More than 10 years ago, when I was a media reporter, I often had to travel for business and shoot interviews, and the last thing I had to forget was my storage device, except for the notebook and camera I had to bring with me. A large number of materials need to be stored and called at any time, once accidentally lost may be half a year's work results will be ruined, virtually to the already not light computer bag added weight, many colleagues with obsessive-compulsive disorder will repeatedly ask themselves before traveling: Do you have everything you have? Is there anything missing?
In the tide of new media, many peers have begun to operate their own self-media, and I am no exception. In his spare time, he often creates various works. Of course, compared to that time, we now have more and more useful tools, which greatly improve the efficiency and reliability of creation, and "it" is our "protagonist" today: the mainstream model TS-416 of the world-famous NAS brand QNAP, a network storage device that is very suitable for home use and creators.
Before writing about this product, we have two more questions to answer:
1. Why do we need Nas?
2. Why do creators need NAS?
Answer the first question first. In fact, at the beginning, the scenarios and requirements I could think of were very simple: just add a network cable to the portable hard drive. However, due to data security and functionality considerations, Nas was finally chosen as a productivity tool, because generally speaking, Nas has the following characteristics
1. Data centralization: NAS provides a centralized data storage solution that enables multiple devices or users to share and access the same data set. This not only increases the availability of data, but also simplifies the data management process.
2. Easy access: NAS devices are usually connected to computers and network devices through a local area network (LAN), making it easy for users to access and share data stored on the NAS through network protocols such as NFS, SMB/CIFS, etc. This access is not tied to a specific device or operating system, so it is highly flexible and compatible.
3. Backup and recovery: NAS devices usually have powerful data backup and recovery capabilities to ensure the security and integrity of data. With regular backup and recovery testing, users can be sure that business operations can be quickly restored in the event of data loss or corruption.
Based on the above features, NAS is sufficient to meet the needs of individuals in terms of data storage and sharing.
OK, the second question, why do creators need NAS? Assuming that you are now an UP master of station B, then your needs may be:
1. Storage of a large number of materials: When making videos, UP usually needs a large number of materials, including video clips, audio files, pictures, special effects, etc. NAS provides a centralized, scalable storage solution that allows UP owners to easily store and manage these assets.
2. Efficient data access: NAS devices are usually connected to the network through high-speed network interfaces, so that UP owners can quickly access the materials stored on the NAS. This is critical for video editing and post-production, where large amounts of data need to be read and written frequently.
3. Multi-device sharing: UP owners may use multiple devices (such as computers, tablets, mobile phones, etc.) to create and edit. NAS saves storage space by allowing these devices to access stored footage over a network share, eliminating the need to store a full library on each device.
4. Data backup and security: NAS devices usually have data backup and recovery functions, which can help UP owners protect precious footage files from data loss caused by hard disk damage or loss. In addition, the NAS supports access control and permission settings to ensure that only authorized users can access specific data.
5. Remote Access & Collaboration: Some UP owners may need to collaborate remotely with team members or partners. The NAS device supports remote access, allowing team members to access and edit assets stored on the NAS over the network from anywhere, improving collaboration efficiency.
6. Scalability and flexibility: With the deepening of the main creation of UP and the accumulation of materials, the storage demand may continue to increase. NAS devices are usually scalable, and the storage capacity can be expanded by adding hard disks or enclosures to meet the growing storage needs of UP owners.
7. Improve work efficiency: By centrally storing and managing materials through NAS, UP owners can find the required material files faster and reduce the time spent searching in multiple devices or folders, thereby improving work efficiency.
You see, NAS provides creators with a centralized, efficient, secure, and scalable data storage solution that helps them better manage and utilize their footage, improving creative efficiency and quality.
Let's take a look at the QNAP TS-416!
Unboxing photos are available:
Founded in 2004, the NAS product line is well-known around the world, and the sales volume in Europe and the United States is already in a leading position.
QNAP TS-416 features a classic blue and black color scheme on the front, a simple indicator that can be seen clearly, and it will not be too bright in the dark, with two physical buttons (power on and file copy) and a USB port, which will not take up much space in the corner of the home.
The fan on the back of the whole machine occupies the main part to ensure the daily heat dissipation of the machine. On the right, from top to bottom, there is a reset port ×1, Gigabit Ethernet port ×2, USB 2.0 port ×2, USB 3.2 Gen1 port ×1, a power cord socket, and a Kensington keyhole slot.
As an entry-level product, the QNAP TS-416 is equipped with a quad-core 64-bit Cortex-A55 processor with a frequency of up to 2.0GHz, a Mali G52 2EE GPU, and an NPU with 0.8Tops computing power. Provide good efficiency support for creators.
