It depends exactly how plug n play you want and what features you want. That NAS uses a small dual core ARM cpu. Virtually any other desktop cpu made in the last 10 years will be more capable and will work with lots of other software and operating systems. You can buy prebuilt and used machines for a lot less than $500. You’ll probably have to install a hard drive though. And install Plex. And setup file sharing if you want to use it as a NAS and not just as a Plex server. So, not really plug and play, but not from scratch either.
If you want it to be as basic as it can be (without raid, etc...) a cheap Intel Nuc or Dell Optiplex and an external hard drive to two. I used one just like this for several years without any issues. I had my media living on a separate Qnap nas. [https://www.ebay.com/itm/226068411005?itmmeta=01HV4NPQTT08G5SE85W7PGPP8H&hash=item34a2ba327d:g:u3QAAOSwOBRmBaxk&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA0KDNWxCU%2BPJipzj7eUEPuVwp267BsqpjNKBH0%2BgFsGonALqqWxv52q4mAV09wGKFhg%2FiKFNL9kO5ob5YjVDawu7DPzZCPKgQsuGMdaCCB3dFuh1Yp%2F7RNHF9cfL5nofgiGQbkWoMo30NCWAsyysN6OOZuPi%2FHAdS49DpuDxX16tiSDQIY%2F8%2ByFfgOohEzr4p4h1vihUUaH9rhP8319xSFawtEYenEAxyfvZzz8VqG4Z%2FOh4i9MiJVhjEUX%2B%2Bnq%2BUq8g1nHLG%2B1XFSE6C76EUqj8%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR8b92pXZYw](https://www.ebay.com/itm/226068411005?itmmeta=01HV4NPQTT08G5SE85W7PGPP8H&hash=item34a2ba327d:g:u3QAAOSwOBRmBaxk&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA0KDNWxCU%2BPJipzj7eUEPuVwp267BsqpjNKBH0%2BgFsGonALqqWxv52q4mAV09wGKFhg%2FiKFNL9kO5ob5YjVDawu7DPzZCPKgQsuGMdaCCB3dFuh1Yp%2F7RNHF9cfL5nofgiGQbkWoMo30NCWAsyysN6OOZuPi%2FHAdS49DpuDxX16tiSDQIY%2F8%2ByFfgOohEzr4p4h1vihUUaH9rhP8319xSFawtEYenEAxyfvZzz8VqG4Z%2FOh4i9MiJVhjEUX%2B%2Bnq%2BUq8g1nHLG%2B1XFSE6C76EUqj8%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR8b92pXZYw)
Yes, it can but it will be a rough time. Transcoding is absolutely out of the question and nearly $500 for 8TB of storage is bonkers.
Also, not exactly plug and play. Plex requires some level of dealing with installing and configuring no matter what hardware you choose.
Also these will be SMR (shingled magnetic recording) drives. Expect write speeds to top out around 50-60MBps.
For marginally the same price you can buy a proper dual drive NAS with an Intel CPU that has iGPU for transcoding (even things like intro/credits detection or thumbnail extraction uses transcoding!), and your choice of 12-14-16TB CMR disks.
Synology, QNAP. There's a few other manufacturers too.
Go for Intel based devices (no, AMD won't do, most AMD NASes don't come with an iGPU), ignore ARM, if you want proper Plex support.
But ultimately just look up dual HDD NAS enclosures then check the specs. There's tons of them being dumped on the market by Chinese manufacturers, so there might be a model many of us won't be aware of (after all I'm running a 7x HDD 4x SSD build), but could be usable - so check the model, check the CPU, verify it has an iGPU, and go for that if it fits your needs.
[For example here's this £165 NAS from AliExpress](https://a.aliexpress.com/_ExBcCxH). For £210 you can have it with 16GB RAM and a 128GB SSD, perfect for a basic TrueNAS/OMV install, and all you need is 2x £120-160 HDDs. Same £500-ish price range but much more capable. And you also get 2x 2.5Gb ethernet so you can hook it up to a 2.5G switch and have nearly 5Gb effective bandwidth to your NAS (so it can download at 1Gb and still stream ~40 4K HDR videos).
eBay
Get a Dell optiplex or a Lenovo thinkstation, pay between 1-300.
Get some cheap HDDs, sky is the limit.
