@codeecb does the Shield require transcoding or does it all by itself?
@uberlawyer
It can Direct Play 4K and HD Audio Codecs.
@uberlawyer said:
@codeecb does the Shield require transcoding or does it all by itself?
As long as your equipment supports the format you’re trying to play it works as a passthrough device. If you’re trying to play a file that is Atmos, true HD etc on TV that is stereo only than it will transcode down to stereo for example. I have an avr-x7200w and a 4k TV and just about anything will direct play no problem.
I occasionally get an error message about some h.264 profile being higher than supported, not quite sure what that’s about but it’s very rare. In that scenario it transcodes fine though.
@codeecb & @“Ach!lles” many thanks for your answers. The Shield seems to be quite a good suggestion and I’ve ordered one just now. If does not require transcoding of video and hd audio, then it’s just brilliant. That’s actually why I don’t use Plex on Apple TV. That and again the lack of HD Audio support.
The Shield is less than half the price of a decent Nuc, so it’s a no brainer. It’s my first Android device, though, as I’m not a fan of Google and personally believe that they are more evil than Microsoft used to be.
But at least Android will work without throwing blue screens at me, so I believe it’s a good choice.
Thank you again for your support and suggestions
PS Btw, I’ve ordered the basic version as my content sits on 2 NASs and the 500GB HDD would be no help at all. I understand thats about the only difference? I also appreciate the smaller footprint of the basic box.
@uberlawyer _That’s actually why I don’t use Plex on Apple TV. That and again the lack of HD Audio support.
_
It makes me think about why Plex hasn’t made a deal with DTS and made an option to pay for a version of Plex that plays DTS audio – i.e. like the paid version of Infuse does. When I use Infuse on the Apple TV to play videos (from Plex via DLNA) containing DTS audio it plays them back as ”Direct Play” (no transcoding) and also videos with DTS-HD MA (although I haven’t tried that via Plex, but it works over a network share).
Edit:
@uberlawyer I’m also considering the Shield as a Plex Media Server and was doing some research as to whether the 16 GB version is sufficient. Since I see you say you’ve ordered the 16 GB version I thought you might want to know about this:
Some transcodes may fail if there is insufficient free space on the device. Streaming some very large, high bitrate files may actually require more than 16GB of temporary free space, meaning that the 16GB model of the NVIDIA SHIELD would fail to play that content by default.
Edit 2
But maybe that problem is omitted on the 16 GB version by using ”adoptable storage”?
_Android supports an “adoptable storage” feature that lets you expand what is considered “internal storage”, making it very useful when you’re running Plex Media Server, particularly on the 16GB model NVIDIA SHIELD. _
@star-affinity Yeap, this is what I’m counting on. nVidia even has a list of recommended sticks that you can plug in and expand storage. I am a bit concerned with the following statement, though:
Note: The server’s data directory will always be placed on the original internal storage, even if you expand it with a USB drive or microSD card.
Those directories grow-up pretty big, so hopefully it would not prove a limitation.
However, I bought the Shield mainly for PMP, as I need a player that does not require transcoding by the server and can pass through HD Audio to the Denon receiver that drives a 7.1 setup. The fact that the Shield can run a Plex server as well is just a bonus for me (though granted, a pretty powerful server, from what I read). I run 2 other servers, one on a DS415+ and another on a second MacMini. If all goes well, I can retire the DS415+.
My only major concern, really, is related to territory limitations. I live in Romania, which is EU, but IP rights are still enforced individually by country. I may find out that the Shield may not operate here or that it is otherwise crippled. I actually expect that the Amazon video app will not work once it detects my Romanian IP, despite me being perfectly able to watch content from my Amazon Prime Romanian account in a browser or on the PS3 (which, on a related note, I actually use more now to play my BluRays instead of my own rips on Plex because DTS and Plex are unable to play nice with each other).
But we’ll see and I’ll report back - it should be delivered today.
Re Apple TV, I’m not sure that you can play HD Audio, as it does not natively support the codecs. If it does play, I think it may be just Dolby or DTS core audio. I’m not aware of a passthrough option on the Apple TV.
LE:
Since I’m still jetlagged and on NYC time despite returning home for 3 days, I checked it last night and the best that the Apple TV can push is EAC3. Basically anything above that (generally Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA) is transcoded to EAC3.
@uberlawyer
Apple TV: Aha, so while DTS audio isn’t transcoded on the Plex server when playing via Infuse it is ”down mixed” to EAC3 on the Apple TV itself – or something like that?
Since I understand I have to start from scratch with my Plex library if going from a Mac server (which I currently use) to a Shield, I’m not sure if it’s worth it for me. Too much work to get things in order if I have to start from scratch. 
But good luck with your Shield adventure! 
@star-affinity No, it is actually transcoded by the Plex Server to what the Apple TV reports it can use (which seems to be EAC3).
Now, on to the Shield. First things first: it solves my main problem and it direct plays everything (both video and HD Audio). All seems well, and the Denon reports the correct sound - I’ve tried it both with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA. I haven’t tried DTS-X, but I don’t have any rips. I’ll need to remember where I’ve put the Jason Bourne BluRay and make a rip of that.
However, there is some bad news. The Shield is NOT a good option for anyone looking to host their server on it. It is powerful enough, but because of (a) bugs and (b) software limitations, it’s borderline useless.
Bugs
You cannot mount a network share unless it has a netbios name. So, my Synology DS415+ mounts perfectly, whereas I am unable to mount the QNAP TS-420. It appears that this is a known limitation and I cannot for the love of everything understand why nVidia and Google are unable or unwilling to fix it. Therefore, the Shield is only viable as a Plex Server if you host your content on it (laughable, at 500 GB) or you are lucky enough to have a device that is automatically recognised by the Shield because it has a netbios name.
