|
Bonzo posted:For anyone running Ubuntu, is it better to start with a new HDD, format it, and then copy over data? I think NTFS support in *nix is pretty mature nowadays, but it's not a native FS. I'd suggest connecting the new drive to your Ubuntu system and formatting it in whatever the recommended FS is, then transferring the contents as you described.
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2018 18:04
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 1, 2024 18:47 |
|
|
Is there a way to play in progress dvr recordings from the beginning? It seems like a pretty basic dvr functionality but I just can't figure out how to do it. I've tried both the roku and android apps and neither seem to have the option to do so, just pick up where a recording is currently at.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2018 19:23
|
|
|
Atomizer posted:I think NTFS support in *nix is pretty mature nowadays, but it's not a native FS. I'd suggest connecting the new drive to your Ubuntu system and formatting it in whatever the recommended FS is, then transferring the contents as you described. This. I've done transfers to and from NTFS in Ubuntu 16.04 without issue, but I would only do that for the purpose of migrating to (or from) a *nix OS.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2018 19:39
|
|
|
Question for those of you running a NAS for storage but Plex on a separate computer for the sake of remote-sharing transcode power- when watching from a local client that has plenty enough power to direct-play (Shield, for example), do you have the Shield connect through the separate Plex computer, or do you also run Plex on the NAS for local-play only? Asking because I'd like to share out to family (which will probably require transcoding), but am wondering if I should expect a noticeable speed drop for my own viewing by having my Shield connect to the NAS through my transcode server (all points wired with cat 6) rather than just straight to the NAS. And related, if using a Mac Mini as a transcode workhorse with files stored on a NAS, would NFS be preferable to SMB? Or vice-versa?
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2018 21:34
|
|
|
I don't even notice when it's transcoding for someone outside my network.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2018 21:50
|
|
|
Dicty Brojangles posted:Question for those of you running a NAS for storage but Plex on a separate computer for the sake of remote-sharing transcode power- when watching from a local client that has plenty enough power to direct-play (Shield, for example), do you have the Shield connect through the separate Plex computer, or do you also run Plex on the NAS for local-play only? Everything points to the same Plex server, otherwise you are running two different libraries, etc. If you have a client that can do Direct Play / Direct Stream, it will use minimal resources on the server. While it's not pulling the data straight from the NAS, it is basically the same thing.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2018 21:53
|
|
|
Thanks! Single library it is.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2018 00:06
|
|
|
TheScott2K posted:I've got a drat "Smartcast" TV that doesn't have an MPEG2 decoder. EL BROMANCE posted:You’d think, but MPEG2 is essentially deprecated now (despite still being the OTA codec of choice until the new standard rolls out) so lots of set top boxes don’t contain direct support for it. Roku, Apple TV etc Ixian posted:BTW many commercial entities, like Apple, etc. do have licenses from MPEG-LA but those are for their own decoders. Just to add some details to this: My TiVo Bolt "DirectPlay" 's DVD content. I just tested it. MPEG-2 stream w/ AC3 audio. This is consistent with what I had in my head, but didn't have something on hand to actually test it. I realize I am the old man yelling at the clouds, but I love me some TiVo. (The Series2 at least used MPEG-2 as their on-disk format for saving standard def TV.)
