NAS is on the way!!! C'mon, share what the heck you are doing!!

EndersShadow

@billbillw

I used Kodi as well but I've recently moved to Plex. Lot easier to setup and use.

D'prived

I prefer Plex to Kodi but for some reason I keep getting audio drop-outs with Plex on my FireTv and Kodi works just fine. I recently came across a Plex plug-in for Kodi which is really nice and a beautiful interface. It's called PlexBMC.

https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/106593/plexbmc-xbmc-add-on-to-connect-to-plex-media-server

http://kodi.wiki/view/Add-on:PleXBMC

billbillw

EndersShadow wrote: »

@billbillw

I used Kodi as well but I've recently moved to Plex. Lot easier to setup and use.

I don't see how Kodi is hard to setup, at least for local video playback.

I change very little from default settings. Just add my NAS Video folder as a source. Then go to the Videos>Files section and add one sub-folder for movies, select the movie scraper and it adds them all to the library with about 98% accuracy (estimate). I usually have to manually select a few movies. I do the same for a subfolder with TV shows (I like to archive my favorite HBO/Showtime series).

Maybe its because I have been using it for a couple years, but it is fast, easy and intuitive for me.

I always thought Plex was more complicated. Doesnt plex require a "plex server" running somewhere?

tophatjohnny

EndersShadow wrote: »

@billbillw

I used Kodi as well but I've recently moved to Plex. Lot easier to setup and use.

I have zero idea of what you're talking about, but I'm sure it has to be something you have integrated with your NAS??

Some have a NAS for a lot of things, I have my set up for 100% music? Doubt (but I could be wrong) this Kodi or Plex would be anything I would benefit from but all ears is my approach!

Right now my files are all accessible through 3 different options in the home and all 3 can even access the files at the same time with no issues, so with that...can it get better?? do tell!!!

EndersShadow

@billbillw

Yeah its easy to install, but then if you want to customize the way it looks and use a different skin and organize the library differently, and then create user accounts (so your kids dont see R rated movies on accident) its not as easy THEN....

Plex was a easy install, its on my Roku, Xbox One and other devices as a app, the look is conistent across all the players, and it looked nice and clean and was configured to show titles the way I wanted right out of the box.

Yes it does require a Plex server running, but thats running on the same HTPC that was running Kodi anyway. My HTPC uses very little power so I keep it running 24/7 since my goal is to setup Plex so my in-laws (who watch my kids during the day), as well as others can remote access and stream from my library. That option is also something Kodi cant do well.

The main feature for me is if I want to allow another room at my house to view my movies, all I need is a super cheap Roku and I'm done. Silent, small, easy to use and I've got access to ALL my movies. Yes you can do some of that with Kodi, but normally not without jailbreaking the device, and even then those devices aren't always super reliable..

@tophatjohnny

Plex and Kodi are kinda like MediaMonkey for movies AND music. They let you see titles, play them, etc. If your NAS is just for music, I'd stick to what your doing or MAYBE look into JRiver max...

tophatjohnny

EndersShadow wrote: »

@billbillw

Yeah its easy to install, but then if you want to customize the way it looks and use a different skin and organize the library differently, and then create user accounts (so your kids dont see R rated movies on accident) its not as easy THEN....

Plex was a easy install, its on my Roku, Xbox One and other devices as a app, the look is conistent across all the players, and it looked nice and clean and was configured to show titles the way I wanted right out of the box.

Yes it does require a Plex server running, but thats running on the same HTPC that was running Kodi anyway. My HTPC uses very little power so I keep it running 24/7 since my goal is to setup Plex so my in-laws (who watch my kids during the day), as well as others can remote access and stream from my library. That option is also something Kodi cant do well.

The main feature for me is if I want to allow another room at my house to view my movies, all I need is a super cheap Roku and I'm done. Silent, small, easy to use and I've got access to ALL my movies. Yes you can do some of that with Kodi, but normally not without jailbreaking the device, and even then those devices aren't always super reliable..

