DAS or NAS for an Arr Setup w/ Plex? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)

submitted 11 months ago by lessthanthree@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/piracy@lemmy.dbzer0.com

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Looking for some advice on my journey to expand my local storage. Currently, I have a mini PC running my Arr setup with Plex and I have an external enclosure with a HDD connected through USB. I can reliably push 4K to my Android TV. This is the system's only use and purpose.

I need to continue to be able to Hardlink files so that I can seed back while Arr programs are sorting and renaming for Plex.

I'm not too concerned with a file backup solution or relying on this setup for sharing important files across my home network.

Would a DAS be sufficient for this? Is there any reason I should avoid this and invest in a NAS solution?

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[-] s38b35M5@lemmy.world 12 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Adding my obligatory "why Plex over Kodi?" comment.

Kodi only needs file access, and handles video files more gracefully, even if you keep the filenames as downloaded. Includes sub search addons, all the same meta features that Plex does (watch history, resume from where you left off, ratings, cast and crew, trivia, trailers), and is free and open. Plus, no forced upgrades of server or client app or phone home.

But either way, have fun building out your storage!

[-] ryannathans@aussie.zone 15 points 11 months ago

If you want free and open you could replace the lot with jellyfin

[-] lessthanthree@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 11 months ago

I had been planning on running Jellyfin in parallel for testing but haven't gotten around to it. Plex has been reliable for me. And I really enjoy Plexamp.

[-] lessthanthree@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 11 months ago

It's just what I've been using for so long. And I have a lifetime Plex Pass.

[-] s38b35M5@lemmy.world 8 points 11 months ago

Good answer. I jumped ship when they started ramming Plex Pass and required login down my throat, but I had been having issues with their app and server for about year before I switched. Glad you're getting value from them!

[-] Chewy7324@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 11 months ago

I chose Jellyfin over Kodi because I don't need to configure each device seperately. And since I have the server anyway, why not take the easy route?

Kodi (LibreELEC) is great on a Pi as a media center, or rather IPTV streaming box for my mum.

[-] s38b35M5@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

Kodi has made my setup dead-simple: File server running on TrueNAS serving my library over SMB/CIFS and Kodi does all the "management" on the client side (which really is just my watch progress and metadata), so my server is just a dumb box of disks in RaidZ1. I have only one client, and as for configuration, I just created two media objects in Kodi: TV and Movies, and the rest is default other than the unrelated IGAL setup.

I like what I read about the arr's and Jellyfin, but until my current setup feels cumbersome or insufficient, I'm sticking with it.

[-] Chewy7324@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 11 months ago

Yes. Kodi is awesome for large displays, but I really don't think the UI and skins are a good fit for mobile.

I've tried DDL for a while, but manually searching and selecting the right quality isn't my thing. It's simple though, compared to the many hours of setting up arr* for the right quality/language.

The main advantage is probably automatic download of new episodes, otherwise manually downloading doesn't take much time compared to how long a movie/show is.

[-] Sharp312@lemmy.one 2 points 11 months ago

I use kodi with the jellyfin addon that allows for direct file playback over smb, no more worrying about how the media is encoded. Its a bad problem on my old scrounged together workstation pc with no gpu that i use as a nas lol