As noted in the thread @darcilicious linked, the best approach is to not transcode 4K. If you have a HD TV, this means don’t play 4K video.
The problem is that transcoding 4K video, especially 4K HEVC video, is incredibly compute intensive. It can be done, but not by a “cheap” server.
If you want Plex to transcode 4K, you need either (a) a very beefy CPU or (b) a moderately beefy CPU, an appropriate video card, and a Plex Pass to enable hardware acceleration.
You could use Handbrake or similar programs to transcode the video before loading it into Plex. This would work fine for home movies and similar (short) videos. However, it is not really feasible for feature movies that typically run two hours. It would probably take your Mac Mini 12+ hours to process one movie (with decent quality & compression settings).
Yes.
Do your homework before purchasing. Scan the sections of the forum for each brand of TV you are considering.
Example: There have been recent posts that the Plex client for Hisense/Sharp TVs is not capable of playing 4K video, even on their 4K TVs. People seem to have good luck with LG, Samsung, & Sony, but they’re not without their own issues.
What it boils down to is:
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Do not play 4K media unless you have a 4K TV/display.
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Transcoding 4K media to 1080p is very process intensive and fraught with problems.
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Do your homework before purchasing a 4K TV.
