Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

WiFi-Connected Hard Drive Fits a Plex Server In Your Pocket (engadget.com)

Posted by msmash on from the dream-comes-true dept.

An anonymous reader cites an Engadget report:Over the years we've seen Plex's media software run across a number of different devices, from PCs to game consoles to NAS and cellphones. Now, it's teamed up with Western Digital for what it says is the first portable Plex Media Server. The hardware is handled by the My Passport Wireless Pro, a battery-powered portable hard drive that can run standalone for 10 hours, charge mobile devices, and back up data via SD or USB 3.0. The all-in-one box can even create a WiFi network to sync with mobile devices or stream media to any device running Plex. The 2TB version is ready to take your stuff on the go for $230, and upgrading to 3TB only costs an extra $20.

67 comments

  1. Can we say expensive? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    $230 is a lot for 2TB.

    1. Re:Can we say expensive? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is $250 a lot for 3TB?

    2. Re:Can we say expensive? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I just use my phone with 128GB micro SD cards and MHL/HDMI adapter to play video.

    3. Re:Can we say expensive? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes. You can get a WD external portable 3TB drive for $125-$130 on Amazon right now

    4. Re:Can we say expensive? by Centurix · · Score: 1

      This price is inclusive of the bumped up transcoding CPU. Most NAS systems are woefully under powered and can barely transcode a single 480p stream. Apparently this will transcode 4K video.

      --
      Task Mangler
    5. Re: Can we say expensive? by slazzy · · Score: 1

      Works well, but I'd like something that can stream to my kids tablets in the back of the car and such. Looking for something like this now.

      --
      Website Just Down For Me? Find out
    6. Re: Can we say expensive? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why not just fill up some micro SD cards with videos and pop them into the tablet? Or if it doesn't have a micro SD slot, see if it will handle USB OTG and use thumb drives.

      Something like Kodi for Android is easy to use to play the videos.

    7. Re:Can we say expensive? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why transcode at all? Just play video files directly over the network.

    8. Re: Can we say expensive? by jedidiah · · Score: 1

      You don't need a plex server to play movies on mobile devices anymore. Most of the newer ones are quite capable on their own. All you really need is a mobile file server. There are already such devices on the market.

      Of course they too are more expensive than just a bare hard drive.

      --
      A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
    9. Re:Can we say expensive? by jedidiah · · Score: 1

      Most older mobile devices didn't have the capability to directly play back files that weren't specifically downgraded to be playable on the first generation tablets.

      --
      A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
    10. Re: Can we say expensive? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I didn't say anything about a Plex server.

    11. Re:Can we say expensive? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So basically devices that no one really use any more? I have an Optimus 2X from 2011 that can play video over network fine and I haven't used that phone in years.

    12. Re: Can we say expensive? by CyberSlugGump · · Score: 1

      Take a look at https://blog.codinghorror.com/...

    13. Re: Can we say expensive? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I use the sandisk connect for exactly this. My son has an old iPad that can't store many movies. I put them all on the sub stick and he can stream them from there with the sandisk app (buggy) or the built in webserver (works well). https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Wireless-Smartphones-Computers-SDWS4-064G-G46/dp/B00ZCFYF2W/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1466650448&sr=1-1&keywords=Sandisk+connect

    14. Re: Can we say expensive? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Then look at any of the myriad of battery powered travel routers and wifi disk enclosures that can run OpenWrt with mindlna. I can see where the Western Digital device could appeal to the average rube that doesn't mind overpaying by double for limited functionality, but I would hope that the technical savvy people of Slashdot could set an OpenWrt device with mindlna. That's what I do. My device fits in by cars ash tray and is powered by a USB plug. When I start the car, my travel router is powered, created a WIFI AP and streams music, movies and TV show's with mindlna and servers up e-books with http.

    15. Re:Can we say expensive? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That may have been true a few years ago, but video files are pretty big at the moment and require a lot of bandwidth so playing staight from disk across a network isn't that simple. I'm not talking about a 800Mb file from whatever crappy pirate site, but stuff that would typically start at 4Gb upwards, 1080p/4k. When you do the math on playing straight from a file across even your home wifi equipment, you're talking network saturation, if it even plays at all. Then you start going down the track of having multiple versions of each file, each with different bitrates and resolutions. That 1080p 8Gb film you're watching on the toilet on your iPhone is sucking up precious bandwidth. Let alone the 25Gb+ blue-ray rips that you want to watch on the big screen elsewhere in the house.

    16. Re:Can we say expensive? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You don't know what you are talking about. People stream 4K video from places like Netflix over their ISP connections.

