I’ve used Plex before on Windows and Linux laptops.
I have media on a NAS drive but currently I just use the “Media Browser” on my TV to play videos. It doesn’t play some formats and the interface is very clunky. Just a basic file browser.
My Toshiba Smart TV has Chromecast and FireTV plugged into it. TV also has something called “Wireless Display”.
What I’d like to do is use an old Mac ( Apple iMac 27-Inch “Core i5” 3.2 (Late 2012) 32Gb Ram - 1TB Hard Drive - NVIDIA GeForce GTX - MacOs Catalina) as a Plex Media server and be able to stream video to my TV, through Chromecast or whatever “Wireless Display” is.
Preferably being able to use my Android phone as a Plex Remote, to choose which videos to play from my sofa.
Can I do that? Would I need to pay for the Plex app on my mobile?
Why bother with the Chromecast and/or Android phone for the remote? Set up your Mac to be a Plex server then install the Plex app on your Toshiba Smart TV (See How to Install Plex on Toshiba Smart TV - Smart TV Tricks). Then just use the remote that came with the TV.
Did I say “fire”? No, I didn’t and neither did you. You said it was a Toshiba Smart TV so I Googled that. I don’t have a Toshiba TV so I can’t help you there but I’m pretty sure “there’s an app for that™”, From what I read it says
When it comes to operating systems, Toshiba Smart TV supports both Fire TV OS and Android TV OS
To me, that implies that Toshiba Smart TVs are running either Fire TV or Android TV. I guess you could check with your Toshiba Smart TV. Or Google your Toshiba model number and look for online PDF manuals which should explain exactly what you are running on the TV.
BTW, did you try either of the instructions on that page? What happened?
My Toshiba Smart TV doesn’t support FIre TV nor Android OS. Don’t believe everything you find on Google.
In fact, the Japanese company Toshiba hasn’t made any TVs since 2015.
Since 2015, “Toshiba” TVs, that is those TVs with that trademark on them, for the US market have been made by Compal in Mexico and “Toshiba” TVs for the European market have been made by a Turkish company, Zorlu Holding and its subsidiary Vestel.
My TV has a limited selection of Apps in its “App Store”.
As my TV doesn’t support FireTV or GoogleTV I was unable to do as you suggested.
Plex Android TV App
You can install the Plex app on the FireStick connected to your TV. The app has no time limits on playback (only the mobile apps have such limits). I believe you can use the Amazon FireTV app on your phone to control the FireStick (instead of using FireStick remote).
Casting/Flinging using Phone
Regarding flinging, you can fling from your Android phone to the Chromecast or the FireTV.
Having only a Vizio TV to run Plex on (besides web browser and the phone) I never quite understood the whole Amazon Fire thingy. @chrisl300, I thought you said you didn’t have FireTV on your TV. Perhaps FireTV refers to OS software running on the TV and Fire Stick is something else? Or maybe Fire Stick is a remote that casts and flings?
In any event, I hope you get Plex running on your TV and being controlled either with the remote or the phone. I know I can cast anything from my computers using Chromecast as my Vizio has Chromecast built-in but the Chromecast player is limited on controls and I don’t believe Plex knows you’ve watched the video and doesn’t record that you did in its database. I find the Plex app on my Vizio to be superior in that it can do things like autoplay the next episode and add subtitles, etc. I think it’s the best experience for the living room TV for me.
My Vizio does have an app for the phone called SmartCast but I find its interface clunky and the good 'ole remote has the physical buttons that are way more convienent.
