Yet another hardware recommendation request for HTPC

Plex Players Desktop Players
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I currently use Plex and Kodi. Plex, mostly for music and Kodi for local file based TV and Movies (stored on a server). I would like to consolidate on Plex, mostly for the download and remote features.

I have an 2018 LG OLED TV with Plex, but Plex is unusably slow and no TrueHD pass-through. I also have an AppleTV 4K, but also no TrueHD. I have a Vero 4K I use for Kodi (media and MySQL DB are on a linux server), but server based Kodi is requiring too much maintenance. Hence the desire for Plex.

Why oh why can’t Plex HTPC run on a Raspberry Pi 5? That would just be so easy.

I’m looking for a recommendation for dedicated Plex HTPC client. I don’t care about OS. No Nvidia Shield please.

I would like a quiet (fanless if possible) PC capable of 4K and audio pass-through (even Atmos). I would prefer under $500. I can build it myself, if I have to. I would also prefer a small form factor.

Any suggestions?

Also, is there any plan to have Plex HTPC run on a Raspberry Pi 5 or newer?

Thanks. Your help is greatly appreciated.

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Have you tried PM4K? It turns Kodi into an excellent Plex client which can run on a Raspberry Pi.

It’s looks great and is highly-configurable. It’s also under very active development and the developer is very open to suggestions and is responsive to bug reports. It’s a really excellent option, even if it isn’t an official client (Plex HTPC).

Just install the latest script ZIP from the thread as an add-on in Kodi and set PM4K’s update channel to Beta. You’ll always have the latest version available then.

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I will take a look at PM4K, but I would still like some hardware recommendations. thanks.

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I installed PM4K on a fresh kodi and it installs, but fails to run. I opened an issue on github, so hopefully it’s a minor issue and I can try it out it soon.

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Per hardware, I have a friend who uses a 12th generation Intel NUC with the Iris graphics and it can play everything at Ultra quality setting in HTPC.

For your price budget, looks like a mini computer (like what the NUCs were) with built-in graphics using Intel Iris graphics (or equivalent). Do note that the Iris graphics is their higher-end integrated GPU so look for this.

On OS: I can only recommend Windows if you want HDR.

Don’t consider a Mac as you’ll be sorely disappointed when you discover it is missing HD audio passthrough.

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Thanks. I’ve read a number of your posts on this topic, and they are very helpful.

I’m looking for specific product recommendations. Much appreciated.

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Just to be clear, you installed script.plexmod.zip from this post and it will not start, on a Raspberry Pi 5? Running one of the supported versions of Kodi?

I’ve got nothing against Plex HTPC, and in fact I use it myself, but you specifically mentioned wanting to run it on a Raspberry Pi 5. You’re not going to be able to do that with any official Plex client (right now) so Kodi + PM4K is the closest you’re going to get for now.

Given that you’re having issues, you may want to post in the thread I linked to give the dev a heads-up on the GitHub issue you created.

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I don’t care what hardware I use, but a Pi5 is cheap and commonly used as an HTPC. JRiver and Kodi support it. Just odd that Plex doesn’t support it. That’s why I asked the questions about the Pi

I installed Kodi 21.1.0 on my Windows 10 Pro PC (i9-13900KF and RTX4060 Ti), then added the source for PM4k, then installed the add-on and the skin from the repo. I followed the instructions on GitHub - pannal/plex-for-kodi: Unoffical Plex for Kodi add-on releases.

I posted the error in the github issue.

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I thought you could not play back Dolby Vision media with a PC-based client?

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maybe. I try to stay away from DV and stick to HDR10

I installed PM4K on my Vero 4K and it seems to work well. The only think I cannot seem to find is a way to scan the library.

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Move to the desired library in the top row. Then long press your select button (whatever it may be) and you should get a context menu which allows you to scan library files.

Also, ensure you’re using the latest beta from the thread I linked, and set your update source to beta in the PM4K system settings.

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Thanks @pshanew. I don’t see where to set the addon’s update channel, but according to the linked thread, I may have to manually install the beta first, then the update channel option will be there.

currently, if I use the context menu on the library icon I can scan the library, so that’s great.

I’ll install the beta and see how it goes. So far I’m lovin’ it. I much prefer the PM4K interface to the Plex HTPC interface.

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Yep, that will be required. Once you’re on the beta train and have set your update channel, you’ll be prompted to install future betas automatically.

Glad you’re liking it. I, too, hope that Plex will be able to support Plex HTPC and Desktop on ARM devices like the Pi on Linux. I think there are some technical reasons holding this back (don’t quote me on that), but Kodi + PM4K is a great option in the meantime.

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Ugoos AM6B+, AM6+, Minix u22x-j max…etc can play pretty much everything at this point, including the elusive P7 FEL and MEL. a pretty large game changer so long as your not using a projector and need tone mapping to improve brightness

LLDV: yes, but some limitations
HDR10: yes
DV: p7 dual track dual layer, single track dual layer, p8, p5
Audio: all lossless
CMV4.0: yes

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I am just setting up PM4K on an OrangePi5, but having no downloads (apparently) is a showstopper. The Plex server of a family member that I’m connecting to is so unreliable that you need downloads if you’re binge-watching a series or so: you cannot completely rely on the server and Plex Server to be up when you want to watch. (Truth be told, I’d rather not touch Plex with a long stick, and just have direct access to the files. But I’m not the one deciding it.)

Also, given that there’s nothing else useful in Kodi—not even Youtube works without logging in and thus letting Google know and connect everything that I watch—and the alternative of running Youtube etc. in a browser from Kodi is a horrible unsupported hack—it seems such a waste to require all of Kodi to only run a separate Plex app within it. Yes, PM4K is not even a proper video provider for Kodi, but a distinct entity that you just run within Kodi.

I also tried PlexKodiConnect, which is a terrible unsafe hack that requires opening remote control ports, and also does not provide downloads.

So, please, we want PlexHTPC for Arm-based Linux!

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