Re: ReadyNas RN 312 video transcoding question

Einz01 · ‎2025-03-17

Hello, I have a question.

I have the RN312 and use it for video streaming.

So far, I've streamed content up to 1080p and have now switched to UHD/4K. I use Plex for streaming.

Recently, I've been getting a message saying the server isn't powerful enough to encode. I've increased the memory from 2GB to 4GB.

Now my question:

What resolution can the RN312 play in DirectPlay without transcoding?

It is time to change my system?

StephenB · ‎2025-03-17

@Einz01 wrote:

What resolution can the RN312 play in DirectPlay without transcoding?

Any resolution that Plex supports, since there is neglible CPU load when you are not transcoding.

If you are seeing this message when trying to stream a particular file, then that indicates that Plex does need to transcode (so not using DirectPlay) for that particular media. Possibilities are that

the receiver doesn't support the video compression algorithm
the receiver doesn't support UHD/4K or perhaps HDR
the network connection can't carry the bandwidth

@Einz01 wrote:

It is time to change my system?

Maybe. The RN312 uses an Atom D2701 processor, which was released around 14 years ago, and has no GPU at all. It still offers reasonable performance for storage, but its processor isn't very fast by modern standards - and it is not very efficient at transcoding. Netgear no longer makes any ReadyNAS products, so you'd need to switch to another vendor to get a new NAS that is more capable.

Personally I use an always-on PC for plex, but store the media on my NAS (mapping the shares to a PC drive letter). It's cheaper to upgrade the PC than to purchase a new NAS, and also simpler, since I don't have to migrate storage.

If the PC has enough disk space, you can also just use the PC as the primary storage for the media files, and use the RN312 for backup.