{"id":235644,"date":"2021-04-26T14:45:15","date_gmt":"2021-04-26T11:45:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/should-you-get-a-nas-for-plex-streaming-review-geek\/"},"modified":"2021-04-26T14:45:15","modified_gmt":"2021-04-26T11:45:15","slug":"should-you-get-a-nas-for-plex-streaming-review-geek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/should-you-get-a-nas-for-plex-streaming-review-geek\/","title":{"rendered":"#Should You Get a NAS for Plex Streaming? \u2013 Review Geek"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2f495c02d92\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2f495c02d92\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/should-you-get-a-nas-for-plex-streaming-review-geek\/#Dedicated_NAS_Devices_Are_Purpose-Built_for_Home_Streaming\" >Dedicated NAS Devices Are Purpose-Built for Home Streaming<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/should-you-get-a-nas-for-plex-streaming-review-geek\/#Alternatives_Exist_and_You_Can_Combine_Them_with_a_NAS_Unit\" >Alternatives Exist, and You Can Combine Them with a NAS Unit<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/should-you-get-a-nas-for-plex-streaming-review-geek\/#Fully_Featured_Repurpose_a_Desktop_or_Laptop\" >Fully Featured: Repurpose a Desktop or Laptop<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/should-you-get-a-nas-for-plex-streaming-review-geek\/#Affordable_and_Powerful_Use_an_NVIDIA_Shield_Streaming_Stick\" >Affordable and Powerful: Use an NVIDIA Shield Streaming Stick<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/should-you-get-a-nas-for-plex-streaming-review-geek\/#Very_Inexpensive_Use_a_Raspberry_Pi_4\" >Very Inexpensive: Use a Raspberry Pi 4<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/should-you-get-a-nas-for-plex-streaming-review-geek\/#Whatever_You_Do_Dont_Forget_the_Hard_Drives\" >Whatever You Do, Don\u2019t Forget the Hard Drives!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#Should You Get a NAS for Plex Streaming? \u2013 Review Geek&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content-area\">\n<figure style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-76718 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/04\/7afbb160.png?width=1200\" alt=\"The Synology DS220+ NAS unit.\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/45175\/synology-ds220-nas-an-affordable-workhorse-for-every-home\/\" data-credittext=\"Synology\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Synology<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Network Attached Storage (NAS) units provide remote access to all your files and are a popular\u00a0Plex <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Media<\/a> Server solution. While they might seem intimidating and expensive, NAS devices are actually one of the easiest home-streaming solutions and are well worth the money. Here\u2019s why a NAS unit may suit your needs better than the alternatives.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dedicated_NAS_Devices_Are_Purpose-Built_for_Home_Streaming\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"moka_anchor_WhyUseaNAS\">Dedicated NAS Devices Are Purpose-Built for Home Streaming<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<figure style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-76720 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/04\/586e508f.png\" alt=\"The TerraMaster F2-221 2-bay NAS unit.\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B07JHJHBDH\/?tag=reviewgeek-20\" data-credittext=\"TerraMaster\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B07JHJHBDH\/?tag=reviewgeek-20\">TerraMaster<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Dedicated NAS devices connect several hard drives to your home internet, allowing you to remotely access their contents from any device. In other words, they\u2019re like <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/208030\/how-to-set-up-a-nas-network-attached-storage-drive\/\">cloud servers for your home<\/a>. You can use your NAS unit to wirelessly back up files from your computer, phone, or tablet, or even download the files from your NAS without plugging a hard drive into your device. And much like the Dropbox and OneDrive cloud services, you can even access your NAS unit when you\u2019re away from home.<\/p>\n<p>Because NAS devices are intended for everyday consumers, they make the server setup process as straightforward as possible and feature multiple easy-to-access drive bays. They also use <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/162676\/how-to-use-multiple-disks-intelligently-an-introduction-to-raid\/\">RAID<\/a> to \u201ccombine\u201d hard drives for increased performance and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/346907\/backups-vs.-redundancy-what%E2%80%99s-the-difference\/\">file redundancy<\/a>, a form of real-time data backup. Adding new drives to your NAS device is incredibly easy, and depending on how you set up your raid array RAID, you might never need to worry about losing data if a drive needs to be replaced. (File redundancy is always a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/346907\/backups-vs.