@tophatjohnny

Plex and Kodi are kinda like MediaMonkey for movies AND music. They let you see titles, play them, etc. If your NAS is just for music, I'd stick to what your doing or MAYBE look into JRiver max...

Ok Dan. yeah, I looked into jriver and it wasn't anything I could use. My set up is working real well. Maybe if someday i venture off into movies that may be a bet. Right now it's all tunage and more the merrier!! Thanks for the explanation. I was lost!!

GospelTruth

With the Synology NAS, you have a lot more options than I think you even know about right now.

With Plex, you can do both movies and music. It's just another way to have your library presented to you. I use it for both music and movies in our main living area. It's a nice way for my wife to see the music with a graphical interface. It's also great to have our movies ripped for the kids to watch as well. Is this the best way to listen to music and watch movies? Depends on your wants/needs.

We use a Roku to watch the movies and listen to the music and that is hooked directly to our receiver via HDMI, so the receiver is the DAC for us. I don't have a two channel setup right now due to life circumstances, but that's another story.

It's easy to install Plex on your Synology. Open the Package Center in the Synology console, look up Multimedia apps, scroll to Plex and click the install. Done. Give it a try and see how you like it. Not hard.



You will then need to open the Plex server on a web browser to add different "libraries" (folders) on your NAS. You can do this right from the Synology Package Center. Once you open it once, mark it as a favorite in your browser. You can create a library for your hi-rez music, one for movies, one for mp3s, photos or whatever. Once you create a library, Plex goes through and does the rest. You will of course need to create an account with Plex, but it's simple and easy to do. Here are some screen shots:




If you don't like the images that Plex brings in, you can add your own and tweak it.

Roku supports Plex as do other devices. The version you get is free, but if you want to you can buy the Plex application for $150 for a lifetime membership. This gives you the apps on your devices for free as well such iPhone and Android as well as better matching services. You can find out more on the Plex site. We use the free version.

With some extra steps you can watch/listen to your music from your NAS on your iPhone or Android via the Plex app. Additionally, you can use the DS Audio app that comes with your Synology NAS (and downloadable app on your phone) to play your music on the NAS to your phone or tablet.

To do these other things and access your NAS outside of the home, it helps to have your own personal URL. You can do this for $10 a year, not much for the extra benefits this gives you. If you want more information on this, I would be more than willing to write something up for folks here on how do that. I can listen to music on my NAS at work and in the car (your data phone rates apply here). Pretty nice.

Here are some things you can do with your Synology NAS.

• You can use DS Cloud to backup photos from your phone rather than paying for services like Apple Cloud.
• You can play your music or videos on your NAS anywhere on any supported device.
• You can set up your NAS to share photos with family and allow them to access your photos & music in read only mode. Or you can set up folders for family to upload their photos to your NAS.
• And on and on....

Hope this helps. Enjoy your NAS. It's a great way to store all your media!

Michael

billbillw

EndersShadow wrote: »

@billbillw

Yeah its easy to install, but then if you want to customize the way it looks and use a different skin and organize the library differently, and then create user accounts (so your kids dont see R rated movies on accident) its not as easy THEN....

Plex was a easy install, its on my Roku, Xbox One and other devices as a app, the look is conistent across all the players, and it looked nice and clean and was configured to show titles the way I wanted right out of the box.

Yes it does require a Plex server running, but thats running on the same HTPC that was running Kodi anyway. My HTPC uses very little power so I keep it running 24/7 since my goal is to setup Plex so my in-laws (who watch my kids during the day), as well as others can remote access and stream from my library. That option is also something Kodi cant do well.

The main feature for me is if I want to allow another room at my house to view my movies, all I need is a super cheap Roku and I'm done. Silent, small, easy to use and I've got access to ALL my movies. Yes you can do some of that with Kodi, but normally not without jailbreaking the device, and even then those devices aren't always super reliable..