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2018 00:31
|
|
|
Set it up new, but create a logical partition. Move data over to it, then format the old drives and add them to the same partition. Now you can enjoy all that space together I am also a very big fan of getting a small (but good quality) SSD to be the dedicated os drive. That way your os is separate from all your data drives, and you can have the os get hosed without losing all your data. I had this happen when I used a cheap SSD in tthe past. I wish I took my own advice in part 1, as I started adding a 2tb drive one for a TV and one for a movie mounting point. Now I need to expand and it's difficult to add to the same volume
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2018 13:06
|
|
|
Roundboy posted:Set it up new, but create a logical partition. Move data over to it, then format the old drives and add them to the same partition. Now you can enjoy all that space together +1 for separate OS drive. For added protection write some ansible or something that does all of the setup and configuration of your OS then back up the provisioning scripts.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2018 14:13
|
|
|
So.... Silicon Dust has launched their own skinny TV bundle: https://www.silicondust.com/premium-tv/ I got an email saying it is currently in "limited beta" but right now it appears anyone can sign up. $34.99/month for 45 channels. The usual suspects are present and there's just the one tier with no option for premium stuff like HBO, etc. (which you can get with HBO Now, etc. separately anyway). I don't think it provides app logins for channels that have apps either but could be wrong about this, it's pretty new and info is sparse. Nothing too exciting and SD's own client software still sucks as bad as it always has (their Windows 10 client isn't even updated to work with this yet) so normally this would be a "shrug, another cable with buffering service, wake me when it gets..." except: It works with Plex DVR. And pretty well so far, from my (limited) testing. It'll integrate the skinny bundle channels with your locals. Here's a shot of mine:  Looks like it supports DVR/Timeshifting too, though some channels may have restrictions on that, haven't had time to fully test out yet. It also allows streaming to up to 4 simultaneous clients, though like the rest of Plex DVR that is in-home only. Quality is good so far. I'm using the Plex Windows client, and my Roku Ultra. I'm giving it a try, time will tell, but if you want an all in one interface for TV with Plex this is as good as it gets, barring CableCard. Now that Plex is rolling out the grid guide to more devices (the Shield has it now I believe) this could be...good? Maybe? One current issue with setup - you can't upgrade your existing Plex DVR setup, you basically have to delete that and start a new one. It'll keep recordings, of course, but you'll need to re-do any scheduled recordings. Also, when you set up the new one, you have to pick cable, not digital antenna, for the guide source. Then you need to go and find the correct mapping for your local OTA channels because Plex will pull in their cable equivalents. I didn't have any problem doing this, found all mine easily, but YMMV. Plex will probably update this process in the future but it's Plex so your guess is as good as mine as to when.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2018 21:24
|
|
|
Update: I'm currently DVR'ing the Godfather Part 2 off AMC (how loving often are they going to show that movie?) and it's working fine. Plex also correctly identified it and let me pick my Movie library to store it. Second, I recorded HGTV and it also id'd that show (some House Hunter thing) and selected the TV library. Could I dare hope this actually turns out good? Now if they would just roll out the grid guide to the Roku client (and support recording in that client too)...
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2018 21:33
|
|
|
SiliconDust's apps are trash, but Plex DVR integration is intriguing if you're looking for cable without cable.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2018 21:48
|
|
|
TheScott2K posted:SiliconDust's apps are trash, but Plex DVR integration is intriguing if you're looking for cable without cable. It also works with Emby and the Channels app for Apple TV. How well I couldn't say but I know the latter is very popular with ATV users. I'm surprised that DVR/timeshifting works with all the channels I've tried so far. Combined with a client that has the Plex grid guide (or Channels TV, etc.) this could be the best combo around for many. Granted, you have the whole package dance bullshit where some stuff is available and others not, and I don't know if there is any on-demand service for back catalog stuff, but for regular "I want a cable TV experience without having to deal with Cable TV contracts/equipment/bullshit", not bad especially if you already use Plex for your local media.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2018 22:54
|
|
|
quote:It also allows streaming to up to 4 simultaneous clients, though like the rest of Plex DVR that is in-home only. Am I misunderstanding, because I use my HDHR on Plex on my iPhone when out of the house and it works fine.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2018 00:53
|
|
|
EL BROMANCE posted:Am I misunderstanding, because I use my HDHR on Plex on my iPhone when out of the house and it works fine. I was thinking of shares, not your local accounts, sorry. Yes, I was able to stream the new channels via my phone earlier tonight when I was out as a test.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2018 03:06
|
|
|
Yeah I'd like to hear more about that too. This is tempting since I don't think I can get an antenna on my Plex server (probably won't get reception for poo poo inside a server cabinet, though at least it is close to the broadcast towers) but it is only used as a remote server. Edit: so the main Plex account can use it remotely but Friends cannot?