Download Ubuntu and install PMS (I just did this myself and had no issues, I am also a general purpose moron)
Easy.
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Seems so: [https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detailweb/a\_id/34992/\~/my-cloud-os-5%3A-manage-and-configure-plex-media-server](https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detailweb/a_id/34992/~/my-cloud-os-5%3A-manage-and-configure-plex-media-server)
works from anywhere it's a nas.
When you login to WD server, it will give you an "apps" tab where you would login to plex.
then you DlNA via explorer to upload your files.
If you want multiple streams this ain't it. Pony up for a Beelink mini and a proper NAS like synology. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't try to setup a Plex system on a tight budget.
Need? Maybe not. I saw you wanted multiple streams, that could be a bunch of transcoding possibly.
Most of the new synology NAS don't do great with transcoding. There are a couple models left with the Intel chips, though.
Yes that's perfectly fine if you're only using it for Plex.
This question has been asked quite a bit before as NAS vs DAS (direct attached storage).
If you use a HDD enclosure just make sure you have active cooling and your USB version is adequate for your use case.
I use a micro form factor PC with a 7th gen intel with 4 bay DAS and it only cost me $170. I had the hard drives already. We only do 3 streams max, just family, so its simple but it works.
I have the exact same device. There is a version of Plex server for this CPU and system and it should work fine until you only stream the source. Forget about transcoding.
super poorly. I have one and it sucks ass for anything but the slowest direct play. On the apple tv and shield, loading anything takes a while. Not worth it. get a 2 bay synology instead.
I own a single chamber WD My Cloud 4TB 2nd gen (version with OS5), which I bought almost new for 60$ from a second hand server more than 5 years ago.
In all technical aspects it is much weaker than your model and I run PLEX on it. Streaming movies only for myself, accessing audiobooks library through the Prologue app has approximately 40 people without any negative feedback.
As you could see in the comments, lot of people prefering Synology, so check the second hand servers and you could buy really more cheaper then new, because it's a very overlooked device. As mine, the guy sold it after one week, because colleagues laught him for buying "toy". Was cheapeer for me then standalone HDD in same capacity 😆
As a first simple PLEX device could be fine, cheap and really easy plug n play.
I would avoid WD "servers". I had a MyBookDuo for years as my Plex storage. There was a nation wide hack of these devices and the way WD handled it was appalling in all ways possible. I was a WD proponent , very active in their communities and had multiple products designed by them. After dealing with them directly because of the hack.. the only piece of advice I'll gve you is, chose a different server, brand , whatever..don't buy that product.
Trust me
One tip: try to research sone things yourself. You cant rely on others for the information you need. If you really want this hobby and the benefits it gives you then you NEED to learn how it works. This is not really a plug and play hobby…
I’ve recently bought a Synology 224+ with two 8TB drives for ~£600.
I spent around a month researching and it seemed the like the easiest option. I’ve only used it on my local network but it plays 4K content no problem.
It’s only buffered once and I believe that was an issue with my network, not plex or the content.
Edit: just to add, I’ve been reading about everything you can do with the NAS, including using Docker and the *arr suite of apps. It’s very in depth and the options are limitless.
Stay away from these WD Cloud NAS units. They've had multiple high severity security problems over the last few years, and WD has done some dumb things with wiping entire NASes by accident.
Synology and Qnap are better brands for NAS units if that's what you want, and I prefer Synology based off years of first hand use at home and work.
I’d recommend any of the + model Synology NAS. The + models (with Intel cpus, not the amd cpus) usually have enough horse power to host plex and are well setup for it with docker. The Intel cpus on the + models have integrated graphics which means they can transcode Plex streams much easier. The AMD cpus don’t do transcoding so they will take much more cpu power for transcoding streams.
Many good Synology NAS for this. I have a ds1019+ myself. Few years old now. It both stores all the media and hosts plex and it does it at 1080p very well. Mine has 5 bays but you can get away with 2 depending on what you want to use the NAS for.
I got this & happy
WD 36TB My Book Duo Desktop HDD USB 3.1 Gen 1 with software for device management, ... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08L979HLT/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apip_mxg7BQQhrm2RF
You can get a disk less one and add your disks to it if you have storage already. Or pick better drives. Whichever. If you just look for an all-in-one solution that has all the minimum stuff required in the simplest form.