@tophatjohnny

Plex and Kodi are kinda like MediaMonkey for movies AND music. They let you see titles, play them, etc. If your NAS is just for music, I'd stick to what your doing or MAYBE look into JRiver max...

@EndersShadow
You got me on the user accounts and restrictions. For the most part, my kids have no interest in watching anything other than the kids movies that they know are on there.

Other than that, Kodi (OpenElec) does everything you say with very little tweaking. All my movies are hosted on the NAS, so any Kodibox on the network can play them easily. There are a number of skins and looks to the library. I have no idea what you mean about jailbreaking a Kodi device. They are not locked down at all. It is open-source software.

I'm sure Plex has some advantages and my Tivo has it built in. Possibly some day I will look into running a server or see if I can have it run on my NAS. For now, Kodi does what I want.

SCompRacer

I have Plex on my Sonore Linux based music server. Also have MinimServer. Not a flashy site but great software. MinimServer available, UPnP AV standard.

http://minimserver.com/

mrbiron

What is the cheapest NAS that you can buy that'll support hi rez movie playback via Plex. I briefly, have been reading up on Synology NAS's for an HT media server and quite a few threads have mentioned they might not have the horsepower. Anyone care to elaborate?

I think if you're savvy enough, you could almost build a media pc for the same price as a good NAS.

Thoughts?

EndersShadow

mrbiron wrote: »

What is the cheapest NAS that you can buy that'll support hi rez movie playback via Plex. I briefly, have been reading up on Synology NAS's for an HT media server and quite a few threads have mentioned they might not have the horsepower. Anyone care to elaborate?

I think if you're savvy enough, you could almost build a media pc for the same price as a good NAS.

Thoughts?

That's what Ryan @ZLTFUL and I did.

mrbiron

Well.....that's kind of what I want to do. I pulled out my dinosaur.......then I pulled out my aged PC.
I was wondering what I could salvage....not much. It has an old AMD X2 4800 which was a beast in its day. Too bad you can't find socket 939s anymore or I'd just reuse it. Has a BFG 8800, sound blaster fx card, etc...

If I could build a media PC for around $350, I'm a do it. But haven't kept up with the tech and don't know what's out there.

mrbiron

Yes, that's cooler master cosmos 1000 is a HOUSE of a case!

mrbiron

Oh.....so yeah, that pc is dead. I couldn't get it to turn on 7 years ago and just walked away from it. After scouring it yesterday, I found a bulged cap on the Asus A8N 32 Sli deluxe board. Maybe the culprit? Gotta go new! Rut roh

EndersShadow

@mrbiron

Depends on what your needs are going to be long term...

The thing is the storage is the pricey part... 4TB = 150 a pop give or take......

I've got 360 in JUST storage for my NAS... but the actual parts... well I could give you my wishlist and assuming you go all new (minus the case), your in it for 360 from newegg for a good mobo (1151 socket), i5 3.3 chip, 8 gig of DDR 3 RAM, a SSD for your OS and a decent PSU... If you "need" a blu-ray drive add another 40 and your at about 400 all said and done before storage...

So the parts for the computer aren't the issues its the price of storage...

Yes you could go with 2 TB drives and save some, but you only have so many SATA slots, so I'd opt for the highest storage capacity you can and just keep adding drives as you can....

And for 400 your not too much over if any from the price of a decent NAS minus storage......

So its all about what you need..... My HTPC pulls duty as my Plex server for all my movies, and as a backup computer if needed. I put a blu-ray drive on it so I can rip directly to it no fuss no muss..... I access the library using PLEX off my Xbox One.

Eventually it will move to my office on top my old trusty computer I use for more MS Office/web browsing/picture/document storage.......

