Thank you for reaching out and for your long-time support! I understand the challenge of narrowing down NAS options, especially when aiming for high-quality media streaming.
Given your requirements for handling 4K HDR, Dolby Vision, and high-quality audio, I recommend the Synology DS423+. This model offers a powerful CPU and sufficient RAM to handle your media needs efficiently. It also has 4 bays, providing up to 60TB of storage (using 15TB drives in each bay), ensuring you have ample room for expansion as your media library grows.
While the DS423+ might be slightly above your $500 budget, it offers excellent value for its performance and expandability. Keeping an eye on second-hand markets could help you find a deal within your budget. Starting with two 10TB drives in RAID 1 for redundancy and adding more drives as needed is a practical approach. Brands like WD Red or Seagate IronWolf are reliable choices for NAS storage.
https://nascompares.com/nas-builder/
Given your requirements for handling 4K HDR, Dolby Vision, and high-quality audio, I recommend the Synology DS423+. This model offers a powerful CPU and sufficient RAM to handle your media needs efficiently. It also has 4 bays, providing up to 60TB of storage (using 15TB drives in each bay), ensuring you have ample room for expansion as your media library grows.
While the DS423+ might be slightly above your $500 budget, it offers excellent value for its performance and expandability. Keeping an eye on second-hand markets could help you find a deal within your budget. Starting with two 10TB drives in RAID 1 for redundancy and adding more drives as needed is a practical approach. Brands like WD Red or Seagate IronWolf are reliable choices for NAS storage.
https://nascompares.com/nas-builder/