HI! I sold my old mac mini 2012 i5 (with quick sync) 16GB that was used as plex server only (for domestic use only, max 2-3 plays, one transcoding at 4k->1080p on Samsung TVs and iPad)…
I have also a macpro 2013 Xeon 12core 64GB that can be used as server in two ways ( iuse it for photography work but is too slow now and i wolud change it):
ESXi: a vm for Plex (Linux or Windows?), a vm for Home assistant, a vmfor PiHole, maybe more…
MacOS for Plex and Home assistant and PiHole via Docker
My dubts are:
using Esxi and install Plex on Linux/Windows virtual machine, plex use the two D500 graphics cards
the machine is powerful but, using macos, without intel quick sync, plex use the two D500 graphics cards? I tried and i see that macos can handle only one HW transcoding at time, the others are SW… with the first film that transcode a 1080p to 720p… the second film that transcode 4k hdr to 1080p (with tone mapping) is inusable… so maybe can be more useful the ESXi option and install plex on Linux/Windows system?
Last idea, change the MacPro 2013 with a new macmini or nuc that use quick sync (macos or ESXi)?
I have only 20TB of media files on external HD but i would the more powerfull option for Plex. I read that many uses old xeon cpu with satisfaction (but maybe with a P2000 quadro…) In my case I can’t. …
Thnaks!
On macOS, Plex doesn’t use hardware acceleration directly. It uses the macOS ‘VideoToolbox’ functionality. I’m pretty sure that the D500 is not supported by VideoToolbox for hardware acceleration.
I think Plex does have some (unsupported) ability to use AMD graphics in Windows only, and I believe the D500 does have the necessary UVD/VCE capability in Windows.
That’s still an impressive machine, but if you get hardware transcoding working, on AMD, inside Windows, in a VM, with passthrough, you’re pretty far outside anything that’s supported. Maybe everything will align and it will work! But maybe not.
I kinda hope you try it and report back.
There are a few reports of the M1 Mac Mini being able to do at least one 4K transcode and a handful of 1080P transcodes.
Thanks a lot!
macPro actually it is still a good machine, but unfortunately the transcoding limits make it almost equal to a nuc as regards the use on plex …