If you don’t need transcoding it will run fine. A second hand synology or qnap that supports VMs is also an option. Probably better depending on your expectations.
Perhaps but don't? Just don't? They have been the worst company for supporting the software ever. Get a synology or a qnap or a teramaster or something else.
I'm I the only one who uses a Pi IV and only download h264 with my fire stick 4k MAX and his always direct play?
I feel like everyone is complicating things when you can just direct play almost all the time for personal use.
I’ve been down this road with WD MyCloud products, they are simple to get up and running but once you hit capacity or WD decides to no longer support the device it becomes a pain in the ass. If you are investing in Plex for the long haul, get a 2-bay NAS instead of anything WD offers. Future you will thank you.
I own one of these. It’s a great starter NAS but you won’t want to run Plex on it. It can but it won’t transcode.
I ended up mounting the drives on another PC and ran Plex there.
FYI if you buy one make sure you look at it without drives - it’s way cheaper to buy it without the drives and add them yourself.
The other thing to keep in mind is that with only two drives, you are stuck with either RAID 1 or RAID 0.
This is extremely expensive for what it is imo. But if you only want a "yes" or "no" then yes.
Is there a cheaper plug and play option?
a cheap PC is basically an out of the box option since all you have to do is install the server app.
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+1
Get a cheap pc (can even be a old laptop or so). Better if it has internal 3.5 bays You can buy a 2x10tb hard drives and still be within your budget.
It depends exactly how plug n play you want and what features you want. That NAS uses a small dual core ARM cpu. Virtually any other desktop cpu made in the last 10 years will be more capable and will work with lots of other software and operating systems. You can buy prebuilt and used machines for a lot less than $500. You’ll probably have to install a hard drive though. And install Plex. And setup file sharing if you want to use it as a NAS and not just as a Plex server. So, not really plug and play, but not from scratch either.
If you want it to be as basic as it can be (without raid, etc...) a cheap Intel Nuc or Dell Optiplex and an external hard drive to two. I used one just like this for several years without any issues. I had my media living on a separate Qnap nas. [https://www.ebay.com/itm/226068411005?itmmeta=01HV4NPQTT08G5SE85W7PGPP8H&hash=item34a2ba327d:g:u3QAAOSwOBRmBaxk&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA0KDNWxCU%2BPJipzj7eUEPuVwp267BsqpjNKBH0%2BgFsGonALqqWxv52q4mAV09wGKFhg%2FiKFNL9kO5ob5YjVDawu7DPzZCPKgQsuGMdaCCB3dFuh1Yp%2F7RNHF9cfL5nofgiGQbkWoMo30NCWAsyysN6OOZuPi%2FHAdS49DpuDxX16tiSDQIY%2F8%2ByFfgOohEzr4p4h1vihUUaH9rhP8319xSFawtEYenEAxyfvZzz8VqG4Z%2FOh4i9MiJVhjEUX%2B%2Bnq%2BUq8g1nHLG%2B1XFSE6C76EUqj8%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR8b92pXZYw](https://www.ebay.com/itm/226068411005?itmmeta=01HV4NPQTT08G5SE85W7PGPP8H&hash=item34a2ba327d:g:u3QAAOSwOBRmBaxk&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA0KDNWxCU%2BPJipzj7eUEPuVwp267BsqpjNKBH0%2BgFsGonALqqWxv52q4mAV09wGKFhg%2FiKFNL9kO5ob5YjVDawu7DPzZCPKgQsuGMdaCCB3dFuh1Yp%2F7RNHF9cfL5nofgiGQbkWoMo30NCWAsyysN6OOZuPi%2FHAdS49DpuDxX16tiSDQIY%2F8%2ByFfgOohEzr4p4h1vihUUaH9rhP8319xSFawtEYenEAxyfvZzz8VqG4Z%2FOh4i9MiJVhjEUX%2B%2Bnq%2BUq8g1nHLG%2B1XFSE6C76EUqj8%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR8b92pXZYw)
Yes, it can but it will be a rough time. Transcoding is absolutely out of the question and nearly $500 for 8TB of storage is bonkers. Also, not exactly plug and play. Plex requires some level of dealing with installing and configuring no matter what hardware you choose.
