New Install. Where's PLEX?

*** Warning LONG ***

I used to run PLEX on my Windows 7 PC as it was running 24/7 because I was using Media Center for all my TV Recording using an Antenna, and then had Xbox 360's in each room as Media Center Extenders.     I also at the time had a ReadyNAS NV+ V2 which was really SLOW.  PLEX really didn't run on it at all.  

The #1 reason I think to even run PLEX is the on the fly Transcoding!!!   There's also EMBY which is similar to PLEX, and has it's own Pro's and Con's, but I've been playing around with that on my ReadyNAS 516 also.

When I moved to Windows 10, Media Center support was completely dropped.   So I've switched to a Tivo Roamio, which I got for a great deal with Livetime service.  Popped in a 3TB WD Green drive into it, and have been using that since upgrading to Windows 10.  Along with Tivo Mini's in the other rooms.  So really a similar setup to Media Center.  The good thing is my PC is no longer tied up all the time as it was already recording, using the HDHomerun tuners.  I had 2 dual tuners.

I really didn't want to leave my PC on all the time anymore.   I was also running my weather station software on my PC and it was reporting to a number of sites.  I was able to offload that to a Mini Router that I flashed with custom software to do that. and it's something I rarely even touch.  It just works.  Then I got my 516, which I've since upgraded to basically a 716.  PLEX runs on that great and it transcodes just fine a few streams.   Most of my content is 1080P or 720P which is direct locally, though many times the audio is transcoded, or if you add subtitles to something, that has to get transcoded into the video. 

I have a couple friends to have access to my PLEX server, and that content is transcoded down to 720P at 3Mbps.  Because Upload speed is a lot slower.  I have 200Mbps Download, but only about 10-12Mbps Upload.  So 1 stream is taking 3Mbps of my Upload bandwidth.    So you have to keep these things in mind. 

How many transcoding streams at once do you plan to allow?   PLEX also allows you to Sync onto an iPad or an iPhone, etc, which means you can easily offload a movie or more right to your device in whatever quality you want.  Orignal, or 8Mbps, or smaller which will take up less space on your device.  Then you can watch some of your content when you can't stream it.  Maybe when you're on an Airplane.   

I've been a Lifetime Plex member for YEARS!!!   When the price was lower and it's been totally worth it.  It's been upgraded with so many new features over the years.   Most of the stuff you can do for free.    Go to PLEX and download the correct version of the software for your NAS.  It's going to be a .deb file.  That's a normal file for your ReadyNAS.  Log into the ready NAS,  click on apps, then click on Upload, then click on Browser and go find that PLEX .deb file, It's upload to your NAS and install it.  It's pretty simple.  When there's an Update,  Do the same thing.  I normally turn it OFF, and then Upload the new version, which will install over the top of what you have already installed.  You won't lose anything.  Then turn it back on,  then click on Launch and be right back in the updated PLEX.  

If you have a ARM NAS. PLEX works OK generally for normal Direct Play, but again, it could still be transcoding the audio, or subtitles.  I know some people would get like a Mac Mini.  Because they're low power and have a Intel processor and work pretty good.  You buy a used one on ebay or something.  You can have it near you or remote log into it.  Install PLEX onto that, and it uses the NAS for the storage.   I'm running some other programs on my NAS that work with PLEX, but won't talk about it here.  

There's no right way.  PLEX just needs to run its server from something.  Doesn't matter if it's Windows, Mac, Linux or a NAS.   I've done it both ways.  4K, you're going to need some real power.  I don't have a 4K TV.  Streaming Direct4K should be OK  for a higher in NAS.  If you're using PLEX to send 720P or 1080P to a 4K TV. the normal transcoding it's doing is just fine, the TV will do it's own thing to transcode it to it's native 4K resolution because it can't just display 720P or 1080P.  Just like  480 content is converted on a 1080P TV.     I've tried Transcoding a 4K video down to 1080P and my 516 choked on it.  Because my 1080P V doens't know what 4K is.  Just like any other lower res TV.  Upgrading the CPU and Memory in that 516 to that of the 716, allowed it to trancode down to the lower 1080P Resolution just fine.  That's a 1 stream limit, and not sure how many other normal PLEX streams I could do at the same. 

But again, Direct4K is the only thing to a 4K TV it may be OK.  But if PLEX has to transcode 5.1 down to Stereo for your use as an Example, or you want Subtitles in that 4K Movie.  Some people like that.  The volume may be down low, and can't hear what they're saying very well. Turn on Subtitles.  There's more Transcoding of a 4K.  You really need power.  4K is basically 4 1080P streams at once.  4K is really 4 1080P screens on a 4K screen.