The last thing I will do is to buy a 1TB SSD when the prices go down and move my music to that drive and then load the squeezebox server on it and move it off my old computer (from which I am tying this post lol)....

mrbiron

Quick rundown.
- I have 400dvds. Re subscribe to netflix.
- I need to backup thousands of pictures and videos of kido, (s) when 2nd arrives in 4 months.
- like you did, easy access to kids movies is a big winner!
- document backup
- My music, well, I have essentially none. When I was a dumbarse in college, I had 300ish cds stolen. Couldn't afford to rebuy so I have none.
- no gaming

Have a 250gb ssd. Brand new. Bought wrong size to upgrade laptop.
Will WANT a bluray drive.
I think I still have a license for Windows 7 somewhere.
I have a 3TB with a bunch of trance/dub step that will be my starting point. (Thanks )
I have some smaller drives I can use for documents and such. The case will hold 6.

EndersShadow

mrbiron wrote: »

Quick rundown.
- I have 400dvds. Re subscribe to netflix.
- I need to backup thousands of pictures and videos of kido, (s) when 2nd arrives in 4 months.
- like you did, easy access to kids movies is a big winner!
- document backup
- My music, well, I have essentially none. When I was a dumbarse in college, I had 300ish cds stolen. Couldn't afford to rebuy so I have none.
- no gaming

Have a 250gb ssd. Brand new. Bought wrong size to upgrade laptop.
Will WANT a bluray drive.
I think I still have a license for Windows 7 somewhere.
I have a 3TB with a bunch of trance/dub step that will be my starting point. (Thanks )
I have some smaller drives I can use for documents and such. The case will hold 6.

Quick comments...

A DVD is about 5-7 gigs that's it.... A blu ray is about 30..... So DVDs ain't shlt for space so your golden....

Backing up pictures.... BUY AN EXTERNAL DRIVE... DO NOT use ONLY internal drives lol... I have a internal backup drive in my old computer that automatically runs weekly...

And then monthly I backup that same data to a 640 gig drive (the one I pulled from my laptop when I put in the SSD)....

So if we get hit with power that drive is safe.... I give it to my parents between backups too so it's not physically here too...

So give me a holler when your ready... Also as a FYI... If you don't compress the movies using handbrake, you can save on the CPU since you don't need the horsepower..... Might be better to not but it's possible...if your streaming to more than 2 devices at once you want the bigger CPU....

SCompRacer

Computer Audiophile has a comprehensive guide to HiFi UPnP / DLNA Network Audio.

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/524-complete-guide-hifi-upnp-dlna-network-audio/

mrbiron

EndersShadow wrote: »

So give me a holler when your ready...

https://youtu.be/xJMD5R8stRc

billbillw

EndersShadow wrote: »

Quick comments...

A DVD is about 5-7 gigs that's it.... A blu ray is about 30..... So DVDs ain't shlt for space so your golden....

Use Handbrake and you can get those DVDs down to about 1-2GB and Blurays will go down to 5-13GB. Not a noticeable loss in video quality. That's keeping lossless audio on the Blurays too. If you only keep the AC3/DTS, then it would be 2-4GB less on most movies.

westmassguy

billbillw wrote: »

EndersShadow wrote: »

Quick comments...

A DVD is about 5-7 gigs that's it.... A blu ray is about 30..... So DVDs ain't shlt for space so your golden....

Use Handbrake and you can get those DVDs down to about 1-2GB and Blurays will go down to 5-13GB. Not a noticeable loss in video quality. That's keeping lossless audio on the Blurays too. If you only keep the AC3/DTS, then it would be 2-4GB less on most movies.

I use Handbrake with the x.265 HEVC codec. Smaller file size than x.264 AVC, with better quality.

billbillw

westmassguy wrote: »

I use Handbrake with the x.265 HEVC codec. Smaller file size than x.264 AVC, with better quality.

Yeah, but how much more time does it take to compress, and how much more powerful does your device need to be to play it back?
There is always a tradeoff.

EndersShadow

westmassguy wrote: »

billbillw wrote: »

EndersShadow wrote: »

Quick comments...

