plex media server hardware transcoding synology

#Plex media server hardware transcoding synology free#

The higher the quality of your content and the more people you want simultaneously streaming it all, the better the components you’ll require. The processor and other parts of the internals are what really ramp up the price of a NAS. Price comes into it and is vital when you’re looking at enclosures for Plex and multimedia. It’s when you come to 4K content that you’ll need to consider carefully. Music is an easy one since the files are small and it doesn’t require much effort on the part of the NAS. The Synology DiskStation DS220j only has an ARM processor and two drive bays, but it will work just fine for some tunes and photos.įor a Plex NAS, you need to consider what media you’ll be streaming and what devices you’ll use to enjoy it. The Synology DiskStation DS920+ is more affordable but still comes packing a punch with an Intel Celeron processor, M.2 cache support, and upgradeable RAM.īut if you don’t have much budget to spare on a media server, it may be worthwhile to start off with something small and budget-friendly. It may be a little too much for most people, but my other recommendations are also some fine picks. My favorite NAS for Plex is the QNAP TVS-672XT-i3 thanks to the impressive Intel Core i3 processor. Leading NAS enclosure brands like Synology, QNAP, and ASUSTOR all make servers that are more than good enough for Plex.

#Plex media server hardware transcoding synology free#

You only really require more than four bays if you’re going into 4K territory since these files can really take up free space. If all you plan to do is stream music, you can get away with a NAS rocking an ARM processor with a few drive bays. I recommend the excellent QNAP TVS-H674-i3 as the best NAS for running Plex Media Server. While you can use an affordable enclosure for Plex to stream music and some older content, you’ll have a hard time transcoding any files if they aren’t supported by the recipient device. Most of the factors used to purchase the best NAS enclosure are still valid for picking the best NAS for Plex. Best entry-level: Synology DiskStation DS220j - ARM CPU, 2 bays, 512MB RAM, 1Gb LAN.Best capacity: QNAP TVS-H1688X - Intel Xeon CPU, 16 bays, 2GB RAM, 1Gb LAN.Best performance: QNAP TVS-H874-i9 - Intel Core i9 CPU, 8 bays, 8GB RAM, 10Gb LAN.Best value: Synology DiskStation DS220+ - Intel Celeron CPU, 2 bays, 2GB RAM, 1Gb LAN.Best budget: TerraMaster F4-423 - Intel Celeron CPU, 4 bays, 4GB RAM, 2.5Gb LAN.Runner-up: ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2 (AS6704T) - Intel CPU, 4 bays, 4GB RAM, 2.5Gb LAN.Best overall: QNAP TVS-H674-i3 - Intel Core i3 CPU, 6 bays, 8GB RAM, 2.5Gb LAN.

I’ve rounded up the best NAS for Plex to help you create a smart home media server. Streaming services for media have taken the world by storm but did you know you can run your own streaming platform right from your home? All you need is a network-attached storage (NAS) server and purchased movies, TVs, and music.