Early Black Friday 72 Hours Sale: Synology select NAS 15% off

Quote from Daekwan : Still waiting on the 213+. I expect alot more media streaming software support announcements to come in the future.. as these units are still fairly new on the market. Until that happens, its not a huge deal to continue doing what I was doing.. and thats use file formats that are supported by Itunes, Airplay, etc..

Specific to Plex:

http://forum.synology.com/enu/vie...06&t=58641

http://wiki.plexapp.com/index.php...er_and_NAS

Will there ever be versions of PMS for other non x86 CPU NAS units, or for additional x86 model NAS units?

There is an experimental build that can be found in the Linux forums for devices other than the ReadyNAS and Synology models (official versions of PMS can be found for it on the download page for these units). The Plex development team is interested in enabling support for more ARM NAS devices given their increasing popularity, though many NAS models run very specific operating systems so will need specific support. It is expected that additional ARM models will be supported over time, but how soon depends on how hard it is to make the custom version of PMS for each model. The ARM version is also unlikely to ever support the transcoding functionality as ARM processors are just too slow to support it. A build for Power PC (PPC) or SPARC based NAS units will likely never occur. There is also a community-based build for some Thecus models also to be found in the forums.

Quote from Darkmatter : Specific to Plex: http://forum.synology.com/enu/vie...06&t=58641 http://wiki.plexapp.com/index.php...er_and_NAS Will there ever be versions of PMS for other non x86 CPU NAS units, or for additional x86 model NAS units? There is an experimental build that can be found in the Linux forums for devices other than the ReadyNAS and Synology models (official versions of PMS can be found for it on the download page for these units). The Plex development team is interested in enabling support for more ARM NAS devices given their increasing popularity, though many NAS models run very specific operating systems so will need specific support. It is expected that additional ARM models will be supported over time, but how soon depends on how hard it is to make the custom version of PMS for each model. The ARM version is also unlikely to ever support the transcoding functionality as ARM processors are just too slow to support it. A build for Power PC (PPC) or SPARC based NAS units will likely never occur. There is also a community-based build for some Thecus models also to be found in the forums.

Great information and I've learned alot from both of those links. But reality is if I can get iTunes sharing and/or SMB to work with my AppleTV's.. then I'm already good to go. All of my movies are saved in mp4 format.

What options are available besides Plex? I've used XMBC before with the jailbroken ATV's.

And just for shyts & giggles.. what Synology unit would you recommend that supports 1080p transcoding. Seems like the ones that do are way out of my price range. On of the most attractive things about the DS213 and + units are the relatively cheap price.

Quote from Daekwan : What options are available besides Plex? I've used XMBC before with the jailbroken ATV's. And just for shyts & giggles.. what Synology unit would you recommend that supports 1080p transcoding. Seems like the ones that do are way out of my price range. On of the most attractive things about the DS213 and + units are the relatively cheap price.

I have an AppleTV2 with XBMC11 (Eden), the current version.


I love it. It's wonderful, just as good as the Boxee Box better than the WDTV that I have.


I have it pointed to the SMB shares on my Synology 211 and 411, and it works perfectly.

Couple questions that aren't getting answered on the Synology forum:

"So I somewhat, blindly purchased a Synology DS1512+ to replace my Drobo FS setup that i'm currently running at home and have a couple questions.

I'm assuming I can use a mix of drives in the Synology DS1512+? Or do i need to match all the drives as in traditional RAID setups?

Also, what's the best stratagy for migrating my data? I have 3.5TB I need to move from my Drobo FS to the Synology DS1512+. The 1512+ I purchased with out disks, so i'm probably going to purchase 2 x 3TB WD red drives and then pull the 2 x 3TB drives from the Drobo FS once the data is copied (assuming i can use a mix of drives.)

Also, it looks to have 1GB of memory installed. Should I go ahead and bump it up to 4GB? I read on a new egg review, that Crucial CT25664BC1067 is the way to go?

Thoughts?? I know I need to read up on the Synology DS1512+ some more, but i'm hoping someone might have a few quick answers for me. I've heard nothing but great things (aside from the issues last year) about the Synology. The Drobo FS has been OK, but the lack of apps and slow network transfers have made me somewhat sour.

Thanks peeps!"

Can anyone help!

Thanks!

Read up on Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) http://forum.synology.com/wiki/in...id_RAID%3F

In short SHR is not the same as Drobo's BeyondRAID. With Drobo BeyondRaid, you can throw in a drive of any size and the storage will be added to the pool. In SHR, you have to add a drive that is equal or larger than the last drive you added to the pool. e.g. You add two 1 TB disks. The next disk added must be 1 TB or greater so that it can be added to the pool. And if all slots have 1 TB drive, you need to add at least 2 drives with greater disk space to increase the storage pool.

