Help me please - I’ve done some scrolling and searching and obviously missing the forest for the trees here…
Is there any comparison article or site that helps me decide on NAS builds that suit my needs? There are SO many options now and I’m overwhelmed.
I am transitioning from a desktop to a laptop as my primary machine for work, and that also means I will be travelling a lot more. So I need to transition my Plex library from my desktop to something that isn’t a desktop/laptop. NAS seems to make the most sense and it’s easier and more convenient than building a mini pc or something (maybe not, thoughts?) but I am lost in the analysis paralysis of everything here!
I don’t mind some minor config or setup, but ultimately if there are issues while I travel I prefer a relatively simpler server.
Here you go…
There’s a link at the top+end of the page where you can compare the playback capabilities of supported devices.
Edit: I find this table quite useful… in particular as almost all vendors keep promoting the 4K playback capabilities of their devices – when they’re actually more limited
Edit 2: I just noticed the link to the comparison is now also at the top of the support article (added that to the original response) – final edit
Thank you. I was reviewing that list and I’m hoping there is a next step type of content somewhere. Not just the capability comparison, but some real world feedback discussion around how each performs, some +/- thing maybe, bang for buck, etc… There are so many options and of course most can have other tweaks (drive brands/speeds; adding GPU or not; etc)
Is anyone doing reviews? I guess that’s more of what I am looking for, need some recommendations for better options for me - not all streamers are the same.
Appreciate the YouTube recommendation - I’ll check it out.
The laptop won’t work because I need Plex to stay home for the family while I am travelling. That’s my issue/need to move from my desktop server to NAS. I have an external drive now that I use for backup and storage - so a NAS would be an upgrade for that and then also function as my PMS.
Currently living on 2TB; so thinking min of 2 maybe 4TB. Not a lot honestly in this space.
PS - Library is mostly 720p with some 1080p. I’m not really looking at 4k (no TV for it yet) but willing to invest a little to be ready eventually. It’s NOT a dealbreaker today.
Help me understand the difference between 4k playback and 4k transcoding… Is this simply the difference between a native 4k file going to a 4k tv and a compressed 4k file going to a 4k tv?
edit
To clarify - I am not worried about streaming remotely, have no plan to do so actually at this time; just need to keep the PMS running without the computer.
OK, so my end device - in my case an Apple TV 4k - and not the TV itself is my end zone as far as plex is concerned. The NAS or server machines is the starting point; with the actual media file defining the starting parameters.
Going to check out a lot of comparison and other articles and circle back with better, more specific, questions. Thank you!
I will add to the suggestion that you get more storage than you think you’ll need, by at least 200%.
My suggestion would be to get more than 2 bays also. If you think you’ll only need 4 TB start with at least 8 TB.
I’d suggest a Synology DS920+ which has 4 bays, or the 1020 which has 5 bays, and only fill 2 of them to start with. Maybe put in two 8TB drives.
That’s not 16TBs of storage, because it will mirror one of the drives onto the other and give you protection should one of them fail. You can then add an additional 8TB drive someday and you’ll have 16 TB of storage with an 8 TB drive protecting the data against drive failure. The way a RAID works is so cool! You can keep adding drives as long as you have the empty slots and eventually replace them with bigger drives and by that time they’ll be MUCH cheaper.
Go small now and only get 2 bays with a couple of 2 TB drives and by the end of the year you’ll seriously regret it.
Qnap has more powerful options.
Synology offers better expandability.
If your main use is Plex, I would probably go with a synology simply because Plex doesnt support 4K/HDR transcoding anyways, so Id choose SHR over the Qnap horsepower.
