If we love to watch movies on TV but our multimedia collection is on the desktop PC or laptop, we will certainly have discovered various methods to be able to bring these contents to TV to be played quickly and easily. However, almost all methods require a minimum of configuration to be able to view content on TV and in case of audio or video incompatibility (because the TV is old or does not support the new codecs) we may encounter serious difficulties in reproducing our favorite videos.
To solve all the compatibility problems and to index the multimedia contents, we can rely on Plex, which besides being simple to configure, allows you to see any content on the TV even if there is no support for the codecs.
Let's find out Plex together in this complete guide, so as to properly configure and exploit it on any compatible device.
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Like many other similar programs, Plex works thanks to two distinct and separate elements:
- Plex Media Server : to be installed on the PC or on the device in which the multimedia contents to be indexed are present to make them available on the internal network;
- Plex Media Player : the actual player, which communicates with the server on the local network and allows you to view the contents indexed on the display or on the TV screen (via dedicated app or playback devices, as we will see later).
So the starting point to start using Plex is to install its server on the PC or on the network device that we intend to use as a media server.
We can download the Plex server for free for the main operating systems and devices from the link here -> Plex Media Server .
We select the operating system on which we want to install Plex in the drop-down menu: in addition to the classic PC operating systems, NAS, network drives and certified TV boxes are also supported.
Click on Download on the right side to download the right installer for the operating system used, then start it to quickly install it on our PC.
Plex does its best if the device on which the server is installed is always on and available on the local network: if we do not want to leave a PC always on or dedicated to the purpose, we can consider the idea of placing a NAS on the network.
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1) Initial configuration
At the end of the installation, the initial configuration window will open inside the default browser, where we can log in with our Plex account using a Google account, a Facebook account or access via email and password.
If we don't have a Plex account, we will be asked to create a new one using the chosen email; instead using Google or Facebook the account will be created automatically and we will be able to immediately access the Plex functions.
If we don't want to log in and use Plex in demonstration mode, just click What's this ">
However, we recommend using a registered Plex account in order to find the Plex server on the network more quickly and obtain the highest quality in streaming.
2) Multimedia folder configuration
The Plex multimedia server takes care of indexing all the contents (video, audio and images) of the indicated folders, adding all the information on the content based on the information retrieved from the Internet through specific providers.
At the first start Plex will immediately ask us the folders to index on the PC to start filling the catalog; we click on understood! , we close the advertising window on Plex Plass and in the following screen we choose a name to give to the Plex server, then we click Next .
In the following screen we can add the folders to be indexed inside Plex using the Add library button.
A new window will open where you can choose the type of content (among Movies, TV Series, Music, Photos and Other videos ), indicate the reference language (select Italian ) and indicate the folder on the PC or device that we are using the Browse button to find the media folder .
Before clicking on Add Library, click on Advanced at the top left, and select the items Localized titles and insert in the Country Italy menu to have the titles of the films and the information of the posters in Italian.
We repeat the steps for all the folders that we intend to add to Plex, then click on the Next button to complete the initial configuration of Plex.
To add new folders and indexes to Plex just click on the plus button that appears by moving the mouse over the Library list .
The Plex server automatically places itself in auto startup with the system in which it is installed, so as to always be available to other devices that want to play the contents.
3) Advanced settings
Now that we have added multimedia elements to the library, we are optimizing Plex to be able to make the most of it on any occasion and on any device.
Click on the tool symbol in the upper right corner to access the Plex settings.
In the window that will open, click on Server at the top, then go to the Library menu and enable the items Automatically update the library .
In this way, each multimedia file that we add to the folders indicated at startup or subsequently will be scanned immediately to add new content to Plex.
For example, indexing the torrent download folder will allow you to add videos downloaded via P2P immediately to Plex without having to touch anything!
Another important change to make is in the Converter menu, where we will have to set the quality of the transcoding carried out by the device where Plex is present.
If in doubt, we recommend always setting Prefer high speed encoding and limiting the number of transcoded video streams to the number of cores available in your processor (therefore 1, 2, 4 or 8 based on what you use).
To have the subtitles automatically selected when we play a film in a foreign language or with forced subtitles, go to the Languages menu, activate the item Automatically select the audio tracks and subtitles and set the various fields as visible in the image below.
Now the Plex server is ready to show its contents to all the players on the local network, whether they are connected via Ethernet or connected via WiFi.
In the second part of the guide we will see how to configure clients for playback on TV.
4) Play Plex content
Now that the server is ready, let's see how to see the contents of Plex on TV and on any other compatible device.
Dedicated apps on Smart TV : many Smart TVs (such as Samsung and LG) integrate the Plex app to play the contents indexed by the server, without further configurations (just indicate the Plex account used to speed up the association).
App for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One : if we have one of the latest generation consoles we can install the Plex player using the PlayStation Store or the Xbox Live App store.
App for Android and iOS : Plex can be used on the smartphone whatever the operating system used, just search for it in the respective stores and install it.
The free version allows you to play only a small part of the movies on mobile: to watch the movies without limits and to access the contents even when we are away from home we will have to sign up for a subscription to Plex Pass (optional).
Plex's Android and iOS apps can be downloaded from here -> Plex (Android) and Plex (iOS).
Chromecast support : the mobile app for Android and iOS support the association with Chromecast, so you can view the content on the Google dongle quickly and easily using the Cast button on the top right of the Plex app.
In the event of incompatibility of some codecs, the Plex server will transcode in a format compatible with Chromecast, so that it can also play AVI files and the AC3 audio codec.
Compared to playing on the smartphone screen, playback via Chromecast is free and unlimited.
Apple TV : the Plex app is also available for Apple TV as a dedicated app, so as to make the TV Box elegant in every respect thanks to the contents indexed via Plex and reproducible at maximum resolution.
Player for Windows, Mac, Linux : on the other PCs or Macs present on the network we can play the contents of Plex using the dedicated player downloadable from here -> Plex Media Server .
All the main features at the mouse or keyboard, to reproduce everything without limits.
Amazon Fire TV app : if we have the Amazon dongle we can install the Plex app, perfectly compatible with the device and its remote control.
To install it just look for Plex in the Amazon Appstore or use the link here -> Plex on the Amazon Appstore .
Chinese TV Box : if we have a Chinese TV Box with Android, just search for Plex in the integrated Google Play Store to exploit it also on this type of device, without any limit.
The Android app is the same as previously seen for smartphones and tablets with the same operating system and can be downloaded from here -> Plex (Android).
Compared to the version for smartphones and tablets, we can set the Plex app in TV mode so as to reproduce all the contents in a dedicated interface without limits and without having to subscribe.
Conclusion
As we have been able to guess, Plex can be installed anywhere!
If we intend to exploit it on TV we have several ways to do it: take advantage of the smart features of our TV, use the game console connected to it, take advantage of the Chromecast or the Amazon Fire TV Stick or one of the many TV Boxes on the market (including the Apple TV).
In this way it will be a walk to see all the movies, TV series, music and images saved on our PC or on our network drive on any other device on the network, so as not to go crazy always moving files and using the advanced Plex features to better manage all multimedia content.
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