What should I get?

[Enquiries]

Dear NAS Compares,
I don't have a NAS and have never had one. I'm a movie enthusiast and have over a thousand of movies that are around 20-160GB each. I have an Nvidia Shield, that is now locally fed with my media files via local 20TB hard drives. At the moment I love Kodi, but I also have gotten a Plex Lifetime contract with a NAS in mind.
I also have a small amount of personal files that I'd also like to back up.
In my ideal situation I have a NAS that I can expand every time I'm reaching my storage limits. Therefore, I'm thinking of having a 8 to 12 bay NAS and fill it up slowly with 20TB drives. I'd like to start with 3 drives RAID6.

I always thought Synology was the place to go, but now I'm reluctant because of their new harddrive policies. Now I don't know what kind of device to get nor the type of hard drives.

I'd like to be able to download from news groups and torrent sites and be able to access my files in 4K on my Shield. 2 People max.

Can you help me? Best regards! Niels

[ed]

Thanks for getting in touch, and it’s great to see you're planning to set up a NAS for your extensive movie collection! I can definitely help you find the right solution.

NAS Recommendations:
Synology DS1821+ or DS1621+:

Pros: Both of these models are excellent choices for local 4K access. They have powerful AMD Ryzen processors and can handle multiple 4K streams through your Nvidia Shield using Kodi or Plex. These models offer 8 bays (DS1821+) and 6 bays (DS1621+), which gives you plenty of room to expand as your storage needs grow. They also support a high amount of RAM, which is great for multitasking.
Expandability: Start with a 3-drive RAID 6 setup and add more drives as needed. Both models support easy expansion, making it convenient to increase storage without replacing the entire setup.
QNAP TVS-h674:

Pros: If you're looking for remote 4K streaming capabilities, the TVS-h674 is a fantastic choice. This model supports GPU installation, which significantly boosts performance for 4K transcoding, ensuring smooth streaming even when you're accessing your content from outside your home network. It has 6 drive bays, which makes it a good fit for your initial setup and future expansion.
Flexibility: The ability to install a GPU allows for future-proofing, especially if you plan to stream high-bitrate 4K content remotely or handle more demanding tasks.
Hard Drive Recommendations:
Seagate IronWolf Pro 20TB or Western Digital Red Pro 20TB: Both of these are excellent choices for NAS environments, offering reliability and performance suited for high-capacity storage needs.
Additional Considerations:
Local vs. Remote Streaming: For local 4K streaming, the Synology DS1821+ or DS1621+ will handle your needs efficiently. They provide great performance for local network access, and the user-friendly Synology DSM software makes managing your media simple.
Remote 4K Streaming: If you plan to stream 4K content remotely, the QNAP TVS-h674's support for GPU upgrades will provide the best experience. It offers powerful performance and the flexibility to handle demanding streaming tasks.

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