Buying first NAS

[Enquiries]

Hi there,
Long time follower and subscriber, been looking at getting a NAS for far too long now.
Will be mainly using it at home with Plex for videos so on my local network. Occasionally will be streamed to remote devices but not primary use case.
Majority of files will be 4k hdr or Dolby vision etc or highest quality and sound I can achieve is my primary goal. I’m keeping an eye on 2nd hand markets for any deals but I think I need to narrow my selection down first. At present my files are on an external HDD at 8TB but this will expand as many of the files need updating to latest/higher quality so hence guessing around 20TB to start with for storage. Happy to compromise on software if I’m getting better hardware my partner is very tech savvy and I’m getting a lot better so the performance and quality of the media is the priority if I need to struggle a bit more in set up that’s ok.
Thanks so much
Oli

[ed]

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/