Options for a newbie

Mimikyu

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Mimikyu

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Johnboy1951

Will you need full HD? 1920x1080

Will you need a HDMI connection to the TV?

I am using a self build with an Intel G630 CPU 2.7 Ghz and get full HD without problems.

(Strangely Openelec sees the CPU as a Quad Core Q9450 )
EDIT: I'm an idiot! I tried to check the CPU from a different PC, so XBMC reported the CPU in the PC I checked from

I got that CPU in the expectation I might have to upgrade it, but am happy I didn't.


Of the two you linked to, I would be inclined to go for the Acer .... and hope the CPU is strong enough for what you want to use it for ....... especially if you have other uses in mind for the PC.

I would be inclined to back up the Win install and then wipe it and use something else .... like Openelec with XBMC ..... a 'lightweight' operating system that does not hog resources.

Others no doubt would have a different approach

Mimikyu

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Johnboy1951

I don't know what the Acer is like for noise (such as fan noise) or whether that might be a consideration.

Probably depends on location as much as anything else.

Gran Hermano

Have a read of this thread, delighted with mine.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=83494519

Mimikyu

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DubDJ

I've been looking into a similar situation as yours. I've only just start using plex and I'm loving it. I prefer it over XBMC and think it's the choice for me.

What I'm thinking of is a nice NAS system. Been looking into the Synology DS213j. It seems to support Plex but I'm not sure if its powerful enough to do the transcoding. But I've wanted a wireless backup solution and the Synology supports Plex, Time Machine and a lot of great apps to go along with it. Just so much to it, I'm really inclined towards this over an HTPC.

It's small, looks great and it's a great energy saver so I've no hesitation leaving it plugged in 24/7. Also I've only seem great reviews too.

This might be a suitable option for you especially if backup would appeal to you. Just curious does anybody here run Plex Media Server on the 213j and if so is it powerful enough to transcode full HD movies.

Mimikyu

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DubDJ

Captain Morgan wrote: »

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Did you install Plex media server on it and if so how well is it playing? What you got kinda is a NAS system so I'd like to get a general idea of how well it works.

Mimikyu

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Captain Pike

I too am thinking of setting up a home network for media sharing but to be quite honest, I am a complete novice and Im not afraid to say ignorant in the ways of home networks and NAS. What I was thinking of doing is get a NAS device (Synology DS213J 2), Store my media on that, install PLEX on it as the server and plug into my router, then connect a Roku device, plugged into this network as the client and play my media on the tv thru that??
My questions to you, does that make sense? Do I need a laptop turned on all the time in conjunction with the NAS or can I put PLEX on the NAS? Does a NAS come with storage on it or do you have to buy that separate??
Any help would be greatly appreciated,
thanking u
Pike

DubDJ

Captain Pike wrote: »

I too am thinking of setting up a home network for media sharing but to be quite honest, I am a complete novice and Im not afraid to say ignorant in the ways of home networks and NAS. What I was thinking of doing is get a NAS device (Synology DS213J 2), Store my media on that, install PLEX on it as the server and plug into my router, then connect a Roku device, plugged into this network as the client and play my media on the tv thru that??
My questions to you, does that make sense? Do I need a laptop turned on all the time in conjunction with the NAS or can I put PLEX on the NAS? Does a NAS come with storage on it or do you have to buy that separate??
Any help would be greatly appreciated,
thanking u
Pike

What you are thinking is correct, the NAS will take over the job of your laptop. And you can then stream all your media from the NAS box to your Roku box with Plex server on the NAS and Plex Media Player on the Roku. No laptop needed in this situation, it also eats up a lot less electricity as the NAS is designed with low power consumption in mind.

You can buy the NAS with a hard drive built in but your probably better off buying separately as it's usually cheaper and it's simple to just slot the HDD in yourself. No hassle at all so worth the saving.

Captain Pike

Thank you for the reply and advice,
nice to know im on the right path. Is their a min spec Nas I need? To allow for transcoding, the plan being at a later stage for my wife to be able to use her ipad and iphone to watch content on the move. Whereas in the house the Roku can handle nearly all files but iv read if I want to transfer to devices I might need to allow for transcoding?
Many thanks,
Capt. P

DubDJ

Captain Pike wrote: »

Thank you for the reply and advice,
nice to know im on the right path. Is their a min spec Nas I need? To allow for transcoding, the plan being at a later stage for my wife to be able to use her ipad and iphone to watch content on the move. Whereas in the house the Roku can handle nearly all files but iv read if I want to transfer to devices I might need to allow for transcoding?
Many thanks,
Capt. P

That's the bit I'm unsure about. I think I've my mind set on the DS 213j but I'm not sure how it's going to handle transcoding files for playback on different devices. It has plenty of processing power and RAM compared to some of the other models. Still haven't found much about how well Plex runs.