      As a very generous example, a 23GB, 3840x2160 resolution, h.264 video at 24 FPS with a runtime of 2 hours, a video bitrate of 25000 Kbps and an audio bitrate of 640 Kbps has an approximate total bitrate of 25642 Kbps or 25.6 Mbps. That is well under the 500Mbps capacity of my 802.11ac wireless network and gigabit ethernet. Even if you bumped it up to 120 FPS and 125000 Kbps (113GB filesize), that is still only 125 Mbps and still well below my wired or wireless network speeds.

      And you're here talking about tiny 8GB filesize as if you think that is large in 2016? Really? That would be a blip on my network traffic and completely unnoticeable even with multiple 8GB videos being played.

    17. Re:Can we say expensive? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well done for having a higher spec network than the average consumer. Really. Pat on the back.

      Go tell that to the average g speed consumer.

    18. Re:Can we say expensive? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      802.11g is 13 years old and has been obsolete for 7 years. 802.11n supersedes it and 802.11ac supersedes that, so wireless g is two generations old already. I don't know how many people are still using it, but pretty much all wireless equipment you can buy comes with at least n. I'm guessing round about *nobody* still uses wireless g.

      Besides, 802.11g has a maximum transfer rate of 54Mbps, which is still more than double what is needed to stream the 23GB 4K @ 25000Kbps video example cited above, so even if you were on ancient equipment, you could still do it. Are there many people who have bought a bunch of HD movies but didn't want to spring $20-$30 for an 802.11n router?

  2. Plex by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    For when you want to pay a subscription to use a DLNA server that insists on cross-referencing all your "legal" files against an online database.

    1. Re:Plex by Captain+Splendid · · Score: 4, Informative

      Plex user here. Literally none of those things are true.

      For starters, the free version is ridiculously feature rich. Second, you only have to use the DLNA server if that's all your frontend can support. Last but not least all that online database stuff can be turned off in settings.

      --
      Linux, you magnificent bastard, I read the fucking manual!
    2. Re:Plex by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      DLNA is most certainly not required.

    3. Re:Plex by myowntrueself · · Score: 1

      DLNA is most certainly not required.

      DLNA is shit compared to running a PLEX client.

      --
      In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
  3. Hard drives are for LUDDITES. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Modern app appers store apps using OTHER apps, NOT LUDDITE HARD DRIVES or LUDDITE SD CARDS or LUDDITE USB!

    Apps!

  4. So..are blatent Slashvertisements a thing now? by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 1

    Hey editors. Exactly how many stories a day are we going to get in this format:

    Is your (competing product) too (bad attribute)? Do you want more (good attribute)? Check out the (product), which just added (feature) and is now selling for (price) (link to store). Also, there's a (alternative product model) that gives you (good attribute) for just another (price difference). Hey all you tech folks: buy now - limited quantities available!

    ???

    1. Re: So..are blatent Slashvertisements a thing now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How often must you be a whiny bitch? STFU.

    2. Re:So..are blatent Slashvertisements a thing now? by mythosaz · · Score: 1

      While this may fit the slashvertisement template, Plex (as nearly anyone who has used it will tell you) is pretty slick software and well supported by a TON of devices. This is a fucking cool device.

      Nerds can go build their own media server for cheap, and I'll keep running my Plex server on a QNAP (a device true nerds can complain I should have just built in freeNAS), but for some guy who wants to serve media to his new TV, this device is a winner.

    3. Re:So..are blatent Slashvertisements a thing now? by dontbemad · · Score: 2

      Great post, except for the fact that the story is missing "(competing product)", "(bad attribute)", "(link to store)", and the part about "buying now, etc".

      Seriously, I can't understand why you people can't just move on when you see a post that contains $PRODUCT. Yeah, maybe it slightly resembles an advertisement, and yeah, maybe it is something that might be targeted at "nerds", but do you seriously think that the /. editors are actively trying to convince you to buy this thing? Maybe it is just a cool new device that fills an interesting niche. Maybe the submitter or editor thinks it would strike up some interesting dialogue in the comments about the pros and cons of such a technology. Maybe they really are getting paid (as Whipslash so wonderfully put it) a truckload to post said story.

      WHO. CARES.

      These things are hardly posted regularly, and if you don't like their content, you can easily hide said stories from view (or just ignore them). Why always bring this up? Why always complain about "slashvertisements"? Why can't you guys contribute to a topic like this without throwing it out as some sinister plot to undermine our wonderful commune with the heinous threat of capitalism?