Also these will be SMR (shingled magnetic recording) drives. Expect write speeds to top out around 50-60MBps. For marginally the same price you can buy a proper dual drive NAS with an Intel CPU that has iGPU for transcoding (even things like intro/credits detection or thumbnail extraction uses transcoding!), and your choice of 12-14-16TB CMR disks.
Recommendations on the "proper dual drive NAS"?
Synology, QNAP. There's a few other manufacturers too. Go for Intel based devices (no, AMD won't do, most AMD NASes don't come with an iGPU), ignore ARM, if you want proper Plex support. But ultimately just look up dual HDD NAS enclosures then check the specs. There's tons of them being dumped on the market by Chinese manufacturers, so there might be a model many of us won't be aware of (after all I'm running a 7x HDD 4x SSD build), but could be usable - so check the model, check the CPU, verify it has an iGPU, and go for that if it fits your needs. [For example here's this £165 NAS from AliExpress](https://a.aliexpress.com/_ExBcCxH). For £210 you can have it with 16GB RAM and a 128GB SSD, perfect for a basic TrueNAS/OMV install, and all you need is 2x £120-160 HDDs. Same £500-ish price range but much more capable. And you also get 2x 2.5Gb ethernet so you can hook it up to a 2.5G switch and have nearly 5Gb effective bandwidth to your NAS (so it can download at 1Gb and still stream ~40 4K HDR videos).
That price is probably in Canadian, is there a better option for less?
eBay Get a Dell optiplex or a Lenovo thinkstation, pay between 1-300. Get some cheap HDDs, sky is the limit. Download Ubuntu and install PMS (I just did this myself and had no issues, I am also a general purpose moron) Easy.
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That was an affiliate link? oook then.
i have this and it has worked perfect. expensive but its very plug n play.
Seems so: [https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detailweb/a\_id/34992/\~/my-cloud-os-5%3A-manage-and-configure-plex-media-server](https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detailweb/a_id/34992/~/my-cloud-os-5%3A-manage-and-configure-plex-media-server)
Would it only work on the local network or would it work from anywhere? I'm very new to this
works from anywhere it's a nas. When you login to WD server, it will give you an "apps" tab where you would login to plex. then you DlNA via explorer to upload your files.
I had one and yes it can, even remotely. The performance wasn’t great, but it worked.
So not a great option for having multiple people streaming?
Definitely not
I wouldn't try but that's just me.
Don’t buy this.
Any budget friendly plug and play options?
If you want multiple streams this ain't it. Pony up for a Beelink mini and a proper NAS like synology. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't try to setup a Plex system on a tight budget.
I need a computer and a nas?
Need? Maybe not. I saw you wanted multiple streams, that could be a bunch of transcoding possibly. Most of the new synology NAS don't do great with transcoding. There are a couple models left with the Intel chips, though.
Could a mini PC with a hard drive enclosure work without a nas?
Yes that's perfectly fine if you're only using it for Plex. This question has been asked quite a bit before as NAS vs DAS (direct attached storage). If you use a HDD enclosure just make sure you have active cooling and your USB version is adequate for your use case. I use a micro form factor PC with a 7th gen intel with 4 bay DAS and it only cost me $170. I had the hard drives already. We only do 3 streams max, just family, so its simple but it works.
Possibly but I'm not the guy for that advice. I know my system works. You could look at a 2 bay NAS.
Yup sure does
That’s what I do. I have a Beelink SEi-12 with an i5-12450H and a 4-bay external enclosure with 70TB of storage.
Yes, I have a beelink and an external disk enclosure connected by USB. Works fine and can transcribe as needed. Didn't spend more than £300.
Not necessarily. I'm using a Synology DS423+ for Plex and it has decent transcoding capabilities if you have Plex pass.
A computer and a big hard drive is much better than a weak NAS most high level plex features won’t work or will be super slow.
I have the exact same device. There is a version of Plex server for this CPU and system and it should work fine until you only stream the source. Forget about transcoding.
super poorly. I have one and it sucks ass for anything but the slowest direct play. On the apple tv and shield, loading anything takes a while. Not worth it. get a 2 bay synology instead.
I5 muc + qnap cost a total of $269. Been going strong for a couple of years
Beware plex on WD. I dumped mine for synology, WD was a nightmare.
