Bought an Nvidia Shield and need help with Plex server

[BAUCE]

I want to use this as a Plex server since my old one can't play 4k smoothly.

I was hoping to download the torrents directly on the shield but it looks like that might not be possible. Anyone know if it is? Anyone else using one as a server?

 

[Devastator]

Yes

 

[-Rico-]

I have 2 Nvidia shields and a Synology Nas. They work great together.

 

[BAUCE]

I have 2 Nvidia shields and a Synology Nas. They work great together.

are the shields streaming the content that's on the Nas? If so how are they connected? Im wondering if I'll end up having to keep the htpc to download torrents with and connect it to the shield to stream.

 

[Twinsen]

Just install Kodi on it.

 

[-Rico-]

are the shields streaming the content that's on the Nas? If so how are they connected? Im wondering if I'll end up having to keep the htpc to download torrents with and connect it to the shield to stream.

Yes. Download 4K torrents with NAS. Play 4K movies with Kodi on Nvidia shield.

 

[BAUCE]

is Kodi similar to Plex? I want a Plex server so that I can stream my content throughout the house and while Im away. I usually take my Apple TV with me when I travel. Can all of this be done with Kodi?

 

[-Rico-]

is Kodi similar to Plex? I want a Plex server so that I can stream my content throughout the house and while Im away. I usually take my Apple TV with me when I travel. Can all of this be done with Kodi?

No, Kodi streams without compression. So you need wired lan or really good wifi.

Plex compresses so it can stream with low bandwidth outside your house.

 

[Dismay]

I download with my PC to my NAS and stream with the Shield from the NAS

 

[BAUCE]

I download with my PC to my NAS and stream with the Shield from the NAS

is the NAS hardwired to the Shield?

 

[Fifafever]

is the NAS hardwired to the Shield?

Ideally both are hardwired into your router.

 

[BAUCE]

Ideally both are hardwired into your router.

Is there software to connect them once they are hooked into the router? I have a windows 10 htpc and shield I can do this with but I haven't really used windows in 10+ years so Im a moron with it.

 

[FlyNReeLow]

No, Kodi streams without compression. So you need wired lan or really good wifi.

Plex compresses so it can stream with low bandwidth outside your house.

uhh.. what?

Plex does not compress. It can, if you need it to, but you are still able to stream the lossless to the shield

 

[FlyNReeLow]

is Kodi similar to Plex? I want a Plex server so that I can stream my content throughout the house and while Im away. I usually take my Apple TV with me when I travel. Can all of this be done with Kodi?

Kodi sucks.. use plex and a nas.

 

[Fifafever]

Is there software to connect them once they are hooked into the router? I have a windows 10 htpc and shield I can do this with but I haven't really used windows in 10+ years so Im a moron with it.

You create a network share from the NAS (I prefer NFS, but SMB is also an option - these are different protocols), and then access it from the Plex app on the shield using the IP address of the NAS. I would actually also run the Plex Server on the NAS, and on the Shield you can use the Plex app as a client.

Do you have the ability to hardwire all of these things or nah?

Edit: To answer your original question - I think you can have the Plex Server on the Shield, and play media off of an external drive which you can make available as a network share (kinda like the reverse of what I explained above) to be accessed from your computer. However, if you don't mind spending the cash, a NAS is a better choice that will be good for other stuff as well.

 

[VipZ28]

Kodi sucks.

QNAP Nas w/ Nvidia GPU for encoding. Plex running on QNAP. NVIDIA shields for local playback of 4k HDR, and then i can stream thanks to the encoding capabilities when i'm away from the house.

Shield would do the streamining / playback for you, but you need somewhere to store they shit and run the downloaders.

 

[TomDlgns]

@BAUCE

yes, kodi sucks.

install plex server on the shield, keep in mind the shield is also the client if you are watching directly from the HDMI out of the shield.

do you have a NAS or do you plan on getting one? if you have a NAS, you can connect the NAS as a network share from the shield, then use a web browser, navigate to plex and you add media in each respective folder (TV Shows, Movies, Music, etc). there are some default categories, but you'll likely need to create your own.