-redundancy-what%E2%80%99s-the-difference\/\">tradeoff<\/a> for usable storage space, and some people may opt for less redundancy to avoid spending a ton of money on hard drives.)<\/p>\n<p>All of these features make NAS devices an ideal candidate for Plex, especially if you\u2019re inexperienced with drive arrays, servers, and home streaming. That\u2019s not to say that dedicated NAS units are the only solution for network-attached storage and home streaming\u2014there are several alternatives, and we\u2019ll get to them in a minute. The thing that\u2019s important to understand right now is that, unlike the alternatives, dedicated NAS devices are actually intended for server applications. They\u2019re power efficient, they don\u2019t take up any more room than they should, and they help you breeze through things like Plex installation and the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/162676\/how-to-use-multiple-disks-intelligently-an-introduction-to-raid\/\">RAID<\/a> setup process.<\/p>\n<p>Picking a NAS unit for home streaming is fairly easy thanks to the bustling Plex community. Generally speaking, any popular NAS unit like the Synology DS220+ or the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B07JHJHBDH\/?tag=reviewgeek-20\">TerraMaster F2-221<\/a> will be able to stream 4K video or transcode multiple video streams simultaneously (<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/support.plex.tv\/articles\/200250377-transcoding-media\/\">transcoding<\/a> happens when your server needs to change a video\u2019s file type or resolution, or add subtitles to the stream). That said, NAS units <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1MfYoJkiwSqCXg8cm5-Ac4oOLPRtCkgUxU0jdj3tmMPc\/edit#gid=1274624273\">that are powerful enough<\/a> to transcode multiple high-res files are a bit expensive. You can avoid a lot of transcoding by converting videos to the \u201cuniversal\u201d MP4 format and only streaming within your own home, but if you hope to beam 4K video to a ton of devices at once, you have to decide whether to buy an expensive NAS unit like the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/QNAP-TVS-872N-i3-8G-US-Memory-Type-C-Supports\/dp\/B07XHF5MTZ?tag=reviewgeek-20\">QNAP TVS-872N-i3-8G<\/a> or go with a cheaper alternative. (You can also pair your NAS unit with another device.)<\/p>\n<p>While a two-bay NAS unit will work for most people, you should seriously consider buying a NAS device with three or more drive bays to maximize usable storage space and ensure <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/346907\/backups-vs.-redundancy-what%E2%80%99s-the-difference\/\">proper file redundancy<\/a> with RAID (especially if you plan to store over 8TB of data). Everyone has different needs, but Synology\u2019s handy <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synology.com\/en-us\/support\/RAID_calculator\">RAID Calculator<\/a> can help you visualize how different NAS and storage configurations will work with your home streaming server.<\/p>\n<div class=\"product-box\">\nA Powerful 4-Bay NAS Unit<br \/>\n<!-- foo --><\/p>\n<div class=\"product-img\" style=\"float: right; padding-right: 20px; padding-left: 0\">\n<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" onclick=\"fbq('track', 'Buy Button'); if (fb_t_convert){fb_t_convert();}\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B087Z34F3R?tag=reviewgeek-20\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/31miC4cBCSL._SL160_.jpg\" height=\"147px\" alt=\"\" role=\"presentation\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Alternatives_Exist_and_You_Can_Combine_Them_with_a_NAS_Unit\"><\/span>Alternatives Exist, and You Can Combine Them with a NAS Unit<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<figure style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-76719 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/04\/fb5c81ed-2.png\" alt=\"The Intel NUC and NVIDIA Shield TV Pro.\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" data-credittext=\"Intel, NVIDIA\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Intel, NVIDIA<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you\u2019re intimidated by the almighty NAS device or don\u2019t want to spend a fortune on a NAS unit that can transcode 4K video, you can still put together a good home-streaming setup with a PC, a Mac, a Raspberry Pi, or an NVIDIA Shield streaming stick.<\/p>\n<p>These alternatives come with some drawbacks, but they offer more power than a NAS unit at a lower price, and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/76716\/should-you-get-a-nas-for-plex-streaming\/#moka_anchor_UseanNVIDIAShieldStreamingStick\">in some cases, they\u2019re easier to set up than a NAS device. Keep in mind that you can combine these alternatives with a cheap NAS unit, allowing the PC, NVIDIA Shield, or Raspberry Pi to handle all the transcoding and processing while the NAS unit optimizes and manages the hard drives.