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2018 03:07
|
|
|
Roundboy posted:I am also a very big fan of getting a small (but good quality) SSD to be the dedicated os drive. That way your os is separate from all your data drives, and you can have the os get hosed without losing all your data. I had this happen when I used a cheap SSD in tthe past. Dren posted:+1 for separate OS drive. For added protection write some ansible or something that does all of the setup and configuration of your OS then back up the provisioning scripts. Well, a dedicated, good SSD for the OS and then whatever other drives for your other stuff has been the recommendation for...years? Like, ever since SSDs became mainstream and affordable, which was before huge drives that could easily hold your OS and everything else were affordable. Anyways, if you have HDDs in your system for your media and games or whatever, plus any old SSDs that aren't really useful for anything else, you can try using PrimoCache to have the SSD cache the HDDs (it can also use extra DRAM as higher-level cache.)
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2018 07:46
|
|
|
IOwnCalculus posted:Yeah I'd like to hear more about that too. This is tempting since I don't think I can get an antenna on my Plex server (probably won't get reception for poo poo inside a server cabinet, though at least it is close to the broadcast towers) but it is only used as a remote server. You don't need an antenna hooked up to your Plex server. I'm not sure Plex even supports local USB tuners. You need an HDHR network tuner for this - particularly since the bundle service only works with those. Check the page I linked for compatible models. You put that anywhere you A) Can reach it with a network cable and B) Can also reach it with an antenna. You could install it outside your server cabinet, for example (they are small). As far as I can tell Plex DVR in general only works with "local" accounts - your main account and local users - and can't be shared with friends like your library can. Your friends, however, can set up their own Plex DVR while still viewing your shared libraries.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2018 14:49
|
|
|
Ixian posted:So.... So, do you need a HDHomerun? how does this work with Plex? I'm a little confused, I have no cable coming into the house, just Antenna for local OTA. Is this all over the internet and just ties into Plex DVR with a login or something into Silicone Dust?
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2018 14:52
|
|
|
derk posted:So, do you need a HDHomerun? how does this work with Plex? I'm a little confused, I have no cable coming into the house, just Antenna for local OTA. Is this all over the internet and just ties into Plex DVR with a login or something into Silicone Dust? Yes you need an HD Homerun. It's not a standalone service like Sling, Vue, etc. even though it technically works the same. The bundle content is delivered via the internet; the HDHR is just for integration I believe. OTA content comes over your antenna as normal to the HDHR tuner which then combines those with the streaming channels and presents all the channels to clients. So you get your local OTA plus the 45 "cable" channels like AMC, CNN, etc. all together in one guide. You subscribe on Silicon Dusts site, which links your account to your HDHR (this is more straightforward than it may sound). Once you do that, you do a re-scan for channels with your HDHR setup software and, bam, all the streaming channels show up. Then you just configure your client to use the HDHR for TV. Silicon Dust has their own clients for many platforms however they universally suck and their DVR service is poo poo. If that is all this was no one would give a gently caress about it. However Plex (and others - Emby server, the ATV Channels app, I think Live Channels from Google) can be configured to use the HDHR as a TV source and act as their own clients, which are much nicer. Once you subscribe/add the channels to your HDHR as described above, they will show up for Plex too. You just add it in the server settings. At least with Plex, the setup isn't totally straightforward yet - you point it to your HDHR (this is easy), then tell Plex to scan for channels. It'll quickly pull what your HDHR tells it is available which now includes the streaming channels. Then, still in Plex, you configure a guide source. Even though you are using an antenna/streaming you need to pick "cable" because Plex doesn't know how to map the streaming channels yet. You'll then get a list of your channels along with guide data to map to them; here's what it looks like:  In my case, it correctly matched most