TS-453B mini Multimedia Station

[maikusan]

Hello everyone

I am looking for a while now at some NAS stations for mainly two purposes.

1. Outsource my files from my Computer so I can access them from different devices (kind of Network HDD). I guess this is quite simple and any NAS can do it.

2. Setting up a Multimedia computer with it. I have given up a little bit on the idea of streaming since it requires quite a lot of CPU power and my budget won't allow for NAS stations with necessary CPU power required. So my second pick was to directly plug in the NAS to my TV via the HDMI cable. However, I strongly believe that I want to control my TV with a remote and not have additional mouse and keyboard in the living room. How well does the newly introduced Qmedia app for Android TV work as a Multimedia interface when the NAS is directly linked through HDMI? Or will it take the route through the LAN connection?
Secondly I wanted to ask if the HDMI plug on the TS-453B mini is capable of putting 4k through.

Another question is that I have a lot of files with external subtitles. For example VIDEO.avi and VIDEO.srt for the subtitles. Will this work with the Qmedia app over HDMI or do I have to Hardsub the videos?

I am right now thinking between the TS-453B mini and the TS-453A, any recommendations for my purposes?

Thanks

[dolbyman]

1. Yes that is exactly what a NAs does, but don't forget to backup your files

2. streaming requires very little CPU .. I stream 4K to several TV's at the same time, with my old ARM NAS (twonky on 419p+), transcoding is the kicker.. just make sure that the streaming targets have enough CPU power to take the file "as is" and you need no crazy CPU . Don't know about any QNAP apps but you can install KODI on the QNAP and use KODI remote to control the playback via phone


KODI supports all kind of subtitles, if you use KODI all is easy peasy

What are the files you want to playback on your NAS ? Resolution, codecs , (color depth?)

[Trexx]

QMedia App for Android TV basically turns your QNAP into a streamer over your home network, so you wouldn't plug the HDMI output from QNAP into TV, you would use Android TV device to TV.

As for 4k output, what type of 4k output are you looking for. It WON'T do HDMI 2.x spec output (4k @ 60Hz, HDR, Dolby Vision, etc.). It will do HDMI 1.4b spec 4k output (4k@30Hz) when directly attaching the TV to the QNAP via HDMI.

The 453b Mini has a slighter newer/better CPU/GPU in it, but you make some trade-offs in capabilities.

See here for a comparison.

Agree that Kodi gives you the best local playback options for direct connection HDMI playback.

[maikusan]

Thanks for the great answer.

I have mainly two types of files. Older files in mkv or avi formats that have around 480p (pretty low quatlity) and have suptitles that need to be transcoded into the video with the srt files. The other type are Blueray rips in either Full HD (1080p) or some 4k, although not too many at the moment which are all mkv files.

So you both would recommend Kodi to do the job, which means that the files would be being played directly to the TV. What do you guys think of Plex? Is it similar?

@dolbyman: What do you mean by checking the CPU power of the target, I mean the main use is a normal 4k Sony Android TV, so there isn't much power behind it. Shouldn't the NAS do most of the streaming work?

@Trexx: The HDMI 1.4b is good enough I guess, my TV doesn't anyway support anything higher than that so it would be a match. The capabilities I lose with the 453b Mini wouldn't really be important for my two uses, would they? As much as I can discern the 2 extra Gigabit ports won't matter much and as much as streaming goes CPU is quite important and as such I was leaning towards the 435b Mini.

Thanks again for the great help!

[dolbyman]

if the sony tv can play the codecs of the source( h264 and h265) ... then it does not need the nas to transcode it...
transcoding for plex (if you would use plex client) is requested by the client