What is video transcoding and do I need Graphics chip on my NAS?

GPU on the NAS is used for two reasons HDMI and transcoding.

Qnap and Asustor can be connected to a TV via HDMI to stream videos. The user interface is very nice, but some people prefer it over the DLNA etc. (not me). HDMI can also be used to connect a monitor and turn your NAS into a PC/ surveillance panel. But speed is not the greatest. But some people like it (not me).

And then there is transcoding feature. As Lon as you stream videos or CCTV locally in local network and your TV and mobile devices are capable to play those original video files, there is no need for transcoding (video conversion).

Things are different when streaming videos on older TV or remotely. If a TV is 1080p and video is 4k, it need to be converted. Also streaming remotely via 50Mbit Internet is OK with 720p movies. But 4k need to be converted to to send through that tiny bandwidth pipe.

All the conversion can be done without having GPU / transcoding chip. But you will need a powerful enough CPU to convert 4K. Also, overall NAS performance will be affected during conversion and you will notice a slowdown if there are multiple people transcending while you try and copy some data. Having a transcoding chip results in all conversions being done on this separate peace of hardware. Overall NAS performance will not be affected. Built in transcoding chips can handle 1080p via Plex and 4k via built-in video apps. People choose to install PCIe GPU cards to be able to run 4k transcoding via Plex.

I hope this helps.

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