I am lookoing to move from Windows to a Synology NAS.
I don’t mind starting again / installing from fresh.
I use Media Center Master to create XML files, download posters, wallpapers and such for all my media. It stores this stuff in the movie folder. I’m not sure if Plex actually uses these files? Should I delete all the extra files when copying to a new hard drive?
I’m not too worried about the naming of everything as theyre nice and neat:
Film Title\Film Title.mkv
TV Series\Season 1\TV Series - S01E01 - Title of Episode.mp4
… etc etc
As I’m putting these on new hard drives, I guess I don’t have to worry about zipping them up and transferring, deleting certain plex files that aren’t compatible with Linux? I just sort of wanted to drag and drop the video files only into the right folders on the new hard drive, then allow Plex to discover them all and set them all up on the NAS.
If you have already installed the version from Synology Package Center, download the current version from plex.tv and manually install it. The installation might take awhile as Plex updates the database and, in the case of DSM 7, moves the Plex data folder to a user accessible location.
Plex will not read from the XML files. It will read the IMDB ID from NFO files.
Plex will use posters/artwork if present, named correctly, and the library is configured to look for them.
See Plex Documentation → Your Media. Read the “Local Media Assets” documents in the sections on naming movies and TV shows. It shows how posters, artwork, etc. should be named.
If I buy a Synology DS920+ the spreadsheet for compatibility says it can’t do HEVC up to UHD.
My TV can play these files natively fine, as well as HDR10 files.
The same HDR file I tried was all stretched, but I am hoping Plex will play that properly.
Does this mean I can still buy the DS920, install Plex server on it and my TV (providing I Direct Play everything) will play the files fine?
The spreadsheet is referring to transcoding video, not direct playing it.
The DS920+ will direct play 4K HDR video just fine. Some people use a Raspberry Pi for their server. It cannot transcode anything, but it direct plays 4K just fine.
The thing that will trip you up is subtitles. Subtitle support varies widely across Plex clients, and enabling subtitles can easily result in a video transcode. Just watch out for that and you’ll be OK.
SRT subtitles have the best support in Plex. SSA/ASS have the worst, enabling them pretty much guarantees a video transcode. PGS/VOBSUB is hit and miss. No problem with Android TV, but they cause a transcode when using the Plex app on LG & Samsung TVs and some other platforms as well (and unfortunately, there is no “master list” of how each client handles subtitles).
I see.
I think most of the subtitles in use are either within the MKV file (will that cause a transcode?) or SRT. If they’re used, will it cause a transcode? I have a Sony A8 (2020 model). I wonder if I try playing a file from a memory stick that has subtitles on it and see what happens?
I guess if I have a Raspberry Pi server, it simply won’t play?
Although at the moment, I don’t see the need for that extra bit of equipment as I understand Plex can be installed on the NAS anyway and can’t find a cheaper way to have some sort of NAS enclosure.
Another question is how does the NAS play content on the TV?
Will it push it through the LAN? My current PC is connected via HDMI cable so I assume it’s playing through that rather than the LAN, but I may be wrong.
You will need to load the Plex app onto the TV (just like Netflix, etc). The Plex server will stream to the Plex app over your network.
Edit: You can also connect your PC to the TV via HDMI, then use one of the Plex desktop apps on your PC. Plex Media Server will stream to your PC over the network. The PC will then send the video to the TV via the HDMI cable.
Yes. You want to run Plex Media Server on the Synology NAS.
I was just using the Raspberry Pi as an example that you do not need a lot of compute power if everything direct streams. Apologies if I phrased it in a confusing manner.
The Sony A8 runs Android TV.
The Plex Android TV app direct plays SRT, PGS, & VOBSUB subtitles. It has very limited support for SSA/ASS subtitles, so avoid them when possible.
It does not matter if the SRT or SSA/ASS subtitle is a separate file or embedded in the MKV or MP4 file.
Thanks - I really appreciate you going through this with me.
Sorry, I’m unusure how to quote with this forum software but…
Don’t worry about the Raspberry Pi thing.
Someone elsewhere suggested this could be a solution for the media server, but I’d still need the NAS so it’s extra cost I don’t think is required.
I’ve also realised the slightly cheaper Synology DS420+ is more likely going to be the machine to buy. I’d like at least 4 bays but don’t need the strongger DS920+ as it’s unlikely more than two users will need to stream 4k content at any one time, and for the next 5-6 years, it’ll only be one anyway.
