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PleXBMC Noob question

2K views 20 replies 8 participants last post by  meat-ball 
#1 · (Edited)
I have searched around and have not found the answer I am looking for, so I do apologize if this has been answered and I just overlooked it.

So I am 1 week into running XBMC Gotham on a dedicated HTPC and now I have found out about Plex. I have a great interest in running Plex for the streaming aspect and wanting to share my library with friends and family on my NAS that is connected to my network. So my question is, if I install the PleXBMC add-on, is that just running a "virtual" server? or does it turn my XBMC experience into more of a Plex? I am vacillating rather or not to turn a new Mac Mini into a dedicated Plex server or if I will be able to provide the same exact functionality (no slow downs, watered down so to speak) with just installing PleXBMC on my main HTPC?

Any help in pointing me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.
 
#2 ·
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#4 ·
Okay, a much clearer overview. Thanks.

So final question, would I be shooting myself in the foot so to speak by installing PMC on my HTPC then? or would it be best to just separate the two? My HTPC is my "old" gaming rig but is still quite beefy even by todays standards:

Quad core i7 3.4 2600k
16gb RAM
2gb GTX-660

My goal is to serve/stream as much content as my 6mbps upstream will allow.
 
#8 ·
So final question, would I be shooting myself in the foot so to speak by installing PMC on my HTPC then? or would it be best to just separate the two? My HTPC is my "old" gaming rig but is still quite beefy even by todays standards:

Quad core i7 3.4 2600k
16gb RAM
2gb GTX-660

My goal is to serve/stream as much content as my 6mbps upstream will allow.
I guess I was typing the first time around when you posted this

No need to separate the two. Your specs can handle PMS just fine

Where is the bulk of your media stored and planned to be stored?
 
#18 ·
Sorry little late but just ran across this and wanted to clear something up: the mac-mini is not at all lacking in power, and is a great option for pms. Plex was originally created specifically with the Mac-mini in mind. The MM comes in quite a few dif options in terms of the cpu, but even the base model i5 2011 is going to give you enough power to not only play any file seamlessly but you'll be able to also support transcoding for a couple remote users simultaneously. And the quad core Mini's can host multiple transcoding users without making a dent in the cpu. There are lots of people that host PMS on a nas; and generally those cpu's are a fraction as powerful.


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#6 ·
PHT is the client that you install if you want the latest PLEX Client on your old gaming rig. You can also install PMS the server software on the same machine and it should run and perform just fine. The specs on your HTPC are nice so, their shouldn't a problem there.

You should be able to have both PHT and XMBC on that same machine as well and you can decide which interface you prefer for your content.
 
#9 ·
I will play around with installing PMS and PHT on the HTPC and messing around with it and decide later if it requires a dedicated box or not. This way I can keep that Mini for something else... I don't know what yet, but nice to have it on hand.
 
#7 ·
The thing with the Mini is, I already have one that was given to me for trade work (late 2012) and it's just sitting in the box.

I might hit up Newegg or Amazon and see how much it would be to build a small box.

What is the word on the Gigabyte Brix?
 
#14 ·
If you like XBMC for your front end, another option would be to go with Media Browser 3 instead of PLEX. It does the same thing and has seamless integration with XBMC (called XBMB3C).Either way, the PC that is controlling the NAS needs to have Plex Media Server or Media Browser Server on it. Any other machines that you want to be able to see the media needs to run either a Plex or MB3 client. Both can be used in conjunction with XBMC.
 
#16 ·
Sometimes finding the simple answers can be so alluding. I've been and often still am in that end of the spectrum, and find that this community is always willing to help out where needed.

Just paying it forward :D
 
#17 ·
I have received WAY more help here than anywhere, so yes, I do love this forum. The XBMC forum is... not up to the same standard I'll say.

Yes, could not judge if XBMC and Plex can exist in peace and play nice in the same environment or if it's better to separate the two environments, because... I am a total HTPC noob (hence referencing that right from the start :))

I do thank everyone for their valuable input. I have the NAS on order, and I will install Plex server on the rig today, and then report back to this stream on my success/failure after a week or so of testing.
 
#20 ·
So exactly what will other people be running as far as devices go?

As for setting up a media server with a Mac Mini (which I have done) ... I elected to skip over OSX and install Linux. I have also installed Win 7 on another (for a friend) and both use XBMC and CAN play HD audio on movie files. Only reason a Mac Mini will not play HD audio streams is because of OSX. Apple simply chose intentionally not to support it.

Doing on the fly conversion for streaming requests can eat up a lot of CPU and limits the amount of users that can stream at the same time. An alternative is to have your master files and create a file from it that is more or less a smaller file that is ready to go. Typical to Apple users is a free software called Handbrake. You could store your master files and then files to go in another directory. Having these smaller files ready to go really provides for a smoother over all experience (at the cost of more drive space).

You might want to investigate both QNAP and Synology as some of their models are capable of doing the on the fly conversion and use XBMC or PLEX applications/modules to handle the entire operation. I admit I am not experienced in this area and you should check their respective sites.

As for me, I much rather have the small files ready to go and let them reside on my NAS with specific outside access rights. (Passworded FTP site access as example).
 
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