of my channels, however about 10 or so were off. You click the drop down arrow and you'll get a list - pick the correct one. This took me about 5 minutes and I was able to correctly match all my channels. You only have to do this once. Then, Plex will do a guide refresh. In the end you'll get something like this - notice how I have both my local OTA channels (NBC, etc.) and bundle channels (AMC, etc.) just like a "regular" cable DVR:  And that's it. Now you can browse, watch live TV, schedule recordings, etc. Not all clients have Plex's new Grid Guide yet so you may still get the channel thumbnail view or whatever they call it, but it works the same. So far I have not found any restrictions on recording the bundle channels (OTA channels have never had restrictions). It'll record them, and even sort movies and tv shows in to the correct library for you. That part is pretty slick and one of the things I like most about Plex DVR. It is an interesting offering to be sure. Not quite like other skinny bundles in that you need the HDHR hardware, there's no "cloud" DVR (though you don't need one and the content you record, you keep), I don't know if there are separate logins for streaming channel services like ESPN, etc. Also I have no idea what their streaming infrastructure is like and if it can handle a surge in users, if there is one. There's no commitment though, so no harm in trying it. If you are in an area where your skinny bundle options (Sling, etc.) already offer all your local channels, then this is only useful if you want to use Plex for everything including DVR. If you are like me, in Austin, where all locals are not available, this is even more useful because I can now integrate OTA with streaming in one interface. Even 3 years ago this would have been a huge deal for a lot of people. Now that folks have gotten used to streaming TV bundles it might take adjusting for some. I like it so far.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2018 15:26
|
|
|
I wish I could get my HDHR to stop re-adding channels I've deleted
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2018 15:28
|
|
|
TheScott2K posted:I wish I could get my HDHR to stop re-adding channels I've deleted  Marking them in the tuner with a red x doesn't do it? It works for mine. You can also mark favorites with a yellow star; that only works with SD's clients and Google Live Channels I believe.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2018 15:40
|
|
|
Ixian posted:
Nope, eventually the red-x'd channels reappear. I'm thinking it does some sort of periodic channel scan, they fully disappear because their signal is bad, then they reappear on a subsequent scan. I want to just tell the thing never to scan.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2018 15:43
|
|
|
TheScott2K posted:Nope, eventually the red-x'd channels reappear. I'm thinking it does some sort of periodic channel scan, they fully disappear because their signal is bad, then they reappear on a subsequent scan. I want to just tell the thing never to scan. That's strange, I can't remember mine ever scanning unless I tell it to.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2018 15:46
|
|
|
Ixian posted:That's strange, I can't remember mine ever scanning unless I tell it to. I've long suspected I've got a weird HDHR. I never use SD's app for anything unless the USB tuner hooked up to my Xbone is having trouble with a channel, so it's not a particularly big deal. Just weird.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2018 15:50
|
|
|
Update on HDHR Premium w/Plex: So right now there's a guide mapping issue for folks living on the East Coast. Look at the channel chart: https://www.silicondust.com/premium-tv/ and click "timezone chart" under it. It'll list the feeds SD is getting the channels from. Channels that list "National" for both are fine. Channels that list Eastern for East and Pacific for...you guessed it, are also fine. The problem is there are a few channels, like A&E, that it's just using the Pacific feed across the board. With Plex, when you set up your guide by zip code (which you need to do if you want your local OTA to be correct) it'll pull the resulting cable listing for your area as well but: If you are on the east coast that means you'll get east coast guide data for a pacific coast feed. In other words the data will be wrong for those channels. Supposedly Plex is working out something where you can pull correct guide data but who knows how long it'll take for them to get around to finishing that. Folks on Reddit are digging around XML files for a workaround in the meantime but nothing yet. FYI.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2018 15:51