I guess in order to connect to the Synology, I’d need to use a PC on the network? Because it isn’t connected directly to the TV (as a monitor)?
I have another family PC that I can use but I guess that’s a downside instead of a fully fledged PC, which I can boot up and navigate around the server side of Plex whenever.
Is that the same with a Synology?
That I can connect to it through the network, then boot up the Plex Server page? I currently use a web page on the Windows machine.
Sorry for the basic questions.
Just want to make sure I’m buying the right thing.
The Synology NAS has a web interface for setting up and managing the system. You’ll need a desktop or laptop with a web browser.
Synology NAS run a custom version of Linux which Synology calls Disk Station Manager (DSM). You login to DSM using a web browser to manage the system. Synology has a demo site where you can see how it looks. Go to Synology online demos, select DSM, then select “Try DSM 7.0.”
Plex Media Server runs on the Synology NAS. You login to the NAS and use Package Center to install or update the Plex software. There is no auto-update capability.
You manage Plex (adding libraries, enabling remote access, etc) using Plex Web, just like you do on Windows.
The Synology NAS runs 7 x 24. You do not shut it down except for maintenance, etc.
Note: Invest in a good UPS with surge protection. If the power fails, or will be out for an extended period of time, you want to be able to perform a graceful shutdown of the NAS.
Playing Media
The media streams directly from the Synology to the Plex client. It does not matter if that is a Smart TV app, a phone app, a Nvidia/Apple/Roku/etc streaming box, etc.
Your Sony runs Android TV, and should have access to the Google Play Store. You can load the Plex Android TV app onto the Sony, login to your Plex account, then stream movies/shows/etc from the Synology to the TV.
Reconsider the DS920+. Not sure of prices in your location, but in the US, it is only $50 more than the DS420+; $550 vs $500 (at newegg.com).
The J4125 in the DS920+ has four cores versus two cores for the J4025 in the DS420+. It’s Passmark rating is almost double, 3024 vs 1673.
The extra cores will help when you are transcoding, even if you have a Plex Pass. Audio is always transcoded by the CPU. The extra cores will also help if you have to burn subtitles into the video stream, as that also occurs on the CPU, not the GPU.
You’ll also have extra “headroom” if you add other applications to the NAS or use other parts of Plex. For example, using the LiveTV/DVR capability to record over the air TV, or using Synology’s Surveillance Station to watch/record security cameras.
Just something to consider…
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Ask away. That is why the forum exists. You’re about to spend a chunk of money. Better to ask up front.
You are right - it’s about £40 more on one website.
Still slightly worried the NAS may be over engineered for a simple plex server but I’m going to price up a replacement PC later today and see what the difference is. I’m already fairly sold on the Synology for ease of use and ease of future expansion^ but if the HTPC re-build is 50% less (unlikely), I may reconsider.
^ A large chunk of money will be going on two new 10TB hard drives. I don’t think I’ll be filling them any time soon. But then I thought that about 2TB drives and now they’re all over 60% full. I could opt for less but 10 seems a good middle ground and per TB is cheaper than the 6, 8 and 12 versions.
The last question I have before diving in is about m.2 NVMe (drives? sticks? Not sure what to call them). I see the Synology has space for them and something to do with caching but not sure if I’ll need that? Will the Synology install software on the hard drives or if I buy a m.2 NVMe stick, will it install it’s software on that? There’s a 240GB one that’s about £27 - seems an okay option?
Do not worry about the NVMe drives. They will not help with Plex.
Synology uses them as read/write caches. You cannot use them for storage.
I have a DS918+ with 4x12TB 5400 rpm drives and no NVMe drives. I can copy files to/from my desktop PC to the NAS at almost 1 Gbps (both on wired Ethernet). Streaming a movie from the NAS to my Nvidia Shield at 50 Mbps is not a problem.
From Synology documentation (note the text I bolded).
SSD Cache
SSD caching improves the performance of random access by storing frequently accessed small files (randomly placed small blocks of data) on the SSDs of an SSD cache mounted on a volume. It can thereby benefit predominantly re-read workload patterns, such as mail servers and file services. However, the benefits of SSD caching will be limited on certain workload patterns, in particular, large sequential read/write operations (e.g., HD video streaming) and entirely random data reading patterns.
