02-14-2025, 05:20 PM
If you’re looking for 4K transcoding, a NAS with a dedicated hardware transcoding chip is essential. At a bare minimum, an Intel Celeron-based NAS, like the Synology DS423+ or QNAP TS-464, will handle hardware-accelerated transcoding using Intel Quick Sync. However, for higher quality and smoother playback, a NAS with an Intel i5, i7, or i9 CPU, like the QNAP TVS-h74 series (TVS-h874, TVS-h674), would be a much better long-term investment.
That said, if you’re primarily direct playing media (without transcoding), you can connect any NAS to a Nvidia Shield TV, Apple TV, or a NUC PC running Plex/Kodi, which will handle the decoding on the client side. This setup eliminates the need for a high-power NAS and allows you to use a more affordable option while still getting high-quality video/audio.
That said, if you’re primarily direct playing media (without transcoding), you can connect any NAS to a Nvidia Shield TV, Apple TV, or a NUC PC running Plex/Kodi, which will handle the decoding on the client side. This setup eliminates the need for a high-power NAS and allows you to use a more affordable option while still getting high-quality video/audio.