Conclusion

In comparison to the other Synology DiskStation NAS dual bay units the Synology DS214play can hold its own performing all the standard tasks of other Synology two bay NASes. What differentiates it from the rest is the ability to transcode up to 1080P where it’s brethren can only top out at 720P.

This transcoding works great when using the native DS Video Station or the DS Media Server but is not yet optimized for use with the ever-popular Plex ecosystem. This issue has more to due with the Plex folks needing to optimize their code to take advantage of the Intel Evansport CPU found in the Synology DS214play than anything with Synology. This is the reason why the Plex app is not found in the package center for the Synology DS214play.

Another issue that could be a problem for those intending to take full advantage of the Synology DS214play as a media streamer is the lack of DTS playback. This can render many media libraries limited and unable to work with the Synology DS214play. Hopefully Synology and the folks at DTS can reach some kind of agreement to settle this in the near future.

Both of these issues are relatively easy to address and hopefully will be resolved in the near future. Once they are taken care of then the Synology DS214play will be considered the premier media streaming NAS.

 

  

 

Pros:
+Can transcode up to 1080P
+Simple setup
+User-friendly interface
+Works with Linux, OS X or Windows
+Energy Efficient

Cons:
-Lacks DTS playback
-Currently Plex is not optimized for use with Synology DS214play
-Lacks HDMI port

Grades:
Overall
Design / Aesthetic
Value / Price
Performance / Usage

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