Will a Cheap NUC Work as a Media Server?

LitsHughesy on 02/04/2022 - 12:21

Thanks in advance everyone, it's been decades since I was remotely up to speed on computer hardware and I'd really appreciate your advice and input on the below scenario.

In years past I would give a USB or portable hard drive to my Dad with media on it for him to watch in his room since he went into care which was working really well, however, now a lot of those files have moved to other file types which aren't compatible with his tv. My first thought was to buy him a new tv and then go back to using a USB drive which we only do once or twice a month when I'm able to visit.

Instead, I'm looking at setting up a small PC or laptop there so that I can manage his files remotely and then he can stream them using PLEX to his TV (he can use Netflix, so I think he'd be ok using Plex). Space is an issue, but I have seen these new mini-computer NUC's around, and thinking that I could set it up and connect it, then unplug the peripherals so it's just the box left there that I can them remote access if required.

Are these little things powerful enough to do that? There seems to be a huge range in price and I'm really looking for something that I can just plug in and it will work without adding extra hardware. If they do work, what might you suggest on the market now that would be reliable and good value?

Computing Computer Mini PC

Comments

  • pegaxs on 02/04/2022 - 12:45
    +1

    Yes. I used to run Plex from an old NUC I had here. I have since moved over to a NAS that supports Plex, but they can be a little more expensive than a NUC.

    I used a small M2 SSD drive to run all the OS and server from and a 2.5" drive to store all the media on. It ran on 4gb RAM and an i3 processor.

    I would look at installed Linux over Windows to run your Plex server from. Once it is up and running, you can basically run it as as headless server and do all the config from a web browser.

    • itsHughesy on 02/04/2022 - 12:55

      Oh God I remember thinking Linux was complicated decades ago when I last tried it haha, well beyond my tech level and I don't think I could be bothered trying to learn it! Good to know the NUC works, I think the one I was looking at had a processor of Celeron J4005 and 4GB of ram, would that be enough do you think?

      • pegaxs on 02/04/2022 - 16:30

        I remember thinking Linux was complicated decades ago

        Decades ago? Good lord. You really need to revisit Linux then. Linux runs so much better on lower end hardware or older hardware than what Windows does. And most Linux distros are very easy to use. Ubuntu or Mate I find are very easy with lots of resources for help.

        If you can use Windows, you can use Linux. And if you get stuck, you just type what you want to know into google and someone will have the same issue and have solved it.

      • blwnhr on 03/04/2022 - 08:13

        A Celeron won't have enough grunt for x265, stick to x264.

  • azazal on 02/04/2022 - 12:46
    +3

    Have you considered a nvidia shield? Will play everything you throw at it and the remote is simple

  • AndyC1 on 02/04/2022 - 13:52

    Get a cheap ARM based media player from ebay. Search for past posts about media player on OZ bargain and read.

  • Miami Mall Alien on 02/04/2022 - 14:04
    -4

    Yeah until it overheats. Those things are notorious for poor thermal performance especially in confined spaces with restricted airflow.

    I would go with an ITX HTPC as per one of the recommended builds on Whirlpool.

    • MrClown on 02/04/2022 - 15:09
      +2

      I would go with an ITX HTPC as per one of the recommended builds on Whirlpool.

      That list is massively out of date and most of the recommended parts were discontinued years ago

      Last major update was on: 30/05/2014

    • T3J on 02/04/2022 - 20:28
      +2

      I've been using i3 and i5 NUCs for years now with no problems. Most running 24/7 doing stuff and running Kodi and VLC, even decoding h265/HEVC 1080p 10 bit streams.. Mine are too old though and cant handle 4k but honestly I can't recommend a NUC enough for the task.

    • Zorlin on 08/04/2022 - 04:20

      I've got 4 that work fine with fairly constrained airflow. What are you talking about?

  • Bid Sniper on 02/04/2022 - 14:27
    +1

    Yep, I been running a gen1 (celeron POS) NUC for years for plex. Even does 4K videos running win10 x64 even. If it was heaps of users might be an issue.

    I put in a 4TB laptop drive in it from a external enclosure and then LAN to my router. 5w power draw hard to beat. Also doubles as my DL PC

    • Presence on 02/04/2022 - 14:57

      Yep I've got one too for streaming and torrenting. Works great with DLNA or JellyFin.

  • GordonD on 02/04/2022 - 15:00

    Here's an option that can be even cheaper. A second hand HP T630 thin client. They are a dirt cheap super reliable low power PC in a compact box. They run an AMD CPU, an M.2 SATA SSD, laptop RAM, and have lots of USB3 ports, and have no fan, so they're silent. They run off a laptop power brick. As well as ethernet they've got an upgradeable laptop WiFi card in them and built-in antennas. Just fit a decent size SSD, install Windows 10 on it, and add a screen with speakers in it.

    I run a T630 which has a quad-core 2.0GHz CPU, and sockets for a 2280 plus another 2242 M.2 SSD. Plugged into a cheap 4K 27" Dahua screen with a DP port. And I used a win7 Pro key off a old PC bought at auction to install Win10.

    Their shortcomings are that unless you buy a very recent model the SSDs have to be SATA, at least at the moment they won't run Win11, and they have no expansion capability. But at the price you can throw them away and buy the more recent models with a Ryzen in them when they appear at the ex-lease auctions. And they'll take NVMe SSDs.

