Future-proof (for 4K) NAS?

General Discussions
1

I am asking this here instead of specific NAS vendor sub-forums, as the discussion spans all their products …

I have the new Netgear X10 on order. I also have to get a new (4 bay or higher) NAS to replace my 2-bay old SPARC ReadyNAS.
My LAN is using gigabit un-managed switches and cables. My ISP speeds are 120/10 Mbps.

I want to set up my media streaming to accommodate at least 2 simultaneous streams of 4k (to smart TV’s, Chromecast Ultras) and maybe a 3rd and 4th streams to iPad Pro’s or iPhones. Most of my current media is 1080/60p but we know where the future is headed… right?

As such, I have the choice of installing the PlexServer on

  1. the X-10 - ruled out (too underpowered. See below)
  2. my new NAS - which one?
  3. my production desktop (i7, 16 GB ram) - for now.
  4. Amazon cloud - Not yet.

Option 1 is ruled out, as it turns out that the X-10 is limited by its CPU
“When a video transcode is necessary, output will be limited to 480p maximum resolution” (https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/230934267-Netgear-Nighthawk-X10-Router)
Option 3 should be plenty strong enough, and I’ll learn about Plex using this, for now.
Option 4 is unlikely until I get fiber or better (and reliable) ISP.

Now, as for the new NAS, I’m looking for advice on which product from the usual vendors (QNAP, Synology, Netgear, Drobo(?)) will

a) have enough CPU for my needs?
b) have good track record for their OS and hardware reliability
c) good implementation of Plex server on that platform
d) do I need link aggregation or 10G SFP+ (both are supported by the X-10) on the NAS?

Thanks all.
Aloke

2
  1. Won’t serve your media - it is a storage option - maybe.

Get a big NAS and an i7 or i5 NUC or similar to serve running windows.

Done

3
  1. Actually, Plex server can run on the X-10 router. See the link in the above post:
    https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/230934267-Netgear-Nighthawk-X10-Router

You are suggesting a solution that I had missed:

  1. Store media on a NAS and use a small i7 or i5 PC-NUC to run the Plex server

Are all big (4 or more drive bays?) equally good (or bad) choice for serving the files to the PC/NUC?

Which NAS would be suitable for running Plex server on the NAS itself?

Thanks.
Aloke

4

I have the Asustor AS-7004T which has an i3-4330 CPU in it. It can stream at least 7 at a time, including 2 1080p transcodes down to support bandwidth limitations. (Most I’ve had at one time on the box, in any case.)

BUT the CPU has only 5K or so passmarks, so might be a bit underpowered if it has to transcode 4K down to something else. QNAP has the TVS-471 which comes with a comparable CPU, or I think you can get them with an i5 or an i7. More CPU higher passmarks, which you are going to need if you transcode 4K down.

I’m sure if I had much 4K content and Direct Played it, the box I have now could handle at least one stream, likely more. But as I don’t have any content, nor devices to play it on, I can’t test this.

5

Thanks.
Maybe I am overestimating my CPU needs. Is there a link that explains the various streaming processes (Transcode, DirectPlay etc)?

I have lots of SD and HD (1080/60p) content that would need up-scaling to play on my 4k TV (and possibly, iPad Pro)
The growing 4k content (from iPhones!) will need to be downscaled to the mobile devices.

I’m drifting towards getting a medium powered NAS and a spare PC for plex server.

Does the CPU in a NAS make a big difference in capability to serve files (when not running the plex server)?

6

Your clients should take care of simple upscaling themselves.

Store your media in a format (most likely H264/AAC/MP4) that eliminates the need for on-the-fly transcoding as much as possible. For 4K content, you will probably want to have PMS “Optimze” it to get a lower -resolution version that your non-4K clients can handle.

That’s what will allow PMS to work effectively on almost any PC or NAS.

7

Thank you! (and to OttoKerner in forums.plex.tv/discussion/247580/hardware-requirements-for-windows-pc)