Hardware Transcoding Power

A phone on cellular needs the file re-encoded on the fly, not sent whole.

Sustained Read Throughput

Two or three streams at once will stall a unit that cannot keep pace.

Wide Codec Compatibility

Mixed libraries hold formats that some players refuse to open at all.

Direct Playback on TVs

Apps on a television skip the laptop-in-the-middle step for movie night.

Library Metadata Handling

Posters, seasons, and episode order turn a folder of files into a shelf.