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I’m new to Plex and most likely do not have this in the right category but I need to start somewhere.
I purchased a lifetime Plex and want to upload my dvd collection including 4k to a NAS. I am not versed in technology and am thoroughly confused as to what NAS to buy that will be compatible with Plex and let me watch my collection anywhere.
I have 2 Nvidia Shields, do use Kodi and have 150Mbps Ethernet connected to everything that has an Ethernet port.
I’ve looked at the compatibility list and that to is confusing.
What do i buy and do I put Plex on the NAS or run it on each device? I do not want to speed money on something that will not do what I want it to.
I’m pretty much a plug and play old man trying to adapt to the younger generation and enjoy my collection.
I apologize if I’ve posted this in the wrong area. I just need help deciding what I should buy and how it should be set up.
The NAS will only be used for DVD/Blu-Ray,4K and photos.
Thanks to one and all for “any” advise.
Congratulations on embarking on a journey that will be confusing, full of too many choices, and the eventual loss of hair, that will lead you to glorious satisfaction if navigated correctly.
First, you have to understand that Plex, as a program come s in two parts:
Plex Media Server runs on a PC, Mac, or another device like a Network Attached Storage Device or your Router. Once set up, you aim it at folders, or “directories” that contain your own movies, shows and other video/music files that you want to stream to…
Plex Client is a device to playback your materials on, such as your phone or your TV.
So, you have a lot of choices to make. I started small and expanded from there. I already had a NAS for file storage that had some videos on it. I chose to install Plex on an old PC I had laying around to see what it was all about. That actually met my needs quite well for a long time. The PC was a fairly outdated AMD based box with nothing special for RAM and Hard Drive. It was super basic, but ran surprisingly well.
Running it in this way allowed me to expand the parts as I needed, without having to worry much about a single device trying to meet all my needs. First, I bought a new beefier PC, so that I could handle sharing my library with others. Next, when space became an issue, I found a fairly nice NAS that could expand as I needed.
Long story short, I’d recommend trying to do as much as you can with the parts you already have laying around. Get a feel for how things work, and then start to look at areas you can improve.
I’m no expert in converting DVDs, but I might start with a program called MakeMKV, which used to be free. The files it produces from DVDs can be pretty big, so I’d then use another program called HandBrake to convert them to a more manageable and compatible size and format.
Others may chime in with simpler options. That’s just what I’ve done.
Entering the world of 4k is another animal. There’s a guide running around here that was recently assembled which showcases many of the difficulties:
Honestly, I’d avoid it for a bit until you can learn more about the system and what it can do. 4k is just a big hairy mess because there’s not a standard way to approach it yet.
1st, thank you for your quick reply.
I’ve got an abundance of hair so I’m not worried about hair loss. My hair started turning gray 36 years ago and has been completely gray for longer than I care to admit. I’ll be 69 this year and it’s a challenge to try to keep up with what little technology I do know.
As far as 4K, I must say this is a little disappointing to read. I’ve upgraded my tv to 4k and have more than enough speed with Ethernet. Ok, moving on. If I download the programs you suggested and save them as 720 or 1080, what do you suggest I do as far as my Plex setup. Should I put it on a NAS or keep it on Kodi? And, any suggestions to what NAS to buy? From what I’ve read SSD runs a little faster.
Thanks again
4k can be done… but you really have to be careful with how you build your files based on your Plex Client playback device. A Roku, for example, will have different file requirements than say an Apple TV. You start to get into some pretty advanced level stuff there, so hopefully, you really do have lots of that hair… 
You can run Plex from a NAS, if you’re looking for an all in one solution. I’m not sure which one to recommend, and I believe you’ll want to aim at one with a beefier processor if this is the case. If you run Plex Media Server from a different device, then you don’t need much in the way of power for the NAS, as it’s essentially just passing along requests.
Which one? Is a hard question to answer… It’s like asking a random room full of people which car you should buy. You might try looking into a high-end Synology device, as I hear they can handle the tasks adequately… but I have zero experience with them.
