

Without getting too technical, the important features to bear in mind are the ability to perform data snapshots every 5 minutes for granular backups, file versioning with Synology’s Cloud Station, and probably most important of all, data integrity checks through real-time checksums. This is a feature that will be rolled out with select models on the release of DSM 6.0 that’s currently in beta.ītrfs is big news, as it will replace the much more common Ext4 file system that’s so prevalent in NASes these days. Synology DS218j is backed by Synology’s 2-year limited warranty. Simple yet powerful, Synology DS218j offers effortless data sharing, multimedia streaming, and cloud synchronization. This new NAS will be one of the first NASes by Synology to support the Btrfs file system right out of the gate. Synology DiskStation DS218j is a 2-bay NAS server which perfectly fits home and personal users to build your own personal cloud. After reading the NAS reviews and considering my requirements, I am leaning toward the Synology DS216 line of models, either the DS216+II, DS216play or DS216. Video transcoding isn’t the biggest selling point for the DS216+ (although still important).

Confusing, but maybe a third-party can introduce H.265 support if the CPU is up to it.

The DS216+ only supports the H.264 codec through Synology’s video player if you wish to transcode H.265/HEVC, you will need the DS216play… which doesn’t have an Intel SoC, so may not be supported by Plex. The dual-core Intel Celeron N3050 that powers the DS216+ is quite the little beast (for one, it’s not an Atom), as it will allow for 4K video transcoding.
