Plex Server on Vero

Help and Support Vero
1

Hi @sam_nazarko, do you think Vero is powerfull enough to run a Plex Media Server ?

1 Like
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I think Plex Media Server does transcoding which may be problematic; but you could certainly try it if an ARM Linux build is available.

Sam

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Extremely keen to see how you go with this as I am guessing you are like me and thinking of trying a Apple TV 4 and testing Vero as a plex server.
Please keep us updated

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@angrypeanut how do you know I’m going to do this ? :smile:

Maybe the better choice here is to wait for the Kodi MrMc fork that they are going to deploy on App Store…
In this case the Vero will be disconnected from my TV, goes on my house “datacenter” and run as torrent and kodi server. I read somewhere that it is possible to disable the transcoding feature of Plex to let it run as a Direct Stream (I think this is the KODI and OSMC running mode, @sam_nazarko I’m right ?) to avoid CPU issue.

But I have a question: OSMC (and Kodi) usually run standalone in our device (VERO in my case) with both functions of client and server and so VERO is the one that do the transcoding work.

Usually Plex distinguishes between server and client side so you can install the server on a powerfull machine that do all the work, and a light client on light device that have only to play the “on the fly” transcoded stream from the server.

In which way Plex Server installation on a VERO should suffer more than a standalone OSMC ? Does OSMC (or KODI) not do transcoding job ?

Thank you @sam_nazarko if you can go deeper in describing me the process and difference.

PS: I do not forget my promise of a “Franciacorta sparkle wines selection”… ehm… maybe I forget it for some times (I’m very busy with my work and my 3 kids), but I will honor my promise very soon :slight_smile:

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Hi guys

If I am honest I know very little about Plex, but I think you’re asking why is it better to run a Plex server over say, OSMC with FTP server installed if you’re not transcoding.

And if I’m honest… I’m not sure. Maybe for library mode? I don’t know much about Plex and what file formats it allows on Apple TV.

Sam

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I’ll try to configure a Plex Media server on VERO and update this post when I’m done :smile:

PS: (personal consideration) @sam_nazarko : you did a great work with OSMC Vero and so on. But now Apple TV 4th change everything. A real business, reading around in blog and forum, is a light, simple but gorgeous tvOS app that can map out network shared folders, or DLNA server and play all our “personal” video on aTV. No plugin, no extensions or recording, nothing more than a nice and simple video playing. OSMC standard skin is perfect in graphic for the aTV environment; there is already a fork of Kodi in this direction (MrMC), but your attention for details and perfection is something I consider very very perfect for the App Store. €2.99 for each download and you break the store :wink:

1 Like
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We’ll see.

The Vero 2 is coming next month and that will bring a lot to the table

Sam

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I am the same as @Paedrae, The Vero and OSMC has been a great product and I was happy to donate and buy VERO as soon as available. I am only looking at the Apple TV for Wife Approval Factor and Games for kids and ability for Airplay mirroring etc.

@Paedrae did you have any luck??? Any updates?

Thanks again for your hard work @sam_nazarko I have recommended your product to numerous people and I am grateful for all your work and efforts.

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Yesterday evening I succesfully installed Plex Media Server on the Vero:

Direct Play is enabled and I do not test many movies so I can’t say how Vero support Plex transcoding. And I do not verified if “Rush” was encoded in an AppleTV known codec (no transcoding required) or not (Plex start transcoding). But the Plex server is up, the channel are well populated and the first try in Full HD mode was perfect…

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I do not discuss about the Vero or OSMC itself. But the best reason we buy it is to play any video in any codec and any mode. If I can have this in an Apple TV that integrate also Netflix, Apple Music, Youtube, Games and other… I think it is an hard challenge for you. All that said I think that from pure Kodi point of view no other device and systems are better then Vero+OSMC.

