Which nas? Transcoding?

If i hook a nas up to my alien 2, would it have to be capable of running plex server? Or is it possible to acces the nas's file system through the A2's media player (like i access my current hdd)? Presumably the A2 isn't powerful enough to do its own transcoding? Finally can anyone recommend a budget nas that would fit the bill? Thanks.

Thanks for setting me straight. You saved me from a disappointing purchase.

My budget is low 100s, not 1,000s.

I'm mainly going to use the extra storage to keep kid's movies and TV shows. During the day we tend to watch short but frequent bursts of TV, so ideally I'd like an "always on" solution (like a Nas).

I already own a Mac mini, and I use it to run plex server to the Alien 2. Mac is now completely full. I was hoping to centralise all the TV content, and some backup stuff too, onto a Nas, and run everything from there.

What do you think of Nas's that come with HDMI out (ASUSTOR AS-202TE for £200)? They are intended to run XBMC direct to your TV. What are the limitations of XBMC as opposed to the Alien's buit-in media player? It's got to be better, right?

I think the ASUSTOR AS-202TE supports TS files.

Regarding transcoding - the movies/TV shows we watch are either downloaded in HD or recorded off the TV, then played on a 1080p TV, so I'm not sure I need a whole lot of transcoding.

Cheers.

Thanks for taking the time to look it over