I have been toying with the Raspberry Pi Zero 2W for quite some time now. Initially, it was a perfect fit for a downloading device I could control remotely. Then, I converted it into a media streaming server using Jellyfin, which was another learning experience. I also wanted to try other options, and Plex is undoubtedly among the most popular choices.

Setting up a Plex media server on any device isn't a problem. But I wanted to know how it fared against Jellyfin, which is slowly becoming a favorite for streaming enthusiasts. It also helped me find the glaring differences between the two media streaming server options for an SBC like the Pi Zero 2W. Let’s discuss the highlights of this project.

Installing Plex Media Server

Not a huge trouble

I use DietPi instead of the usual Raspberry Pi operating system because of the convenience it brings onboard. Initially, I thought of creating a Docker container and then managing the server from there. But that didn't go through as expected, and I kept adding Plex from the Docker Repo instead of Plex Media Server. Jellyfin worked fine as a Docker container, but I don't know why Plex didn't play nicely.

So, I switched to DietPi Software, which offers compatible versions of all the popular software, including Plex Media Server. After a quick installation, the server was ready to work on port number 32400, and I stopped all active containers, including Jellyfin, beforehand.

Setting up Plex Media Server

Adding disks, creating accounts

Like Jellyfin, the setup is possible with the Plex Media Server web UI, with the only exception being the sign-up process. Jellyfin doesn't need an email account to work. Plex Media Server doesn't do the same and requires you to register before accessing the dashboard and configuring your streaming server. After a quick sign-in with my Gmail account, the dashboard appeared. Before discussing my overview, I decided to add the connected solid-state drive containing my media files.

I mounted it via the drive manager tool, which is already available in DietPi. These small additions are what keep me hooked on DietPi. Anyways, Plex recognized my solid-state drive, but it couldn't identify the files. So I allowed it read access to the disk using the terminal, and the files appeared after a quick restart. I gave it time to build the metadata and then jumped to the dashboard again.

I have mixed feelings about the whole look. The UI is cleaner, but the fact that I opted for the server edition means that I don't see a barrage of suggested premium content available on the platform. However, you can hide all this mess and only see the watched section with a few changes to the Online Media Sources section.

Playback experience

A mixed bag

Accessing videos and shows over the local network shouldn't be a problem, and my Jellyfin media server experience was near perfect. However, for some reason, there were playback issues. Initially, I noticed a slight delay in load times, despite having the same setup and files as those used in Jellyfin. The phone experience was slightly inferior, with varying load times that felt like punishment. But after a few sessions, everything worked okay.

The new changes to the Plex free tier didn't sit well with me. Removing trivial features like playback speed adjustment killed my experience while watching some videos. It would seem unnecessary to bicker about something like playback speed, but it's even available in a GUI file manager like File Browser for Pi. So, I have to sit through the 1x speed, even if I don't want to, and I don’t enjoy it one bit.

Also, there's no option to toggle between list and grid view. The default is a list view for the library section, which can be a pain to traverse if you have many folders and files in the main directory. Separating media into different folders is a wise choice, but since I had everything on the hard disk, I added it to Plex.

I found it weird that Plex didn't identify any photos when I placed them inside the TV Shows category I created. When I made a separate photo category, it immediately identified the images on the disk. The mobile app didn't sync the changes, and the folder didn't appear in the library list. Surprisingly, the browser loaded everything perfectly. File downloads are also possible, but you cannot download folders on your device. Multiple file downloads are also absent.

Media playback isn't a problem because it's the core feature of a media server. However, I wanted to access it outside my local network, which was another surprise.

Remote access is behind a paywall

Pay up or stick to your local network

I don't hate Plex for this because they have to make the premium tier more compelling than the free one. I didn't mind it because I have Tailscale on all my devices, so Remote access shouldn't be an issue. However, Plex obstructed the playback and displayed a subscription pop-up whenever I attempted to access it via Tailscale. It's something new because Tailscale should work in this case.

I accessed the DietPi Dashboard utility using Tailscale, Portainer, and a few other tools, and they worked fine. It could have something to do with the recent changes to Plex. Even turning off the remote access settings in the dashboard didn't permit me to view the video on a phone browser while connected to Tailscale. Jellyfin worked fine on the Tailscale network, and Plex should've too, but I wonder what went wrong.

Plex works on Pi Zero 2W

A polished service like Plex, which has a vast content library and live channels, is available to free users. However, as a media server service, the free tier restricts you to a bare-bones system. You cannot skip intros, which is easily possible with Jellyfin and a plugin.

Plex lacks a dedicated plugin store, and all extra features, such as skipping intros, hardware-accelerated transcoding, and playback speed, are exclusive to advanced users. Jellyfin doesn't restrict any of these features and works fine with complete anonymity. I didn't face trouble because the Pi Zero 2W isn't a good choice for transcoding, and you can easily stream medium-quality (1080p) videos and shows.

However, the quality varies with the media type and resolution, which might be a bummer in some videos. That said, it's the cheapest media server you can make with a Plex account, a Pi, and a hard disk or SSD, and it makes your files accessible from any device on your home network. Go for it only if you find Jellyfin complicated and don’t have a qualm about sharing your email with Plex.