Plex: Synology RS1221+ with M2 Mac Mini

[mstgkillr]

I currently have a Synology RS1221+ with Plex Media Server sharing up to 4k videos both locally and remotely to my personal devices (e.g., Apple TVs, iPhones, iPads, etc.). The 4k videos initially created some issues when using subtitles locally and transcoding remotely. However, I believe I have that mostly sorted out. I adjusted settings for the subtitles and created 1080p copies for remote viewing.

I was hoping to further improve performance of my Plex Media Server, NAS, etc. I thought about upgrading the Synology's RAM, but it's never really maxed out (the CPU is). My home is all Apple. Would adding a M2 Mac Mini as a stand alone server improve my Plex experience? If so, I would use the Mini as a stand alone server for now, but once my home office is finished, it would share double duty as the office computer for basic tasks.

If the Mini is a worthwhile investment, is the base model sufficient or should I upgrade the RAM, processor, or 10 GbE?

 

[lewjh]

I use an M2 Mac Mini base model for almost exactly the same reason as you described above. I came from a Synology 920+ as the server to using the Mac Mini. The stability and speed are much improved. It took a couple tries to get the settings right (open plex on startup) to get it up and running consistently (Automounter is a great app too). I recently ran 1080p movies and tv shows on a poor internet connection in Spain to the server in the UK and the Mac mini transcoded the movies to a smaller size. Worked great.

 

[mstgkillr]

I use an M2 Mac Mini base model for almost exactly the same reason as you described above. I came from a Synology 920+ as the server to using the Mac Mini. The stability and speed are much improved. It took a couple tries to get the settings right (open plex on startup) to get it up and running consistently (Automounter is a great app too). I recently ran 1080p movies and tv shows on a poor internet connection in Spain to the server in the UK and the Mac mini transcoded the movies to a smaller size. Worked great.

I got the Mini... however, it now appears to buffer during live tv streaming from my HDHomerun.

 

[lewjh]

I got the Mini... however, it now appears to buffer during live tv streaming from my HDHomerun.

I don't have HDhomerun but I do have a similar thing using a zgemma box as a freesat box that acts like a HDhomerun. I have buffering problems watching on Plex web app but apps on devices and tv's are working well.