    4. Re:So..are blatent Slashvertisements a thing now? by Nunya666 · · Score: 1

      Great post, except for the fact that the story is missing "(competing product)", "(bad attribute)", "(link to store)", and the part about "buying now, etc". Seriously, I can't understand why you people can't just move on when you see a post that contains $PRODUCT. Yeah, maybe it slightly resembles an advertisement, and yeah, maybe it is something that might be targeted at "nerds", but do you seriously think that the /. editors are actively trying to convince you to buy this thing? Maybe it is just a cool new device that fills an interesting niche. Maybe the submitter or editor thinks it would strike up some interesting dialogue in the comments about the pros and cons of such a technology. Maybe they really are getting paid (as Whipslash so wonderfully put it) a truckload to post said story. WHO. CARES. These things are hardly posted regularly, and if you don't like their content, you can easily hide said stories from view (or just ignore them). Why always bring this up? Why always complain about "slashvertisements"? Why can't you guys contribute to a topic like this without throwing it out as some sinister plot to undermine our wonderful commune with the heinous threat of capitalism?

      I agree completely. Since I had never heard of Plex before, it was an informative article to me.

      If you don't like the article, just move on.

  5. Obligatory hard drive joke by fph+il+quozientatore · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Is that a file server in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

    --
    My first program:

    Hell Segmentation fault

    1. Re:Obligatory hard drive joke by zlives · · Score: 1

      streaming porn to the VR headset. Joy for all except the pocket watchers.

    2. Re:Obligatory hard drive joke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Is that a file server in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

      Nah, it's just a floppy.

    3. Re:Obligatory hard drive joke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Is that a file server in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

      It's my great big NIGGERDICK and I would just love to JAM IT up your unlubricated ASSHOLE. The blood from tearing up your anal tissues will suffice for lube. It will hurt so good. What say you?

      Whats a NIGGER doing on /. this is 'news for nerds'.

    4. Re:Obligatory hard drive joke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yup, it's a Microsoft.

  6. From a certain time... by damn_registrars · · Score: 1

    I still think of Plextor when I see the term Plex. I used to pine for a Plextor drive, settled for a Yamaha instead (back in the day).

    --
    Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
    1. Re:From a certain time... by SScorpio · · Score: 1

      Yes, those drivers were top tier. I was able to score a Plextor that was rebranded as an IOMEGA drive for much cheaper than a normal Plextor cost. That drive was a tank and never gave me issues.

    2. Re: From a certain time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I used to find them slow,un-reliable and in skips(dumpsters) far too often.

  7. Bwah, lame. by aliquis · · Score: 1

    Try my lap instead;
    hard driving at 10 000 rpm.

  8. No Details by b0bby · · Score: 2

    My question, which TFA doesn't address, is can it transcode? My guess is no, but if it did it would be totally worth it.

    1. Re:No Details by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My question, which TFA doesn't address, is can it transcode? My guess is no, but if it did it would be totally worth it.

      Doubt it, most NAS can't either. There is no way they have a processor powerful enough to last 10 hours on a battery

    2. Re:No Details by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Doubt it, most NAS can't either. There is no way they have a processor powerful enough to last 10 hours on a battery

      Although I would expect you're right that WD hasn't seen fit to include a processor that can transcode, the Nvidia Shield Tablet K1 lasts 12+ hours and has the same processor as the Nvidia Shield TV, which will purportedly transcode 1080p files in Plex.

    3. Re:No Details by sremick · · Score: 1

      Doubt it, most NAS can't either. There is no way they have a processor powerful enough to last 10 hours on a battery

      Well, to be specific: most off the shelf commercial NAS appliances can't. However, "NAS" is like "server", and is based upon what something does, not how you got there. You can build a "NAS" that is every bit (and more) a "NAS" as something off the shelf, but also has sufficient CPU power to transcode many simultaneous 1080p streams. And also has more drive bays and a better web GUI.

      That's what I did, because I knew I'd be tucking the Plex box in the living room so I wanted a unified box instead of building and supporting two separate devices. 2 years in and it's still running great while the user list grows.

    4. Re:No Details by mythosaz · · Score: 1

      To be more specific: Most = SOHO do.

      https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-...
      https://docs.google.com/a/plex...

      My QNAP can transcode just fine, but very few of my viewing devices require it.

    5. Re:No Details by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That depends on your definition of transcode. All NAS with a CPU can transcode .... just not transcode in REALTIME.

      The Nvidia claims to transcode 1080p, but that is if you WAIT the time it takes to create the transcoded file (which usually measures in hours).

      The only NAS that can transcode in realtime are the ones from Synology but only the models with Intel processors.

    6. Re:No Details by jabuzz · · Score: 1

      Wrong by all accounts the NVIDIA shield can transcode on the fly

      https://blog.plex.tv/2016/06/0...

      Personally speaking Plex's propensity to transcode everything in sight is it's major flaw. All my video media is nicely preencoded in H264 format and does need transcoding, but Plex will on occasion decided it does.

    7. Re:No Details by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      From TFA "An integrated video processor lets it push 4K video, transcode up to four 1080p streams at once for viewing on other devices"

    8. Re:No Details by b0bby · · Score: 1

      That is referring to the My Cloud Pro, which is not portable and starts at $400. Different animal.

