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I'm reading that the latest DSM has removed HW transcoding from the Synology NAS devices. I saw a video to "reinstate video stattion"
But I am unclear if this degrading of the HW transcoding means that the benefit of the DS423+ are now less clear, and the DS923+ may now be a better option.
Any thoughts on that woudlbe gratefully appreciated.
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You're right—Synology has been making changes to hardware transcoding support in DSM, particularly affecting third-party apps like Plex. The DS423+ has an Intel CPU with Quick Sync, which was a major selling point for hardware transcoding, but DSM updates have restricted this functionality outside of Synology’s own Video Station. There are workarounds, but they may not be ideal for all users.
If you were mainly considering the DS423+ for hardware transcoding, then yes, the DS923+ may now be a better option. While it lacks an integrated GPU for Quick Sync, it offers better overall performance, upgradeable RAM, and NVMe storage pools, making it more future-proof. If you're using Plex or Jellyfin without relying on hardware transcoding, the DS923+ is the stronger choice due to its more powerful AMD Ryzen CPU.
If transcoding is a must, consider either sticking with DS423+ and using Video Station (with potential tweaks) or offloading transcoding to another device like an Nvidia Shield or a dedicated media server.