 

[Fifafever]

@BAUCE

yes, kodi sucks.

install plex server on the shield, keep in mind the shield is also the client if you are watching directly from the HDMI out of the shield.

do you have a NAS or do you plan on getting one? if you have a NAS, you can connect the NAS as a network share from the shield, then use a web browser, navigate to plex and you add media in each respective folder (TV Shows, Movies, Music, etc). there are some default categories, but you'll likely need to create your own.

Kodi is great, you must be thinking of the various addons that people use to pirate shit - those are trash. Kodi, as a piece of software is excellent.

 

[FlyNReeLow]

Kodi is great, you must be thinking of the various addons that people use to pirate shit - those are trash. Kodi, as a piece of software is excellent.

its still not as good as Plex (or probably emby and jellyfin for that matter)

 

[Fifafever]

its still not as good as Plex (or probably emby and jellyfin for that matter)

Different purposes. Kodi works great as a big-screen media player and is customizable far beyond what is possible with Plex/Jellyfin/Emby. However, Plex and the like are superior media servers IMO.

My setup is Jellyfin as a media server with Kodi as a media player on the TV, and Jellyfin apps everywhere else. I use Kodi on the TV because I prefer the interface, though that's totally subjective. I wouldn't recommend that for someone setting up Plex (or whatever) for the first time though - definitely easier to just use Plex everywhere.

 

[VipZ28]

Different purposes. Kodi works great as a big-screen media player and is customizable far beyond what is possible with Plex/Jellyfin/Emby. However, Plex and the like are superior media servers IMO.

My setup is Jellyfin as a media server with Kodi as a media player on the TV, and Jellyfin apps everywhere else. I use Kodi on the TV because I prefer the interface, though that's totally subjective. I wouldn't recommend that for someone setting up Plex (or whatever) for the first time though - definitely easier to just use Plex everywhere.

Plex is a better user experience all around. I can give plex to my 65 year old mother and she understands in 30 seconds.

I switched from Emby (when I had HD Homerun Primes to stream my cable) with media PCs at every TV to Plex server on my QNAP and Shields at every TV + youtubeTV

 

[xconverge]

I run plex and then kodi as my front end with plexkodiconnect

 

[TomDlgns]

how much better is the kodi front end that people don't want to use plex? plex server and plex front end are fine for me. there are some things i wish plex did better, but all programs have small issues....at a minimum.

 

[BAUCE]

@BAUCE

yes, kodi sucks.

install plex server on the shield, keep in mind the shield is also the client if you are watching directly from the HDMI out of the shield.

do you have a NAS or do you plan on getting one? if you have a NAS, you can connect the NAS as a network share from the shield, then use a web browser, navigate to plex and you add media in each respective folder (TV Shows, Movies, Music, etc). there are some default categories, but you'll likely need to create your own.

I have a windows 10 machine that I was using as my Plex server but recently found out it won't stream 4k due to the lack of processing power. I got the shield because I heard that they work fine with as a Plex server as far as 4k content goes. I was hoping I could somehow run torrents on the shield by adding them from my phone or MacBook but it seems like that might be too hard. I really wanted to get rid of this windows machine so that I don't have it running all day.

If I really can't use the shield to to completely replace the htpc I will just use it in place of a NAS. Can I set it up as a network share though?

 

[BAUCE]

You create a network share from the NAS (I prefer NFS, but SMB is also an option - these are different protocols), and then access it from the Plex app on the shield using the IP address of the NAS. I would actually also run the Plex Server on the NAS, and on the Shield you can use the Plex app as a client.

Do you have the ability to hardwire all of these things or nah?

Edit: To answer your original question - I think you can have the Plex Server on the Shield, and play media off of an external drive which you can make available as a network share (kinda like the reverse of what I explained above) to be accessed from your computer. However, if you don't mind spending the cash, a NAS is a better choice that will be good for other stuff as well.

I bought the shield to be the server as my current htpc is strong enough to process 4k. I have Plex installed on all of my devices throughout the house already. I didn't buy the shield for that purpose.