Quote from kablam0r : Couple questions that aren't getting answered on the Synology forum: "So I somewhat, blindly purchased a Synology DS1512+ to replace my Drobo FS setup that i'm currently running at home and have a couple questions. I'm assuming I can use a mix of drives in the Synology DS1512+? Or do i need to match all the drives as in traditional RAID setups? Also, what's the best stratagy for migrating my data? I have 3.5TB I need to move from my Drobo FS to the Synology DS1512+. The 1512+ I purchased with out disks, so i'm probably going to purchase 2 x 3TB WD red drives and then pull the 2 x 3TB drives from the Drobo FS once the data is copied (assuming i can use a mix of drives.) Also, it looks to have 1GB of memory installed. Should I go ahead and bump it up to 4GB? I read on a new egg review, that Crucial CT25664BC1067 is the way to go? Thoughts?? I know I need to read up on the Synology DS1512+ some more, but i'm hoping someone might have a few quick answers for me. I've heard nothing but great things (aside from the issues last year) about the Synology. The Drobo FS has been OK, but the lack of apps and slow network transfers have made me somewhat sour. Thanks peeps!" Can anyone help! Thanks!

Quote from dclive : I have an AppleTV2 with XBMC11 (Eden), the current version. I love it. It's wonderful, just as good as the Boxee Box better than the WDTV that I have. I have it pointed to the SMB shares on my Synology 211 and 411, and it works perfectly.

Sounds like exactly what I'd be looking to do with mine. I currently have (2) ATV2's & (2) ATV3's. As far as I know, only the ATV2 can be jailbroken and used with XBMC. I've jailbroken one of the ATV2's to experiment with the capabilities & had no problem getting SMB shares to work even better than expected. That said, I only have Macbooks and had to setup the SMB share on it. As you can imagine I essentially needed to have my MB up & running to access the media.. not exactly the purpose of a laptop lol.

The main way I share media on my network, is by using Airplay & iTunes with the ATV's. But everything is done using my MB as the server.. and in some situations attaching a bunch of USB 2.0 external HDD's that I've gathered over the years. Since its pretty easy to pickup a cheap USB enclosure.. I generally have kept all of my old desktop/laptop internal HDDs.. and now have about 7 seperate HDD's full of data lol.

The whole purpose of a Synology NAS (for my use atleast) would be to have (2) 3TB WD Red drives using their Hybrid Raid format to serve as a file server first, a central time machine backup for the 2 Macbooks, IP camera server and finally as central iTunes share/repository. Any capabilities beyond that would be bonus perks for me and honestly.. things I would probably just experiment with. Which is another reason why I do not want to spend a ton on a NAS, as I'm just getting started with the technology and have little to no experience with DSM or the available apps.

In your experience 211 & 411.. do you think I will have any issues accomplishing the above with the DS213+?? I'd also be interested in the DS213.. but from everything I've read the extra power of the + unit and hardware encryption support is worth the extra $100. Do you think I should consider any other Synology unit other than the 213 series? My budget for a NAS is around $800.. that includes the HDDs. I'm guessing you also use lots of mp3 & mp4 formats.

Thanks!

Quote from kablam0r : Couple questions that aren't getting answered on the Synology forum: "So I somewhat, blindly purchased a Synology DS1512+ to replace my Drobo FS setup that i'm currently running at home and have a couple questions. I'm assuming I can use a mix of drives in the Synology DS1512+? Or do i need to match all the drives as in traditional RAID setups? Also, what's the best stratagy for migrating my data? I have 3.5TB I need to move from my Drobo FS to the Synology DS1512+. The 1512+ I purchased with out disks, so i'm probably going to purchase 2 x 3TB WD red drives and then pull the 2 x 3TB drives from the Drobo FS once the data is copied (assuming i can use a mix of drives.) Also, it looks to have 1GB of memory installed. Should I go ahead and bump it up to 4GB? I read on a new egg review, that Crucial CT25664BC1067 is the way to go? Thoughts?? I know I need to read up on the Synology DS1512+ some more, but i'm hoping someone might have a few quick answers for me. I've heard nothing but great things (aside from the issues last year) about the Synology. The Drobo FS has been OK, but the lack of apps and slow network transfers have made me somewhat sour. Thanks peeps!" Can anyone help! Thanks!

Another poster answered the disk size question.


You can dynamically increase the volumes, so your plan to move drives around will work (albeit with a little risk until you get it RAIDed).


Why do you need more RAM?

Quote from Daekwan : The whole purpose of a Synology NAS (for my use atleast) would be to have (2) 3TB WD Red drives using their Hybrid Raid format to serve as a file server first, a central time machine backup for the 2 Macbooks, IP camera server and finally as central iTunes share/repository. Any capabilities beyond that would be bonus perks for me and honestly.. things I would probably just experiment with. Which is another reason why I do not want to spend a ton on a NAS, as I'm just getting started with the technology and have little to no experience with DSM or the available apps. In your experience 211 & 411.. do you think I will have any issues accomplishing the above with the DS213+?? I'd also be interested in the DS213.. but from everything I've read the extra power of the + unit and hardware encryption support is worth the extra $100. Do you think I should consider any other Synology unit other than the 213 series? My budget for a NAS is around $800.. that includes the HDDs. I'm guessing you also use lots of mp3 & mp4 formats. Thanks!