Twiki

The DS213j does not run Plex. You can see the full compatability list here.

As a general rule, Plex would need an x86 cpu for transcoding - the ARMs aren't up to it.

Delboy5

Did any of you guys make progress with a NAS that supports Plex Media Server.
I want to buy a NAS, but i want to install plex server on the NAS and cut out the PC\laptop...

Any suggestions?

DubDJ

Delboy5 wrote: »

Did any of you guys make progress with a NAS that supports Plex Media Server.
I want to buy a NAS, but i want to install plex server on the NAS and cut out the PC\laptop...

Any suggestions?

Only yesterday I ordered the newest 2014 model of the Synology Diskstation. Went for a DS214. I emailed them and they said it supports Plex, however they do have a 214play model which is made especially for media streaming and mainly transcoding. Pretty impressive specs on it too. I went for the standard DS214 as it was over €100 cheaper and I don't think I'll be transcoding too much.

Hopefully have it sometime next week.

Delboy5

DubDJ wrote: »

Only yesterday I ordered the newest 2014 model of the Synology Diskstation. Went for a DS214. I emailed them and they said it supports Plex, however they do have a 214play model which is made especially for media streaming and mainly transcoding. Pretty impressive specs on it too. I went for the standard DS214 as it was over €100 cheaper and I don't think I'll be transcoding too much.

Hopefully have it sometime next week.

Thanks for the info.

Where did you order it from?
The majority of files i have are avi and mkv(mostly 480p i think), would the DS214 be enough for me...

DubDJ

Delboy5 wrote: »

Thanks for the info.

Where did you order it from?
The majority of files i have are avi and mkv(mostly 480p i think), would the DS214 be enough for me...

AFAIK you need to find out what your box will play (the one with Plex Media Player) and then your NAS will transcode what is needed and just directly send the other types that won't need transcoding.

I ordered mine through Flubit, which is a site that finds a cheaper price than Amazon.co.uk and offers you the option to buy or not. You will also need Parcel Motel for it to be delivered to Ireland.

If thats too much hassle for you then you can always buy directly from Amazon. Amazon haven't got anymore available at the moment and only offer it through resellers but if you wait a few days they should be back again at £225. Through Flubit I paid around €252 which is the lowest price I found. Next to that Amazon selling at £225 (€270) is probably the best price.

Delboy5

DubDJ wrote: »

AFAIK you need to find out what your box will play (the one with Plex Media Player) and then your NAS will transcode what is needed and just directly send the other types that won't need transcoding.

I ordered mine through Flubit, which is a site that finds a cheaper price than Amazon.co.uk and offers you the option to buy or not. You will also need Parcel Motel for it to be delivered to Ireland.

If thats too much hassle for you then you can always buy directly from Amazon. Amazon haven't got anymore available at the moment and only offer it through resellers but if you wait a few days they should be back again at £225. Through Flubit I paid around €252 which is the lowest price I found. Next to that Amazon selling at £225 (€270) is probably the best price.

Let us know how you get on with yours when you receive it and set it up, what disk drives you go for ?
Western Digital RED seem to be highly regarded...

DubDJ

Delboy5 wrote: »

Let us know how you get on with yours when you receive it and set it up, what disk drives you go for ?
Western Digital RED seem to be highly regarded...

I ordered through Flubit via Parcel motel last Wednesday. It arrived in my Parcel Motel Saturday around 10pm. Collected on Sunday but unfortunately it didn't allow me to setup with an external drive. I didn't realise and I had looked into it but it looked like I could set it up without any internal HDD.

So I ordered one of the Red Western Digital ones that you mentioned and just waiting on it to be delivered. Cost around €100 everywhere so I just picked it up on Amazon. Ordered yesterday so I'm hoping it might get here for Friday. If not it'll probably be Monday.

They introduced a new model the other day. It's like an introductory version with lower specs (214se). It might be worth looking into. It's a lot less price wise and might be enough for your needs. I wanted mine future proofed to last me a while so I went for the 214 model.

Delboy5

Are you going to install Plex Server on the NAS box then? What plex clients will you use to access it then?

Sorry for all the questions........just trying to get my head around the setup i need before i purchase, thanks!

DubDJ

Delboy5 wrote: »

Are you going to install Plex Server on the NAS box then? What plex clients will you use to access it then?

Sorry for all the questions........just trying to get my head around the setup i need before i purchase, thanks!

Yeah I plan on installing Plex media server and streaming it to my NowTV box. Also have an Apple TV which I'll probably stream to as well.

This is all still very new to me as well so im hoping it all runs smoothly. Amazon are taking forever to ship the hard drive so looks like i'll be waiting until next week for it. Ordered 4 days ago and still hasn't shipped for some reason. So until them there's nothing I can so with the NAS.