PLEX does now support GPU to help in Transcoding.  Since I'm using my ReadyNAS 516, I haven't tried this.  There's also EMBY and it can also use the GPU also. In fact, it was doing it long before PLEX.   They both have their Pro's and Con's.

What I like with EMBY is some of the Plug-Ins like the Auto Box Set.  This allows the program to group together Movies.  Like all the Alien movies. Or all the James Bond Movies, which I have all 26 I think of them.  Then I can click on Movies, and then go click on Collections.  It's amazing how many I have.  Trying to do this in PLEX, SUCKS. It really needs a whole lot of work in this area.

I like the TV Guide in EMBY better then PLEX, but it's costs money yearly for that data from a 3rd party, where it's FREE with your PLEX Subscription.  In my case FREE since I paid for Lifetime so long ago.   EMBY is what you expect in a TV Guide Listing, PLEX goes about it completely different.

Plex Players are on more devices, but EMBY is growing and it on ROKU and AppleTV at least for me, and on a few other things I have.

https://emby.media/download.html

Both PLEX and EMBY are FREE to use with paid Premium features.  Both run on a number of Devices.  Both of them I have installed and running on my ReadyNAS 516.    EMBY has come a long way from a hassle to get running on a ReadyNAS, too much simpler .deb file now!!!   I'm also now a Lifetime EMBY person also.  Why not?  They had a sale price going and so I did it.  Since then, ReadyNAS support has greatly improved.      They both have a lot of similar features.  So you may want to give BOTH a try and see what one you like best and work on the devices you own.   Looking, EMBY looks to even work on a Windows Phone if you still have one of those!!!

This is why I say to play around with both, the servers and the players on the devices you have.  

They both have the same access to my content and both index all the new content.  So it's not a big deal.    You don't have to run them both at the same time.  I generally have EMBY turned off a lot just because I'm the only person who currently uses it as I've been playing around with it.  I've used it a fraction of the time I have with PLEX.  PLEX is just far more well known.  So I'm trying to give a shout-out to EMBY also.

There's a statistics Plugin I have installed for EMBY.  It kind of nice to have.   Kind of similar to PlexPl which I use for PLEX to get that kind of Data.  It's not as much Data as PlexPl which has Graphs and stuff, but you can see a lot of useful Data.      If you install EMBY, I do recommend these Plugin's:  Auto Box Sets,  CoverArt 4.0, Emby Statistics.  I also have Trailers installed and Prowl for Notifications on my iPhone which I use for PLEX and my other Apps I have installed also.  Works great.

One or the other may work better for you.    Either software is worth the lifetime price!!!   Pay the one time fee, forget monthly, that's for suckers.  Right now, EMBY is $4.99 a month, $54 for the year, or $119 for Lifetime.   PLEX is $14.99 for 3 months, $39.99 per Year or $119.99 Lifetime.  

You can see here what you get for FREE and what you get with PlexPass if you pay.

https://www.plex.tv/features/plex-pass/

A big one for me with PlexPass is Multiable Users.  Like having different accounts on Netflix to Log into.  That way the TV shows and movies I watch won't show up as watched for someone else.   The other things I can do is Limit what content a person has.  Maybe I don't want just anyone access to the X Rated content?  Maybe I wouldn't want my kid (If I had one) access to anything Rated above PG-13.    So each account you can set these things up.  You can set them up to have a password or just be unlocked.  So I can have a passcode for myself and leave it unlocked for the kid(s).    The downside is you can see what the code is when it's being entered.  I wish You could enter numbers of your remote and not see it on screen, but must be some kind of limitations.  Still quite a bit you can do with the FREE version.

Here are the extra features you get with EMBY Premier. 

https://emby.media/premiere.html

Alexa support may be a big deal to you!  Use your Amazon Echo device to control your Emby apps by voice! Just say "Alexa, ask Emby to play the next episode of Game of Thrones" and sit back and enjoy.  It also has USER accounts, but I guess that's a FREE feature with EMBY.    

What's nice, they BOTH work with my older HDHDHomerun tuner that I used to use with Windows Media Center.  Some other DVR software only works with the newer HDHomerun tuners.  I have 1 plugged in right now which is a dual tuner, but I could plug in my other one and record 4 programs at once.    You can watch all that content on whatever devices running the PLEX or EMBY player.   Really nice way to get DVR capabilities.  To me, it's an extra bonus.  

I hope I didn't confuse people too much.    Just a little of my Info and options.