
Here’s what our readers had to say about Synology Photos.
Esbendzn
Synology Photos is an all-in-one photo management system. Photos can be organised and stored according to people, places, name tags, etc.
You also can have private or shared storage, allowing other users to access albums/folders in any web browser via shared links, thus allowing restricted access.
Because you can download Synology Photos to mobile, via Google Play store, you can seamlessly backup your mobile photos to your Synology DiskStation, knowing that you will always have those memories backed up wherever you go, and they can be accessed anywhere and anytime.
The NAS is networked, and this makes it extremely easy to Air-Cast those precious memories and videos to your Smart TV and around your home.
Rocket-Boy
I was very impressed with the Package Center, and in my mind, this is the area where Synology adds the most value versus its competitors.
The list of options is great, and it contains everything from backup software to container orchestration software.
I started by installing the Synology Photos package to get the massive collection of photos off of my wife’s phone and onto secure storage while still allowing her to view those photos at any stage.
These are the standout features for me:
- Simple viewing and sorting of photos. I have found the Synology Photos app easier to sort photos than the default Android viewer.
- Albums can be created and securely shared with others. This is really great as my family all take pics at gatherings and then send them to each other. I can now pull those pics into an album and create a secure link for anyone to use. The conditional albums are great and can create albums based on various criteria like location, time/date, camera type, iso, exposure etc. I did find the geolocation to be very hit and miss in SA because of changing street/town names, but I can only assume this would be less of a problem in other countries.
- Mobile backup – this is really what I was after. It works extremely well and has a number of conditions to set around when to backup those photos and which ones to backup.
- Read the full review here.
Glib Reaper
Synology makes great hardware, but the thing I’ve always most looked forward to is the software.
The device comes pre-loaded with all the software you need to get going, with the option for an insane number of other packages.
One of the best packages is Photos.
This is Google Photos on steroids and without the concern of giving a giant company access to all your info.
It is locally stored and controlled by you, with features like automatic albums based on folders, time, location, tags, people, etc.
And I still have so much to explore. I can’t wait to play with the mobile apps, quota management, security groups, different packages, notifications, remote access and so much more!
MyBroadband
Synology also provided us with a Synology DiskStation, and we used it to test Synology Photos for ourselves.
We found that the setup process was seamless, and the app does a great job of balancing comprehensive functionality with a simple interface.
We were also impressed with its automatic file sorting features that made it easier to organise our photos.
The Synology Photos app for Android and iOS was also a hit in our office, as it allowed us to upload media from our smartphones and set backups remotely.
We put the tool in the hands of our multimedia team, and they thought it was great, too.
“The Synology NAS, when combined with Synology Photos, completely revolutionised our media management strategy and is perfect for backing up our library,” said one member.
“Synology Photos allows our team to easily share media with each other, which significantly streamlines our workflow,” said another team member.
Read our full review of Synology Photos here.
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