Best way to stream movies from my NAS to my TV?

X_E_N · 6 Nov 2015 at 10:06

Hi all, first post and it's a corker. Well.

For over a year now I've been using Plex media server on my PC and viewing it on my crappy LG "smart" TV. I want to try and negate the need to have my PC on to watch films so I bought a NAS and installed 2x 2TB drives and filled them with my movies and TV shows from my PC.

The NAS (DLink DNS-320L) does has the unofficial ability to install a Plex media server, but my god is it poor. Slow as hell and trying to add a folder of movies takes hours, not minutes and 90% of the time it just gives up finding the artwork altogether.

I need a solution for this, I don't mind paying a small amount extra for a dongle for the TV, Chromecast or Amazon TV. But I am unsure how any of these will be acting as media servers in a sense.
The storage of the library, collation of artwork etc has to be done off the PC.

I also have a raspberry pi lying around, but I've read that won't be man enough to be a server but I don't know.

George Hincapie · 6 Nov 2015 at 10:18

There are loads of options TBH.

So, you could use a console; a WiiU or an XBox would run PLEX and you could stream that way. You could use a media player like WDTV (http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=1270) or similar. You could build a small media dedicated PC.

Lots of options really.

You just want the NAS to serve, run PLEX on something else.

snips86x · 6 Nov 2015 at 10:20

My Xbox when connected to the LAN will see all the movies I have on my NAS. If you have console, this could be the easiest option. Alternatively, something like a Fire Stick will allow you to run Plex and stream from your NAS.

X_E_N · 6 Nov 2015 at 10:27

It would seem the main issue I am running into is running the server from a device that isn't my PC without spending more money. I wrongly and stupidly thought the Fire Stick could be a server too, but no.

I will continue to tweak my NAS and hope it will work as planned, but videos of the fire stick with Plex look good, really fast.

lude1962 · 6 Nov 2015 at 11:09

install Openelc type build on your pi
connect pi to tv, stream from nas

George Hincapie · 6 Nov 2015 at 11:24

From what I read, the Pi2 made the better server (more powerful CPU). No experience myself so take with a pinch of salt.

danoliver1 · 6 Nov 2015 at 13:10

Any device running kodi will see your nas and let you stream from it. I use a fire tv stick and a raspberry pi 2 both work great.

danoliver1 · 6 Nov 2015 at 13:13

George Hincapie said:
From what I read, the Pi2 made the better server (more powerful CPU). No experience myself so take with a pinch of salt.

This is true especially streaming 1080p high bitrate with 5.1. The fire tv stick was fine for lower quality 1080p but buffering was an issue.

bledd · 6 Nov 2015 at 14:32

Buy a decent NAS (Synology), then use a Pi or similar to play them.

All cabled up, no wireless/powerline.

Simon Belmont · 7 Nov 2015 at 15:19

I use a cheap WDTV. Works perfect.

X_E_N · 7 Nov 2015 at 16:15

I ended up buying an Amazon Fire Stick and installed Kodi. Difference is night and day. Plays everything perfectly, super fast and pulls files from the NAS. Best £35 I've spent.