|
|
|
Ixian posted:
Just a note, favorites seem to work with DLNA clients. For example, I can select the HDHR Prime as a video source using a Samsung smart TV and it has two folders: all the channels and favorites (and the favorites category only shows the "favorite" channels). Internet Savant fucked around with this message at 19:50 on Aug 27, 2018 |
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2018 19:44
|
|
|
Just ... umm ... in case you're dumb like me, make sure you go through my.hdhomerun.com to actually purchase the subscription. If you do it through the main website, you'll have to contact support to get your license assigned. I wasn't even aware of the my.hdhomerun.com site before this thread. Edit: Okay, the actual issue here is you have to go view your order receipt while on the same network as your HDHomeRun, and then you can click an activation link in your order receipt. insularis fucked around with this message at 19:55 on Aug 28, 2018 |
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2018 18:22
|
|
|
Ixian posted:You don't need an antenna hooked up to your Plex server. I'm not sure Plex even supports local USB tuners. It does support tuners, but: Ixian posted:You need an HDHR network tuner for this Welp, that's a dealkiller right there for me. drat.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2018 18:57
|
|
|
IOwnCalculus posted:It does support tuners, but: The service appears to map virtual channels to the tuners in the HDHR (2 or 4 depending on the model). This is what allows them to deliver OTA signals and streaming together. To clients, they are all just tunable channels. That one signal is being pulled off an antenna and the other through the internet makes no difference at the client end. This no doubt makes integration a lot easier, but it does tie you to their hardware. Also, a streaming channel uses a tuner slot just like OTA, meaning if you have a two tuner model, you can only view/record two channels at the same time whether they are OTA, streaming, or a combo. This service is really for folks who want combined local OTA and some "cable" TV in one app, like Plex, the Channels app, etc. If the guide mapping issue gets sorted out for Plex it could be really compelling because so far I'm able to schedule and record any of the channels, not just OTA, and the recordings get sorted in to my Plex library. Makes Plex DVR a lot more worthwhile. If you don't really care about that then other streaming TV services are probably a better deal.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2018 19:06
|
|
|
The Diddler posted:I keep hearing that, but somehow Candy Crush has never *ever* come back on any of my computers at home. It's almost like it might be... Yeah, I'm currently stuck with Pro on our work machines, been pushing for Enterprise for a while now, I think 2019 may be the year finally. I'm about to start the process of migrating my Plex VM from Win 7 to Server 2016 (or maybe wait for 2019).
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2018 19:35
|
|
|
I'm a Plex DVR haver so that HDHR thing looks pretty great for us and only us. Might get a month of it here and there.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2018 19:37
|
|
|
I dusted off some old external HDDs and found that I had stashed some old TV recordings from Windows Media Center, dated over 10 years ago.  Unfortunately they're in the dvr-ms container which is a pain in the rear end to deal with as they cause Handbrake to stall when reading them for some reason. I used some unknown program in years past to transcode them, but I have long since forgotten what that software was and a preliminary search yielded either shady or non-free results, and transcoding these files isn't worth anything other than the curiosity. Also, I'm not sure why I didn't transcode this batch, almost half a terabyte worth of recordings, along with everything else at the time.  Anyways, VLC plays them, but lists both the audio & video codecs as "DVR," whatever that's supposed to mean. I'd really like to get them into a more universal configuration, and I found that ffmpeg can be used to transcode them so I found a frontend for it to make things a little easier. It works, although it's a little crashy, and while I can get it to use x264, I found that x265 took forever and often went into an endless loop after a few files. It's been a few days, but I've almost got them all transcoded.The reason I wanted to bring all this up is because I noticed that ffmpeg using x264 has been working well, very fast (these are generally 720x480 files) and pegs the CPU at 100% usage, whereas with handbrake, I transcoded mostly MPEG2 content (of that same resolution, ED,) to HEVC, presumably using x265, and it only ever utilized around 70-80% of the CPU. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but now I'm wondering why that process couldn't utilize all of the CPU's resources. Anyone have insight into this? Edit: Unrelated, this $360 desktop would make a fine PMS; the only thing I'd add is an SSD, but otherwise it's powerful enough, doesn't need more RAM, and gets you started with a 2 TB HDD for storage. Atomizer fucked around with this message at 21:08 on Aug 28, 2018 |
