So, the first post of the year is 8 months after the year. How lame is that?! Well, how should I start? By summarizing all 8 months? Can you summarize your last 8 months at this very moment? If you can, I will tip my hat to you. I cannot. Maybe it is age. Maybe it is me just being normal. I understand why now in the scriptures they say "and it came to pass" because the author didn't feel like going back and trying to remember and summarize. So - let me start by saying - And it came to pass in the 8th day of the 8th month of 2026 that I have found myself a hobby. Yes, my friends, it is true. It isn't work either. I do often work countless hours it is true. But this is beyond working and mowing lawns. I have found Plex. For those of you not familiar with Plex, let me be the first to shine a light on this beautiful joy to many of my GenX friends. It works like this.
Do you have lots of DVDs, Music, Home Videos, etc. that you no longer use because you are too lazy to find it and watch/listen to it so you instead just buy it (again) on a streaming service?
Yes
Well (in my mind I picture the set it and forget it guy on TV giving this pitch)
Did you know there is a service you can get that is FREE that will allow you to take your own DVDs, CD's, Home Movies, etc. and make them stream on your TV?
Ohhhh Ahhhhh [clap here]
Yes, my friends, Plex does just that. You can take a computer. Any fairly decent computer and invest in a large hard drive (get 2 - one for production and one for a backup if it fails). And you can stream your movies to your TV. It works like this.
Equipment Needed:
- Computer you will dedicate to the cause of your streaming happiness (e.g. your Plex server).
- An external DVD/Blue Ray Disc reader
- A computer you will use to do the ripping of the DVDs/Music
Software needed:
MakeMKV (to rip the DVD)
HandBrake (to shrink the file and turn it from a .mkv to a .mp4)
FileBot (to rename the file into something Plex will know)
Plex (the actual server software to host the files)
WinSCP (to securely transfer movie files from the machine you prep them on to the Plex server)
Plex Instructions
1.) Go to plex.com and dowload the software and install it on the server.
2.) You will need to setup an account with Plex.
3.) You will need a dedicated IP address. You can either dedicate this on the server or reserve the IP on your router. Either way you want the IP on the Plex server to not change.
4.) Once that is configured you will need to establish where the media folders will reside on the server and configure that in plex.
5.) Then the Plex server is up and running.
Instructions for ripping a DVD
1.) Take a DVD
2.) insert it into the external DVD reader
3.) MakeMKV will recognize this and allow you to scan the DVD (takes about 5-10 min). It will show all previews as well as the film as separate files.
4.) You uncheck everything but the biggest file which is generally the movie
5.) You click continue
6.) it will rip the file to the folder specified. (Takes about 20 min)
7.) Open HandBrake
8.) Search for the folder in question and add the files
9.) Encode the files (takes about 15 minutes)
10.) Open FileBot
11.) Open the folder that has the .mkv and .mp4 files. Search these against all movies ever made. Select the correct one. Then click Rename.
12.) Open WinSCP and connect to your Plex Server. Drag and drop the .mp4 file created to the Movies folder.
13.) Log into Plex and refresh your library.
Instructions for your TV
1.) Turn on your TV
2.) Navigate to all the apps your TV can connect to
3.) Search and put Plex to your favorites
4.) Open Plex and log in
5.) You will now see your Library with the movie you just ripped.
Question - How does Plex make money?? Are their ads?
Plex wants to sell you a package to view your server content when you travel. You do not need this to view it from your home. You can load all your music and be in a foreign country listening to your music from your plex server at your home if you subscribe to one of their packages. Neat eh?
They also want to connect you to all other movies .. even those you don't have... for a price. You can exclude these in the setup screen.
So - that is what I have been up to. It is fun watching movies again without being bombarded with talking lizards or Muppets or whatever insurance is doing these days to get you to buy.
So - I will write more later.
