To keep Plex responsive while a NAS is backing up, first reduce unnecessary transcoding, cap simultaneous video transcodes according to your real workload, and schedule backup and integrity-check jobs outside your usual viewing hours. Then monitor the NAS during both playback and backup and adjust based on what it is actually doing. There is no universal safe transcode count or backup start time: media, clients, NAS hardware, and other services all affect the load.
1. Check whether Plex is transcoding
Plex can play media using Direct Play, Direct Stream, or transcoding. Direct Play sends a compatible file to the client without converting its audio or video. Direct Stream can remux compatible streams into a different container. Transcoding converts audio or video when the client cannot use the source as provided.
The playback path depends on the media and the client’s capabilities and playback settings. Container, codec, resolution, bitrate, subtitle compatibility, remote bandwidth, and the quality selected for playback can all matter. An incompatible subtitle format can trigger a video transcode even if the underlying audio, video, and container would otherwise work without one. See Plex’s explanation of Direct Play, Direct Stream, and transcoding and its guidance on transcoding media.
When practical, use client and media combinations that support Direct Play or Direct Stream. If a particular device or file consistently prompts conversion, check the client’s playback-quality settings and the media’s format and subtitles before assuming the NAS needs a faster processor.
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2. Set Plex’s transcoder controls
Keep transcoder quality at Automatic
Plex recommends Automatic transcoder quality for most users. In Plex Web, open Settings > Server > Transcoder to review the transcoder settings. Avoid changing quality settings as a blanket fix for NAS contention; first identify what is being converted and why.
Set a workload-based limit on video transcodes
Plex provides a maximum simultaneous video transcodes setting. A limit can bound how many video conversions run at once, which may help leave capacity for backups and other NAS services. Choose a conservative cap, then adjust it based on observed playback demand and system load. The right value varies by NAS, media, and client; Plex does not establish one number that is safe for every setup. See Plex’s transcoder settings guidance.
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3. Decide whether hardware acceleration fits your NAS
Hardware-accelerated transcoding can shift some video-processing work to dedicated hardware and reduce CPU impact. It is not a capability to assume based on the NAS brand alone: support depends on the specific NAS hardware and software, Plex configuration, and account requirements. Plex generally requires the server owner to have Plex Pass for hardware-accelerated streaming, with exceptions for particular devices. Hardware acceleration can also bring quality or compatibility trade-offs in some cases.
Before enabling it, check Plex’s current hardware-accelerated streaming requirements and the compatibility and setup information for your exact NAS model. If support is not established for that model and software configuration, do not count on hardware acceleration to solve contention.
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4. Schedule backups and integrity checks around viewing
Schedule resource-intensive backup work for times when Plex is less likely to be used. Synology recommends off-peak scheduling for slow Hyper Backup tasks. Use your own task history to estimate how long jobs run, and leave enough time between them rather than scheduling multiple demanding tasks to start together.
For Synology Hyper Backup, keep an integrity check separate from a scheduled backup task. Synology documents that a scheduled task can wait up to three hours behind an integrity check before the scheduled task is skipped. This is specific to the documented Hyper Backup behavior, not a general rule for other backup software. Other jobs may queue and run sequentially, so check their status and schedule as well. See Synology’s guidance on Hyper Backup tasks taking longer than expected and its Hyper Backup documentation.
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5. Measure the combined workload and tune it
Use DSM Resource Monitor to inspect CPU, memory, network, and storage activity while representative Plex playback and backup work are running. Synology recommends identifying the responsible service or process when CPU utilization is extremely high. Check the Plex playback path as well: a Direct Play session and a video transcode do not impose the same processing demand.
- Observe normal playback: Note which media and clients play without conversion and which trigger transcoding, including cases involving subtitles or remote-quality settings.
- Observe a backup window: Check Resource Monitor and record which resources or services are busiest and how long each scheduled task takes.
- Change one relevant setting or schedule: If playback suffers, try moving the backup window, staggering jobs, lowering the simultaneous video transcode limit, or reducing avoidable transcodes.
- Check again under similar conditions: Compare playback and backup behavior after the change. Keep adjusting based on the combined workload rather than aiming for a universal CPU percentage.
The monitoring and scheduling advice above is specific to DSM where it refers to Resource Monitor and Hyper Backup. On other NAS platforms, use that vendor’s resource-monitoring and backup-scheduling tools; Hyper Backup’s queue and integrity-check behavior should not be assumed to apply.
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