Home Media Center Video Notes Thank you for watching my Home Media Center Video. Below you will find important notes that were referenced during the video. Plex Download Page Download Plex Media Server for various Operating Systems from the following link. PLEX DOWNLOADS PAGE Backup Software It is important to have some sort of backup solution for your Home Media Server in case your hard drive(s) would crash. I back up EVERYTHING on my server with an application called CrashPlan. I have been using CrashPlan for over four years now and I couldn’t be happier. You can try the software free of charge. CRASHPLAN WEB SITE Recommended Media Player for TV I have been using the Fire TV and Fire TV Stick for all of my streaming needs within my house. Both are capable of running the native Plex Client as well as the popular Kodi Media Center Software. The Fire TV will provide a quicker, more powerful experience than the Fire TV Stick but if you are on a budget, the Fire TV Stick will work just fine. FIRE TV FIRE TV STICK Plex Home Media Server Recommended Specs If you are going to build a Plex Home Media Server, you will want to pay attention to the following recommended specs. If you are going to build your own system, I would suggest that you go with the recommended options below that are outlined in red. Windows, Macintosh, or Linux computer Minimum Requirements — no transcoding Intel Core 2 Duo processor 1.6 GHz or better At least 1GB RAM for Windows/Mac OS X At least 512MB RAM for Linux Windows: Vista SP2 or later OS X: Snow Leopard 10.6.3 or later (64-bit) Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, CentOS or SuSE Linux Recommended Configuration — transcoding HD Content: Intel Core 2 Duo processor 2.4 GHz or better If transcoding for multiple devices, a faster CPU may be required At least 2GB RAM Windows: Vista SP2 or later OS X: Snow Leopard 10.6.3 or later (64-bit) Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, CentOS or SuSE Linux NAS Device NAS Device compatibility is determined by: The CPU type (ARM, Intel, etc) and power of the CPU being used Whether the NAS Operating System is supported by the Server The Server might be available for a particular NAS device, but some features might not work well (low-powered CPU results in poor transcoding) or be intentionally disabled. You can check the NAS Device Guide for information on supported devices. Related Page: NAS Device Guide CPU and Memory Requirements Generally, any modern PC or Macintosh computer will be able to transcode media for several Apps. Here are some points to consider if you're planning to build a computer to handle transcoding well: The Server doesn't need tons of RAM to work. This includes Direct Play or Direct Streaming media Transcoding media is a highly CPU-intensive process Generally, it's better to opt for a faster CPU than more RAM. It's easier to add more RAM to empty slots than change the CPU. If the CPU is not powerful enough to keep up with transcoding the media, you will notice the player App pauses every now and again as it waits for the Server to catch up. This pausing is often a sign that the CPU is not powerful enough. If the OS becomes low on RAM, you may also see some pausing. The best way to find out if you're low on CPU speed or RAM is to: Play some media that causes the player App to pause Open the OS Performance or Activity Monitor Check the Memory usage Check the CPU usage If you see that the system is very low on available memory, and the CPU is not at 100%, it may benefit from some additional RAM. If the CPU running at maximum, and there is RAM available, a faster CPU should help. You can find some great deals on computers at Amazon.com. AMAZON COMPUTERS & ACCESSORIES Recommended File Naming for Plex Media Center Note: I do not create sub-folders for each movie, although Plex recommends it. Movies /Movies /Avatar (2009) Avatar (2009).mkv /Batman Begins (2005) Batman Begins (2005).mp4 Batman Begins (2005).eng.srt Music /Music /Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here 01 - Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V).m4a 02 - Welcome to the Machine.mp3 03 - Have a Cigar.mp3 TV Shows /TV Shows /Heroes /Season 01 Heroes - s01e01.avi Heroes - s01e02 - The Coming Storm.avi Heroes - s01e03.mp4 /Season 02 Heroes - s02e01.avi Heroes - s02e02.mkv Heroes - s02e03.m4v PleXBMC This is a Kodi addon that allows you to utilize Plex Media Center within Kodi. You must intall SuperRepo Repository in order to install this addon if you don’t already have it available. If you are using the default Kodi Skin, I suggest that you follow the instructions at the link below to install SuperRepo. SUPERREPO INSTRUCTIONS How To Rip A DVD To Your Computer This private video that I produced teaches you how to rip a DVD to your computer with free software. HOW TO RIP DVD VIDEO Install Kodi Media Center on Fire TV Installing Kodi Media Center onto your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick opens an endless amount of features that do not come standard with the default device. HOW TO INSTALL KODI ON FIRE TV/STICK .