As you know, I am ripping my entire disc library to my media server for streaming throughout the house. DVD content is a non-issue in this regard, because it is inherently low bit-rate. Blu-Ray discs are a bigger challenge, because many devices are bit-rate and codec constrained. If you try to stream a 1:1 Blu-Ray rip to the average Roku box or Smart TV, the Plex server will try to transcode it on the fly. Unless you have a fairly beefy media server, Bad Things will happen. Enter the Optimizer.
The Plex Optimizer essentially transcodes and compresses your content in advance for specified use cases. You can create optimized versions for mobile devices and TV sets at various bit-rates. Like watching The Big Bang Theory on your phone while riding the train? Have Plex create mobile optimized versions of the episodes. Want to watch those 1:1 Blu-Ray rips on a mixture of devices that can handle it (HTPC or NVidia Shield) and those that cannot (Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV)? No problem, just make a nice 12Mbps TV optimized version of the movie.
The plus here is that Plex will automatically pick the version of the content that will play best on a given device without transcoding. It is smart enough know that an NVidia Shield can play the full Blu-Ray rip and that an Apple TV cannot. This allows you to manage a single library shared with every device without worrying about bringing your server to its knees or trying to keep separate file structures with different versions of things exposed to different accounts. The simplicity is fantastic and it is WAY easier than creating your own compressed rips with Handbrake.
What is the catch? There are two. First, the speed at which your server can create optimized files depends entirely on the available CPU resources. My NAS has a quad-core 2.0Ghz Intel Celeron and a typical movie takes three or four hours. It is just running in the background and Plex gives priority to streaming activities, so it has very little impact other than having to wait awhile to watch the movie. Second, the optimized files that Plex creates are not as space efficient as the comparable quality files you can make with Handbrake using slow encode settings. This is not really a deal killer, that that extra couple GB per film can add up after awhile. I personally think this is a pretty small price to pay for the ease of use and simplicity of management the feature offers, but then I do have 21.5TB of usable space on my NAS.
In summary, the Optimizer allows you to enjoy perfect 1:1 Blu-Ray rips on the devices that support it and good quality compressed rips on the devices that don't without exposing any of the complexity to the user and without subjecting the administrator to complex folder management. It has very quickly become a favorite feature of mine. If you use Plex, give it a try.
The Plex Optimizer essentially transcodes and compresses your content in advance for specified use cases. You can create optimized versions for mobile devices and TV sets at various bit-rates. Like watching The Big Bang Theory on your phone while riding the train? Have Plex create mobile optimized versions of the episodes. Want to watch those 1:1 Blu-Ray rips on a mixture of devices that can handle it (HTPC or NVidia Shield) and those that cannot (Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV)? No problem, just make a nice 12Mbps TV optimized version of the movie.
The plus here is that Plex will automatically pick the version of the content that will play best on a given device without transcoding. It is smart enough know that an NVidia Shield can play the full Blu-Ray rip and that an Apple TV cannot. This allows you to manage a single library shared with every device without worrying about bringing your server to its knees or trying to keep separate file structures with different versions of things exposed to different accounts. The simplicity is fantastic and it is WAY easier than creating your own compressed rips with Handbrake.
What is the catch? There are two. First, the speed at which your server can create optimized files depends entirely on the available CPU resources. My NAS has a quad-core 2.0Ghz Intel Celeron and a typical movie takes three or four hours. It is just running in the background and Plex gives priority to streaming activities, so it has very little impact other than having to wait awhile to watch the movie. Second, the optimized files that Plex creates are not as space efficient as the comparable quality files you can make with Handbrake using slow encode settings. This is not really a deal killer, that that extra couple GB per film can add up after awhile. I personally think this is a pretty small price to pay for the ease of use and simplicity of management the feature offers, but then I do have 21.5TB of usable space on my NAS.
In summary, the Optimizer allows you to enjoy perfect 1:1 Blu-Ray rips on the devices that support it and good quality compressed rips on the devices that don't without exposing any of the complexity to the user and without subjecting the administrator to complex folder management. It has very quickly become a favorite feature of mine. If you use Plex, give it a try.