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I would have thought you would have put ran your Plex media server on the mini? Would mean it is only being used when required and you wouldn't need both the iMac and the mini when watching content!

The iMac is probably more powerful and hence his decision. My 2012 Mini can handle at max 2 transcodes at once.
 
The iMac is probably more powerful and hence his decision. My 2012 Mini can handle at max 2 transcodes at once.

Yup, depends on the mini version I guess. I initially picked up a dual core i5 which worked fine but enjoyed the mini so much I got a 2012 quad i7 and bumped up the RAM and drive. I haven't come close to maxxing it out with multiple streams.
 
Yup, depends on the mini version I guess. I initially picked up a dual core i5 which worked fine but enjoyed the mini so much I got a 2012 quad i7 and bumped up the RAM and drive. I haven't come close to maxxing it out with multiple streams.

Nice! Yeah I have the Dual core i5 mini right now. The Quads are to expensive for me right now, but really wish I could get one.
 
Although the official Plex client is yet to be approved, there is a relatively cheap ($2.99) clone called "SimpleX" already available and does a very nice job of letting you access your Plex content.

Thanks to this, my new ATV is already a one-stop-set-top box. Time to put the Mac Mini on eBay! :D
It works.... but not really as hoped.
It plays most files okay, but with heavy transcoding the stream experiences hiccups and other files simply result in "an error occurred".
Hoping for the "real" Plex client.
 
It works.... but not really as hoped.
It plays most files okay, but with heavy transcoding the stream experiences hiccups and other files simply result in "an error occurred".
Hoping for the "real" Plex client.

Just a question: do you need to transcode? I changed it to 1080p/unlimited and it's buttery-smooth with no hiccups and instantaneous skipping.
 
Just a question: do you need to transcode? I changed it to 1080p/unlimited and it's buttery-smooth with no hiccups and instantaneous skipping.
Thanks for the tip: Changing the settings inside Simplex to 1080p unlimited, does make a difference, but (very-) high-bitrate 1080p MKV movies still needed transcoding.

My Plex server (Mac mini 2.53 GHz Core 2 Duo with 8 GB RAM) uses all remaining CPU for the transcoding which means the client sometimes will have to wait...

Could mean I need to upgrade my Plex server to a faster Quad Core.
 
yeah sucks!

Don't understand how Simple X made it! and Plex still hasn't haha! he is a smart man!
I love it that Simplex is around, but... I do have another issue with Simplex:
The 5.1 surround sound.

I have forced Dolby Surround in the settings of the Apple TV, and playing 5.1 enabled movies using my iTunes Shared library works fine.
Using Simplex my HT receiver "recognises" 5.1, but no rear speakers are ever used.
The same movie on Plex via the Mac mini connected to the same receiver does 5.1 sounds perfectly.

Leaving the audio-settings on the Apple TV to "auto", makes all sound 2 x stereo. Fine for music, but not for the movies.

Anyone else having this issue?
 
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I played movies with my Home Sharing and worked perfect with 5.1 and I have it set for auto also! Only draw back is having to scroll all the way down the list! I have over 1,000 movies so its not fun!
 
It works.... but not really as hoped.
It plays most files okay, but with heavy transcoding the stream experiences hiccups and other files simply result in "an error occurred".
Hoping for the "real" Plex client.

Just wondering, are you watching with subtitle? From what I read, SimpleX has a big problem where adding subtitle means your server has to transcode and burn in the subtitle before being beamed to your Apple TV. I tried this last night where my Synology NAS had 95% utilization (and slow loading as well as constant interruption) with subtitles and 5% utilization with 0 hiccups when I turn off subtitles.
 
Just wondering, are you watching with subtitle? From what I read, SimpleX has a big problem where adding subtitle means your server has to transcode and burn in the subtitle before being beamed to your Apple TV. I tried this last night where my Synology NAS had 95% utilization (and slow loading as well as constant interruption) with subtitles and 5% utilization with 0 hiccups when I turn off subtitles.
Hmm... good one. I have Dutch subs as "default" on, on the Plex server.
I'll check that out!
 
Hmm... good one. I have Dutch subs as "default" on, on the Plex server.
I'll check that out!

I'll have to too, I jus tried Plex a few days ago and got a few more hiccups than I'd have hoped for. BUT I had subtitles "on" (because I don't understand Klingon), so I needed the subtitles for that part, but I'm sure I left it on for the rest of the movie...

I'll have to try another movie too.

Although, I really don't need a "pretty" app, like Plex, if I had an Atv app that'll access shared files, I'll be good to go....

I have Plex on two other devices (built-in to TV and TiVo) so I don't really care what I run it on, but if they get Plex going on the AppleTV, I'll talk a few others into getting one.

Gary
 
yeah sucks!

Don't understand how Simple X made it! and Plex still hasn't haha! he is a smart man!

Apparently the last time it got denied because of links to their website. So seemed like everything else was ok. I am sure come Monday it will be up and ready.

Simple X is probably making a decent $ with the early release though.

Apple doesn't like people paying outside of the store ;P
 
Its already there. Been playing around with it. One issue but not sure if it is a Plex or ATV issue is if you pause a video, pressing menu starts the video playing again instead of going back to the menu. If you press menu during playback though, it goes back to the menu.
Looks a solid first release though, just getting used to the new layout.
 
I use plex on my mac mini through a roku 3. It sometimes has issues with transcoding 5.1 sound where the movie will stop to load while watching it, is this still an issue with atv4?
 
I got occasional stutters with unlimited 1080p material on my 2011 Samsung TV Plex app. The exact same content played back via ATV4 perfectly. Well, perfectly if you discount the lack of 24p support.
 
I was hoping they release kind a plex server, to choose media location from SMB shares. No luck this time :/
 
I was hoping they release kind a plex server, to choose media location from SMB shares. No luck this time :/

That will likely not happen any time soon. Plex is built around its server. It is were to use an SMB share, you would have to trans-code everything ot the right format yourself.

It's there alright, but it now requires a Plex-account....

It actually doesnt require a Plex Pass, you just need to create an account maybe. You dont have to pay anything for a free account.
 
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