Synology Launches Three New NASes, Including the Video Transcoding-capable DS214play

One of the more enjoyable, albeit exhausting, aspects of this industry is the onward march of technology, year after year.  While our goal is to provide as much information on new products and hardware as possible, our job is often made easier by press releases. Announced today, Synology has two new NAS devices that provide a natural evolution of its SOHO brand, as well as a brand-new one that could potentially be “an entirely new product category” for the company. 

First announced is the new DS214play.  Using a similar 1.6 GHz dual-core CPU to what we saw in the DS213+ (our review), the DS214play is designed solely for multimedia distribution.  With build-in hardware acceleration for video transcoding, this new NAS box looks to find its place in the center of a home theater.  Claiming the ability to stream multiple 1080p video codecs, while still being able to handle additional everyday I/O, the DS214play adds something fresh to the continually impressive Synology product lineup.

MSRP of the DS214play will be $369.99 and it should be available in the United States over the next few weeks. 

Up next are a pair of new devices that shouldn’t surprise anyone.  Synology has stuck to a regular cadence over the past few years, and with each new product refresh, we get faster internals and the occasional new feature.

With two new products, the DS114 and the DS414, Synology is rounding out its offerings to SOHO and SMB customers alike.  The single drive DS114 is designed for quick handling of data at an economical price.  With a pair of USB 3.0 ports and a single eSATA, the DS114 is an ideal addition to any company or home looking for shared data across a network.

MSRP of the DS114 will be $199.99 and it should be available in the United States over the next few weeks.

The DS414, designed for those that require redundancy, is Synology’s latest four bay NAS.  With a 1.33 GHz CPU, the DS414 will be ideal for homes and small offices alike.  The ability to store great quantities of data, redundantly, will benefit all that use the NAS.  Adding to the list of things to like, the DS414 ships with redundant cooling fans and dual NICs for link aggregation and failover capabilities. This NAS will retail for $499.99 once it hits the market.