Best Emby Server 2023 – Best NAS for Emby

Streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime are extremely popular. Although many are paid, over-the-top (OTT) streaming video on demand (SVOD) platforms, there are many free streaming platforms as well. But physical media collections still offer a ton of value. For instance, certain movies and TV shows are difficult to find on streaming services. Although DVDs and Blu-rays are ideal for cinephiles, there’s something to be said for a digitized media collection. And with a media server, you can organize your movies, TV shows, music files, and even photographs for viewing virtually anywhere. Emby is a great Plex alternative and media server software option. If you want to get started with Emby, you’ll need a home server. Check out the best Emby server options in 2023!

Best CPU for Emby Server – Dell Precision 3630

If you’re a serious homelabber and demand tons of storage space along with a beefy CPU that’s capable of streaming in 4K, the Dell Precision 3630 workstation is a beast, and offers the best CPU for an Emby server. Its Intel Core i7-8700 hexa-core processor has an over 13K PassMark rating. A such, it’s the best 4K Emby server hardware on the market. Because the Dell Precision 3630 is a tower PC, there’s excellent expandability. You can upgrade virtually every component including harddrives, RAM, and the CPU. You’ll find four harddrive bays capable of accommodating 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch drives. And its 300W power supply makes the Precision 3630 energy efficient.

Unfortunately, the Dell Precision 3630 is pretty expensive clocking in at over $1,000 USD. And that doesn’t even include much storage space. Moreover, it’s larger than the average NAS device at about the same size as a standard desktop. That’s not enormous, but its footprint is far from small. The Dell PowerEdge T30 is a great pick that clocks in at about $400 which, while not as capable for 4K transcoding, is perfect for 1080p transcodes. If you need to stream in 4K, the Dell Precision 3630 is a fantastic choice that offers tons of internal harddrive space, upgradability, and a top-notch CPU.

Pros:

• Intel Core i7-8700 @ 3.2GHz CPU (13K PassMark rating)
• Energy-efficient 300W PSU
• 4 x harddrive bays
• Expandable
• Excellent for 4K

Cons:

• Expensive
• Large footprint

Best NAS for Emby 2023 – QNAP TS-453D

The QNAP TS-453D is the best NAS for Emby for most users. It supports foud harddrive bays and supports 4K transcoding even with its modest Intel Celeron J4125 quad-core CPU. You can snag the TS-453D with 4GB or 8GB of RAM. There’s a 10Gb Ethernet jack. Plus, the TS-453D handles virtualization applications such as Hyper-V or VMware. While it ships with 4GB of RAM, you can upgrade its memory up to 16GB. Onboard, this QNAP NAS boasts an HDMI port. Most users should be fine with the TS-453Be. It’s well-specced and upgradable.

However, you can expect to pay a premium for the TS-453D. That’s no different from any other NAS device. When compared with more traditional server hardware, the price-to-performance ratio of the average network-attached storage device isn’t great. Still, as a 4-bay NAS that supports 4K transcoding and playback, the QNAP TS-453D is an excellent choice. You might also consider the slightly cheaper 2-bay TS-253D, or more expensive TS-653D.

Pros:

• Intel Celeron J4125 quad-core 2.0GHz CPU
• Up to 8GB RAM
• 10Gbe Ethernet
• Supports 4K playback and transcoding
• HDMI output
• Expandable RAM
• 2-bay, 4-bay, and 6-bay variants available in the QNAP x53D lineup
• Small footprint
• Supports virtualization for Hyper-V and VMware

Cons:

• Pay a premium for NAS hardware

Best Budget NAS for Emby 2023 – TerraMaster F5-421

The TerraMaster F5-421 NAS has a lot to offer. At around $500, it’s reasonably priced. With its four drive bays and Intel quad-core 1.5GHz processor, it’s capable of 4K transcoding. By default, you get up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, but that’s expandable to 8GB. Sporting compatibility with both 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch drives, the TerraMaster F5-421 is a versatile network-attached storage device. There’s AES hardware encryption plus blisteringly-fast 405MB/s read and 396MB/s write speeds. On its rear, you’ll find multiple Gigabit LAN ports. Additionally, dual USB 3.0 ports further round out its solid connectivity.

Unfortunately, you won’t find an HDMI output. Although many users wish to run their NAS headless, or not hooked up to a display device like a monitor, some prefer to use a monitor. And unfortunately, its limited to DDR3 RAM. Nevertheless, the TerraMaster F5-421 is a good budget-priced NAS. Alternatively, you can snag the TerraMaster F2-221 2-bay NAS or F4-421 4-bay network-attached storage device.

