I’ve been using PLEX for a while but I know I’m not maximizing it’s potential and my technology has gotten a bit more complex and I honestly have no idea how to best set it up.
Goal:
To be able to access all my movies and TV shows from any device in my home at any time. Home has a PC, Macbook, two iPhones, an iPad, an Apple TV and a Roku
Equipment:
Apple Macbook Pro mid-2012 with new 2TB SSD
Lenovo C560, about two years old
Dell Inspiron 4700, about eight years old, reset to factory defaults
I have a lot of questions on how to make this work.
The Macbook currently has the PLEX server installed. However, this means it needs to be on and awake whenever I want to watch something via PLEX. I don’t want to have to do that anymore.
It seems like the best thing might be to buy a new SSD for the Inspiron, install the PLEX server and my media to the Inspiron and network all the other devices to it via a router. Does this make sense and - better yet - will it work??
You want a computer with a CPU that can at least transcode one 1080p video, unless you know that all of your local media will always be in a format that is compatible with the limited codec support of AppleTV and Roku. Then you need to multiply that PassMark minimum by the number of people you think might have to transcode a file at the same time.
And if you use Plex channels, though Apple and Roku supports more online formats than some Plex player apps, no Plex player app will direct play every format that may be available on the Internet, so some channels will not work without transcoding power.
I’m glad you have asked for advice. Anyway what format are your files stored if mp4 and optimized your dell may well be enough as long as you have plenty ram, not running Xp or similar. As for a drive maybe a USB3 card and external drive a better option.
You have mentioned a Lenovo what specs has that machine i3 or i5 processor? If the later maybe worth a trial.
@shopgirl284 I just checked the PassMark on the old Dell (Intel Pentium 4 2.80GHz) and it has 324!! So I know I need about 1,000 per stream to transcode right? I think the most I’d ever need would be 3,000 (three streams at once), and that would be rarely.
Is there any way I can take a Dell Dimension 4700 with that chip and upgrade in a cost-effective way?
If not, the Lenovo gets a PassMark of 2,936, so that would work. But ideally I wanted to connect the dell to my router with a cable and stream everything from the router. This would be harder to do with the Lenovo based on where the router and computer will be located.
While not ideal, you could let the Lenovo run the server connected to your local network through WiFi… It’s definitely not best plan, but it would take care of your needs. Otherwise, you would really need to upgrade the CPU in the Dell to have any ability to transcode on the fly.
Not sure how comfortable you are with computer building, but you already have a usable case and power supply. You could take out the “guts” and replace them with more modern equipment (CPU/Motherboard/RAM) for approximately $200 or so…
@ahughes03 I am reasonably comfortable with opening the computer, I put a new SSD and RAM in my MacBook. I assume upgrading the Dell would be a bit more complex but I’ll probably go that route when the time comes.
@cdispoto- Dell might actually be a bit easier, since you’ll have more room to work. I’d highly recommend watching a few youtube videos, but you’d essentially remove your existing motherboard (CPU and RAM included), and replace with newer models that are all compatible. Use https://pcpartpicker.com to “build” a system that works together- it will tell you if the RAM you picked works with the motherboard, etc. You’ll need a MicroATX or MiniITX motherboard, and a CPU that is compatible with the motherboard’s “architecture”
Here’s a link to a few parts that should work together. The board may need firmware updating, but overall, for under $175, you’d be rebuilding your Dell into a 5000 passmark machine. You would need to reuse the computer case and power supply. You would probably also want to buy an SSD for your operating system and applications install location (you mentioned that above as well).
There are a few other factors to consider: you might need to buy a new copy of Windows (assuming you’re using windows, since it’s a Dell) if the Dell came with a pre-installed version. You might need to buy various power supply cable adapters. Etc.
Bottom line, it’s all very doable, it just takes a bit of research, time and patience!
@ahughes03 , you previously said that “you could let the Lenovo run the server connected to your local network through WiFi”
Can I buy an NAS and connect it via Ethernet cable to my modem and then stream everything and manage my library via WiFi? Do I need the NAS to have a wired connection to the PC I use to manage the content. Also, could I use both the PC and my MacBook to access the library, add/delete content, etc?
I’ve never networked multiple computers or used an NAS before so I’m a little fuzzy on how it all works.
@cdispoto I think a NAS might complicate things at this point, especially if the system you want to use for the Plex Media Server App (let’s just say Lenovo at this point) is connecting to that NAS via WiFi.
Generally speaking, a NAS is simply a box with hard drives that attaches to your network, and (when configured correctly) can be seen by other computers on the same local network. For the most part NAS’s are not made to “compute” at the same level as a standard computer, they are made to simply serve files.
