Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I am in a similar boat as the OP and I am thinking about picking up the Synology DS214Play and populating it with a couple HGST 4TB NAS drives. I want to use it for the following applications:
1. As a media server to feed multiple ipads, iphones, and a couple TVs.
2. A place to centrally back up said ipads and iphones, as well asmy home pc.
3. As network storage for a huge (85,000+) number of photos, some home videos, and ~1.5TB worth of client files. Photos and videos would be primarily stored on my home desktop and backed daily to one of the NAS drives. Other files (photos, videos, etc.) would be stored on the other drive. Obviously I am not considering a RAID array for the NAS as it does not make sense in my application and I don't want to spend almost twice as much for the synology 415play or other 4 bay NAS just so that I can use RAID.
Two factors are driving the decision to use a NAS vs. an internet/cloud backup solution, namely: 1) affordable internet storage for sensitive data such as attorney client privileged information is hard to come by (just look at the difference in price for HIPAA compliant storage and you will see what I mean). The NAS keeps the data in my control (for the most part); and 2) the NAS would give me dedicated local storage for client files that is separate from my home PC. That way if my PC craps the bed (possible as I tinker with it all the time), I still have access to the files on the NAS.
Main factor driving the selection of the DS214play is its hardware transcoding features. I know they are not supported by plex (yet), but I've read that the Synology apps are pretty good and would likely serve my media related purposes for the foreseeable future. A nice secondary feature is that the DS214play is expandable.
I also do realize that the most cost effective and powerful solution would be to build my own linux server. I do not have the time nor the inclination to do that. 5 years ago I would have, but for the applications noted above I just want something that works.
Thoughts? Recommendations?