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Plex Server is scanning all my library and at same time playing “Rush”.
The stream is perfect, without interruptions or delay. Vero report that Plex Transcoding start with about 70% of CPU (remember is Scanning too…) but after some minutes descends to 2%

…Rush…

Video Resolution 1080p
Durata 2:02:16
Bitrate 9309 kbps
Width 1916
Height 804
Aspect Ratio 2.35
Container MKV
Video Frame Rate 24p

Codec H264
Bitrate 7161 kbps
Lingua English
Bit Depth 8
CABAC 1
Chroma Subsampling 4:2:0
Color Space yuv
Durata 2:02:16
Frame Rate 24.000 fps
Frame Rate Mode cfr
Has Scaling Matrix 0
Height 804
Level 4.1
Profile high
Ref Frames 4
Scan Type progressive
Titolo Rush.2013.-.BDRip.(1080p).x264
Width 1916
Audio

Codec DCA
Canali 5.1
Bitrate 1509 kbps
Lingua Italiano
Audio Channel Layout 5.1(side)
Bit Depth 24
Bitrate Mode CBR
Durata 2:02:16
Sampling Rate 48000 Hz
Titolo Audio.iTALiAN.DTS.[5.1].1509Kbps
Audio

Codec AC3
Canali 5.1
Bitrate 640 kbps
Lingua English
Audio Channel Layout 5.1(side)
Bit Depth 16
Bitrate Mode CBR
Dialog Norm -31 dB
Durata 2:02:16
Sampling Rate 48000 Hz
Titolo Audio.ENGLiSH.AC3.[5.1].640Kbps
Sottotitoli

Codec SRT
Lingua Italiano
Format SRT
Titolo Sub.iTALiAN.(Normal.Caption)
Sottotitoli

Codec SRT
Lingua English
Format SRT
Titolo Sub.ENGLiSH.(Forced)
Sottotitoli

Codec SRT
Lingua English
Format SRT
Titolo Sub.ENGLiSH.(Normal.Caption)
Mostra XML

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What OS did you install on your Vero?

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I’m still using the original OSMC, Debian Jessie based.
Just a bad update. I completed the vision of Rush, but I have some freeze about every 30-40 minutes. Stop and re-play from the same point (well managed by Plex).
Strange behaviour

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Hi @sam_nazarko as you read almost all is fine with Plex Server on Vero. Only a very strange behaviour: the Video flow without any problem nor slowdown, but suddendly, after about 30-40 minutes of PERFECT view, the app freeze and I need to reopen it. I do not find any /var/log/message or similar on VERO to check OS problem (RAM, or CPU use and similar). How can I enable that log ?

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There is no /var/log/messages on systemd - instead you view logfiles with journalctl:

sudo journalctl

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Thanks. I’m reading that is probably a Plex Server problem, not a performance issue or OS resource consumption. I will update here when I will have news.

UPDATE (I will test this evening after work) it seems a tmp files problem: “Changing the transcoder temporary directory from the SD to one of the mounted HDD solved the problem for me” a user reports, and many other with the same problem answer that this solve the problem. I will attach a USB to VERO and reset the transcoding temp folder on it to test on myself.

UPDATE2: I confirm that is a problem of temp folder of transcoder. When PLex start transcoding create a temp folder with many files that grows quickly while it reproduces the movie. The same movie that I saw yesterday evening and freeze about every 35-40 minutes now play until 1:38:46 after setting as temp folder a USB key of 8GB.

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How exactly did you do this @Paedrae?
I googled and tried a couple of times but as soon as I do it comes up with message saying
“This Server is Not Powerful Enough to Convert Video.” So I am guessing I am not doing something right with the format of the USB or permissions etc. I am using Vero to stream from my Drobo FS NAS (version 1 so I can not install it on Drobo directly) so I was going to use a USB thumb drive as a scratch/tmp drive.

Anyone got a step by step for a Linux newb?

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What is not clear in the guide I posted ? Do you need clarification in some point ? Where are you going to install the Plex server (Vero/Drobo) ? can you chat somewhere (facebook messenger, hangouts, whatsapp) ?

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about “the server is not power full enough”

read this :smile:

21

There is now an update for Plex Server,

wget https://dev2day.de/pms/pool/main/p/plexmediaserver/plexmediaserver_0.9.14.6.1620-e0b7243-1~jessie_armhf.deb

sudo dpkg -i plexmediaserver_0.9.14.6.1620-e0b7243-1~jessie_armhf.deb

Not sure if you need too or not but then I rebooted and BAM, Latest version installed.

Hope this helps