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fully_Featured_Repurpose_a_Desktop_or_Laptop\"><\/span>Fully Featured: Repurpose a Desktop or Laptop<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Technically speaking, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/70552\/everything-you-need-to-set-up-a-plex-server\/#moka_anchor_acomputertoruntheplexmediaserver\">any desktop or laptop computer can work as a home media server with network attached storage and RAID capabilities. If you have an old computer lying around and don\u2019t mind leaving it on 24\/7, you shouldn\u2019t have much trouble using it as a Plex server, though you will probably notice an impact on your electric bill. Some people opt for small, more power-efficient computers like the Intel NUC, though these small PCs cost way more than a typical NAS device and don\u2019t come with RAM or a preinstalled OS.<\/p>\n<p>Using a desktop or laptop for home streaming has its benefits, especially when it comes to computing power and upgradability. A decent PC or Mac is more powerful than a NAS device, which comes in handy when you stream or transcode 4K video for several devices simultaneously. PCs with upgradable components can also grow alongside you, saving you the trouble of setting up a new server every few years. Just keep in mind that a powerful and upgradable PC costs more money and uses more electricity than the average NAS unit.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Affordable_and_Powerful_Use_an_NVIDIA_Shield_Streaming_Stick\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"moka_anchor_UseanNVIDIAShieldStreamingStick\">Affordable and Powerful: Use an NVIDIA Shield Streaming Stick<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Turning an <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/NVIDIA-Shield-Android-Streaming-Performance\/dp\/B07YP9FBMM\/?tag=reviewgeek-20\">NVIDIA Shield TV Pro<\/a> streaming stick into a Plex server is easier than setting up a NAS unit. You just download the Plex Media Server app from the Google Play store, click through the setup screen, and add videos to your Shield with a SD card or USB drive. You can still use your NVIDIA Shield as an Android TV stick once it\u2019s set up with Plex, which saves you the trouble of buying additional streaming sticks for your home.<\/p>\n<p>While the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro doesn\u2019t have RAID or network-attached storage capabilities, you can actually pair it with a cheap NAS unit for the best of both worlds. Or, you can just enjoy the NVIDIA Shield on its own. It can transcode 4K video and handle <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/support.plex.tv\/articles\/221099648-limitations-when-running-plex-media-server-on-nvidia-shield\/\">simultaneous streams<\/a> at a much lower price than similarly capable NAS units.<\/p>\n<p>That said, NVIDIA Shield TV Pro devices aren\u2019t that much more expensive than entry-level NAS units. If you don\u2019t plan to stream 4K video all over the place, a clean and simple NAS unit might suit your needs better than an NVIDIA Shield. You could always buy the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro later if you decide that you want 4K video or that you want to stream a lot of content outside your home.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Very_Inexpensive_Use_a_Raspberry_Pi_4\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"moka_anchor_UseaCheapRaspberryPi4\">Very Inexpensive: Use a Raspberry Pi 4<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Raspberry Pi computers are by far the cheapest Plex Media Server solution, and like PCs, they support RAID and can act as network attached storage devices. They\u2019re also power-efficient, easy to repurpose, and take up very little space.<\/p>\n<p>That said, Raspberry Pi devices aren\u2019t very powerful and require some experience (or patience) to set up. I don\u2019t suggest going down this route if you hope to stream high-resolution video to multiple devices at the same time. But if you plan on streaming to just one device inside your home at 4K or a few devices devices at standard resolution, go ahead and grab a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/CanaKit-Raspberry-Basic-Kit-8GB\/dp\/B08DJ9MLHV\/r?tag=reviewgeek-20\">Raspberry Pi 4 starter kit<\/a>, which costs just under $100.<\/p>\n<div class=\"product-box\">\nEasy and Convenient<\/p>\n<div class=\"product-img\">\n<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B07YP9FBMM?tag=reviewgeek-20\" onclick=\"fbq('track', 'Buy Button'); if (fb_t_convert){fb_t_convert();}\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/31rhQ3TEZSL._SL160_.jpg\" height=\"147px\" alt=\"\" role=\"presentation\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"product-box\">\nThe Cheapest Alternative<\/p>\n<div class=\"product-img\">\n<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B08DJ9MLHV?tag=reviewgeek-20\" onclick=\"fbq('track', 'Buy Button'); if (fb_t_convert){fb_t_convert();}\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/51uI+whkMRL._SL160_.jpg\" height=\"147px\" alt=\"\" role=\"presentation\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whatever_You_Do_Dont_Forget_the_Hard_Drives\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"moka_anchor_WhateverYouDoDontForgettheHardDrives\">Whatever You Do, Don\u2019t Forget the Hard Drives!