  9. PlexNAS + openport + Cellphone [to car BT] by hedley · · Score: 1

    Leaving the HD at home. At least with audio it streams nicely to wherever, video needs a good LTE link and a NAS that can transcode (Intel).

    H.

  10. The new Piratebox. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Things like this, coupled with the media industries putting even more pressure on ISPs and websites is going to lead to even more sneaker mesh-networking.

    Pop down the coffee shop, download the new Spiderman and write some story on your fan fiction account about Rolf the Hedgehog.

    And, unlike the Piratebox, this isn't even being marketed to such markets. So they can't even try to attack it.
    Of course, you can bet your ass they will. Everything with sharing in the concept is EVIL TERRORIST COMMUNIST.

  11. Plex is awful by goombah99 · · Score: 1

    Even when I put the setting at "make my machine hurt" its glitchy. And half the time my amazon firestick can't find the fire stick. I keep having to reboot my computer and the firestick till something magical takes place and they see each other. And it seems to transcode things even when the setting is don't transcode if possible.

    I stopped using plex.

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
    1. Re:Plex is awful by phayes · · Score: 1

      No surprise, the firestick is very low end these days. Move up to something not quite so underpowered and you should have a better experience.

      I use the free Plex apps and the web interface and everything works fine except for being unable to adjust the theme music level in series in the web app.

      Oh and I refuse to pay for the Plex account subscription so I remote in over a VPN to get remote access. I trust my Fortigate's security more than I would Plex anyway.

      --
      Democracy is a sheep and two wolves deciding what to have for lunch. Freedom is a well armed sheep contesting the issue
    2. Re:Plex is awful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      uh, stop using a the shitty old Firestick and get something better.

    3. Re:Plex is awful by b0bby · · Score: 2

      I'm also using a Fire stick and my plex server is temporarily using a wifi dongle rather than ethernet, but I don't see these issues. It does transcode, but that's to be expected.

    4. Re:Plex is awful by ncc74656 · · Score: 2

      Plex worked pretty well for me last weekend, streaming to a Chromecast connected to hotel WiFi through a travel router. It was a bit choppy at first when it tried to send video as-is, but after I told it to transcode down to 720 kbps, it ran like a champ. Either it's not auto-negotiating for available bandwidth or that part of it is failing to work properly, but that's easily fixed.

      --
      20 January 2017: the End of an Error.
    5. Re:Plex is awful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Plex does not auto-negotiate bandwidth. It plays the original file as-is, unless you tell it otherwise and specify the bitrate to transcode to.

    6. Re:Plex is awful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Plex is best served on a raspberry pi or similar device that can handle the hi res output.

  12. $25 Solid State Device instead. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Can't login, sorry. For last Christmas I got 2 friends a "HooToo TripMate Nano" router/media sharing device. It has a USB interface, so I also picked up 2 64GB fingernail-sized FOBs. (You know the ones I mean -- the silver USB interface plug is 90% of the actual device.)

    Hook the Nano up to a standalone phone battery or the car and let the kids stream their own media from the FOB to their phones during a trip. It'll handle 5 concurrent users, all solid state (just don't step on it), fits in your pocket, all that goodness. Forces a slightly dinky file browsing interface on their phone but not that bad. Setup's not quite intuitive, RTFM instead.

    Oh, did I mention the Nano's $15, the 64GB is $10. I don't have stock in WD or HooToo -- but I've bought so many WD drives I ought to have.

    This DOESN'T do sync, backups transcoding, etc, but if you've got setup time (and kids) the size and price is right.

    1. Re:$25 Solid State Device instead. by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 2

      Sounds cool. Does it run one of those embedded tomato/wrt linuxes?

      I already have a couple of 2.5" USB drive enclosures, so connecting them to the home LAN is all I need to create a file server and my wifi/adsl router doesn't have a USB port.

    2. Re:$25 Solid State Device instead. by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 1

      Doesn't ship to Australia.

      I looked on ebay and it's at least $AU50 from north america. :(

  13. âoeMyâ this, âoeMyâ that... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "The hardware is handled by the My Passport Wireless Pro,â¦â

    Who are the dipshits that keep using product naming schemes that begin with the word âoeMyâ?

  14. As long as I can connect it to my KFC Watt-a-Box! by jkg2 · · Score: 0

    I mean, "WATTS" the point otherwise?

  15. Portable Plex by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Built One. RPi functioning as an access point. Then installed Plex. Added a eMMC drive with a eMMC to USB adapter. I should do a writeup...

    1. Re:Portable Plex by allo · · Score: 1

      Why no banana pi with real usb and SATA?

  16. Overpriced by allo · · Score: 1

    Get a 4 TB drive (100 eur), get some usb3 case (20-40 eur), get some actual cable instead of wireless shit. Be happy with your cheap portable drive.