I did use the -vv option. No “Devicename” word found. And no line for “00:0e.0 Class 0401: Device 8086:3198 (rev 06)” (DeviceName: Onboard - Sound) ! EZTutty gets the same result as me.
Looked through my notes of when the 6.0 kernel was released
Obviously the i915 driver (which provides access to the iGPU) sets up the capabilities flags seen by apps.
Reviewing what was returned in all your logs, and what the lspci is showing,
I’m suspecting the new Synology kernel is not configured to configure for 2160p (video) capability (which the chip will do)
The plex logs show it failing HDR tests.
Might have been stated earlier but request confirmation –
It will not transcode H.264 1080p or 720p ??
I’ve tried multiple h264 1080 videos, and none will transcode.
Whether in 2160p, 1080p or 720p, hardware transcoding is not activated during video playback, software transcoding is applied. It would be interesting to compare the operation with the Beestation Plus, which is also equipped with the J4125 and which runs on a kernel 5.10.55+. According to Rusty (website “Synoforum”) hardware transcoding is indeed used on the Beestation Plus. Moreover, on its official page, Synology highlights the use of Plex for this product, and specifies that a Plex pass is required for remote playback. In my opinion, they must have tested Plex well on the Beestation Plus to put forward such a sales argument.
I concur with the comment at the bottom.
“… this is just something they need to fix on the DSM side of things due to the kernel change.”
This info helps greatly.
I’ll reach out to them tomorrow and hopefully get a ticket open
Rusty also wrote that Jellyfin is affected by this issue. I looked for more information about Jellyfin but couldn’t find anything that would help. Synology should do a comparison between a DS425+ and a Beestation Plus.
We’ve (Chris) reached out to Synology , sharing the info we’ve collected so far.
Now to wait for reply.
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I’ve got an answer from Synology to my ticket this morning :
“Hi Olivier,
Thank you again for your patience.
I would like to sincerely apologize for the confusion caused by my earlier reply. In my previous message, I incorrectly mentioned that DS425+ and DS225+ support Plex hardware transcoding. After reconfirming with our development and product management teams, I must clarify that hardware transcoding is not supported on these two models. This is also why it is not listed in the official specifications.
We understand how disappointing this must be, especially since you’ve invested significantly in your new setup and have had positive experiences with Plex hardware transcoding on other Synology models in the past. I am truly sorry for the incorrect information previously shared and the inconvenience it has caused.
Plex has also confirmed this limitation in their compatibility list, and we will coordinate with them to ensure the information is clearly reflected in their release notes.
Your feedback has been filed as a feature request to our development and product management teams. While we cannot guarantee immediate changes, your case will help us evaluate possible improvements in future DSM updates or product planning.
If you would like to share more suggestions directly, please feel free to use our feature request form:
https://www.synology.com/en-global/form/inquiry/feature
Once again, I sincerely apologize for the earlier miscommunication, and thank you for bringing this important matter to our attention.
Best Regards”
I strongly encourage all DS225+ and DS425+ owners to use the link provided by Synology ( https://www.synology.com/en-global/form/inquiry/feature ), in addition to the steps already taken by the Plex staff.
So there we have it. No wonder they advertised the BeeStation Plus that much in terms of Plex. This was the plan all along.
On a side note, I ran Plex on a N150 yesterday as a “925+” model with the same official kernel 5.10.55. HW transcode works with zero issues. So this 425/225+ depreciation was indeed deliberate.
Hi guys. Been following this thread and it has been helpful.
my DS918+ recently died and I was frantically looking for another Synology NAS to extract my photos and videos files out and make life back to normal.
It’s rather hard to get an older (but brand new) DS423+ as it seems…Synology seems to did a sweep and remove this model from all my local distributors suddenly over the weekend. Take about bad luck.
I am wondering if DS425+ still able to play videos (1080 to 4k) on software transcode? How bad is it compared to DS918+?
Thanks
The DS425+ uses the same CPU as the DS423+ (and the DS720+, DS920+, DS1520+). The Plex NAS compatibility guide indicates that these last 4 models can do software transcoding of 720p videos and some 1080p videos. I tested the software transcoding on a 720p video on my DS425+, it works but the CPU had some activity peaks around 90%. With a 1080p video, it was constantly around 95%. The J4125 CPU does better than the J3455 of the DS918+ but since you have a plex pass, it would be a shame not to take advantage of hardware transcoding. Since we don’t know if the DS225+ and DS425+ hardware transcoding issue will ever be resolved (Synology is aware of it anyway!), I can’t really recommend the DS425+ at this time. The DS423+ can still be found on Amazon (or other online retailers); at least it is on Amazon.fr (France).
The DS425+ does not use the same processor, it uses an updated J4125 processor with Geminilakenk architecture while the older models of NAS simply have a Geminilake architecture J4125 processor.
I have been trying to track down the differences between the two processors and it would seem the nk variant is a low power model. I have not been able to find any other definitive information about it though.
As far as it’s software transcoding abilities go, someone would need to run side by side tests to determine how good or bad the new processor is compared to the older processors.
I suspect the performance would be similar, but anything is possible at this stage.
I don’t understand Synology’s rationale at the moment, first they impose their drives only and now no hardware transcoding. It seems they are shooting themselves in the feet.
In any case, it looks like my next NAS will be a QNAP model 
@ChuckPa contacted Synology about this:
Thanks for that, I was aware that Chuck reached out to Synology about this, but typical Synology, they have been slow to respond.
It may turn out that the nk designation simply means New Kernel, but at present there is not enough information about the new architecture at all.
Thanks for your reply. @Plichtao
Sounds like running 4k videos on DS425+ smoothly isn’t possible? Have you test that?
Hopefully to hear good news from Synology to include the Plex hardware transcode support. But looking at how they do things recently (the HDD compatibility lock-in, the Bee Station etc), chances seems low.
Besides, modifying the kernel seems tough work and I think Synology side won’t bother? Else, how are they going to sell their Bee Stations?
ALL:
Until such time as I receive word that Synology will add support for the DS425+ in their new 5.10 linux kernel (which “technically” can be copied from the Beestation with the same CPU),
I have no choice but to list the DSx25+ as Not Supported in the NAS Compatibility Guide.
VERY sorry folks but without the kernel drivers included to access the ASIC via the i915, there is nothing we can do.
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Had a slightly odd response from plex this morning considering I haven’t heard anything from them for a while….
Our development team has received inquiries from the Plex development team and will continue to coordinate with third-party software vendors regarding this behavior. Enabling HEVC hardware transcoding requires integration with the kernel graphic driver by the respective third-party applications, and it is up to them to decide whether to support this feature. As this change originates from the Plex development side, we recommend contacting Plex directly to inquire about upcoming updates and support.
Thank you for your understanding and support. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any further questions.
Not sure why HEVC was mentioned specifically… weird.
From Synology official website :
I think “nk” means “new kernel” or something like that. Intel and AMD wouldn’t have thought of updating processors that are several years old, with the same “nk” suffix. The J4125 is from late 2019…
No, it’s impossible to perform software transcoding on a 4K video. Regarding the Beestation+, I see it as a different type of product, less expensive than a NAS, with similar capabilities in some features.
At present, regarding the DS225+ and DS425+, there’s only one thing left to do: wait for Synology to do the necessary work at the kernel level. They’ve been warned extensively, by various people (including me).
Why I have a feeling Synology Support is
- pushing responsibilities to someone else around the whole dept and/or outside Synology,
- Not aware of what is going on from other dept of the company?
And yes, why specifically HEVC? It’s the whole hardware transcoding that’s not working, isn’t it?