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The 213+ can easily do all of those things. However, I suspect you'll like it so much you'll wish you'd bought more space. I initially bought a 211 and kick myself - more capacity is always better. That said if you think you'll never need >3GB usable space...


I wouldn't bother with the + unless you can clarify the need. Encryption? For ... what purpose? The only reason I'd get the + is if the price difference between + and non-+ versions was tiny, due to this sale, perhaps.


I read some of the + use PPC chips, not ARM, so check your compatibility with apps before buying! Of course, if you don't want extra apps, it doesn't matter - but that defeats most of the purpose to me.


If I had $800 (assuming $260 for the 2 3GB drives, that's $540 or so) I'd get the 513. If budget's an issue, 212+ (given small price difference to 212). Or check Amazon's Warehouse Deals to see what they have; I bought a 211 there at a good discount under Newegg's price.

Quote from dclive : Another poster answered the disk size question. You can dynamically increase the volumes, so your plan to move drives around will work (albeit with a little risk until you get it RAIDed). Why do you need more RAM?

I have no clue, I just saw a couple newegg reviews and people were saying it was only a $10 upgrade to 4GB. I can't think of a reason i'd need it, which is why i was asking you guys.

Quote from kablam0r : I have no clue, I just saw a couple newegg reviews and people were saying it was only a $10 upgrade to 4GB. I can't think of a reason i'd need it, which is why i was asking you guys.

Typically not required.

Quote from TheBuzzer : still waiting for 4tb hdd to be on sale so i can upgrade my nas storage

Check out the post I just made about 4TB drives.

http://slickdeals.net/f/5480734-C...da-4TB-180

I bought it today and placed it in my 1511+. It's expanding the volume now but everything looks kosher.

dang waited too long...just missed this deal.

I have honsetly been up and down the line on how to accomplish the things I am looking to do with my network, and I am still confused as to the best most efficient way.

My main goals are:

I want to have a networked storage drive so i can create downlads and access downloads from my laptops or android phones.

To be able to control my audio media (through a nice functional interface, so it's not clunky to navigate) via phones and laptops, and have full functionality over my stereo receiver, mainly just to control volume and which speakers are actively playing.

Stream video media from my network drive to my TV (which is a smart RV with DLNA and network jack)

Use third party apps like amazon prime and Netflix to watch video media.

Backups and using RAID is a bonus, but these are my main goals. I want to do these things well but not overspend for things I don't need.

Any advice for my setup?

Quote from deanzel : Please if you're going to be making statements like that, at least be somewhat informed. The 412+ is "last year's" model if by that you mean that it was released in July vs the 413 which was released in October. There are significant differences between the two models as the 412+ has the Intel Atom D2700 dual core 2.13Ghz processor while the 413 has the Freescale PPC 1.067Ghz dual core processor. This is a big difference especially in terms of compatibility with the programs that Synology NASes can run especially 3rd party programs. If you just want to stick with basic NAS functions, then the two are comparable. However, if you want to run cool programs like Plex, the 413 (and 213+) do not have any support for it right now and for the immediate future. Just read the responses from the Plex developers on their forums. They don't think the time investment to code a PPC-based version of Plex Media Server is worth it for them. http://forums.plexapp.com/index.p..._p__296842 http://forums.plexapp.com/index.p..._p__301369 The 413 & 213+ don't have even a basic version of Plex Media Server to run. The lower ARM-based Synology NASes have Media Server but can't transcode video. The Intel-based 412+ and above can transcode 720p video as you can see in the spread sheet below. https://docs.google.com/spreadshe...xSmc#gid=0 So if you want to save like $100 and really don't think that you'll be using some of the advanced 3rd party media features like Plex, then go for the 413. But in my opinion, once you start using your NAS for the first time, you'll see that all those other programs and features would be incredibly useful and cool to run. You'll wish that you had just spent the extra $100 to get the full feature set. Make sure that you've thought it all out with the feature sets because it's not as simple as saving an extra $100 in this case.

If you think you're going to be transcoding HD video with an atom CPU, you are likely to be disappointed. The 412+ can run plex, and you might be able to transcode some 720p depending on codec, but it's not a real solution. The spreadsheet you linked supports this conclusion, incidentally.

Getting a DS413j or DS413 and running plex media server on a HTPC is much more likely to be satisfactory.

The DS-412+ is a ton of money for very little advantage. Of course everybody needs to make their own determination, because everybody's needs differ, but clearly most home consumers would be best served by getting the DS413j.

Sadly, no deals on the DS413j or DS413 yet.