First time checking out this forum, so I’m excited about what I’ve found so far. I’m moving soon and looking to cut the cord.
I currently have a Synology DS218Play. I understand that the CPU will have limited capability to transcode video, given that it is a bit underpowered (wish I had known more before buying it). I am looking at getting a HDHomerun Connect Duo as my tuner and storing recordings on the DS218Play. I dont use the NAS much (would only be streaming to one tv/device at a time usually). Would it be powerful enough to transcode recordings for later playback without any issue you think? Could it also do live TV without issue, or would that be a problem (to a TCL Roku TV)?
If the Homerun Extend was still available, i’d just go for that, but it doesn’t seem to be an option (not even a refurbished one on their site).
Appreciate any input or help on this–I definitely want to choose wisely so I don’t mess up and get the wrong thing like I did with the 218Play in hindsight.
The DS218play is one of their lower end models HOWEVER, If you curate your media well, you can still do a lot with it. It’s not an Ox you can just throw everything
at. Just fineness it and all will be well.
What it can do:
Shovel data like it’s nobody’s business - Full speed of both HDDs.
It can transcode about a total of 20 Mbps of H.264 video (which isn’t much)
It can convert 3-4 audio streams concurrently.
Things to consider:
Prepare the video –
a. If you want subtitles, burn them in as much as possible in advance.
b. The more you do in advance, the less it will need to do.
If you have movies / tv episodes which your TV can accept “AS-IS” (key point) then it will serve you well. The trick is learning what to do with media.
a. Strip out what you don’t need (if you download). This is “Remuxing”.
b. Don’t use Image based subtitles (PGS - VOBSUB - DVDRIP). SRT type (text) is the most compatible. Do this when you strip out what you don’t need.
Make your names Plex compliant , clean titles, and per TMDB & TheTVDB . It will find your media and identify it with ease.
If you want a primer on how to setup a Synology for Plex, I can offer you this. It’s “Full Service” in what it provides. Take your time and don’t hesitate to ask questions.
Thanks for the detailed response! Very much appreciated.
Will dig into the ‘Full Service’ link and FAQ you provided when the kids are asleep tonight. Two follow up questions, since you have a good idea about this NAS’s capabilities.
If it is only streaming to one TV and doing nothing else, would live TV from the HDHR connect be possible given the transcode limit of 20 Mbps?
Assuming movies/tv shows are being fed to the TV / device in an ‘as-is’ format, can the NAS stream to 2 devices simultaneously?
