Mastering NAS Storage: Unveiling Hidden Challenges and Solutions

Today, I'm diving into a little adventure I recently had with our trusty 6-drive Synology NAS, boasting a whopping 73TB of storage space. Now, who wouldn't be excited about that, right? But there are some challenges.

I couldn't help but notice that our storage space was getting full. Curious, I delved deeper into the matter. One of the primary functions of our NAS is serving as storage for our Plex DVR. However, despite our occasional recordings, the storage was filling up faster than I expected.

So, I decided to do some spring cleaning, starting with deleting some recordings. But here's the kicker - the space wasn't budging. I decided to peek into the file system, and there it was: a bunch of files in the #recycle folder within our shares.

Turns out, there wasn't a default schedule for emptying the recycle bin on our Synology NAS. This meant all those recordings, along with any other files, were being kept indefinitely.

Plex Media Server

Today we're going to dive into the world of Plex media server and explore how this powerful tool can revolutionize the way you stream, manage and record your media.

First and foremost, for those who may not be familiar, Plex is a media server software that allows you to organize your media library and stream it to any device, anywhere. Whether you're at home or on the go, Plex makes it easy to access and enjoy your movies, TV shows, music, and photos. It's available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and several NAS devices. Personally, I run it on an Intel NUC which supports Intel Quick Sync Video, to do transcoding in hardware when needed for playback.

One of the best things about Plex is that it can automatically organize your media library. It can fetch metadata like cover art and descriptions for your media, making it easy to find and enjoy your content. It can also automatically filter out duplicates and dead links. Plus, when you add new media to your library, Plex will automatically update your library, so you don't have to manually refresh it.

Another great feature of Plex is that it supports a wide range of file formats. This means that you can store your media in any format you like, and Plex will be able to stream it to your devices. Whether you have a collection of MP4 files, MKV files, or even ISO files, Plex will handle it.

Now, let's talk about one of the most exciting features of Plex: its support for television tuners and DVR functionality. With a Plex Pass subscription, you can connect a compatible tuner to your Plex server and watch live TV on any device with the Plex app. You can even schedule recordings and watch them later, just like a traditional DVR.  I have found the HDHomeRun Flex 4K network tuner works quite well.  One thing about it is that I can put the tuner somewhere near the antenna, which can in a different location than the Plex server