AIX Player Help Center Network shares

Play videos from a NAS or Windows network share

Open Network in AIX Player, choose a Windows PC or NAS, sign in if needed, then browse to a video. SMB browsing and playback on this PC are free with no time limit; you do not need to copy the whole file onto the PC first.

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4 min read SMB · NAS · Windows shares Windows 11 & 10

AIX Player Network page listing a home NAS and Windows PCs with Browse and Disconnect controls — The Network page in the AIX 3.0.6 website artwork, showing Browse and Disconnect. Your server names and addresses will differ.

FREE — NO TIME LIMIT

Network browsing and playback are included

The 180-minute Media Servers allowance and the 60-minute casting allowance do not apply to playing from an SMB share on your PC.

Find the server, or enter its address

AIX Player looks for file servers on your Windows network. If the server does not appear automatically, connect to it by address. This works with Windows shared folders and NAS devices that expose an SMB share.

Browse and play

Open Network. AIX Player lists the Windows PCs and NAS devices it can find.
Choose a server. Choose Browse or Connect on its row. If it is missing, choose Add server and enter the SMB share address, for example smb://NAS/Videos, using your own server and share names.
Sign in only if the share asks. Use an account that has permission to read the share. Leave Remember these credentials selected if you want Windows to save that sign-in for reconnection.
Open a folder and play. The file stays on the server and plays on this PC.

NAS folder or media server?

Network share

Browse folders and files over SMB. Playback on the PC is free with no time limit.

Jellyfin, Emby or Plex

Browse the server’s posters, shows and progress. Free includes 180 media-server minutes in total, once; Pro removes that limit.

Credentials stay with Windows

AIX can reuse a saved Windows sign-in; if it fails, you may need to enter current credentials. Disconnect disconnects the row in AIX but keeps its saved sign-in for Connect. Forget sign-in asks for confirmation before deleting that PC’s shared Windows Credential Manager entry. This may affect other apps; existing Windows connections may remain active until you sign out of Windows. Read the privacy policy.

If a server does not appear

Check the same network

The PC and server must be reachable from each other. Guest Wi-Fi and client isolation can hide local devices.

Connect by address

Discovery is a convenience, not a requirement. Use the server name or network address when it does not appear automatically.

Confirm the share permissions

Use an account that can read the chosen folder. AIX Player does not change the server’s folder permissions.

The server appears, but the folder will not open

Try the same share in Windows File Explorer using an address such as \\NAS\Videos. If Windows also refuses it, check the share name, account password and server-side permissions. Do not disable your firewall or expose SMB to the internet as a workaround. If Windows opens it but AIX does not, note the exact error and contact AIX support.

Video pauses or buffers over Wi-Fi

Try a known-good, lower-bitrate video from the same share and compare a local copy. If the local copy plays smoothly, investigate the network connection and server load. A wired connection or a stronger Wi-Fi signal may help; changing the filename or buying Pro does not increase the network’s capacity.

Windows guide checked against AIX 3.0.6 controls on 25 September 2026. This is not a compatibility test of every NAS.

Open the videos already on your network.

Network-share browsing and playback are included in the free app with no time limit.

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