Also, I don’t understand what “keep it on Kodi” means? I know there is a Plex Client available for Kodi… but that’s not Plex Media Server, which is the heart of, and a requirement of running a Plex setup. PMS doesn’t really have anything to do with Kodi.
Side note: Kodi and Plex are actually very similar in what they were originally designed to do. I believe they share a common ancestor.
I’d be interested to hear from someone that has experience with this one:
https://www.synology.com/en-us/products/DS1019+
I should have said it better. I have 2 Nvidia Shields that I can put Plex on.and I have Kodi installed in both.
So, it’s probably best to use Plex on each device and strictly leave the NAS for movies/tv shows & pictures?
OMG. $650.00 ?
I need to lower my sights and expectations!
lol Right?
Actually, I hear a Shield is also a very respectable PMS host, if you have the right one.
I dont know what PMS is unless you’re referring to a gender. LOL
how do I know if I have the “right” one?
Sorry… PMS is Plex Media Server, which is the “engine” side of Plex I referenced in my first post. I believe the Shield can run PMS and a Plex Client, making the device a pretty decent all in one solution other than missing adequate space to store your files. I know there are two versions of the Shield, and the lower one doesn’t perform so well running PMS.
It sounds like you have enough of the parts to try it out without spending a dime. If you don’t need a beefy NAS, you might find the Western Digital MyCloud devices (or any other low end NAS) a little more price palatable. Like I said, start with the parts you have and go from there.
I don’t have any Shield experience either, so hopefully someone else with knowledge can stop in to say something.
I also believe you can attach a USB hard drive to the Shield for file storage… but there’s a right way and a wrong way to do that… in case you’re not confused enough.
Plex does run well on the NS but I have minimal experience with it so far. I did buy a WD Mycloud 2T but I’m pretty sure I dont have it set up right so I was thinking of using it as a backup for my pc and buying a NAS hopefully plug & play. But again, the terminology and wondering what I need is confusing.
Plex is pretty flexible for setup. If you can get a NAS successfully installed, and you can see it on your network, then Plex should be able to see it too.
If you’re trying to plug the MyCloud directly into the USB port of the Shield, I think there’s something you have to do first before that will work right. I know it’s been talked about before on this forum, but I don’t know what the steps are.
I was wanting to use the WD as my cloud and load movies etc on it. I can see my pics but I dong have any movies uploaded yet. I didnt want to invest in the wrong software. This is a huge jumbled up mess for me to understand.
My thoughts and process was first make sure I have Ethernet to everything that is Ethernet capable. I bought one NS loved it so I bought another for our other tv, one of which is 4k. Then, I purchased the Plex lifetime so I would have a way of viewing through the NS. Now I am looking for a NAS (if I need it) that has the ability of working with Plex to get he best results possible. The first steps were kinda easy. Now it’s the tech terms and verbiage that has me in a never ending loop. It’s like trying to teach trigonometry to a 1st grader… and I’m definitely not Sheldon…LOL
Few questions… your MyCloud… Does it connect via USB or Ethernet?
The pictures… Plex can see them?
Are they on the MyCloud?
I have it connected via Ethernet but it does have USB.
Yes, I have Plex on one of my NS’s and am able to see the pictures.
I know i dont have it set up right as far as folders are concerned.
K, cause there are two different types of WD Drives… USB only, and yours, which is essentially a NAS.
If you can see pictures on the drive, then you’re doing pretty good so far. Your next step will be to create folders (or shares) on the WD. One for Photos (which you are likely already using), one for Movies, and one for TV. Name them whatever you like, but they need to be individual/separated.
I watched a Youtube video about Plex and saw it load movie info, thought that was pretty neat and easy to do. That’s what put me on to Plex.
Maybe, and your opinion is greatly appreciated, I need to try and use the WD as originally intended and see if I can access it for my purposes. But, 2T isnt going to get me very far.
