New Plex Server

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
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Hello Friends!

I’m planning to buy a new computer for my Plex Server.
What I need him to do:

  • transcode UHD HDR/DV files to 1080p-720p SDR
  • Can survive with 4->8 persons connected to it and transcoding at same time

Actually I have a VM inside Unraid, on a Threadripper 3960x and Quadro p2200 but it cost a lot in term of electricity bill!

I’m looking at a MacMini M1 or a NUC12 with i7-2160p, they are similarly priced in France. But I can’t find solid informations on what to choose :frowning:

If the NUC wins, it will be under Ubuntu. Does Ubuntu 22.04 have native support of Intel QSv and everything related to hardware acceleration for Plex? If not, do you have a How-to? :slight_smile:

Some one can help here?

Big thanks !

2

Effective PMS 1.29.1 (currently in PlexPass release) Quick Sync Video support, including HDR → SDR hardware tone mapping, is built in. This has been confirmed on all CPUs KabyLake → RocketLake. There is only one known small, to-be-completed, on JasperLake CPUs.

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Ok, thanks, OS should be simple.
And performance basis, which one between NUC12 I7 and Macmini M1 will do the job?

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@Valiran

Assuming worst case

  1. 8 simultaneous playback
  2. Subtitle burning
  3. HEVC HDR → SDR w/ tone mapping
  4. Audio Conversion.

An i7 will not do the job. Insufficient cores & speed.

https://simplynuc.com/product/nuc11btmi9-full/

Even this machine should have 16 or 32 GB of RAM installed. (8 is shown)

5

How much of transcodes likes those a NUC12 i7 can handle without issues?

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An i7 can handle 4 (at most) if subtitles are involved.

Please don’t be confused… It’s not about NUC12 vs NUC11 vs NUC10 even.

You need the number of cores in the CPU itself.

An i7 has 4 cores

An 8 core, CometLake or RocktLake will be perfect.

7

So I need an i9 !?
And what about the Apple M1? :slight_smile:

8

Better to go with a smaller CPU and keep the Quadro for that many simultaneous streams, I think. It’s the CPU that is driving up your power, those threadrippers are power hungry.

I am use ubuntu 22.02 LTS in a VM on hyper-v with a P4000, but my cpu is xeon equivalent to a i3. I haven’t done a test since switching to ubuntu and that GPU but with a k2200 on windows I was able to get 8 streams of h264 once.

My Server doesn’t really ever go over 200W draw btw

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  1. I don’t know Apple products. I would compare the passmark rating and core count. Subtitles require a faster per-core speed to keep up with real-time

  2. Given the type of content which can be purchased on BluRay (to rip), and that none of it is above 4K, a machine with an i9-9900 (CoffeeLake) will
    a. do the job
    b. save power

Look at the CPU specs:

I know a few people with this CPU in a NUC box and it’s unstoppable.

  1. Install Ubuntu
  2. Install PMS
  3. Mount the media which lives on the NAS
  4. Create the library sections
  5. Set the transcoder settings
  6. Fire and forget
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PGS are still an issue with Plex Server?
If so, forget PGS, I will use only SRT (converting PGS to SRT directly in the mkv) or no-subs!

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PGS is an issue DEPENDING (the real gotcha) on the player.

Some players can overlay them (TVs are getting better)
Some players don’t care and do it themselves (Nvidia Shield / Apple TV)
Some players need all the help they can get (browsers)

Depends on what mix you have

I find that SRT, with players in automatic, is worth the effort.

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Ok, so if we remove PGS from the equation, what kind of CPU can do what I need?

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The Mini M1 16GB is capable of two simultaneous 4K HDR → 1080p SDR transcodes at the same time as two 1080p → 720p transcodes. I tested that in June and returned it.

I think I had four or five HDR transcodes going on a Studio M1 Max 64 GB when I ran out of Apple Devices as Players. I returned it because it failed to get 60fps in some video game I like.

I haven’t tested on a Studio M1 Ultra 128 GB because I don’t know how to spawn enough players, whether it’s fair to transcode 10 instances of the same film or different films, and what combination of external NVME and SSD drives I need to eliminate storage bottlenecks.

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Well, M1 Pro/Max/Ultra are way above what I want to spend :smiley:
So Mini M1 doesn’t fit, OK, need some Intel so !

15

M1 Mini not a likely fit, no, but I should point out that I was testing the PMS Universal beta back in June. A lot has happened since then, including Monterey 12.6.

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