I thought I needed a NAS, then I used this device for Plex instead

Using an M4 Mac mini as a Plex media server is a practical alternative to buying a dedicated NAS for self-hosting home media. The author shares their experience setting up Plex on the Mac mini, noting that direct-play streaming to Apple TV 4K and other devices minimizes transcoding needs. For storage expansion, options include a Satechi Mac mini hub with M.2 NVMe slot or a large USB 3.0 HDD. The takeaway is that starting simple with existing hardware is a valid approach before investing in more complex NAS setups.