Hello everyone! Long time lurker and user, first time poster!
I am running Plex server on a desktop in my network that goes through a VPN service (running VPN client directly from desktop, not router). I am running PlexConnect on that same Plex server to serve media to my Apple TV (via the default Trailers app). I have a few video channels that stream from the internet (such as NSFW sites *hint hint*).
My question is how the videos make it from the internet to my Apple TV? Does the Plex server send a URL to the Apple TV for it to follow and playback the video, or does the Plex server download the video and then stream it to the Apple TV?
Basically, does the Apple TV go out to the internet and grab the video (not anonymous, not secure), or does it get the video directly from the Plex server on my local network that's connected to a VPN (anonymous and secure)?
Thanks!
Depends if the channel needs to be transcoded
So if it doesn’t need to be transcoded, then the Apple TV grabs the video itself, and if it does the Plex server grabs the video, transcodes it, then sends it to Apple TV?
That’s the way I understand it to work
Well I can confirm the server is streaming the video to the Apple TV. Tested with access restrictions in place on the router placing a restriction on the website for the channel in question, and with the restriction in place for the server, I was unable to navigate to the site via web browser OR play videos on the Apple TV for that channel. Once I lifted the restriction on the server IP, I was then able to play videos on the Apple TV again, and navigate to the website for the channel. I placed the same restriction on the Apple TV and was able to play videos regardless.
So it would appear for the channel I'm using anyway that the server is streaming the video to the Apple TV from the VPN, rather than the Apple TV streaming directly from the internet "unsecured."
