PLEX = Confusion…time… Understanding

PLEX media Server has been a chore to understand, it’s been 6 months now, and I’ve learned more about it. It still confuses me, but I understand it.

It’s a server first and foremost, at least on the software side. It needs a NAS – OS to work with separate storage drives for all your media (movies, photos, music, etc).

PLEX is a decent media organizer/filer, but it needs a separate laptop or desktop to act as the server. There is the PLEX cloud, that is a new feature of the PLEX Pass, which is $120.  What it cost me for a “lifetime”, no more charges. It includes the  broadcast  TV DVR and the Cloud experiences.

I’ve had the ROKU, and I haven’t had the time, but I can view my PLEX account through a PLEX app on the Roku. Which made me trying to understand the Cloud which works with Plex Cloud Sync, meaning if you have the cloud, you don’t have to have your laptop running 24/7.

I only have to have the cloud, rather than the laptop, and is accessible on my Roku … 24/7.

I don’t trust the internet to leave it connected 24/7, unless I am willing to buy a NAS system. There is a couple of systems within my price range…then there is the laptop or tower I have to run it. I’m still trying to decide on the purchases I have to make.

I would like to setup a laptop with Plex Media Server,  and a NAS  drives  to run 24/7 under my TV.  Or setup the Plex Media Server on the NAS system, I just learned about it, doing this writing… I don’t know about it yet.

That is the goal. I have to learn about the transcoding streams and the CPUs yet, before I make a buy. Laptops seem to be where I’m going, they use less power.

I feel like I’m back in school, writing term papers… about PLEX.

I don’t know 100% about it yet, but I know more than I did 6 months ago… Maybe 50%…or 30%. It takes time and patience, it requires a lot of searching, and uploading all your media to the cloud services.  PLEX is all right, but it needs a teacher to sell it and understand it.

Conclusion

If you were confused by PLEX before, hopefully I made your confusions go away… it requires a lot of work and learning…something it promises to make go away. It seems the more you learn, the more work is required from you.

I also found another media organizer/app called KODI… it requires a lot more research. I finally decided to buy a NVIDIA Shield instead of a server, till I get more knowledge on the networking side of the PC.   I can load the KODI app from the NVIDIA Shield. I get it next week.

I hope I don’t drive myself crazy.

It goes back to the bible scripture… the more knowledge increases suffering.

Ecclesiastes 1:18
“For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.”