So I'm looking to offload my current setup from my main desktop onto an actual NAS, but I don't even know where to begin. I've looked at Synology, TerraMaster, QNap, Buffalo Tech, retired workstation, etc, but I don't really know what I'm looking at. I want something in the 4-8 bay range(50+Tb with 8-12tb drives) with good future expansion that meets the following criteria.
Hardware:
Able to run Plex, Sonarr, Radarr, Prowlarr, (and misc. extra software that shall go unmentioned, but you can probably guess)
Able to transcode at least 4 1080p streams at a time
Software:
Easy to operate/navigate
Reliable
Hands off
It just works
Of course I expect to spend hours setting everything up for the first time, but ideally it's a one time thing. Part of offloading my server is so that I'm not constantly checking up on it. Once it's setup, I want it to be out of sight, out of mine. That's why software is a big deal to me. I know Synology charges a pretty penny, but if it shows, then I really don't mind spending a little extra now to avoid unnecessary frustration down the road. Any insight you may be able to provide will be much appreciated!
I highly recommend UNRAID. I was in your same situation a month ago and now have a unraid instance running everything your mentioning with mix matched drives and parity with unlimited expansion potential.