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-77353 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/04\/2484a7df.png\" alt=\"The Seagate IronWolf NAS hard drive.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B07H289S79?&amp;tag=reviewgeek-20\" data-credittext=\"Seagate\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B07H289S79?&amp;tag=reviewgeek-20\">Seagate<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Whether you build your Plex server from a NAS unit or one of the many alternatives, you need to buy some <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/345131\/how-to-select-hard-drives-for-your-home-nas\/\">storage devices<\/a> to hold all your video files. The storage devices you buy may depend on your server setup, but in most cases, you need some good old-fashioned hard drives.<\/p>\n<p>NAS units have multiple drive bays fit for any 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch drive. But I strongly suggest buying a \u201cNAS\u201d hard drive like the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Seagate-IronWolf-5900RPM-Internal-3-5-Inch\/dp\/B07H289S79\/?tag=reviewgeek-20\">Seagate Ironwolf<\/a>, which is designed for <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/662440\/what-exactly-is-a-surveillance-or-nas-hard-drive\/\">24\/7 operation<\/a> and comes with a five-year warranty. Plex servers are constantly working and have a high thermal demand, so they chew through regular desktop hard drives like nobody\u2019s business. SSDs are also a poor option, as they\u2019re expensive and won\u2019t increase the streaming performance of your server, though they can slightly improve the speed of your navigation menus.<\/p>\n<p>Choosing a drive size can be a bit confusing because of RAID. With a RAID array, usable storage depends on the smallest drive, so pairing a 4TB and 8TB drive isn\u2019t any different than using two 4TB drives. For this reason, each drive in your NAS device should be the same size (they don\u2019t have to be the same brand). Again, I strongly suggest that you play with Synology\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synology.com\/en-us\/support\/RAID_calculator\">RAID Calculator<\/a> to visualize how different drive combinations will provide different amounts of usable storage.<\/p>\n<p>PC and Raspberry Pi-based Plex servers with a RAID array follow the same rules as NAS devices. But if you choose to build a Plex server without RAID, you can mix and match different-sized drives to your heart\u2019s content. You can also store your video files on SD cards or thumb drives, though a NAS drive in an <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Sabrent-External-Lay-Flat-Docking-EC-DFLT\/dp\/B00LS5NFQ2\/?tag=reviewgeek-20\">external enclosure<\/a> will last a lot longer, cost less, and hold more data.<\/p>\n<div class=\"product-box\">\nA NAS Drive With a Warranty<\/p>\n<div class=\"product-img\">\n<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B07H289S79?tag=reviewgeek-20\" onclick=\"fbq('track', 'Buy Button'); if (fb_t_convert){fb_t_convert();}\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/41BgEYzhxIL._SL160_.jpg\" height=\"147px\" alt=\"\" role=\"presentation\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script>\nsetTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n  fbq('init', '1137093656460433');\n  fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/76716\/should-you-get-a-nas-for-plex-streaming\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Should You Get a NAS for Plex Streaming? \u2013 Review Geek&#8221; Synology Network Attached Storage (NAS) units provide remote access to all your files and are a popular\u00a0Plex Media Server solution. While they might seem intimidating and expensive, NAS devices are actually one of the easiest home-streaming solutions and are well worth the money. Here\u2019s&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":235645,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/04\/7afbb160.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-235644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235644","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=235644"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235644\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/235645"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=235644"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=235644"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=235644"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}