Question about NAS for home media streaming and photo storage
Question about NAS for home media streaming and photo storage
Hello everyone!
I need a device that can manage these tasks:
Downloading movies and TV shows using a torrent client,
Running Plex, Jellyfin, or Emby servers,
Storing my photos (and possibly backing them up elsewhere),
And maybe running Home Assistant.
What would be best? A NAS or a mini PC?
I’d appreciate some suggestions. It’s important the device operates quietly.
There isn't really any distinction. A NAS is essentially a small computer you hired someone else to build and set up. With a PC, you need to install all the software and adjust it yourself. This choice is usually the most adaptable and suits your specific requirements. The key factor is how much effort you're willing to invest versus hiring someone else.
The issue with what's called a "NAS" is that there are significant differences. They generally share only the ability to access storage through the network. Other aspects will require further investigation. Based on the options available, I believe no NAS will offer those exact capabilities.
It really depends on several factors. Consider your budget, storage needs, and the type of form factor you prefer. Do you want an HDD that holds a lot of media at a lower cost, or do you favor smaller but more expensive NVMe drives? Also, how many additional apps would you need from branded NAS vendors, or just the ones you mentioned earlier?
The sole task demanding significant power is Plex/Jellyfin. You can purchase an Intel NAS, but the hardware transcoding appears poor with heavy macroblocking. I suggest a NAS equipped with a solid CPU for standard CPU transcoding—it performs better. I used Plex with Nvidia hardware transcoding and, as a viewer who often skips ahead, the hardware transcoder frequently stalls, forcing you to restart the video.