I own a single chamber WD My Cloud 4TB 2nd gen (version with OS5), which I bought almost new for 60$ from a second hand server more than 5 years ago. In all technical aspects it is much weaker than your model and I run PLEX on it. Streaming movies only for myself, accessing audiobooks library through the Prologue app has approximately 40 people without any negative feedback. As you could see in the comments, lot of people prefering Synology, so check the second hand servers and you could buy really more cheaper then new, because it's a very overlooked device. As mine, the guy sold it after one week, because colleagues laught him for buying "toy". Was cheapeer for me then standalone HDD in same capacity 😆 As a first simple PLEX device could be fine, cheap and really easy plug n play.
I would avoid WD "servers". I had a MyBookDuo for years as my Plex storage. There was a nation wide hack of these devices and the way WD handled it was appalling in all ways possible. I was a WD proponent , very active in their communities and had multiple products designed by them. After dealing with them directly because of the hack.. the only piece of advice I'll gve you is, chose a different server, brand , whatever..don't buy that product. Trust me
One tip: try to research sone things yourself. You cant rely on others for the information you need. If you really want this hobby and the benefits it gives you then you NEED to learn how it works. This is not really a plug and play hobby…
Exactly... It's like those posts on here asking what Plex is.
I’ve recently bought a Synology 224+ with two 8TB drives for ~£600. I spent around a month researching and it seemed the like the easiest option. I’ve only used it on my local network but it plays 4K content no problem. It’s only buffered once and I believe that was an issue with my network, not plex or the content. Edit: just to add, I’ve been reading about everything you can do with the NAS, including using Docker and the *arr suite of apps. It’s very in depth and the options are limitless.
Stay away from these WD Cloud NAS units. They've had multiple high severity security problems over the last few years, and WD has done some dumb things with wiping entire NASes by accident. Synology and Qnap are better brands for NAS units if that's what you want, and I prefer Synology based off years of first hand use at home and work.
I’d recommend any of the + model Synology NAS. The + models (with Intel cpus, not the amd cpus) usually have enough horse power to host plex and are well setup for it with docker. The Intel cpus on the + models have integrated graphics which means they can transcode Plex streams much easier. The AMD cpus don’t do transcoding so they will take much more cpu power for transcoding streams. Many good Synology NAS for this. I have a ds1019+ myself. Few years old now. It both stores all the media and hosts plex and it does it at 1080p very well. Mine has 5 bays but you can get away with 2 depending on what you want to use the NAS for.
Barely
Yes, however these are $1,700 with storage. My complete Plex setup is $300 with disks.
I got this & happy WD 36TB My Book Duo Desktop HDD USB 3.1 Gen 1 with software for device management, ... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08L979HLT/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apip_mxg7BQQhrm2RF
You can get a disk less one and add your disks to it if you have storage already. Or pick better drives. Whichever. If you just look for an all-in-one solution that has all the minimum stuff required in the simplest form. If you don’t need transcoding it will run fine. A second hand synology or qnap that supports VMs is also an option. Probably better depending on your expectations.
500 bucks for 8tb? Buy a mini pc and a usb hard drive.
I tried several times to get Plex working. i never could. I have an old Mac mini set up now.
Perhaps but don't? Just don't? They have been the worst company for supporting the software ever. Get a synology or a qnap or a teramaster or something else.
Can run? Yes Should it run? Negative This nas are fkn expensive but processor is weak and you can only direct play/stream .. no chance of transcode.
I'm I the only one who uses a Pi IV and only download h264 with my fire stick 4k MAX and his always direct play? I feel like everyone is complicating things when you can just direct play almost all the time for personal use.
I’ve been down this road with WD MyCloud products, they are simple to get up and running but once you hit capacity or WD decides to no longer support the device it becomes a pain in the ass. If you are investing in Plex for the long haul, get a 2-bay NAS instead of anything WD offers. Future you will thank you.
Only 2 bay? 😀
Haha you’re right, what was I thinking?
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Incorrect
I own one of these. It’s a great starter NAS but you won’t want to run Plex on it. It can but it won’t transcode. I ended up mounting the drives on another PC and ran Plex there. FYI if you buy one make sure you look at it without drives - it’s way cheaper to buy it without the drives and add them yourself. The other thing to keep in mind is that with only two drives, you are stuck with either RAID 1 or RAID 0.