...or, if your media server supports UPnP, you can install `mediastreamer` on your N8xx and stream the media directly, make playlists, etc.

I've used mediastreamer to great success with my MythTV installation at home. [I tried some other software, at one point, but the UPnP implementation was ... well, not optimal, in that software, and the developers kept blaming MythTV instead of fixing their beta software... long story, and not worth repeating here. ]