Moving my Media Library to a Nas and buying my son the Plex Pass

Plex Media Server
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Hi all,

Sorry I didn’t put in the server # due to some of this will come up when I make the change.

Around Black Friday I plan on buying my son the Plex Pass and a QNap NAS. I currently have my library up on Plex using my computer which is running Windows 11, but I will move everything over to the NAS at that point.

My question is will he be able to just set up his own new libraries using his sign in. Then he could set up his own collections etc. I will take down my library at that point.

Thank you for your help with this.

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There is only one user account who is the admin/owner of a server.
You also cannot run two servers on the same machine (well you could, but that’d be a major headache for a non-Linux user).

So I’m not really sure what the actual question is here.
Are you planning to each have your own servers?
Or are you concerned about the number of Plex servers in an account? (hint: you can have several)

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No there will only be one Plex server on the NAS, but I want to move all my files over and it will all be under my son’s Plex account. I figure he is 40 years younger then I am so buy him the Plex Pass and set up the NAS with all the movies and series under his umbrella.

So I want to go from my email address and server being turned off to one on the NAS for him.

Sorry if I am not putting it into a phrase too well. I don’t do so hot writing I am used to talking with people and working through the problem. Where I won’t be able to do that I am trying to get a head start on what I might have to do.

For example do I have to rip all the DVDs again to put under his name after deleting my files.

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No, absolutely not. You already have all the files on your current machine.
As long as they are named and organized according to the Plex rules, I see no issues with them getting recognized after copying them to the new NAS server.

But a recommendation:
Make sure to pick an email address which is some kind of “long lasting”. i.e. not one he might have gotten from his school or something, to which he could lose access later on.

Changing the plex account, will automatically mean that you will have to touch every Plex client you might be using already. (i.e. signing out of the currently used account and signing in to the new one)

If you yourself are changing the plex account, you will also lose access to any shared plex servers of other people. You might want to avoid that.
It is possible to keep on using your own plex account. All your son has to do is to invite you into his Plex Home. https://support.plex.tv/articles/201105738-creating-and-managing-server-shares/
This avenue might be preferable to you, because you will be able to keep on using your own server (at least for a time, in case there are some teething problems with the new server), and you will retain access to the shared server.

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My thinking is long term I am a bit older and he will not want to maintain my email account that is why we were going to swap it over. I have no one I share my plex with yet because I don’t have Plex Pass. His email address he has had forever and does not plan on changing it. I would think I could keep my plex account just disable the server and get rid of my media then he can share his account with me. That should work I hope.

Thank you for all the good feedback I am just getting into Plex and am preparing for the big move in the fall. I am ripping all the DVDs now and learning how Plex works.

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Strictly speaking, you don’t need one for pure sharing.

He can even share with you before you get rid of your own server.
You could then choose from where you are streaming, if you want.

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Thank you for your help. Looking foward to setting up the Nas and having everything in one place on for 24/7. Using my computer I discovered when it sleeps I lose connection. Will probably turn off the sleep function.

Take care.

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I have a new question for you concerning this. My son and I share a hard drive that is connected to both our computers. Could we both have media servers on our own computer accessing those videos on that hard drive or should I sign out of mine.

Thank you.

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You mean it’s a NAS device?
Or are you taking turns with plugging it into your computers?

It’s certainly an option, but I would only do it if

  1. the media storage is indeed a NAS device and not just an external hard drive
  2. you want to be independent of each other and not be restricted in your use of Plex, just because the server computer is currently not running, or was taken off-site

The reasoning behind this is that running two servers does of course also mean two times the effort of looking after the server, checking proper match, and the storage space for the Plex data folder.

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What if I sign out of mine and we just use his for now. We realized in the long run it is going to be his library I can just have it shared to me.

Thank you again for all your help.

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As I hinted at above, it would require the server computer to be running, when either of you want to play something.
If the device is located someplace where you can switch it on as well, if it’s not running, that’s certainly manageable.

If the server is going to be running on a NAS or “server” device which is running 24/7 anyway, you don’t need to worry about that kind of thing.

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I think I have it as long as one of our computers is signed out or off we will be fine with the other. Things will be much easier when we get the NAS, but we are a little strapped right now.

Thank you for all your help. Take care.

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