
- Plex media server on external hard drive setup install#
- Plex media server on external hard drive setup android#
- Plex media server on external hard drive setup software#
- Plex media server on external hard drive setup tv#
- Plex media server on external hard drive setup windows#
Some of the client apps have a nominal one time activation fee a few dollars (e.g. Most of the client apps have always been free.
Plex media server on external hard drive setup software#
The Plex media server software has always been free. One thing that has been a source of perennial confusion regarding Plex is whether or not it is free–and a big amount of this confusion hinges on the fact that the mobile apps have an “activiation fee”.
Plex media server on external hard drive setup windows#
You can find a Plex app for just about every platform you can imagine: Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Apple TV, Roku, and more. And for that, you need the Plex client to access the server. While you can play the media from the server’s web-based control panel, it’s like watching Netflix in your web browser–most people prefer to sit down in their living room or watch on their mobile devices. The other half is the “client” app, or the app you do all the watching from. The server just one half of the Plex system. You can check out the available platforms for the server software here. Best case scenario, you find that the old hardware works fine and you avoid purchasing any new gear. Worst case scenario, you find that file playback is unsatisfactory. If you already have some hardware laying around you aren’t using, by all means give it a shot.
Plex media server on external hard drive setup tv#
Lastly, you’ll want a lot of hard drive space–enough to store all the movies, TV shows, music, and photos you have. You can read over their hardware recommendations here. Plex recommend at least an Intel i3 processor (or equivalent) or better with at least 2GB of RAM (RAM isn’t particularly important to Plex). So, you’ll want as beefy of a CPU as you can spare. Plex media server still works on older hardware but it will automatically disable transcoding if the hardware is insufficient, and playback will suffer and stutter on really old or under-powered hardware. The more users you expect to be watching at once, the better hardware you want. In addition to always being on, you’ll want the server computer to have a decent amount of processing power to handle the aforementioned transcoding. There’s no point in having a comprehensive streaming solution for all your personal media needs if, when you go to access it, the content is offline. But regardless of what platform you choose, it’ll have to be a computer that’s always turned on.
Plex media server on external hard drive setup install#
You can install Plex on Windows, Linux, OS X, and even on dedicated server software like FreeNAS and on NAS hardware like the Synology system (you can see all their supported platforms for the Media Server app here). The Plex media library as seen from the Apple TV Plex app.įirst and foremost, you need a computer that houses all the files and runs Plex Media Server. That sounds pretty great, huh? Not only do you get on-demand streaming to all your devices but you get absolutely beautiful metadata and art to go along with it. In short, running Plex is like running your own private and polished streaming service, where you’re the one curating the library. Want to hook your new smart TV right into your media collection without any additional hardware? Buy the right TV and that’s no problem either. Want to watch it on your laptop at your in-laws’ house? Also no problem. Want to watch your TV show in the backyard on your iPhone? No problem.

Your Plex server will, transcode all your media content on the fly, so that it plays properly on whatever device you’re using. Then, from any of those devices, you can remotely access your entire media library and watch it with no hassle.įurther, because the Plex model is a server/client one, you don’t have to worry about copying files to your various devices and dealing with issues like playback quality, video resolution, and other details.

Plex media server on external hard drive setup android#
You can install it on Windows, Linux, or Mac computers as well as Android and iOS, video game consoles like Xbox and PlayStation, your Apple TV, and there are even smart TVs that come with Plex built right in. The Plex model is simple: you park all your media on a single computer with the Plex server software installed, and then you install Plex on on all your other devices. Plex is a centralized media server system that eliminates virtually every problem you run into while managing a large personal media collection.

Even for serious geeks with a lot of experience managing their media, it’s a huge pain to get all your devices talking and accessing the same collection. It doesn’t have to be that way, though.
