Best DVR NAS Option?

I'm looking at moving the DVR from the computer to a NAS option, for times when the computer is not home. What seems to work the best? I know there's several options for it.

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I would recommend a NAS drive as a base option. If you're mostly going to be recording content, as opposed to regularly watching then deleting, then a surveillance drive would be a good option.

If you're looking for a less expensive option, especially for larger (8-10TB) drives, I've heard good things about refurbished HGST helium drives. Right now you can find those in 10TB sizes for $250.

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Right...that's what I was asking was WHICH NAS do most people prefer. I know the WD MyCloud and Netgear ones are listed as options, just hoping to find the one that performs the best.

Sorry, I guess I misunderstood. I thought you were asking about drives, not the NAS itself. A NAS itself is essentially a cheap low-power computer with multiple drive bays: the real difference comes from which drives you put in those bays, not the enclosure.

Different NAS models run different software. If you're going the turnkey route, I'm personally partial to Synology. But again, most NAS models are sold bare bones, meaning you need to provide your own hard drives. I would personally stay away from anything that markets itself as a NAS but doesn't allow you to replace the drives; those types of "NAS" products are basically just external hard drives with a network port.

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Synology DS218+ is the most popular NAS among DVR users.

The QNAP TS251+ is also very similar and provides good specs.

The higher end WD PRxxxx models work well, but most other WD models are underpowered.

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I really like Synology NAS. I am using the DS1019+ for Channels DVR, PLEX, EMBY and as a backup system. I also have a DS918+. The DS218+ and DS718+ would also work well.

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Hi aman Any reason why i can't use the Synology DS218 not the + for Channels?

Felix

Don't even bother with the non +. The price difference is minimal, if you can even find the standard DS218. The CPU on the + is much better.

Thanks. Yes I’ve subsequently read up on the spec difference.i can see the sense in that

FYI... These units are really great. I have been using them since I got my DS212+ in 2012. Not 1 issue for 7 years of owning it. However, I did upgrade to larger drives a few years ago. My point is that what you buy will probably last a long time and they have many more uses then just the Channels DVR. I never used the DS212+ for Channels since I had other options. It was primary my offsite backup for the office DS. But now I use the DS1019+ for the same offsite backup and also for Channels DVR (internal and external access) and Plex Movies (use a lot for internal and external access). I also use a DS918+ for local backup and for testing things like the Virtual Machine Manager.

So my point is look a the cost of all of these units and compare cost and maybe depending on your budget spend a bit more. Also, compare disk drive cost and maybe buy a bit more than you need. I use the WD RED NAS drives (5400 speed). I also added the SSD Cache (on the bottom of 1019 and 918) but not sure it gives that much of an improvement but felt why not with with the slower drives. If you got one of these you could always add later.

Yes that makes complete sense

I have the Synology DS718+ (upgraded to 6GB ram) with 2x 10TB Ironwolf NAS drives. Not too loud or power consuming.

It runs Channels DVR brilliantly with a HDHR Connect Quattro alongside. It can also transcode brilliantly with Plex using hardware transcoding with it's Intel CPU (Plex Pass feature - PMS must be installed via Plex and not package centre to work) if that's any use to you.

For me it was the best NAS for performance, size and noise and also the lockable drive trays are a plus for me with kids!

This may be a little off the subject but I bought an older laptop and used it for my HTPC and it works great for me. Any Core i3, i5 or i7 would be faster than most inexpensive NAS options.

I use a NETGEAR ReadyNAS RN212 two bay (comes disk-less) amazon $180.
So far, I use one WD Red 4TB NAS Hard Disk Drive - 6 Gb/s w/64MB cache in it. amazon $120
The NAS 212 has a 12 GB capacity, so I could install two 6 GB drives. I have Channels DVR running on the NAS which is directly connected to my 4 port cable modem as well as a HRHD Quattro, and an un-managed 8 port Gigabit switch. I have an Ooma VOIP, and two Nvidia shields connected via CAT 6 Ethernet on the un-managed switch. I have one Firestick TV connected also, but use Deca 10/100 Ethernet adapters on either end of a RG6 coax with a FireStick power/Ethernet adapter. The Firestick is the only device that I notice a delay of a video starting, but once it starts the video is nice and stable. I am swapping the un-managed switch out for a managed switch to prioritize the connections - 1-VOIP, 2-NAS/DVR, 3-TV, 4-WiFi. I am satisfied with the performance of the NAS in conjunction with the wired gigabit Ethernet for live OTA, DVR recordings, and streaming TV. At times, the VOIP has voice clarity issues which I believe is a cable bandwidth/LAN priority issue that the managed switch will rectify. I tried WiFi to the TV boxes before hard-wiring them, but the performance was not acceptable.

Synology DS1513+ and Channels works perfectly.

I am new to HDHR and still learning about Channels. And while a laptop may be more powerful versus a NAS, I am not sure I understand its advantages. In order to serve as a recording engine, the laptop would need to be powered on 24/7. And of course too, unless the laptop is plugged in all the time, it seems this would be a continual drain on its battery.

Again, I am new with HDHR and still learning about the recording options. So I am just posting this as a question to gain further insight. Perhaps, some people like to use an existing laptop to save money versus spending more $$ on a NAS. I've never owned or worked with a NAS, but it seems the latest models would be more than capable serving as the storage device for Channels DVR.

Thanks for any insight into the laptop option and why some may choose to use it versus a NAS. Still considering all my options.