Plex Pro Week ‘23: Going from Basic to Beast Mode

Summary

Shannon Morse shares her experience upgrading her Plex media server from an outdated Synology NAS to a more powerful model. She discusses the importance of CPU, memory, connectivity, scalability, and cost when selecting a new NAS, and highlights the benefits of using NAS-rated hard drives. The tutorial covers backing up the old server, transferring media, and setting up the new Plex server, ensuring a seamless transition with minimal downtime.

Takeaways

• 😀 Shannon Morse, a tech tutorial creator, is upgrading her Plex server on a Synology NAS due to the limitations of her old hardware.
• 🔧 Shannon's old NAS, a DC 414 slim from 2014, is slow and lacks CPU speed and upgrade flexibility, necessitating an upgrade to handle more demanding tasks.
• 🆕 The upgrade process involves choosing a new NAS box, backing up old data, transferring media, and checking the new installation.
• 🤝 The video is sponsored by Plex, which Shannon praises for its ease of use, customization, and extensive media offerings.
• 💻 When choosing a new NAS, factors to consider include CPU capabilities for media processing, hardware transcoding support, memory, connectivity options, scalability, and cost.
• 🔄 Hardware transcoding is beneficial for older devices that require video format conversion, while newer tech often handles this via software transcoding.
• 🔌 Connectivity is key; look for USB ports, Ethernet speed, and potential for network interface redundancy or link aggregation.
• 📚 Scalability allows for future storage expansion, with some NAS boxes supporting the addition of expansion units.
• 💾 The choice of hard drives is crucial, with NAS-rated drives, RPM, cache, and storage size being important considerations.
• 💳 Plex Pass offers additional features like DVR functionality, mobile downloads, and enhanced data insights for Plex users.
• 🔄 Shannon provides a step-by-step guide for backing up and transferring data from the old to the new NAS, emphasizing the importance of permissions and re-linking content locations.

Q & A

Who is Shannon Morse and what is her experience with tech tutorials?

Shannon Morse is a tech tutorial creator who has been active on YouTube for over a decade, making tutorials for various channels.

What was Shannon's first NAS and why did she decide to upgrade it?

Shannon's first NAS was a Synology DC 414 slim from 2014. She decided to upgrade it because it was slow, lacked CPU speed, and was not flexible in terms of functionality and upgrades.

What are the main factors Shannon considers when choosing a new NAS for a Plex server?

The main factors Shannon considers are CPU capabilities for media processing, support for hardware transcoding, memory (RAM), connectivity options, scalability for future storage needs, and cost.

Why is CPU important for a Plex server and what does Shannon recommend regarding this?

The CPU is important for handling media file processing and transcoding. Shannon recommends considering a CPU that can support hardware transcoding, especially for older devices, and checking Plex's resources for compatibility.

What is hardware transcoding and why might it be necessary for a Plex server?

Hardware transcoding is the process of converting video files from one format to another using specialized hardware. It might be necessary for older devices that cannot handle newer codecs, allowing them to stream videos from the NAS.

How does Shannon approach the memory considerations for a NAS?

Shannon advises considering the built-in RAM and the possibility of upgrades. She emphasizes the importance of sufficient memory to minimize buffering and lag times.

What connectivity options should be considered when choosing a NAS, according to Shannon?

Shannon suggests looking at the ports on the back of the NAS box, including USB options, Ethernet port types, and the speed of these ports based on the network's needs.

What is the significance of scalability when choosing a new NAS and how does Shannon approach it?

Scalability is important for future storage needs. Shannon recommends choosing a NAS that allows for easy expansion, such as those with support for additional drive bays or expansion units.

What are the key factors to consider when choosing hard drives for a NAS?

The key factors include using NAS-rated drives for continuous use, considering RPM and cache for performance, evaluating the size and cost of the drives, and planning for storage needs in the context of RAID configurations.

What is Plex Pass and how does it enhance the Plex Media Server experience?

Plex Pass is a subscription tier that offers additional features such as DVR functionality, mobile downloads, hardware transcoding, bonus content, and detailed data about the server's configuration and status.

Can you provide a step-by-step guide on how to back up and move media from an old Plex server to a new one based on Shannon's script?

Yes, the steps include backing up the old server's data, installing the Plex Media Server app on the new NAS, duplicating server and drive names, replacing existing files with backed-up data, setting permissions, rebooting, re-linking content locations, scanning library files, and finally cleaning up by enabling trash emptying and optimizing the database.