Plex server- WD PR 4100 or Synology Ds918+

For plex server have come to a tough time deciding between the WD PR 4100 and Synology Ds918+. A little background, I. Looking for a NAS primarily for plex but do plan on backing and accessing locally and remotely. The best plex experience and best way to access files locally and remotely are my most important criteria. The WD PR 4100 seems to be my best option but I wanted to get an additional opinion. I’m open to QNAP as well but it seems that encoding for plex is better on the WD.

Indeed, WD with PR series have partnered with Plex and offer hardware transcoding function without paying for a Plex Pass. This frees up processor because all heavy work is done by transcoding engine. In real life situation, this means your processor will run at 20-30% mark whilst transcoding. This means you can easily multitask without noticing a performance slowdown. However, if you are paying Plex user, DS918+ should allow hardware transcoding too. But tests showed little higher CPU power utilizing. It is a great NAS if you want to do so many extra things. But for simple Plex/backup server tDS918+ would be overkill.

Find regulary updated NAS offers here
Of course I would prefer you choose AMAZON UK AMAZON USA to buy your perfect solution, however, if you would rather buy locally, please use the links used above to take you to your local Amazon store and help support this free advice service with ad revenue. More ways of supporting the blog are described HERE  
Home: https://www.backblaze.com/cloud-backup.html#af9rgr Business: https://www.backblaze.com/business-backup.html#af9rgr Comparison with other service providers: https://www.backblaze.com/best-online-backup-service.html#af9rgr