A DVD is about 5-7 gigs that's it.... A blu ray is about 30..... So DVDs ain't shlt for space so your golden....

Use Handbrake and you can get those DVDs down to about 1-2GB and Blurays will go down to 5-13GB. Not a noticeable loss in video quality. That's keeping lossless audio on the Blurays too. If you only keep the AC3/DTS, then it would be 2-4GB less on most movies.

I use Handbrake with the x.265 HEVC codec. Smaller file size than x.264 AVC, with better quality.

billbillw wrote: »

westmassguy wrote: »

I use Handbrake with the x.265 HEVC codec. Smaller file size than x.264 AVC, with better quality.

Yeah, but how much more time does it take to compress, and how much more powerful does your device need to be to play it back?
There is always a tradeoff.

Thats why I dont compress it. You have to worry about the processing power on the other end, and have to factor in the time to process those files when compressing and I've seen some instances where it creates artifacts which means you need to re-rip and check settings to process it again, etc...

For me I'm lazy, storage is cheapish... when I get to where I'm maxed out at 16 gigs of stored movies, I will either start moving some of the ones I dont care about to external drives, or just deleting them.... I also only rip the blu-ray version of the GOOD movies.... The Notebook (my wifes so you dont get any ideas), DVD... LOTR.... blu-ray lol...

Or talk to Ryan about a better solution like he has with his 250 TB of storage lol...

westmassguy

billbillw wrote: »

westmassguy wrote: »

I use Handbrake with the x.265 HEVC codec. Smaller file size than x.264 AVC, with better quality.

Yeah, but how much more time does it take to compress, and how much more powerful does your device need to be to play it back?
There is always a tradeoff.

Absolutely. My 8 core, overclocked FX CPU needs twice as much time versus AVC.
I have an HTPC running Windows 7 Media Center. Quad Core Phenom, with a decent, Budget Video Card, and have no issues.

billbillw

westmassguy wrote: »

Absolutely. My 8 core, overclocked FX CPU needs twice as much time versus AVC.
I have an HTPC running Windows 7 Media Center. Quad Core Phenom, with a decent, Budget Video Card, and have no issues.

I do most of my playback on a couple low power Chromeboxes running OpenElec. They have Haswell dual core Celeron processors (2955/2975). They don't have hardware acceleration for H.265, but they do for H.264. I have played some H.265 material on them, but I think it was only 720p sourced from the web. The CPU usage was pretty high.

I may experiment on my next bluray encode to see if they will play 1080p in H.265 without stuttering.

billbillw

EndersShadow wrote: »

Thats why I dont compress it. You have to worry about the processing power on the other end, and have to factor in the time to process those files when compressing and I've seen some instances where it creates artifacts which means you need to re-rip and check settings to process it again, etc...

For me I'm lazy, storage is cheapish... when I get to where I'm maxed out at 16 gigs of stored movies, I will either start moving some of the ones I dont care about to external drives, or just deleting them.... I also only rip the blu-ray version of the GOOD movies.... The Notebook (my wifes so you dont get any ideas), DVD... LOTR.... blu-ray lol...

Or talk to Ryan about a better solution like he has with his 250 TB of storage lol...

Any device from the last 10 years should be able to play back H.264 compressed media without trouble. I have never had issues with playback of a compressed H.264 file. However, I did have network bandwidth issues on one of my original HTPCs that only had 10/100 network speed when I tried to play an uncompressed (30GB) bluray rip. I have since upgraded all my stuff to gigabit ethernet. I still like to shrink the files though.

As I said, always a tradeoff. I take about 1-hr to encode my movies. That takes them from 30GB to usually less than 10GB. I don't care how cheap storage is, I'll take a 3-times the storage any day for an hour per movie.

I haven't had a botched encode job since I started using the combination of MakeMKV and Handbrake. Not a single noticeable video artifact in more than 3 years and well over 100 movies. I did see artifacts way back when I used Nero Re-code.

