The best equipment to do Plex Media Server

If you own a large collection of movies, TV shows, music and want to access it on all your devices, Plex is one of the best solutions.

To boot the system, you need to designate at least one of your devices as a server. But what is the best device to use as a Plex Media Server?

In this article, TipsMake.com takes you through several options, as well as lists the pros and cons of each device.

What is Plex Media Server?

Plex has two applications for Plex Media Server and Plex Media Player .

Plex Media Server is responsible for accessing videos and sending them to Plex Media Player applications on other devices.

The device on which you are running the Plex Media Server application needs to have access to all videos and run 24/7.

Plex Media Server is available for free on Windows, Mac, Linux, NAS drives and Docker. In addition, there is a unique Android TV version. Plex Media Player is available on everything from Amazon Alexa to Oculus Go.

1. Download Plex Media Server (Free).

What is the best device to use as a Plex Media Server?

Users face a huge number of options. You can run the Plex Media Server application on laptops, desktops, mini PCs, Android TV devices, Raspberry Pi, network storage drives or any other device where you can install Linux. .

Let's take a look at some of the pros and cons of each device.

1. Laptop

One of the most important things Plex Media Server needs is CPU power. Without enough power, the server will struggle to transcode (transcode) videos and will not be able to handle multiple concurrent users.

As such, antique laptops, not enough power will not be suitable for this task. However, if the device you own is not very old, you can consider using it.

The article discourages running Plex on the main laptop. Overheating can quickly become a problem. If you use an old laptop, make sure you buy a heat sink.

2. Desktop

The most significant benefit of using desktop is power. Even a mid-range desktop can comfortably handle everything that Plex throws at it.

If you expect many people to be able to access your Plex Media Server at the same time, this is probably the best solution.

However, be careful when using the main computer. You won't want to stop halfway through working on an important document for someone to use, because your wife and kids are watching Plex on other monitors.

3. Mini computer

Mini PCs are often overlooked when reviewing a list of devices that can be used as potential Plex Media Server. They have a few important benefits over regular desktops.

These benefits include lower power consumption, lower costs if you buy a new device and often have lower noise.

Mini PCs also create a perfect combination of size and portability. Sure, they won't fit in your pocket, but easily attach to the back or place in a TV shelf.

There are dozens of mini computers available with a range of specifications and prices.

4. Android TV

Plex has been unable to use Android devices as a media server, since the Plex Media Center application stopped working several years ago.

However, there is an exception. That is the Nvidia Shield. Nvidia has entered into a unique partnership with Plex and devices that can act as Plex Media Servers.

And because both regular Nvidia Shield and Pro versions have USB ports, you can easily connect an external hard drive containing all your movies and TV shows and stream content. You do not need to move your library to Nvidia Shield.

Unfortunately, Nvidia Shield has a potential drawback. Some users have reported that this device is not suitable for very large libraries. Some people complain about not having enough space to stream 4K, while others say that creating thumbnails (thumbnails) consumes a lot of memory.

5. Raspberry Pi

Raspberry Pi devices have their own advantages and disadvantages when used with the Plex Media Server application.

The most notable disadvantage is the lack of CPU power. The Raspberry Pi 2 has a 900 MHz quad-core Cortex-A7 CPU along with 1GB RAM. Raspberry Pi 3 uses 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A53 CPU and 1GB RAM.

These parameters are not sufficient to meet the requirements proposed for Plex, for Media Server application: Intel Core i3 processor and at least 2GB of RAM.

However, the Raspberry Pi also has some great advantages, most notably portability. On the web there are many users looking for advice on the best low-cost device to use as a Plex Media Server in hotels and offices. Raspberry Pi is probably the best solution. Just don't expect to transcode 4K content.

If you have an unused spare Raspberry Pi, turn it into a Plex Media Server. Remember that you have more ways to turn a Raspberry Pi into a media server and one of those is using Emby.

6. NAS drive

For those who need to access all Plex content remotely, NAS drives are probably the best option. Too many people have complained about the unreliability in the Plex Media Server application, when it was used on laptops or desktop computers.

As a company, Plex attaches great importance to the promotion of its NAS drive solutions. Custom versions are available for NAS drives from Synology, Netgear, QNAP, unRAID, Drobo, Asustor, Seagate, Western Digital and TerraMaster.

However, before you enter the store to find a product, there are a few things you need to consider. According to Plex, NAS drives will need an x86 CPU. And if you buy an ARM model, the transcode feature will not be available. Therefore, you will need to make sure your video media file is saved in a format that Plex Media Player can support.

For the most universal playback capabilities, Plex recommends an MP4 container, H.264 video codec, AAC audio and a bitrate of less than 8Mbps.

If you want a NAS drive for Plex, the article recommends QNAP TS-453Be 4-Bay Professional NAS, Synology DS218play and TerraMaster F4-220 4-Bay NAS.

What is the best device to make Plex Media Server?

If you are a regular viewer, you can use Plex on your main computers without worry. More serious users should consider using a dedicated old computer or a minicomputer. Anyone who travels a lot should buy a Raspberry Pi. And if remote access is important to you, consider buying a NAS drive.

Wish you find yourself a suitable choice!