Is the Synology DS420+ NAS good for Plex 4K playback?

Best respond: Synology DS420+ tin technically stream 4K media to compatible devices; just don't go and try to do some serious transcoding to multiple devices.

Description: Synology DS420+ ($500 at Amazon)
Better for 4K: QNAP TVS-882 ($one,572 at Amazon)
Unlock transcoding: Plex Laissez passer (From $5/mo. at Plex)

Decoding vs. transcoding 4K media with Plex on the DS420+

In that location's a substantial divergence betwixt the decoding and transcoding of media, especially 4K. The former requires the uncomplicated processes of the NAS streaming the said file to a compatible device like a PC. The receiving device simply needs to support the format the file is stored every bit. The Intel Celeron J4025 CPU within the DS420+ barely has to exercise much work to reach this. 4K is bliss when everything supports the same file.

The event becomes credible when you effort and transcode 4K media. When your Television receiver or receiving device doesn't support the filetype, the DS420+ would need to transcode the file into one information technology does for streaming. This is when the CPU needs to really do some work. This NAS and the processor tin can technically transcode 4K content, but it'southward not perfect, and you will encounter stuttering if other tasks are running on the NAS.

4K transcoding is a mixed bag on the DS420+

The Synology DS420+ comes with the Intel Celeron J4025 CPU, a dual-core processor without Hyperthreading. It's clocked at 2.0GHz with a boost speed of 2.9GHz. To break through this jargon, it's a reasonably powerful CPU for a NAS. The result comes with transcoding 4K content, which is incredibly CPU intensive.

The DS420+ isn't a upkeep-friendly NAS, simply if you want to practise some intensive tasks like 4K transcoding, you'll, unfortunately, need to spend more. QNAP has a good selection of NAS models with Intel Cadre i3 and i5 processors. These CPUs are vastly more powerful than Celeron processors, making 4K transcoding a far easier goal to achieve.

4K transcoding on the DS420+requires Plex Laissez passer

One gene to go along in mind when it comes to hardware transcoding is you lot demand Plex Laissez passer to do it with the Plex Media Server. If you merely have a gratuitous account, yous'll need to rely on software transcoding. You may run into some buffering or other related issues if relying on this method.

Paying out for Plex Pass will ensure you're taking advantage of the hardware y'all accept available. You take the choice of three plans: $five per month, $forty annually, or $150 for lifetime access. The 1-off payment of $150 would save you a lot of money in the long run, especially if you have everything set up up for years of apply.

Solid NAS

Synology DS420+

Four-bay NAS

Synology gave the DS418 a refresh for 2022, throwing in a new faster Intel Celeron J4025 processor and DDR4 RAM. It's a great little server that can even run Plex.

High-end NAS

QNAP TVS-882

You lot can do everything and and so much more

If y'all accept a budget that could cover the expense of the QNAP TVS-882 and need a server that can handle larger 4K movies, look no further than this NAS. It has an Intel Core i3-6100 processor, but QNAP does have models bachelor with i5 and i7 CPUs if you lot need fifty-fifty more performance.

Better streaming

Plex Pass

Stream everything

Plex is an fantabulous platform for managing, storing, and streaming all your multimedia, including 4K movies. The Plex Pass adds a whole number of benefits that are handy for a NAS owner.

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