Ultimate PVR with your NAS

[MikeG.6.5]

Ok, some of you have already picked up on some of this. Others of you might be curious hoh to go about doing it. I've posted parts of this before, or alluded to it in other posts.

Basically what this is about is: Find the TV shows or Movies, download them from internet sources, store them locally (to your NAS) then watch them on any of the devices you might want to watch them from. (TV's, Rokus for those TV's that don't have client apps already, tablets, phones, computers, etc.) You can watch the shows locally (on your own network) or remotely (anywhere with an internet connection) on just about any device made.

The basis for this can be read right here: https://www.cuttingcords.com/home/ultim ... ng-started

This guy takes you through the basic set up, although it's on a Windows box instead of a NAS. One major advantage we have with the NAS is it can run 24/7, downloading everything as the system finds things, without you having to do any "extra" touching to make it all work. (I do a little bit of hands on, as I make sure everything is as Direct Playable as possible, from the start. You can read some of the details of that in my signature.)

This guy's setup uses Plex Media Server as the basis for sharing out the media. Plex Client apps are needed then, to play the media on the various devices. I will never, ever recommend anyone use uPnP or DLNA for streaming media or as a protocol set for watching it. Too insecure, and problematic as the amount of media increases.

All of the applications the link points to are available within the Asustor App Store. And unless you want some additional features from a Plex Pass, installing them are free. You will have to pay for your own internet connections, newsgroups subscriptions, etc. But other than that, it's all minimal costs.

I'm going to also recommend that, having gone to the trouble of setting all of this up, you take the time to also install PlexPy, which you can find here: https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/16959 ... program/p1. If you want to get really brave, you can go a step further and install Plex Request.net as well. All of the applications can be tied in to use PushBullet, as well as now, the logs from the NAS, so you can get real time notifications of new episodes, other users watching your media, etc.

the one thing this first link does that I don't like is he uses mkv videos. These are BAD joojoo on a small CPU NAS. So if you don't run some sort of conversion application or utility (like the one linked in my signature) you ARE going to experience buffering. The CPU on the NAS just can't handle transcoding, unless you have one of the beefier models. (700X runs great transcoding, and the 510x will work OK for up to 720p or so.)

And, for those of you that want to watch football or European football games, etc.. Plex can now be tied in with your HDHomeRun DVR system to record live streaming TV. I don't have the HDHomeRun myself, so I don't know the details, but I know it CAN be done. Don't ask me how...

I'll help anyone set the basics of this up, free on the forums or via PM's. If we need to take things to a TeamViewer session we can discuss rates.

[Mellontes]

Can an Asustor AS1002T be used to do this? I know very little about the NAS world.

[MikeG.6.5]

I just sent you a rather lengthy response to the PM you sent me already.

But I'll reiterate one point in particular. That model of NAS is very light on CPU. If you set it all up right, and don't do other things with the NAS while streaming, I suspect it will work fine. If you try to do too much at a time with it, it's going to choke out.

Unless you are firmly locked into that model, I suggest either the 620x or jumping up to the biggest model Asustor has, the 700x series. These have much more CPU available, and more to spare for streaming multiple streams simultaneously, assuming Direct Play.

[Mellontes]

Thanks, Mike. I read (and appreciated) your response. I have tried several times to respond but keep getting a "General error," even when replying to this post. I'll keep trying.

[Sent as a test. problem could be in my copy/paste]

[Mellontes]

FINALLY...

Hi again, Mike,

After perusing the PLEX site and learning much more about transcoding, etc., I have determined that I CAN NOT AFFORD a NAS that will allow PLEX to be installed on it so that 1080P video can be played flawlessly.

However, I think I have learned that PLEX can be installed on other devices like a laptop, Smart TV, or Roku 3. I have all of these…unfortunately, my laptop is being used for my everyday needs.

After you view my present configuration, I have some more alternate questions. I wish I knew more so that I wouldn't ask such dumb questions…

I am so new to this stuff, it hurts. What I have done though is this:
I ran a CAT6E cable from my Asus RT-AC68U router down one floor and hooked it up to an 8-port Gigabit switch (which is behind my home theatre components). I then hard-wired it to the following:

Panasonic Viera TC-P60ZT60 Plasma TV
Yamaha RX-V671 HDMI receiver (everything runs thru the receiver, and then to the TV via HDMI)
Roger's PVR cable box (which I am trying to eliminate)
LG BP540 3D Blu-Ray Player (which I probably should sell)
Xbox 360 (which is likely fried)
Roku 3

My laptop is a Gateway NE522 series with a 1.5Ghz AMD Quad Core A4-5000 processor with 8Gb RAM (DDR3-1600Mhz, PC3-12800) on a 64-bit Windows 10 platform. This easily connects to the network (wired, wireless) or by HDMI.