Software Limitations
@star-affinity Here is where I have some bad news for you. Indeed, if you want to migrate your library from Mac/Windows/whatever to Shield and preserve its exact state, well you can’t!!! It seems that in its endless wisdom, Plex has decided to keep the server library in the protected area of the Shield’s storage, where the user has no access. Unless you root, presumably, but wtf?!?!?!?! So, you cannot move the library from one device to the Shield. Although you can perfectly do that from Mac to Windows to Linux. But not on the shield. Because Plex.
Other than that, the device is ok. If Apple TV were this powerful and had the HD Audio, that would be the end of it. But it isn’t and it hasn’t. So the Shield is ok-ish, but you can tell the software is nowhere near where it should be.
As I’ve said, this is my first Android device, but I am completely underwhelmed by it. I was actually expecting so much more, seeing how may people swear by Android. Oh, well…
And I was spot on about Amazon: the minute the Shield booted, it actually removed the Amazon Video App. I could actually see it disappear. So get this: I am a paying Amazon Prime Video subscriber, yet I am prevented from watching the content on this device. And they wonder why there is so much piracy… But enough about my Eastern-European frustrations.
To summarise: the Shield works for what I need it to, so problem solved. Thanks again to all for your suggestions.
@uberlawyer said:
No, it is actually transcoded by the Plex Server to what the Apple TV reports it can use (which seems to be >EAC3).
When I play files with DTS audio via the video player Infuse (on iOS and tvOS) Plex doesn’t have to transcode the audio – the files are played as ”Direct Play” in Plex also on the Apple TV. But that of course doesn’t have to mean the Apple TV itself can output that kind of audio, despite the audio not needing to be transcoded.
I also heard that about the Shield – that it’s not possible to move my Plex Server data from my Mac to the Shield. It’s a bummer. Don’t feel like starting from scratch on that. What I’m now thinking about is getting a 7th gen NUC and run Linux on it, or even perhaps Hackintosh it…
What is it that makes you underwhelmed by the Shield (i.e. Android) by the way? Just curious. 
Anyway, good to hear that the Shield works for what you need!
Update: maybe it helps someone else - if you activate your Bonjour option for SMB, the Shield will identify the network share as available, and offer you the option to connect. I’ve now managed to connect the QNAP as well.
LE: Please also make sure that the server description under Netwok & File Services - Win/Mac/NFS does not contain any space. The default for me did have some spaces, so I changed it, and that might have helped as well.
So problem solved for those that want to use the Shield as a Plex Server and have the option to turn on netbios or bonjour.
The only thing that prevents me from using the Shield as a Plex Server is the inability to move my current state over.
Hear that, Plex? Hint-hint, wink-wink. If you don’t allow acces to the library, at least maybe you can introduce some sync option for servers under the same account.
Just sayin’…
@star-affinity I’m not saying it’s a bad device, just that I was expecting to be blown away. Maybe I would have, had I not had the Apple TV and inevitably made the comparison. The Apple TV just seems smoother in its operation and that remote seems state of the art when compared with the Shield’s - which, by the way, was broken out of the box. The voice recognition on it doesn’t work, there are quite a few cases of people complaining online. It works ok on the game controller, though.
Just to give another example - the volume control on the Shield is slow as hell via CEC (for reasons unknown), but it works ok-ish on IR (but naturally you have to point it at the receiver).
On the Apple TV it just works. Doesn’t even tell you whether it’s via CEC or IR, it just works. Brilliantly, at that…
So the general idea is not just that Android seems to be a bit lagging behind, it’s just that Apple’s integration of hardware and software cannot be beaten, whereas you can tell that the Shield is software and hardware made by 2 very distinct entities.
But again, I am happy because it solves my problem and for very little money.
This is where I don’t get Apple, though - I’d be willing to pay twice as much for an Apple TV that is as powerful as the Shield. Wtf are they thinking?!?!
Btw, that was the plan for me as well with the NUC, but why bother since the cost is at least double (before you add RAM, storage and remote)? And if you go the Hackintosh way, wouldn’t you have the HD Audio problem (unless you used it just as a server, but then I guess there are simpler solutions)?
@uberlawyer Yes, I also like the remote and navigation of the Apple TV.
I ended up Hackintosh:ing the NUC. Was relatively easy with a good guide I found (and I have some experience from before). Works really well and fast! Like you say the HD audio problem is still there I guess, but I don’t currently have a receiver capable of handling that (just a Denon stereo amplifier). And my guess is future versions of the Apple TV will probably improve on the audio part (I’m playing my Plex content via the Apple TV mostly).
Maybe a current model NUC is a bit overkill for a Plex Server (I already had an SSD lying around, though), but I will probably use it for occasional gaming on the TV too – it’s quite fun to play Heartstone with a PS3 controller on the TV. Also convenient being able to backup both the Plex Server and all the media using the MacOS software I already use elsewhere for backup purposes (ChronoSync).
Also, I’m going to put the NUC into an Akasa Newton S7 chassis which will make cooling passive – no fans and quiet operation! Hopefully power consumption will stay low too, but I guess having the Shield as a server is even better when it comes to that.
Transcoding DTS to AC3 – which is done when playing from the Plex app on the Apple TV – seems to not take too much CPU on the NUC – stays at around 0.3% right now when I’m testing and every 10 seconds or so it jumps up to a couple of percent (10% seems to be the peak) to jump back to around 0.3% again. But like I said, transcoding can be omitted completely also on the Apple TV if using the app Infuse (which has DTS audio licensed) to playback the video from Plex (via DLNA). So it seems to me it should be possible for Plex to implement DTS support in their players…
