I currently run Plex on a Synology DS1513+ and am very happy with it. I have need for more space and am thinking about buying a DS218+ to add more storage and, crucially, provide better transcoding etc.
My intention is to run Plex only on the DS218+ and store my HiDef video on it, the DS1513+ being a repository for standard definition media…
My question: is it possible to add the folders with my SD media on the DS1513+ to the Plex libraries on the DS218+?
Thanks.
Thanks for your fast, informative response. Much appreciated.
What’s your reasoning for this purchase. Is it extra storage, or is it better transcoding? If it’s the former, I’d look at the 513 extension box which will allow you to expand and add more drives using your existing NAS as the controller. If it’s the latter, then I’m not sure what a 218+ (dual-core 2.5Ghz) is going to give you over the 1513 (dual-core 2.13Ghz). Perhaps the 1513 doesn’t include a hardware transcoder, but even so…
One thing to note is that 2-bay NASes have some feature limitations. They’re also very limited when it comes to redundancy. I originally bought a 2-bay, but found it didn’t support docker, etc, so ended up selling it and moving to a 916+, with 8GB to give it plenty of headroom. Perhaps a 918+ would be better in terms of future-proofing yourself? If that’s pushing the budget too far, what about a 916 - something like this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Synology-DiskStation-DS916-4-Bay-Desktop-NAS-Enclosure-8gb/253713492369?epid=5016553057&hash=item3b1280a991:g:tQ4AAOSwEehbMrso which would give you plenty of oomph, but is much more expandable.
Lastly, do you need transcoding CPU? Before I switched to Plex earlier this year I ran all my stuff directly off the 916+, playing via Kodi. It all just played perfectly via DirectPlay - no transcoding required. Same for with Plex now - I don’t think it’s done any transcoding at all since I set it up. It may be different if you’re streaming or transcoding to lower-bitrates for remote playback, but check you actually need to transcode anything before spending money on CPU power to do so. 
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