    • GordonD on 02/04/2022 - 15:08
      +2

      And Here's another option that's a bit more expensive but new. You buy an ASRock DeskMini X300 for $249. Its a complete very tiny PC that comes with everything but a CPU and RAM. Add pretty much any Ryzen -G CPU, according to your requirements and budget, and laptop RAM. And Install Windows on it. Its got room for 2x M.2 Gen 3 SSDs, and 2x 2.5" HDDs.

      • Zorlin on 08/04/2022 - 04:22

        Man, those are cute. If I was building my home lab again today I'd consider getting a few of those and throwing in a high end Ryzen for my Proxmox cluster.

        • GordonD on 09/04/2022 - 19:33

          It would be a better design if you could fit a standard Ryzen fan in it. It comes with a fan that isn't as high, and is a lot noisier. It would be cheaper and simpler if the case was a couple of mm wider so you could fit the better fan in that came with your Ryzen APU. And because it doesn't have to support all the non-G Ryzen CPUs it can support virtually every -G Ryzen APU.

    • jeeg on 03/04/2022 - 20:06

      Hi bro, I saw a video of someone installing Win11 on a HP T620.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iFhMrDvYpY&list=PLg7bL1bMpw…

      I am assuming the T620 is similar as the T630? Wondering if windows 11 will work on the T630?

      • GordonD on 09/04/2022 - 19:25

        The CPU in the T620 and T630 aren't on the official list of CPUs supported yet by Windows 11. But if you saw someone install Windows 11 successfully on a T620 there's a very good chance it could be installed on the newer T630. As thin clients they both support the thin client versions of Win 7 and 10, and there isn't one for Win 11 yet. So there isn't a reason for them to say you can install Win 11 on them. There will be as soon as there's a thin client version of it.

  • thatonethere on 02/04/2022 - 18:12

    You could give him an ipad or android tablet, load up the "ahem" media on it, then use a chromecast attached to the TV to display it?

    • itsHughesy on 02/04/2022 - 18:31

      I think the iPad is well beyond him now.. :(

      • thatonethere on 03/04/2022 - 07:02

        Sorry to hear it. I thought the ipad could like a giant remote control

  • Joey2scoops on 03/04/2022 - 07:53

    I have used all sorts of old, new and even DIY hardware for HTPC. Maybe the easiest route today is a laptop with Kodi. As long as the hardware can play all the media formats you have then you'll be fine. Minimal messing around, just hook it up to a HDMI port on the tv and you're good. And it's free if you already have the laptop.

  • domf on 03/04/2022 - 09:00

    Works great for me, I run a NUC Celeron J3455 with 4GB RAM running Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS. Runs great, super reliable and lightweight on resources without a GUI. Running samba for file sharing, and a plex server for media. 2TB external 2.5" HDD for file storage.

  • ravennoir on 03/04/2022 - 09:22

    Look up "Open Media Vault"

    It is an open source NAS, which you can install Plex and other apps onto. There are heaps of guides and it's quite easy to do

  • fredblogs on 03/04/2022 - 11:16

    Laptop might be a better option because you have the screen if you need to fix issues etc.

  • solidussnake on 03/04/2022 - 11:17

    Get one of these i5 8gb ram and quite a SFF $229

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/691413

    • skillet on 04/04/2022 - 14:24

      nice idea, under 20W idle.

  • Noblejoker on 03/04/2022 - 14:41

    A media player device, like a WD Live Vodafone TV or Nvidia Shield will be so much easier for Dad to use and less likely to fail
    No windows, linux or nas subsystem to run, update etc

    • fredblogs on 04/04/2022 - 14:36

      Curious, is it easy if the dad needs to keep transferring media to these devices?

      • solidussnake on 04/04/2022 - 15:49

        So that I can manage his files remotely and then he can stream.

        Op will be doing it..

        • fredblogs on 04/04/2022 - 18:09

          Ok sure but can files be remotely accessed on WD Live Vodafone TV or Nvidia Shield?

          • solidussnake on 04/04/2022 - 18:25

            @fredblogs: I'm not sure what you are talking about, OP is saying that he will remotely manage the files to the PC then Plex enables playback on his tv using a pc so he could upload content or use torrents etc, I'm sure the shield could support remote access since it runs full android but remote desktop on a PC is way more seamless

            • fredblogs on 04/04/2022 - 18:38

              @solidussnake: "No windows, linux or nas subsystem to run, update etc" -> there is no PC??

      • Noblejoker on 05/04/2022 - 16:40

        No - my media player solution probably not accessible remotely - but also removes the hassles of any internet collection etc.

        OP said "In years past I would give a USB or portable hard drive to my Dad with media on it " which plugged into TV
        My solution continues in same way, just upgrading the player to handle more formats of files with an easy to navigate interface for playing
        Pretty easy to bring laptop with files and add/swap files on local HDD storage

        IF internet connection available e.g. facility has wifi then OP may even consider adding streaming services like Netflix and eliminate need for HDD files
        In my experience this can be confusing for older people - but presume a nurse or other can help navigate Netflix etc. if Dad messes it up

  • mctubster on 07/04/2022 - 16:42

    Remote plex library. Get an android box of some sort running the plex client for him and run plex server at yours

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