GospelTruth

mrbiron wrote: »

What is the cheapest NAS that you can buy that'll support hi rez movie playback via Plex. I briefly, have been reading up on Synology NAS's for an HT media server and quite a few threads have mentioned they might not have the horsepower. Anyone care to elaborate?

I think if you're savvy enough, you could almost build a media pc for the same price as a good NAS.

Thoughts?

The Synology route will depend on some things. I have an older model DS 212j with 4TB of disk in it. I rip all my movies to H.264 (mp4) using MKV and handbrake. I run Plex on this NAS with 200+ movies as well as music, photos and a software repository. My Synology (and most) will not transcode movies to another format through Plex as they don't have the horsepower for that. That is why I rip to the H.264 file standard as most devices use this and no trans-coding is needed when playing the files. I use Roku players in the house to watch the movies and they can handle the H.264 format natively. I can watch a DVD rip upstairs and downstairs at the same time on two different devices with no issues. One is a wired connection and the other is wireless.

I think the biggest issue for using a Synology NAS is the transcoding issue. If you are saving your files as MKV and putting those files on the Plex, then most devices will need to transcode to play them. The Synology's are not typically capable of doing that. Additionally, getting one of the 215play or 415play models doesn't help with the transcoding with regards to Plex - only with the Synology DS Video application. The only one I've read that has the horsepower to transcode is the 415+, but even then you have to tweek Plex so that it does the transcoding (and it's $599 without disk).

When looking at Synology, it's a good idea to see what devices you plan on hooking up to the NAS and see what file formats are supported. If your media is in the format your devices can use natively, then no transcoding is needed and you are good to go. If you need to transcode, then that may suggest you need to go another route other than Synology. My only weak link is my Amazon Fire. It won't play my H.264 files and requires a transcode. I just live with not being able to play video on it through Plex. Not the end of the world for us.

I've worked with computers my whole life and work in the software industry. I've built my own computers as well(using the same beefy Cosmos case you have). While I like to tinker around, having two kids under 3 now and other demands of life just doesn't give me the time to tinker with creating my own NAS from scratch or a HTPC for that matter. The Synology solution was simple. Here are some of my main reasons for going this route:

1. Simple build
2. Great user Interface
3. Low power consumption.
4. Small form factor.
5. Built in applications (Plex, Web Server, DS Audio) and can use DS Audio to play music from the NAS to my iPhone while in the car or at work. No need to store my music on my iPhone via iTunes - I have my whole collection at my disposal wherever I am provided I have internet access.
6. Easy maintenance (upgrades)

As you've read here, some folks like to make their own NAS. It's a great option as well if you have the time and inclination. There is no right/wrong way to go here. Do what your budget and time will allow.

mrbiron

All I'm looking to run video to is one of 4 items in my house.
Xbox One
2 Amazon Fire Tvs
Amazon Fire Kindle

So I'll have to figure out the common format or the HTPC will transcode and I won't have a problem?

I should note, I ran cat5 to all bedrooms, living and man cave, when I first moved in, so I shouldnt have to worry about bandwidth issues......shouldnt.

EndersShadow

@mrbiron

PLEX if you can run that app on it will handle all that jazz for you.... I'd see if you can install PLEX on the Amazon stuff, I know my Xbox One has it as does my super old Roku, and my kids LG Tablet + my Dell tablet all can run it in some format...

The thing is the Amazon fire TV's and Kindle end up deciding what format it goes into as Plex will see it cant handle say for instance 1080p and will downsample to 720p so it shows right, etc...

mrbiron

Plex is on the kindle, one, and fire tv now. CHECK
Now I need to get my read on about a processor. It's the starting point of this whole build. I would like to go with the latest and greatest socket build but know that might cost more dinero.

Still an AMD fanboy at heart...but will convert for the right price/performance ratio.