If 1080p is your goal, you will have a very hard time finding a Synology, QNAP, etc that will have a fast enough processor to transcode higher bit-rate 1080p files. Yet, using Synology's Video Station, I could play a blu ray file to the same browser at 1080p. As an example, I installed Emby on a DS415play, and it stuttered playing a DVD to a browser. To my knowledge, none of the pre-configured solutions that offer transcoding optimization will utilize that optimization with Emby. Otherwise you could also check out freenas in addition to what the post above suggested. It's a way to install the Synology DSM software on your own hardware. If you like the Synology software, but would rather DIY, you can check out the XPEnology project. Will it be just the one stream you are wanting to transcode or will it be multiple simultaneous streams? Install Plex Media Server on the Mac Mini.So the basic question is: What NAS is recommended? cannot live without Surveillance Station on Synology AND cannot live without certain apps on OS X).ģ) The third option is to use Mac Mini only and accept that there'll be 4 external drives making a visual mess around the computer. This is an unnecessarily complex setup that provides no advantages, except if OP requires software functionality from both Synology AND Mac Mini (eg. In that case the Plex Media Server should be installed on the Mac Mini and the Synology should remain a 'stupid' device not doing anything heavy except feeding data over ethernet to the Mac Mini. Plex Media Server can be installed on the Synology (it's easy to do with a package).Ģ) Buy a Synology without hardware transcoding engine (eg. The same goes for the 414J, that OP have mentioned.ġ) Buy a Synology with hardware transcoding engine (eg.

Therefore it'll have a hard time transcoding on-the-fly, since the Atom CPU is simply not fast enough. The 1511+ does not have a hardware transcoding engine (basicly a dedicated chip) for transcoding media.

Plex media server synology ds415+