Do I need to connect the NAS directly to my router or can it by connected to my Gigabit switch?

If the budget NAS has HDMI capability, can I connect it to the Gigabit switch and then to the TV by HDMI and still use PLEX elsewhere?

If PLEX is not installed on the NAS, can I still get the “Ultimate PVR”?

Do I really need NAS designated drives like the Western Digital RED (EFRX series)?

Thanks,
P.S. – it is okay if you tell me to get lost…

[MikeG.6.5]

Do I need to connect the NAS directly to my router or can it by connected to my Gigabit switch?

Yes, this will work. The switch in effect, extends the router's services o anything that is connected to it (assuming you used a default method to connect the switch.)

Think of it as a bump in the wire.

If the budget NAS has HDMI capability, can I connect it to the Gigabit switch and then to the TV by HDMI and still use PLEX elsewhere?

Well, you do have some options here: If you set up Plex Media Server no your laptop and use the NAS as storage, this should work OK. Just map a network drive from the NAS's shares to your laptop and host your media there. Problem with this: Every file you watch is going to require 2x the network traffic. Once from the NAS to the PMS machine and once from the PMS machine to your playing device.

You are much more likely to saturate a network in this manner, and if that happens you are likely to get buffering on the playing machine. On this note, don't use WiFi from the laptop to the NAS for getting your data. This is a severely weak link in the system, and likely to cause you nothing but issues. If it's wired, you are going to be a whole heck of a lot better off.

And to answer your question regarding hooking up the HDMI to your TV. With that model of NAS I don't think you are likely to gain a heck of a lot. I don't think you can use Plex Media Player on that model of NAS, so using the NAS to actually PLAY on might not work. I con't have the model, so I can't test it. I suppose you can try it, following @Father.Mande's instructions here: viewforum.php?f=193 Your remote for the TV can't be used to navigate, though.... (My only real major complaint with PMP.)

If PLEX is not installed on the NAS, can I still get the “Ultimate PVR”?

'
See the second answer.

Do I really need NAS designated drives like the Western Digital RED (EFRX series)?

Well, I'm not going to tell you they are required. What I will tell you, those drives designated as NAS drives are designed to run 24/7. Most other drives are NOT. So running them 24/7 could put your data at risk.

[Mellontes]

Thanks, Mike. A lot!

A lot to think about...well, I am leaving soon to pick up my budget NAS to experiment with. It is an AS202TE that comes with qty two 3Tb WD30EFRX drives for $300. I will tinker about for quite a while...

[MikeG.6.5]

Ouchies... That model of NAS has even less CPU than the one you've been talking about. I have an AS-202T, without the HDMI port. And it's not nearly as capable as the 100X models.

Forget about using PMP with it, BTW. The 202TE doesn't have the drivers to support PMP.

[Mellontes]

This is what I managed to see after clicking the following Plex button from App Central...

Plex Button

Plex button.png (9.02 KiB) Viewed 7501 times

Plex Screenshot

Plex for AS202TE.png (926.89 KiB) Viewed 7501 times

[MikeG.6.5]

OK, that is Plex Media Server, which is just one aspect of the whole suite. This can be used to play media on any machine that can access this page, such as your PC, etc. I don't think the Roku can play from here, though....

What you want to do now is find the directories the media is on, and copy them to another drive not on the NAS. Any external would work. Next to the name of each library is a small pencil. This allows you to edit the library. From there you should see a "Folders" and this is the folders that the library looks in for it's media. Open the ADM (The NAS interface that got you here) and you should be able to navigate to those folders. Then it's just a simple copy to the other drive... (If on the network it's going to be slow, but it will get there.)

Then I think, after you've copied the media or other data you want to keep, you want to reinitialize the NAS so you can register it yourself. This means you're going to have to reinstall the apps it has running on it, but that's not really an issue, as they come from the Apps Store.

To reinitialize, you can try this: First download the Asustor Control Center app, so you can find the NAS again. Turn off the NAS and remove the drive(s). Power on the NAS and use the Control Center app on your PC to get into it's page. Then plug the drive(s) back in, and it should prompt you to reinitialize it. If not you may need to create a ticket with Asustor to have them help you out.