Linx 7 Windows 10 Tablet Running Plex Media Server PMS To An iPad
8Here is a YouTube video showing a Linx 7 tablet being used as a Plex Server. The Linx is a low powered BayTrail 7 inch tablet. It has 2GB RAM, 32GB eMMC, HDMI output and a single USB OTG socket. This particular one was bought for £40 during Black Friday on eBay, but can be regularly had for around £60.
This one has a clean Windows 10 Home 32Bit install, from the free upgrade from 8.1 It also has a USB OTG hub that can send power and data (£5 on ebay), a HDMI connection to a TV (via a £1 eBay adapter), basically turning the Linx into a very cheap desktop.
The OTG hub is powering the Linx with a 4TB external USB drive, a wireless dongle for mouse and keyboard and a USB to NIC/LAN adapter for hardwiring the Linx to the router. You can pick up a USB LAN adapter for between £10 to £15 on eBay, although I already had one knocking about. The USB LAN allows me to hit full speed on my Virgin Media connection, 200Mbs down 12Mbs up. Although the up speed is achievable via the Linx’s WiFi, the hardwire is better for stability and allows for faster LAN transfers.
I’ve done a test with a friend streaming a transcoded stream via the web while I was streaming internally on the LAN with a direct stream. It all worked perfectly. I also tried the same but with Kodi running from the Linx at the same time to a TV, amazingly, this worked as well.
The power draw from the Linx during these tests, with the 4TB drive, was only 18 Watts (240 Volts). With nothing streaming and the 4TB drive in standby, the Linx was drawing a little over 5 Watts. With such a low ‘On State’ power draw, it’s well feasible to not even use sleep mode on the Linx. This would also get around any potential issues with WOL and other potential Windows 10 power state weirdness, which I do get with other Win 10 machines on my LAN, but not on trusty old 7. It would also bypass any potential WOL issues using a USB/NIC adapter.
All in all, this is the lowest powered Plex Server that I’ve personally put together. If you only need to serve a couple of 1080 streams, maybe three with no transcoding, this system is really hard to beat. Plus, with it being a full Windows 10 PC, it doubles up as great PC for light day to day stuff, web, email, music, video, YouTube etc.
YouTube@DavidHarry.com
http://www.YouTube.com/DavidHarryProducer
http://www.DavidHarry.com
http://www.PADmultimedia.com
http://www.LiverpoolTV.com
http://www.Edius.website
http://www.MiniPC.website
http://www.Kodi.website
http://www.XBMC.website
http://www.OpenElec.website
http://www.PolaroidCubePlus.com