(2016-05-07, 06:15)wrxtasy Wrote: Simply question Mufimufin,
Why would someone want to run a Plex Server AND Kodi on the one device if they are not transcoding and serving media to other clients ?
Especially when Kodi itself has a built in UPNp server included:
http://kodi.wiki/view/UPnP/Server
Seems like an overly complicated setup to me.
Most user just run a 24/7 NAS on a local Home Network and use any suitable Kodi client hardware. A far more flexible setup.
BTW and IMHO: Future proofing Hardware is useless, when HDR and various standards are not even settled yet along with the inability (if ever) to home Rip UHD Blurays. Kodi Hardware will be both cheaper and more capable when the future actually arrives than paying through the nose for expensive bleeding edge buggy Hardware.
I have simple answer - because I use this setup at home and I have Plex Server on my NAS and use old laptop as player with Kodi and PlexBMC. I also use my computer to play a video (stil no transcoding in terms of quality being decreased) from time to time (also with Kodi and PlexBMC combination). Kodi is better because of automatic subtitles download from various locations, otherwise there will be no need for it and Plex itself will do the job.
This new place I am planning new hardware for will only have one device, because I guess that there is no need to have 2 machines (Server+HTPC) these days, because if something is capable to play 4K it should also be capable to host the content. I originally wanted to synchronize watched content between these two locations (plex servers) but that is not possible because Plex Server does not offer such option.
I was thinking about whether I will need Plex Server at this new place and the whole thing could not be replaced by Kodi + Owncloud to synchronize the content between both places. I will however not have 4K capable hardware at home for now and the content will have to be different anyway (1080p at home and 4k content at this new place).
In short my plan is to combine NAS + HTPC into one quiet computer capable of 24/7 runtime and install some Linux image like
http://flawless-server.com/ + Kodi and these Intel NUC boxes looks that they could do the job. Btw. I will probably start to use that transcoding Plex Server offers soon once our child will be older to watch fairy tales :-).
Are there any hard drive limitations in connection with those Intel NUC boxes? I believe that I can connect one internal hard drive (e.g. 3 Tb) and can still connect some external hard drive if that will not be enough? I am only thinking about this kind of limitations because 4K content will probably consume lots of space on my hard drive. That is the only possible limitation I can think of which could require me to buy/build some NAS and have 2 separate devices (HTPC in form of Intel NUC box and NAS) at that new place like I have now at home.
Perhaps my thinking is completely wrong and Intel NUC boxes are not supposed to run 24/7 (cooling, electricity consumption) and HTPC+Server combo will in the end save me money? If that will be the case I will probably start looking for some new NAS box/custom build to host
http://flawless-server.com and my content at that new place.