Best Synology NAS for Emby 2023 – Synology DS920+

The Synology DS920+ is one of the best Emby server setup options for 2020. A 4-bay NAS, it comes outfitted with 4GB of DDR4 RAM, upgradeable to 8GB. Moreover, it’s scalable to 9 drives with the Synology DX517 which costs almost as much as the DS920+ itself. There are dual M.2 2280 NVMe SSD slots for cache acceleration without using a storage drive bay. Its Intel quad-core 2.0 GHz processor is capable if 4K H.265 an H.264 to 1080p transcoding.

Additionally, the multi-purpose Synology DS920+ features two camera licenses installed, and you can purchase more. As such, it’s an ideal home media server, file server, and even surveillance camera video storage device. For a budget pick the 2-bay DS220+ delivers a good feature set without breaking the bank, and the DS420+ is similarly-specced out though it’s capable of expansion with the Synology DX517. The DS720+ is a 2-bay NAS that’s expandable to 7 bays with the DS517.

Pros:

• 4GB of RAM, expandable to 8GB
• 2 x M.2 2280 NVMe SSD slots
• 4 bays, expandable to 9 with the DX517 (sold separately)
• Intel quad-core CPU
• Capable of 4K transcoding

Cons:

• No HDMI output

Best Android TV OS Box for Emby Server – Nvidia Shield TV

While Android TV is largely associated as a streaming platform rather than for a server, you can install Emby Server on Android. The Nvidia Shield TV Pro is hands-down the best Android TV streaming media player on the market, and arguably the best streaming set-top box on the planet. It’s my preferred Plex and Emby client, plus it makes a cost-effective Emby server. Just as the Nvidia Shield TV can double as a Plex server, so too is it great as an Emby media server. Whereas the original Nvidia Shield TV Pro came with 500GB of built-in storage space, the 2019 Shield TV Pro nixed any onboard storage. But you can always add a USB storage device such as an external harddrive or flash drive. If you’ve already got an Nvidia Shield TV Pro, this could be a cheap solution that doubles as an Emby client and server. Though you won’t benefit from the computing power or expandability of a dedicated server, it’s a decent choice nonetheless.

Pros:

• Excellent 4K HDR playback
• Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos output
• AI upscaling for streamed content
• Can be used as a Samsung SmartThings smart home hub
• 2 x USB 3.0 ports
• Doubles as an Emby server and client
• Ethernet and Wi-Fi
• Hardware acceleration for H.265, H.265 (HEVC), MPEG-2
• Usually can handle 2-3 simultaneous transcodes

Cons:

• No built-in storage, only uses USB storage
• Lacks a microSD card slot

Best Android NAS for Emby – Beelink GS-King X

The Beelink GS-King X is a well-designed and versatile media box. It runs Android, not Android TV, with a beefy Amlogic S992X-H processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of built-in storage. Furthermore, the Beelink GS-King X boasts two harddrive bays that can house up to two 3.5-inch desktop HDDs for as much as 32TB of storage space. And since you can install Emby Media Server for Android, the Beelink GS-King X makes a solid little combined NAS and streaming set-top box.

Inputs/outputs (I/O) are truly phenomenal. There’s an HDMI output, SPDIF audio jack, four USB ports, Ethernet port, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RCA outputs, an analog headphone jack, and a pair of balance output ports. However, the GS-King X runs a tablet-optimized version of Android, not the official Android TV version of Android TV. Therefore, the GS-King X can’t handle 1080p Netflix playback. But admittedly that’s a software, not hardware, limitation. In addition to its built-in Android OS, the Beelink comes with an 8GB microSD card featuring Kodi operating system (OS) CoreELEC pre-loaded. While it’s expensive, the Beelink GS-King X doubles as a network-attached storage device and Android streaming box wrapped into one.

