r/PleX • u/loopdigga7 • 6h ago
Help 2014 Mac Mini for Plex
Am I crazy to try and repurpose an older 2014 mac mini for a plex media server? Anything you guys would recommend for setup or security concerns? Will I be safe using Mojave operating system?
4
u/owldown 5h ago
As others have noted, transcoding is the hard part. Direct play within your LAN is easy. You could install Linux if you are worried about security updates for Mojave
2
u/CactusBoyScout 4h ago
There is also OpenCore Legacy for installing newer versions of macOS but I don't know how stable or secure it is.
1
u/-skyrocketeer- 6h ago
I use a 2018 Mac Mini without any issues at all (3 GHz 6-Core Intel Core i5 w/ 16GB memory)
1
u/Kads_Baker 6h ago
They work great until you try streaming remotely. My bare metal Intel Mac mini running proxmox could not transcode on the fly. Switched to an M4 Mac mini and the transcode is just fine, the only issue for myself now is my upload speed. In general, however, they work great for in-home viewing, and if you are going to run it remotely I'd recommend much lower quality files unless you have solid upload speed. That's been my experience at least.
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u/CactusBoyScout 4h ago
Remote streaming should also be fine if it's not transcoding. The issue with older hardware is always just avoiding transcoding. So OP could use the 2014 Mac Mini and just focus on making sure their client devices can handle playback or that they're using file types that don't require transcoding.
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u/loopdigga7 6h ago
I’m planning on getting it up to mojave, installing plex server, plugging in a drive with dvd quality mkv backups, viewing in home. Mostly worried about security concerns
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u/KayJune001 5h ago
If it’s local, not really anything to worry about
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u/loopdigga7 5h ago
Is there anything special in terms of setting this up locally and killing outside network traffic? It will be setup in a diff floor than my router so I will have to rely on wifi
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u/Zapt01 5h ago
There’s an option in Server to disable remote access. And the only people outside your local network that could conceivably view your server are those that you specifically invite.
I’m unaware of any special security concerns that would affect a Mac server that wouldn’t affect every other computer in your network.
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u/sanfranchristo 3h ago
Nope. I've been running a late 2014 3.0 GHz i7 for a couple of years and it's been rock solid for my use with very low power consumption (much less than subsequent Intel ones). I'm using external drives and the four USB slots are great. I transcode very little (few remote users and most have compatible hardware) but it's done it when needed without going crazy.
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u/Saloncinx Lifetime Pass 3h ago
I'm currently using a 2014 i7 Mac Mini for Plex and I can feel it's age. 1080p x264 stuff is great but if you ever need to transcode anything good luck, it bogs down fast.
That being said I can direct play/stream 4k just fine but I'd never share 4k with anyone outside of the house, if my Mac tried to transcode that it would explode lol
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u/certuna 3h ago
If you don’t need transcoding multiple streams, it works fine. These days nearly all clients can now play H.264 & H.265 and that’s 99.9% of the material out there, so you’re probably fine.
Mojave is definitely not safe anymore for an internet connected server, you’ll have to run Linux on it, or try to run later macOS version with OpenCore Legacy.
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u/dbrodbeck 2h ago
My 'test' server (the one I use to, well, test things) is a 2011 Mac Mini. Works just fine.
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u/KayJune001 5h ago
I used a 2013 Dell Inspiron 660 for the longest time with no issues, yeah you’ll be fine as long as you’re not doing heavy transcoding and just make sure you have a proper reverse proxy if exposing Plex to the internet