The installation is very simple, even the author of the very weak hands-on ability can get it in a few minutes, after plugging in the power and network cable, press the power button, I breathe a sigh of relief: the dream of installing a network cable on the mobile hard disk has finally come true!
The next thing to do is to configure, there are many tutorials on the Internet, I will not repeat it here, the main steps are to set up an account + establish a storage pool + set a storage volume (equivalent to a disk in the computer), remember to download the QNAP Qfinder Pro software from the official website, in addition to the necessary installation process, this software can log in to the NAS at the fastest speed.
Try to choose the latest firmware version, so that you can avoid a lot of minor problems (the new version update will fix).
When you see this interface, you're almost done, and you can officially start setting up your NAS. Installing apps and files, data syncing/sharing, and setting up external network access can all be done here.
What Practical Experiences Does QNAP TS-416 Bring to Video Creators?
After registering a QNAP account in China and binding your email address to activate your QNAP ID account, the myQNAPcloud cloud storage function can be enabled, which has the advantage of enabling multiple ways to remotely log in to the device without having to penetrate the intranet.
In the author's opinion, the TS416's shared file (Qsync) is a very worthy feature of Amway, and it is also a powerful tool to improve the efficiency of content creators. It can easily realize the two-way synchronization of files between the NAS and the computer, whether it is on the computer or the NAS side, as long as the content of the folder changes, the file synchronization function will be updated in real time, and overwrite backup will be carried out.
In my daily usage habits, I will share the materials that I or my team members use for content creation, such as picture materials/film and television materials/font materials and commonly used BGM, as well as some unfinished scripts/shooting materials and PSD general materials, so that both myself and my teammates can easily call and complete the creation together and retain the traces of modification, which is very practical.
Even if you are out of the LAN environment, the shared materials of the TS416 can also be downloaded from other places through the management background, ensuring the seamless connection of work content, and the synchronization function can also be carried out, you don't have to worry about the files being old or the files have not been synced, everything is automated, all you have to do is turn on Qsync.
Commonly used BGM materials can be synchronized instantly, downloaded from different places, and accessed at any time.
Film and television resources or other video materials can also be easily called synchronously, and the workflow is seamless.
Need to use an unusual font? Sync team access at any time.
Multilateral review delivery of content
When we media make business orders, we will definitely encounter delivery problems. The QNAP TS-416 has a variety of built-in sharing settings and file sharing functions, allowing you to easily share files on any NAS with no threshold or learning cost.
What's more, there are no speed limits or account registrations required for this sharing setting, and the actual upload and download rates are completely dependent on the network, so the moderators and deliverables only need to click on the link to access and download our videos, which is very friendly and highly secure.
All in all, for content creators, the QNAP TS-416 has powerful features that can help optimize and simplify workflows to the greatest extent and enhance the competitiveness of creators and their teams.
Centralized storage and sharing: Qfile and Qsync provide a centralized storage solution that enables creators and content teams to store and manage all their video footage, project files, and edits in one central location. This greatly simplifies the process of file sharing and collaboration between team members, increasing productivity.
High-speed data transfer: The TS416 can provide efficient data transfer and access speeds, ensuring that team members can quickly access and edit the required footage, reducing waiting time.
Permissions management and delivery security: The TS416 supports multiple rights management, access control, and convenient sharing functions to ensure that only authorized users can access specific data, which is essential for the security of creator content and the security of business order delivery.
All in all, the TS416 can greatly simplify the workflow for creators. Individuals and team members can more easily access and edit assets, reducing unnecessary file transfers and duplicates, which not only helps improve the quality of individual creations, but also helps to speed up projects and improve overall productivity.
Other features to experience
The QNAP TS-416 can easily share and project multiple devices at home through the app, and the download function can update your library instantly, eliminating the troubles of all kinds of members.
Personally, in addition to creation, one of the most important requirements for buying a NAS is to solve the problem of excessive capacity occupation of photos and videos in the mobile phone. Therefore, after purchasing the QNAP TS-416, I immediately backed up my phone's photo album on the NAS, which I can easily achieve with QuMagie.
And thanks to the QNAP AI Core image recognition engine, QuMagie has good intelligent management and face recognition functions, which can organize and classify photos in batches, which is very convenient. Of course, this AI will also recognize snail noodles as pizza, and I hope that the follow-up algorithm can continue to upgrade.
Summary:
As a 1,000-yuan NAS, the QNAP TS 416 achieves the ultimate in playability and ease of use. For content creators, the TS416 can significantly improve the storage environment and the efficiency of material retrieval efficiency, and continuously optimize the workflow and execution effect. Overall, it is highly recommended for students who are new to NAS.