Plex is a software that allows you to stream your personal media libraries, such as movies, TV shows, music, and photos, on any device. Plex also offers free access to thousands of ad-supported titles from its on-demand library, as well as over 600 live TV channels. Plex can also transcode your media files on the fly to optimize them for your device and bandwidth. Plex can use hardware acceleration to speed up the transcoding process and reduce CPU usage. Plex requires a server application that runs on your computer or NAS device, and a client application that runs on your streaming device or web browser. Plex also has some premium features that require a Plex Pass subscription, such as offline sync, DVR and Live TV, trailers and extras, and more. Plex is a one-stop destination for all your media needs.

Here are some steps to set up Plex on Unraid:

• Log in to Unraid and select Apps.
• Search for Plex and select Install on the official Plex-Media-Server application. This will install Plex using Docker.
• Change the name and the settings of the Plex container according to your preferences. Make sure to add your media folder to the container.
• If you want to use the Plex Beta version, you need to sign up for a Plex Pass and get the Plex Beta version number. Then, change the version in the container settings to match the Plex Beta version number. This will enable DVR and Live TV features.
• Navigate to your new Plex server and enjoy your media.

To enable hardware acceleration in Plex on Unraid, you need to have an Intel CPU with Quick Sync support or an Nvidia GPU (with a special Unraid build). You also need to have a Plex Pass subscription to access this feature. Here are the steps to enable hardware acceleration:

• Make sure your Plex docker container has access to the /dev/dri device. You can do this by editing the container settings and adding /dev/dri as an extra parameter under the Advanced View.
• Make sure your Plex docker container is using the latest version of Plex Media Server. You can do this by clicking on Check for Updates in the Docker tab of Unraid.
• Launch your Plex app and head to the settings tab. In the sidebar under the Settings section, click Transcoder. Check the boxes next to both Use hardware acceleration when available and Use hardware-accelerated video encoding.

Tautulli

is a third-party application that you can run alongside your Plex Media Server to monitor, track, and notify various statistics and activities. Tautulli can show you what has been watched, who watched it, when and where they watched it, and how it was watched. Tautulli can also send you notifications or trigger scripts based on events on your Plex server, such as new media added, streams started or stopped, sync activity, and more. Tautulli has a web interface that displays graphs, tables, and charts of your Plex data, as well as detailed information on your media and users. Tautulli also has an official app that lets you view your stats on the go. Tautulli is a useful tool for Plex admins and enthusiasts who want to have more insight and control over their Plex server.

Sonarr and Radarr

are two software applications that can help you manage your media collection. Sonarr is a collection manager for TV shows, while Radarr is a movie collection manager. Both applications can monitor RSS feeds for new releases and create a calander for the media. You can also sort, and rename the media automatically. They can also upgrade the quality of existing files when a better version is available, and integrate with Kodi, Plex, and other media servers. Sonarr and Radarr are similar in functionality, but they cater to different types of media. Sonarr is for TV shows, while Radarr is for movies.

Overseerr

is a request management and media discovery tool that works with your Plex ecosystem. Overseerr can help you find and request movies and TV shows that you want to watch, and integrate with Radarr and Sonarr to organize them. Overseerr also has a beautiful web interface that shows you information, ratings, trailers, and recommendations for your media. Overseerr can send you notifications when new media is added or when requests are approved or declined. Overseerr can also scan your Plex libraries to know what you already have and avoid duplicate requests. Overseerr is a great way to enhance your Plex experience and make it easier for you and your users to enjoy your media collection.