In a home setting, a media server acts as an aggregator of information: video, audio, photos, books, etc.
Depending on the uses and applications that it runs, a media server may require large amounts of RAM, or a powerful multicore CPU.
This encoding can be done with software running on the Media server computer or by hardware on the TV tuner card.
These machines are often high-spec PC computers with high-speed hard drive technologies such as RAID arrays or solid-state drives, multiple GPUs and optionally a video capture board to allow mixing live video with recorded content and real-time effects.
In the world of telephony, a media server is the computing component that processes the audio or video streams associated with telephone calls or connections.
Conferencing servers may also need other specialized functions like "loudest talker" detection, or transcoding of audio streams, and also interpreting DTMF tones used to navigate menus.
With telephony networks moving towards VoIP technology, and using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), the idea of media servers has started to gain some traction.
Media servers in cinema allow users to download and watch high quality content by utilizing a movie player and plugging into a display or AV system.