u/silverice2

Never had a NAS, but the more I dive into the requirements to meet the solution I’m looking for, the more I think NAS is the solution. But someone correct me if there’s a cheaper path. Looking to implement a solution this year.

For me (today) it’s a simple planned 2 use: family photo repository from all photos/vids (multiple users phones), backed up/copied/stored in a per person file structure and having that effort completed effortlessly (sounds like a few photo export software options are out there for to get photos off iPhone to storage device). Also, 4K /UHD media consumption on our living room tv over home network. Both of these will only continue increasing in storage size need.

Have and will maintain iCloud plan for family but downgrade from current 2TB to 200GB for offsite important doc storage; will delete photos as limits are hit from oldest to newest.
Will maintain monthly copying of photo/video and important docs onto cold storage external HDD.

Currently have a mishmosh of data on 3 externals, 1 is Time Machine. Have ~5TB data today and know that’ll increase; ~500GB stuff critical to backup. Constantly plug/unplug portable external for media on tv watched via VLC.

Thinking two 8TB seagate ironwolf in a 4 bay Raid 0, protecting for expansion later. I think the 7200 RPM is necessary for the 4K streaming?

Is a NAS necessary for this situation? All my feeds are filled with UGreen (great marketing)…would you recommend the 4300 for this use case or another model/brand? How about HDD selection? TIA

EDIT: clarified more than one person's phone photos I want to back-up and specified today's count of must-backup data.

Moved my photo library to external spinning disc HDD and set to download all originals to the Mac. Use iCloud for photo storage/sync. Dock my MBP consistently and connect this drive so it's generally synced with iCloud with gaps no greater than 1 week between prior sync.

Periodically I will duplicate this photo library on external #1 and change the name to the date of backup 'photolibrary_YYYYMMDD'. So now 1 back-up and the active library on the same drive, then copy the back-up to external spinning disc #2.

Confirming since iCloud Photos is a sync service, if I do some mass deletions from iCloud, such as from my iPhone, will that delete all of those photos from the active library on external #1? If I, for arguments sake, delete all photos from iCloud and set a photo library back-up as the system library, will it attempt to sync with iCloud and delete all photos (since none of those exist in iCloud)?

One day would be nice to get a NAS and look into some of these software solutions I'm seeing pop up in this group, but for now all I could afford was using existing external (format APFS for system library) and picking up a dual use additional external for $130 (format ExFAT for media files too).