TL;DR - Nearing storage cap on my current external HDD. Want to upgrade storage and reasonably future-proof as best as possible. Considering changing my setup from PC (Plex Media Server) + external HDD (media storage), to a mini PC (Plex) + DAS. Could use advice.
Hi, I've done some research on upgrading my current Plex / general media storage setup and I've come up with a plan that looks something like the below. Please share any constructive criticisms, tips, things I might have overlooked, etc. I want to do this right the first time around.
Use case: 1-2 simultaneous 1080p streams, most clients will be able to directly play my mostly HEVC (h.265) content without needing to transcode. Not all, though, so transcoding option is nice. I have Plex Pass so HW transcoding is also an option.
My current setup:
- PC [Plex Media Server]
- External Hard drive (12TB) [~10TB personal media]
What I'm thinking of moving to:
- Mini PC (Beelink Mini S12) [Plex Media Server]
- DAS (4-bay QNAP)
- 3.5 12TB HDD (shuck my current drive) [~10TB personal media]
- 3.5 12TB HDD (buy a new one) [RAID backup?]
- empty (add a 12TB in future for more storage?)
- empty (add a 12TB in future for more storage?)
If this looks good, I have a bonus question: How do I safely move my content on my current 12TB external hard drive to the DAS? Is it as simple as shucking the drive and installing in the DAS? I've also read that setting up RAID will wipe the drives; will it be necessary to buy a third 12TB drive before moving my media?
Thanks in advance!