Conclusion
Getting set up for the first time with Plex is like the beginning of a very long journey. From the first few gigabytes of content as you experiment with the various configurations and options, to the massive multi-terabyte databases now enjoyed by many Plex users, you’ll likely have a lot of fun along the way as you learn the ins and outs of this great software.
To conclude this article, I’ll mention below a few resources that interested users can visit as they start to explore Plex. Thanks for reading and feel free to contact me if you have questions.
Plex User Resources
Your first stop for answers to questions or troubleshooting should be the official Plex forums and support page. Here you’ll find thousands of users and developers willing to help you out, as well as a wealth of information from users who have already encountered and solved most of the common issues.
If you plan to use Plex to stream to Roku boxes, a great resource is Rokoding, a site set up by a Roku and Plex enthusiast that discusses the best ways to encode your videos to ensure smooth playback on those tiny Rokus.
Unsurprisingly, reddit has a Plex subreddit where you’ll find all sorts of troubleshooting advice, tips, and stories from other Plex users.
Plex vs. XBMC/Kodi
Plex Media Server stands alone among current media software platforms. Nothing in any other ecosystem comes close. But XBMC/Kodi has many fans, and offers some features that aren’t found in Plex Home Theater. Wouldn’t it be great if you could manage your media with PMS, but play it back with XBMC?
Of course it would. That’s why some intrepid developers created PleXBMC, a Kodi add-on that lets the software see a Plex server as a video source. Most users will likely opt to stick with PHT, but for XBMC/Kodi lovers, this may just be the best of both worlds.
Show Off Your Server
Once you’ve got your Plex server configured, take some time to show it off! The HTPC community over at AVS Forums is a great place to discuss your media setup, the size of your library, hardware, and other tips and tricks from longtime HTPC users on a number of platforms.
I use a laptop (see below)
I use a laptop (see below) for my PMS. I have a external 4TB USB 3.0 drive attached with my media. I back it up to a drive on a my desktop.
The setup works great. It is fast, quiet, and power efficient. It can handle 3+ HD streams without issue.
I bought the laptop used specifically for using with Plex.
I am not sure why more folks don’t recommend using an i7 mobile CPU for a PMS, seems like a perfect marriage to me.
Toshiba Satellite P875 Laptop as a PMS
Model Name: P875-S7102
OS Windows 8.1
Processor3 and Graphics4
Intel® Core™ i7-3630QM Processor
o (6M Cache, up to 3.40 GHz) with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology
Mobile Intel® HM76 Express Chipset
Mobile Intel® HD graphics with 64MB-1696MB shared graphics memory
Configured with 8GB DDR3 1600MHz
this guide is very
this guide is very informative, but could someone take their time to build a parts list for me please on the items that were described. Some of the items on the guide are not specifically mentioned for the noobs that are just starting out. I would like to build a NAS system capable of streaming 1080p to at least 4 devices. I’m looking to spend around 400 with with hard drives. What setup can I get with this?
My opinion – basic system
-I5
My opinion – basic system
-I5 or I7 processor
-4 to 8 GB RAM (should work fine in 4)
-4TB Disk (will hold 1000+ Movies, hundreds of TV Episodes)- GB Network – hard wire to internet router, or via switch
if home network set up.
– Video card with HDMI (< $50). Don't need anything fancy. This will have the 5.1,7.1 included). - Connect to TV or AVR using HDMI - Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 Pro Better if internet router is 5ghz or dual band (2.4 and 5) Run PMS and PHT on same machine. Works just fine. If expecting lots of remote clients go with I7 Processor No need for separate PMS Can expand by adding more disks, or USB 3.0 disks ------------ Can also run WMC and Live TV and TV-DVR if you have cable (assuming you get HDHOMERUN or similar) ----------- Rip movies using MakeMKV Compress them with HandBrake (use a profile (or create) for high bitrate hhigh quality. Rips in MakeMkv for SD DVD of 5GB encode down to about 1.5 GB with no apparent loss in quality
Hi,
What do you use to
Hi,
What do you use to control your “basic system” Htpc? I use Harmony One for my device control, have you factored that in too?
Thanks,
Mark
Mr. Tanous,
Thanks so much
Mr. Tanous,
Thanks so much for the informative article. I recently bought a DS1815+ and I love it. I attempted to run PMS directly from it and found after much trial and sadness, it does not give me as much of a clear picture as I would like, even when direct playing the vides. It plays some of my videos well through DS Video, but the interface and such are not conducive for my children and wife. Also, I often get “the video format is not is not supported” even though all of my videos are mp4 transcoded through Handbrake.
