I'm wondering about starting a media server. I'm struggling with why though. We have lots a streaming services. Would something like Plex just be a local version? Then we would need to fill it with our own stuff.
I call it the three Cs; Cost, Control, and Convenience.
Cost: you don't need to be subscribed to a service (or multiple services) to watch movies you already own
Control: nobody can update a licensing deal and expire your access to a given title
Convenience: not having to mess with disks to watch the movies. Mine have lived in a bin in the basement for years.
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I use Kodi which is very similar. It's great if you have lots of material, especially TV series.
The skins are very customisable and with the many add-ons it can become a central hub for all your media.
Linked to Hubitat with a Harmony remote or similar solution, the possibilities become endless.
For example, my arrive home routine will wake my PC, turn on the TV, set the correct input/volume and then start a Kodi add-on called LazyTV which creates and plays a random playlist of TV shows from my collection.
Even if you don't own much content you can still link Netflix etc. to it, as well as music making it a central repository for all your media needs.
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I Use Kodi as I could never get on with Plex.
Love the 3 C's. Bloody brilliant!!!!!
I think this is more age related. If your older, then you have a physical collection. record, cd, dvd, etc. If you are younger then streaming is more popular.
Also if you like dj mixed electronic or live rock albums then music streaming services are really poor.
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I also use Kodi and have used it for years. I agree with @BinaryHackerMan above. My Kodi system runs flawlessly and I have complete control over every aspect of it. I have a whole-home audio system and Kodi is the music backbone for that entire system. I do not use it for streaming video or any of the video services. I strictly use it for music database management. I have nearly 8,000 mp3s that it manages. I set it up and I have not had to touch it for over a year now. It just works. I did dabble with Plex years ago. As I recall, the two systems are quite similar.
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I use it as i still have tivos and go away for 6 months of the year.. other than pay channels i can pull the shows myself and my wife like off the tivo and they are available on plex on watch when we are remote.. otherwise both in fl and mi i would have to pay for cable again.. or try to watch on the stupid network streams not not be able to skip adds.
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Kodi also has a great Android app called Yatse which, apart from having all Kodi functions and a good interface, also has Tasker integration.
Tied to Hubitat with Autoremote I can use rules to direct my music stream to other devices around the house, a poor man's Sonos system I guess.
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Yes, forgot to mention Yatse. Great app.
I’ve used various kit and services over the years. Movies and TV are stored on my NAS. Initially I was using Dune HD media players. They would play virtually all video and audio formats (prior to 4K and HDR) and I used Zappiti on Windows for the skinner/video wall. I swapped out the Dune HD and tried Kodi for a time but it wasn’t for me - it didn’t combine well with the Android media player I was using. Sometimes I was having to mess around with settings between titles to get the audio working or I was getting frame stutter as the box would not support 24 fps (only 23.976)
Now I only use Apple TV 4K and it’s great. I have Infuse Pro running on it and it plays all my stored TV and movies perfectly. Full uncompressed LPCM sound support for all formats. The video wall is updated automatically with no need to run any extra software - it just works.
I do download a lot of content. A lot of the best TV shows from the US are not available in the UK. Before the Paramount service started you couldn’t get Yellowstone. Mayor of Kingstown etc. I can’t even get Blue Bloods without downloading it. These days most of the best TV comes from the states. I browse around on IMDB looking for stuff that’s rated well. I loved Dark Winds which is also unavailable here.
Agreed. I enjoyed 1883, but Deadwood is still my fav.
The Outlaws was very funny...from your side of the pond.
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I like all of the western type shows. Another one that never arrived in the UK was Hell on Wheels which we liked. I never did see Deadwood but I'm going to try and get hold of it now and see what it's like 18 years on.
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I use plex to handle our movies and our tv shows. Music? Not so much since we use spotify... The interface is well designed. If you have your own DVD's that you want to rip to central storage then plex is what you want as your front end. Can be reached by roku, appletv, firestick, or web... If you have a good connection (like fios) you can share your library safely with others. (we do this for tv shows)
I never thought of that - certainly a plus for Plex. Currently I access my families NAS and download to it directly but as they watch the same stuff it might be handy for me to use Plex. Infuse can use a Plex library also.
Plex is a great app. I have a Plex pass for 6 years. If your not sharing media with friends and family then jellyfin is also good. It's more difficult to setup a shared connection. It's open source and free... runs locally on your server.
On Plex you can add a dvr to record OTA MEDIA ( SiliconDust HDHomeRun Flex 4K ) and skip commercials (add on $80 per year). Works with jellyfin too.
Just remember,Have fun!
All they have to do is make their own plex account and you give them permission to yours.
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By asking the question you have already answered the question.... If others have not convinced you already. I don't use Plex myself but have always wanted to.... Have not come up with a reason not to...,
Apart from the the small amount of work needed plus the fact I don't keep enough pre-saved content.. But don't let that stop you, if you are keen and willing, go for it.... unless you have another pressing item to implement.
Yes, I was talking about jellyfin. The open source and local is also jellyfin. Plex sharing is straight forward.
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I had an awesome collection of mp3's I used to stream to a single hifi system using itunes/remote. Worked flawlessly.
Then the echo dot came along with alexa/voice control. The wife now won't use anything other than spotify and voice control, which results in an unnecessary extra monthly cost IMO.
If only I could integrate plex with the echos and voice controlled music, I'd be set.
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I'm still using Windows Media Center for my OTA TV DVR, despite it being unsupported for about a decade. It still works flawlessly for me and has a smooth, elegant, uncluttered user interface.
Plex is probably my Plan B when I finally need one. I have the lifetime license. But I find the navigation while watching a show (e.g., fast forward, etc.) horrible. Also the user interface is cluttered (even after removing unwanted entries).
Try plexamp for your music
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