Since your list of Plex Devices a few mobile devices, Apple TVs, Rokus, etc., I feel safe in saying that at some point you will need your media files transcoded. If you were to have all of your media stored on a NAS, but your Lenovo was on WiFi, then your Wifi would need to handle sending the original media file from the NAS to the Lenovo, the Lenovo would trancode, and then send the transcoded file back out over Wifi to your Phone, AppleTV, etc. It will get pretty busy on your WiFi, which may trigger buffering.
A simpler solution for your at this point would be to use simple external storage attached to the Lenovo. Sure, your Lenovo will still have to use WiFi to broadcast the transcoded media, but it won’t have to also use WiFi to accept the original file, since the original file is directly attached (via the external storage).
Hope that gives you a little bit of a better picture moving forward. To answer a few of your other questions:
Can I buy an NAS and connect it via Ethernet cable to my modem and then stream everything and manage my library via WiFi? Sure, but I’d advise against it (see above)
Do I need the NAS to have a wired connection to the PC I use to manage the content. No. As long as both the NAS and PC are on the same local network (i.e. they both connect back to the same router, whether it’s via ethernet or WiFi) you will be able to manage the content on the NAS just fine.
Also, could I use both the PC and my MacBook to access the library, add/delete content, etc? Yes! That’s the beauty of a NAS- any computer (with sufficient privileges) on the same network can access the storage. If you were able to “hardline” both the NAS and the Lenovo (or whatever computer you were using to run the Plex Media Server app), this would be a great setup, because it would allow the media files to transfer over hardline until they are broadcast to a WiFi connected player.
Long story short, you really want to run ethernet cable as much as possible. WiFi gets saturated quickly!
@ahughes03 What if instead of an NAS I just buy/build another CPU with a fast processor and enough storage for my needs and just connect that via ethernet to both my modem and my AppleTV? I can network to the new PC and use just for my media and PLEX server.
I’m trying to avoid using the Lenovo for media storage and the Plex server because it’s technically my wife’s work computer and I don’t want to slow it down or not have access to it whenever I need it.
From what I’ve read, that would provide enough processing power for the transcoding and I don’t need a crazy amount of storage because I really don’t need more than 2TB. Also I then wouldn’t need WiFi for my Living Room Apple TV, just my MacBook and the Roku. I don’t anticipate ever really using PLEX on the Lenovo anyway.
PS Thanks for the quick replies, sometimes hard to get answers on here
What if instead of an NAS I just buy/build another CPU with a fast processor and enough storage for my needs
Sounds like a completely reasonable plan!
and just connect that via ethernet to both my modem and my AppleTV? I can network to the new PC and use just for my media and PLEX server.
As long as your ethernet line runs back to the router, it will automatically be connected to the Apple TV (since the router acts as the central hub for network connections)
From what I’ve read, that would provide enough processing power for the transcoding and I don’t need a crazy amount of storage because I really don’t need more than 2TB. Also I then wouldn’t need WiFi for my Living Room Apple TV, just my MacBook and the Roku. I don’t anticipate ever really using PLEX on the Lenovo anyway.
Yes, as long as your CPU has enough power to handle the number of transcodes you want, you should be fine.
PS Thanks for the quick replies, sometimes hard to get answers on here
Not a problem!
Most Motherboards (if u r going that route) can connect 4 drives.
So C drive is a 200GB SSD and the other 3 can be as big as 10gb each.
So u can start with a 4tb (they are around the best gb per $)
Then go from there!
Just allow yourself room to expand
@ahughes03@spikemixture This is a newbie question but if I run my PLEX server and store all the media on a dedicated PC connected to my router and use my separate main PC and/or MacBook to make changes to it, does the PLEX PC even need an operating system?
If you have a good Internet connection before spending hundreds on hardware you really should look at Plex Cloud . It has a limit of three simultaneous transcodes which should suit most domestic arrangements although probably not those who share their libraries with friends & relatives. The only cost is Plex Pass plus $10/month for G Suite Business for the unlimited storage Google Drive.
Plex Cloud does an outstanding job of transcoding 4K. I uploaded a 65GB 60Mbps 4K UHD Blu-ray rip & this happily plays on all my devices (Roku 3, Roku Ultra, iPhone 6s Plus, Amazon Fire TV 4K, web app on my Retina MacBook Pro etc). It even plays nicely on the iPhone on 3G/4G cellular when away from WiFi.
Plex Cloud is a game changer. Anyone thinking of buying hardware for their own Plex Server should think again. provided you have a decent Internet connection Plex Cloud can provide a better Plex experience than local hardware & the cost saving is enormous.
@cdispoto said: @ahughes03@spikemixture This is a newbie question but if I run my PLEX server and store all the media on a dedicated PC connected to my router and use my separate main PC and/or MacBook to make changes to it, does the PLEX PC even need an operating system?
@spikemixture I was thinking the same thing re the pricing for G Suite. I explored all the cloud options when I started but they were all too expensive to consider paying for in perpetuity.
Is there an OS you recommend for simply running the server