All that aside, I have decided to repurpose a Windows 8.1 PC as a PMS only machine with all of the videos stored on my DS1815+. I would love to do just like your setup. You said…
” In my own personal Plex Media Server configuration, I have one of my Synology DS2413+’s Ethernet ports connected directly to the box running PMS. On the server, I map the Synology’s local IP address to a network drive and point PMS to exclusively to that location. I then connect the Synology to the rest of my network and the Internet via the second Ethernet port, so that I can access the NAS directly when adding new content or performing maintenance. This setup ensures that, regardless of what else is happening on my network, the media files will get from the NAS to the server unobstructed.”
I have two routers, one that runs a VPN, with DD-WRT on it and a second router bridged that runs Netgear firmware with no VPN and has all of my home entertainment stuff connected to it. My question is, and please pardon my ignorance on this topic because I really have no knowledge on networking, but how do I exactly map the Synology to a network drive and point PMS to that location and then have Synology connect to the Internet thorough the other connection. When I got it, I plugged it in, via the manual instructions, with both Ethernet cables, into port 1 and 2 of my non-vpn router. I am assuming the DS-1815+ is connecting to the Internet via both ports.
Thank you for your patience, time, and help with this matter.
All,
After a little research,
All,
After a little research, I was able to figure it out. I used this post, http://wolfig-techblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/connecting-ds212j-nas-directly-to.html, to figure out how to connect my PC directly to my Synology and set up Plex to read directly from it. Now I can transfer files in a jiffee. I used a USB 3.0 to Gigabit Ethernet Cat 6 cable and connected the USB end from my PC and plugged the Cat 6 end to Port 3 of my DS 1815+. Then I followed the steps in the post I cited to configure the PC and NAS to communicate using the setup. I then created a few mapped network drives using the IP addresses I created and then set up Plex to read directly from them. Plex has never worked faster!
Thanks to all for the help and insight.
I am surprised about hardware
I am surprised about hardware req.
If transcode the best idea is use graprhics card and support ARM procesors with MALI .. its all about power consumption.
I use BananaPi as NAS and i was planned to buy Ondroid C1 http://www.hardkernel.com.. but and use PMS. So .. as i was reading in an article its not possible 🙁
I have a question about
I have a question about running PMS on my Sinology DS412+. I currently have the plea package installed on NAS and running fine but when I launch the plea app within DSM the plex home screen opens in another browser window and at the top there is a message saying a plea media server upgrade is available Download now. Do I need to do the upgrade? Normally if there is an upgrade DSM notifies me in the Package Center. If I click on the Download it takes me to a screen asking if i want the NAS version or Computer Version. Seems like it wants to install on my Computer.
The official package from
The official package from Synology can be quite a bit behind the packages created by Plex. I almost always download the package from Plex and manually install it on the NAS. Just click on Manual Install in the Package Center and then browse to where you saved the downloaded package.
Hi guys, a lotal IT store
Hi guys, a lotal IT store sells something totally illegal: a modified ROKU player which connects to a remote server and gives you thousands of TV channels worldwide. We can all do this ourselves using Plex/XBMC/FreeNAS, etc. But the guy charges his clients $180 per year to unlock their Roku. Each year, a new set of codes is needed to keep the link to the remote server alive.
Note to all: I DO NOT WISH to setup a business doing this. It is illegal and I would never do something like this. But I’m curious how these guys operate. Did they put their servers in Costa Rica? Do they change them regularly? Do they need one media server (Plex/XBMC/other) PER client? Technically, how do you go from what everybody is doing here, having their own media servers with their own data, to having a paid customer base connect to your servers online to get their channels. I don’t believe that they stream films and other stuff from a server with terabytes of data. They only use their server as a relay to offer thousands of TV channels to their users.
Regards,
Maldoror
Wow what a terrible waste of
Wow what a terrible waste of time. Sorry man but your title should have been everyone look I am advertising for Plex. I came here hoping to learn the configuration of plex using multiple devises like readynas and such, but get an advertisement instead. Horrible…
It appears you didn’t click
It appears you didn’t click the link at the bottom of the context that says “Building a Plex Media Server”. This is just the first page where he gives an overview.
I don’t know about Plex….I
I don’t know about Plex….I tried to set it up and the whole process was such a hassle. I have way too much content to organize everything to make it so Plex doesn’t blow up. I prefer younity, giving me instant access to my home media server from all my iOS devices without any complicated setup. Once they have more platforms released, they’ll be a huge competitor to Plex. Has anyone else tried it?
What’s the best software for
What’s the best software for burning the entire dvd or Blu rays to the computer. Either free or pay software?..