9 hours ago
For pure direct play, a modern eight or twelve bay NAS with a decent CPU and a stable ten gigabit uplink can serve that many streams without difficulty. QNAP units like the TVS h874 or h1288X, or even the TS 673A and TS 873A, will handle this workload as long as the files do not require transcoding. Plex, Jellyfin and Emby will all perform well as long as the clients support the media format.
If transcoding enters the picture then you need either a powerful GPU or a workstation class CPU, because fifteen to twenty real time 1080p transcodes will overload any normal NAS. In that case a small server or a DIY build with an Intel Arc GPU or an Nvidia card is the sensible route. You would then map your storage from a NAS or DAS and let the GPU do the heavy lifting.
Your ten gigabit connection to the router is more than enough. The main question is whether you expect direct play or transcoding. If you give me an idea of the media formats your clients use I can narrow down the exact hardware.
If transcoding enters the picture then you need either a powerful GPU or a workstation class CPU, because fifteen to twenty real time 1080p transcodes will overload any normal NAS. In that case a small server or a DIY build with an Intel Arc GPU or an Nvidia card is the sensible route. You would then map your storage from a NAS or DAS and let the GPU do the heavy lifting.
Your ten gigabit connection to the router is more than enough. The main question is whether you expect direct play or transcoding. If you give me an idea of the media formats your clients use I can narrow down the exact hardware.