The NAS’s processing power will make a huge difference in its ability to stream smoothly and reliably. At the heart of any NAS drive is an operating system that determines how it communicates with computers and devices that access its stored files - a computer accessing files or a media player or TV streaming music and movies. While it might seem as if a NAS drive is simply a box housing a hard drive that connects to your home network, there’s a lot more going on. In my experience, inexpensive NAS drives are the most likely to cut out and become unreachable so you’ll want to avoid those. Drives can become disconnected and inaccessible from the computer, requiring you to re-enter login credentials and go through power cycling routines. When a media library is saved to a NAS drive using the Plex server app, you can stream directly from the NAS.Īs I mentioned, I’ve tried many NAS drives over the years and it was usually an experience fraught with frustration. A better option is to skip the computer and instead use a NAS drive with the Plex server app. But I’ve learned through experience that computers can run slow - especially when other programs are running - which can wreak havoc on image quality. A hard drive connected to a computer running Plex server software is one way to stream from Plex. To stream from Plex, you’ll need server software that can access your media library.
The NAS effectively becomes your own personal cloud.
The 626X is easy to use, provides fast access to files, and delivers an experience akin to having an external hard drive connected to a computer. For home theater enthusiasts who’ve invested in large movie libraries, it’s worth considering as a replacement for the Plex Cloud. The end of the Plex Cloud means users now have to store their media files on computers or hard drives at home.įor Plex Cloud users with large libraries the question becomes: Where can I save movie files so they’re always accessible without having to leave a computer powered on all the time? The answer: A network attached storage (NAS) drive, of course.Īfter years of testing NAS drives, I have finally found a reliable, powerful NAS that can store and stream my media library: the Netgear ReadyNAS 626X. Users could save their media libraries online to stream to the Plex app on devices at home or on the road. Launched two years ago, the cloud-based media server was tied to Amazon’s cloud storage as well as Google Drive, Microsoft One Drive, and Dropbox. Streaming media company, Plex has announced the end of its Plex cloud.
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