Plex on Synology Disktation ?

[roger06]

Anyone successfully running Plex Media Server on a Synology Diskstation?

Until recently I just had its own media centre running but I've just installed Plex app on the new Sky NowTV box so enabled Plex server on the diskstation.

So far it's appalling. It has scanned and indexed the movies currently there but won't add new ones. Additionally when playing a movie (either through the sky Now box or Plex on a Mac) I get an error "Cannot Load M3U8. 404 not found"

If I just navigate to the movie in the file system it plays fine.

Any ideas?

 

[Chisy1]

I have the same ds as you and I was excited to see plex server but like you I just couldn't deal with how slow and buggy it was. I was using it to an ipad. I never got that error message though. In the end I decided to jailbreak my ipad and use xbmc or sometimes videostation app, which isn't as good as xbmc. Perhaps you might get more replies on the synology forum or plex forum. Good luck, it would be a great addition if it worked!

 

[roger06]

Thanks Chisy

I'm wondering whether part of the problem is having Plex index my photo collection. The NAS's CPU is maxed out (as you'd expect) so I'm wondering is that's affecting Plex's ability to serve movies.

I've removed the photos channel - and that will probably take ages - so I'll let you know if that makes a difference.

I run XBMC on a jail-broken Apple TV but wanted to use Plex on the new Sky Now TV box (of which I bought 2 once I saw you could install Plex!)

 

[professorhat]

Works okay for me - I don't use it much, but I've only ever had issues with iTunes downloads, rather than anything that's been ripped from DVD.

 

[daveh75]

I would install PMS on the Mac personally and let that do all the heavy lifting, and leave the synology to do what it was designed to do.

 

[professorhat]

I would install PMS on the Mac personally and let that do all the heavy lifting, and leave the synology to do what it was designed to do.

To be fair though, this is one of the functions the Synology is designed to do i.e. serve up music, pictures and movies to clients without requiring a PC / Mac to be switched on, and it works fine with mine. The issue may be down the 212J just not having enough horse power in it to do a great job with lots of movies / pictures in Plex.

 

[daveh75]

The issue may be down the 212J just not having enough horse power in it to do a great job with lots of movies / pictures in Plex.

Exactly my point. Transcoding is limited on NAS implementations of Plex, add to that the rebadged Roku and the results are exactly as expected

I know the whole point is not to have the PC on, but in the OPs situation its the right tool for the job.

 

[WishTree]

I have DS213+ and it took long time for me to figure out that I can not do Plex on this. Then I was looking for alternatives and thought about getting DS213 as it supports Plex.

Contacted Plex if they will ever support DS213+ and the reply was an eye opener. Some body commented that even if it is supported then it might be not able to play all the formats due to the transcoding stuff. I am attaching the text from Synology website. Read the last part where it says which ones support all formats (like the higher model from 7 or 4 series onwards). Currently I run plex server on Mac Mini and it does good but once 714 comes out then I might opt for that as it has builtin HDMI port.

Text from Synology Website below

Applied Models:

14-series : RS2414(RP)+
13-series : RS10613xs+, RS3413xs+, DS2413+, DS1813+, DS1513+, DS713+, DS413j, DS213, DS213air
12-series : DS3612xs, RS3412(RP)xs, RS2212(RP)+, DS1812+, DS1512+, RS812(RP)+, RS812, DS712+, DS412+, RS214, RS212, DS212+, DS212, DS212j, DS112+, DS112, DS112j
11-series : DS3611xs, RS3411(RP)xs, DS2411+, RS2211(RP)+, DS1511+, RS411, DS411+II, DS411+, DS411, DS411j, DS411slim, DS211+, DS211, DS211j, DS111
10-series : DS1010+, RS810(RP)+, DS710+, DS410j, DS210j, DS110j
9-series : DS409, DS409slim, RS409, DS209, DS109

In order to play all media files to mobile devices or TVs, your DiskStation has to support video transcoding. For more info, please read Do I need my NAS to transcode my media for my client devices or can my client devices play the media in the formats in which I have it stored natively?

Video transcoding is available on RS10613xs+, RS3413xs+, RS3412(RP)xs, RS3411(RP)xs, RS2212(RP)+, RS2211(RP)+, RS812(RP)+, RS810(RP)+, DS3612xs, DS3611xs, DS2413+, DS2411+, DS1813+, DS1812+, DS1513+, DS1512+, DS1511+, DS1010+, DS713+, DS712+, DS710+, DS412+, DS411+II, DS411+ only

 

[roger06]

Thanks WT

I think that's the answer then. My NAS supports Plex, but does not support transcoding; thus in reality does not support Plex...

I'm assuming there must be some video format I can use that doesn't need transcoding?

cheers

 

[WishTree]

Hi roger06,

The way I see this, it is too much of an effort to do format conversion, especially if you have a large library.

I guess it is simpler to get an old/current PC/Mac to act as the Plex Sever so it is much easier. Have the Synology drive on network mapped to your PC/Mac and that way the storage is on NAS for the Plex Sever and you do not have to worry about the storage space on the PC/Mac. This is how I manage my media. My Mac Mini is hardwired with Powerline Ethernet to NAS and I have no jitter on any video.

 

[roger06]

Thanks WT

Yes I can see that would be a better option. I have a Dell with Ubuntu on upstairs that isn't doing much. Trouble is I want something simple for my wife to use where she can easily stream kids' movies in the kitchen. She's not going to want to go upstairs and wake up a PC each time. Unless it has a wake on LAN function, but the PC is probably too old...

 

[Chisy1]

What format are your movies in, are they not m4v or mp4s?

 

[WishTree]

Unless it has a wake on LAN function, but the PC is probably too old...

I would assume that Wake on LAN is an OS function, in this case Ubuntu. I might be totally wrong here. But worth a try. But if I remember well even Plex server can wake the computer if there is a request. I do not know if this is different from Wake on Lan in systems settings. In the end, no harm in giving it a shot. If there is no such wake up funtion, leaving it on NO SLEEP for few days and see if that is the only missing link and rest everything else is sorted.

 

[daveh75]

Unless it has a wake on LAN function, but the PC is probably too old...

I would assume that Wake on LAN is an OS function,

Nope. Its implemented on the mobo, and usually needs enabling in bios.

 

[roger06]

Unless it has a wake on LAN function, but the PC is probably too old...

I would assume that Wake on LAN is an OS function,

Nope. Its implemented on the mobo, and usually needs enabling in bios.

Yes correct. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WakeOnLan

In the BIOS there doesn't seem to be any setting for the NIC other than on / off.

 

[roger06]

I think I understand Plex a bit more now. Movies seem to stream fine to my Sky Now TV (Roku) box which is fine. That's all I want it for really.

I guess when Plex detects I'm trying to stream on my Mac via Chrome it determines the movie needs to be transcoded and it struggles. I have no need to stream from Plex to my Mac so can just accept that it doesn't work.

 

[AnotherJoe]

Plex clearly state that you need a dual-core NAS to be able to do transcoding.

Both of my NAS transcode just fine.