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2018 20:56
|
|
|
TheScott2K posted:I'm a Plex DVR haver so that HDHR thing looks pretty great for us and only us. Might get a month of it here and there. If you live on the east coast, or a part of middle America that gets east coast feeds, be aware there's still a guide mapping issue for a few channels, because HDHR Premium pulls the pacific feeds for about 7 or 8 of them. Meaning your guide data will be wrong for those, in a nutshell. Currently the only workaround I've seen is to use a third party guide service, like schedules direct, and one of the (many) programs that will grab and combine listings from them. Then you can pretty much get everything the way it needs to be by configuring Plex to import data from that and not its internal service. However you have to pay for Schedules Direct (it's $25/y) and there's a bit of a learning curve getting it set up. I've used Schedules Direct in the past, it's a good, legit service, so I'm checking it out using this: https://github.com/azlm8t/tv_grab_zz_sdjson_sqlite/blob/master/README.md to grab and combine listings for it. Schedules Direct allows you to configure multiple lists, so you can for example pick one for your OTA channels and nationals, and another for the pacific feeds. That way data will be accurate. It's a bit of a pain in the rear end to set up though. Silicon Dust says they are working with Plex to fix this but it's Plex so who knows how long it will take. It would be easy if they just pulled the data from Silicon Dust themselves - that's what the Channels app for ATV does and they don't have a problem as a result - but perhaps there are internal business politics at play with Plex. Who knows.
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2018 20:58
|
|
|
Does Plex do the commercial skip for the streaming content you record?
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2018 06:54
|
|
|
WhyteRyce posted:Does Plex do the commercial skip for the streaming content you record? it can, but it isn't perfect
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2018 14:00
|
|
|
The Live TV stuff is pretty incredible. I finally got my system 100% wired and the antenna in an inconspicuous spot. It works wonderfully. Not having to break out into a separate app for streaming is really attractive. If only the guide could be overlayed while a channel was tuned and if there was a way to integrate NBA league pass / NHL center ice, this would be the complete solution.
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2018 20:14
|
|
|
sellouts posted:The Live TV stuff is pretty incredible. I finally got my system 100% wired and the antenna in an inconspicuous spot. It works wonderfully. Some clients like Android TV have guide overlays with Plex, at least if you have one of the newer versions with the grid guide. Roku allows you to browse channels while one is playing as well if you click down a couple times.
|
|
#
?
Aug 30, 2018 00:27
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 1, 2024 18:47 |
|
|
Trip report on Premium TV through Silicon Dust: My home internet connection is fiber, and it's solid (A+ across the board on the DSLReports test). I have no issues streaming 4K content from any other provider. My connection is 80/20 ... not the fastest, but not bad, and it's flat line stable when maxed out. 720p content should only take about 6Mb/s. Premium TV was a straight up return to 2005. Constant buffering. The picture was lovely, and it didn't degrade in a DirectTV manner, but it buffered for 1-2 seconds every 5-20 seconds. I'm not sure if they have peering problems, CDN issues, or capacity limitations, but it was extremely unimpressive at my location. Can't even record NatGeo without tons of pauses, which is what I wanted to develop a nice collection of using this. I haven't seen a buffering pause out of Netflix, Amazon Prime, Youtube, or even my own Plex server in years. Just this service. Maybe I'll give it another try in 6 months, but they really should have offered a 3 day trial or something to ensure they could provide adequate service to a region.
|
|
#
?
Aug 30, 2018 14:07
|
|