Pros:

• Doubles as a NAS for up to 32TB of storage space
• 64GB storage, 4GB RAM
• Powerful Amlogic S992X-H processor
• Comes with just-enough Kodi OS CoreELEC on a microSD card
• Great for native Android gaming and emulation
• Can hold your media collection locally
• Fantastic connectivity (HDMI, RCA outputs, analog headphone jack, SPDIF, balance output ports, Ethernet, Wi-Fi)
• Runs Emby Media Server for Android

Cons:

• Expensive
• Not true Android TV

Best Cheap Emby Server 2023 – Raspberry Pi 4

The Raspberry Pi 4 is a credit-card-sized single-board computer (SBC). Because of its Linux compatibility, you can install Emby on the Pi 4. With a starting price of $35, it’s a great cheap Emby media server option. Power draw is incredibly low, the Pi 4 has a small footprint, and it’s a shockingly competent NAS solution. Although it can’t transcode at all, the Raspberry Pi 4 can tackle about three to four simultaneous 1080p streams. Surprisingly, you can even stream a non transcoded 4K file. The only real downside is the lack of transcoding. If you’re mostly streaming from your Emby server to clients around your home, the Raspberry Pi 4 is an economical choice.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Small footprint
• Energy-efficient
• Handles up to four simultaneous 1080p streams

Cons:

• Can’t transcode

What is Emby and Why Should You Use it?

Emby is a cross-platform media server solution that runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, and even Android. It’s similar in many ways to Plex, but caters more to power users. Server enthusiasts will appreciate its ease of use coupled with ample customization options. With Emby, you can organize your digitized movies, television shows, and music files complete with metadata and box art. You can think of it like a do-it-yourself Netflix or Spotify where you provide the content, in this case media files, and Emby arranges your library into a gorgeous interface replete with descriptions and cover art. What’s more, Emby lets you access your files from anywhere.

When using Emby, or any other media server platform, you’ll need two components: a server and a client. The server houses all of your (legally obtained) digital media files such as movies, TV shows, and music albums. Then, using client devices which can be anything from PCs, laptops, and mobile devices to streaming devices such as Rokus and Android TV boxes, you can stream your files from anywhere around your house or the world. Power users will enjoy Emby for its exhaustive list of features such as the ability to apply custom CSS to its web app for a tailored user interface and a great metadata editor. Aside from organizing your local media files, Emby lets you hook up an over-the-air (OTA) antenna and DVR for live TV. It’s a neat means of spinning up a sort of personal Netflix from your DVD and Blu-ray rips.

What to Look in an Emby Server

For an Emby media server, you’ll want to think about a few different components. Notably, your central processing unit (CPU) is the most important factor. Because streaming media to another device often requires transcoding, a CPU-intensive task your processor is key. Generally, a passmark rating of about 2000 is required for a single 1080p transcode, and a 720p 4Mbps H.264 file demands a 1500 passmark. Want to step up to 4K transcoding? 4K SDR content requires roughly a 12000 passmark while a 4K HDR file needs a 17000 passmark. If you want the best CPU for an Emby server, a minimum of a 17000 passmark or the equivalent of an Intel Core i7 3.2GHz, will let you handle a single 4K HDR 50Mbps 10-bit HEVC transcode to 10Mbps 1080p.

Aside from selecting the best processor for your needs, an Emby Server will need storage space. If you’ve got a small media collection that you don’t plan to expand regularly, you should be ok with less harddrive space. Otherwise, you’ll need more HDD storage available. You can store files on a single drive, or split them across multiple drives. This determines how many harddrive bays or USB ports you’ll need. You’ll also need RAM. Though streaming to multiple clients simultaneously doesn’t require much memory, it’s best to go for 4GB at a minimum.

Finally, cost is a huge factor. You can spend anywhere from under $50 for a Raspberry Pi-powered Emby server to several thousand for a dedicated Emby NAS (network-attached storage) device. So your budget will ultimately dictate which Emby server set up is right for you.

Emby server considerations:

• Budget
• Harddrive space
• Streaming requirements (4K, 1080p, 720p, etc.)
• CPU
• RAM

Best Emby NAS FAQs

Best Emby Server 2023 Hardware – Final Thoughts

There are loads of Emby server hardware options on the market. From cheap single-board computers such as the Raspberry Pi to NAS devices and desktop form factor home servers, choices for every budget and use exist. For a superb 4K streaming experience, the Dell Precision 3630 with its powerful Intel Core i7-8700 hexa-core CPU works like a champ. The QNAP TS-x53D lineup handles 4K transcoding at an array of different price points. Synology’s DS920+ packs quite a punch. You might consider the Nvidia Shield TV as a dual-fold Emby client and server. Likewise, Beelink’s GS-King X offers a neat solution as an Android streaming media player and NAS all-in-one device.

Your turn: Which Emby server hardware do you recommend in 2023?