UGreen DXP 2800

[neuntesymphonie]

I have finally bought my first NAS and I decided on the new UGreen DXP 2800 2 bay. It is for my video library and my choice boiled down to the UGreen and the Synology DS224+.
I decided on the UGreen because it has superior hardware to the Synology. Software may be better on the Synolgy but I thought for streaming movies in Plex, that the hardware played a bigger part.
At £263.99 the price made it an easier choice.
I welcome your comments since I am a newbie.

Now I have to save to buy the hard disks and then I dive in.

I'm on a M4 Macbook Air so any hints are welcomed. 

Thanks to Nascompares for all your helpful advice, 

[ed]

Hey, congrats on the new NAS! ?

Great choice with the UGreen DXP 2800 — especially for Plex. That hardware really punches above its weight compared to the DS224+. You're right: when it comes to streaming, especially 4K or high-bitrate files, better CPU and RAM matter more than the OS polish if your focus is just media playback.

A few quick tips as you get started:

Drives: If you're using it mostly for video, you could start with one decent-sized HDD (8TB or 12TB) and add another later. CMR drives like Seagate IronWolf or WD Red Plus are a safe bet.

Plex setup: The DXP handles direct play well, and you’ll be golden if your TV or Plex client supports most formats. If transcoding is needed occasionally, the DXP’s CPU should handle 1080p fine — 4K will depend on the file.

macOS & NAS: You can use Finder + SMB to connect to your NAS easily, and Time Machine should work too if UGreen’s OS allows AFP or SMB backup shares (still new territory for UGreen, but evolving fast).

UGreen OS: Keep an eye on firmware updates. They’ve been improving things quickly. Might not be Synology DSM-level yet, but definitely on a promising path.

You're all set to have some fun building out your media library. And yeah — big shoutout to NASCompares for making these decisions less overwhelming!

[neuntesymphonie]

Thank you for your valuable feedback. It is much appreciated.
I have just ordered two IronWolf 12TB drives as the price was simply too good to pass up. I paid £216.67 (USD$ 286.63) for the both from Ali Express. They would have cost much more if I had purchased them from within the UK. I was planning on getting two 4TB drives but 12TB at that price was too good to pass up. I just have to wait for the drives to arrive before setting up the NAS.