A few of my friends use Plex to stream their media, so I figured this was a great time to set up a Plex server and document the process on my own. I’m using the Ubuntu Desktop 16.04.1 VM I created a little while ago as my host, however it’s recommended you use a standalone machine for Plex. Plex server requires only modest amounts of memory and an okay-ish processor. The storage requirements are practically set at only the size of your media collection. If you have an old desktop (or laptop), throw a copy of Ubuntu Desktop on it and follow this guide to get your own media server set up. Compared to some Windows OSs, Ubuntu (or another flavor of Linux) will free up a little more of your system’s resources for your media server. That said, you can also run Plex server on Windows, Mac, FreeBSD, and a plethora of NASs, making it a great tool for an already-existing media collection.
Ditch the HDMI Cable and Stream Your Movies with Plex this Weekend
