Old Desktop as Network Storage

M

meetdilip

Adept
I wouldn't dare call it a NAS because it is a 7-year-old desktop running an AMD Athlon processor. I have a few movies ( around 10 ) and would like to access them through Mi TV 4A 43-inch ( 3-4 years old running Android 10).

What is the simplest way to do it? Just share it through Samba ( It has Windows 7 and Ubuntu 20.04 dual boot) and play it through VLC? The desktop had Windows 10 on it but I removed it because it was too slow.

How about using Jellyfin or Kodi? It would be nice if there is a library like UI to choose movies from. Value your inputs, thanks.
 
Jellyfin is better then kodi in most of the usecases and having a central watch database is better if you ever want to continue watching it in another device so I would recommend Jellyfin over kodi. Regarding Plex I believe it is a paid app and if you loose internet connection then you cant even login in within the your own network(I dont know if they have changed it but it was a problem before). Jellyfin dosn't have that problem, their photo gallary is not great though but for videos it is good. Also check if you can enable hardware encoding/decoding it will help in reducing the cpu load during upscaling/downscaling.

Regards
 
I would recommend installing Lubuntu or something even lighter and purpose built like open media vault. You can then install jellyfin on your PC and TV or simply use Kodi on your TV with shared folders.

Jellyfin might struggle if you use transcoding, depending on how old the machine is. On the other hand, if your TV has slowed down, then Jellyfin might work better than Kodi. Personally I'm partial towards Kodi because of all the features and customisations it offers.

To make the PC run smoothly, you can even run it in headless mode, no GUI.
 
If you're comfortable with linux CLI then you can install DietPi for a super light-weight OS and it has kinds of software you can install via a menu.

I'm using the same on a zotac mini pc which has Baytrail Celeron 4 core and only 1GB RAM and still 500+MB free RAM.
 
Yes DietPi is good option if OP has linux commandline skills. Xpenology assumes no such skills and we do not need to touch commandline, it would also take the least time to install and configure via the webui, while supporting huge number of plugins which can also be installed via webui. It also supports BTFRS and is more NAS-centric than DietPi.

From my experience it helps to integrate a torrent or download software with the NAS and media-sharing application.

The xpenology USB only holds the boot loader (rather than complete os) and can be easily recreated when required, without loss of configuration. Similar functionality can be had with DietPi full hdd install.

Plex also has a web interface and can be used on client devices without installing additional software. This article https://www.videoconverterfactory.com/tips/plex-vs-kodi.html might help show the differences.

I would recommend the OP tinker and try both, cause it certainly will improve skills in the process. Personally I am sold on the fully web driven interface of xpenology. I prefer plex to kodi for the same reason.

BTW the RSS downloader feature is neat for downloading from RSS feeds. It is installed and configured in mere minutes on xpenology. Good luck building your own Netflix ;)
 

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Universal Media Server

Or use Kodi/ Libreelec to share connected devices. I have libreelec and i can browse to the folder on my hdd through VLC and play the video. No need of any OS on hdd to waste space. Just install libreelec on a 8gb usb drive and run it from there. On TV you can use VLC or Kodi to browse to the folder on the libreelec system.
 
I have used only Kodi but it comes with its set of issues.
If from media, a movie folder/file is deleted, kodi still stores that in its cache and refuses to update the library in actual even when you do tons of refreshes and what not. This pissed me off but did found some solution on the net which was again a bit tricky to get library updated.

Other than that its a bliss. Tons of configs to play with.
I used it only for movies.
 
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meetdilip said:
I have a few movies ( around 10 ) and would like to access them through Mi TV 4A 43-inch ( 3-4 years old running Android 10).
Click to expand...
Are you planning to expand your library ?
If your TV support DLNA, install miniDLNA in your computer and you are all set.

If not, why don't you install ES-explorer, make the folder sharable in your desktop, and acces/play it via ES explorer, or similar software like mx player ( get ahem'ed version which has fully dolby support).

Alternative,
Option 2, if you plan to expand your library - Install Jellyfin - its best in class, 100% free and no bloatware/telemetry tracking like plex.
If need little polished go emby - for android TV app you need spend 1-time 5$, ( don't bother wasting money in subscription model - not worth at all.)

KODI - is offer the most customisation and offer most feature, but it will bring your TV to knees due to its cpu/ram requirement. - not recommended to use in TVs/streaming sticks/low-powered equipments.
meetdilip said:
The Plex Android app is paid, right? Even inside the home network.
Click to expand...
Don't bother even looking towards plex. they are wannabie amazon prime.
 
thanks all

gwrench2000 said:
Good comparison chart to help decide. :)
Click to expand...


Thanks. Looks like Kodi do allow to share libraries through uPnP.

chetansha said:
Nope. I installed plex server on my desktop, then app on the firestick. I used my usb hdd for plex library. It works. I havent paid anything.

Why dont you try it once!
Click to expand...

Thanks. It turns out that my PC already has Plex in it. I have tried a few options before and at that time Plex app on phone was very particular about the payment.
 
meetdilip said:
thanks all




Thanks. Looks like Kodi do allow to share libraries through uPnP.



Thanks. It turns out that my PC already has Plex in it. I have tried a few options before and at that time Plex app on phone was very particular about the payment.
Click to expand...
You never shared ur machine config bro. You might suprise urself what a 7-yr old can do ;). make sure that cpu fan is good.
 
Most would support VTx, if you got large amount of ram, you could install proxmox and try all jellyfin/kodi/plex besides being easy to manage headless..
 
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