Regarding running Plex Media Server on a Synology NAS
- Read Installation & Setup of Plex Media Server on Synology
- Read Synology FAQ - Questions, Answers, and a few How-To’s
- Do not install DSM 7 beta. Plex support for DSM 7 is currently very limited. Current Plex Media Server builds are DSM 6 specific. They will not work on DSM 7 without workarounds. There is a DSM 7 pre-production build, but it has issues, some caused by DSM 7 bugs.
Regarding Plex and iTunes folders
Do not point a Plex library at the iTunes Media folder, only at specific subfolders matching the media type.
You can point a Plex movie library at the iTunes Movies folder.
You can point a Plex TV library at the iTunes TV Shows folder.
iTunes naming does not match Plex requirements, but it is close enough for most items. You may have to manually correct some items in Plex.
For TV Shows you will need to use the TV show name as listed at thetvdb.com. You must also have the season and episode numbers correct in iTunes. iTunes embeds such data into the file. Plex will read that information and use it to help match against online databases. When setting up Plex, you must configure it to read the embedded metadata from TV shows (Settings -> Agents -> Shows, enable Local Media Assets).
Plex cannot play any DRM protected media, so any movies or TV shows purchased via iTunes will not play in Plex. You’ll see an error message if you try to play any DRM protected media.
Plex can read metadata embedded in the media files - tv/movie name, season, episode, cover art, etc. Other than that, there is no sharing of data between the two programs. Plex cannot import information from the iTunes Album Artwork or other such folders.
I cannot comment on how well Plex handles music, including music in iTunes libraries. I use Plex for movies, TV shows, and other videos. I do not have my music libraries in Plex.
