What do you run Plex Media Server on?

It's basically a desktop in a tiny box. Mine is about 3 x 3 x 2. It has USB ports, HDMI ports, SD slots, and an ethernet port. It also has 802.11ac wireless networking. You load your OS of choice, Windows or Linux. Load Plex Media Server, and go. I don't have to mess with it. When I have power in the trailer, it powers up and is available to provide Plex content. I will keep it above the refrigerator where my access point is. Power and antenna up there. I take my laptop with me, but you have to plug it in, leave it open, turn off power saving modes. I don't have to do anything with the NUC. Go to Youtube and look at the Lon channel. He has a couple of good reports on the Nucs, along with almost everything else home media.

RSD559 wrote:
Works great. I had two streams running at the same time from a source that I know needs transcoding. Excellent video quality. Here are the links:
NUC - Click Here
Memory - Click Here

Do you have to load software on to this device? How does it work vs laptop? WIFI setup, etc? I obviously don't know squat about a device like this.

Moved from tech issues

We use Plex for all of our network TV viewing, even when we're on the road. It has streams of all of our shows with no commercials. But, CBS requires transcoding. So I need a box with enough power to do the video reprocessing. I don't think the Android boxes have the brute needed. But, I do hope I'm wrong and your box will do everything you need very well. Try putting Plex server on it and try watching something on CBS on a phone or something. It would be interesting to see. Thanks.

FYI, I was ready to set up a Plex media server with a NUC. But I ended up buying this Android box on Amazon on sale for $26. It comes preloaded with the latest version of Kodi. Although I haven't played around with Kodi enough to say that it's as full featured as Plex, I will say that this box plays EVERYTHING I've thrown at it so far.

So I've got Vero OMSC box for the tv in the main room and the Android box in the bedroom. They are each fed with a 4 TB HDs. Simple to set up and they just plain work.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019ESY3RY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Works great. I had two streams running at the same time from a source that I know needs transcoding. Excellent video quality. Here are the links:
NUC - Click Here
Memory - Click Here

You folks rekindled my interest. I just bought a NUC, from Intel. It and memory for it cost about $250 from Amazon. I already have a SSD to use. It has a Plex supported Intel processor, so hardware transcoding will be available. It also has 802.11ac wireless. So I can hide it above my refrigerator. I'm going to test it out this evening. I'll let you know. If it works, I'll provide links to the Amazon items, if anyone is interested. Whew! Still Apple free!

I gave up on a dedicated device. The PC version of Plex Server requires manual updates. When new versions are available, the server just doesn't work. So for each update, I'd have to upgrade. From what I've been able to find out, the Mac Mini is the device to fix the problem. But, I can't get myself to touch anything Apple. Some kind of phobia.

GordonThree wrote:
If transcoding is a concern, the Pi has hardware accelerated h.264 encoding and decoding. I believe up to 30hz encoding and 60hz decoding at 1080p. There's newer boards based on more powerful SoC that will transcode h.265 and 4k video if that's your application.

There seems to be mixed information out there of if a Pi3 has enough horsepower to even decode HEVC 4K. And that is not even transcoding. I do work for an encoding/transcoding company and am quite familiar with server requirements for commercial equipment to run HEVC 4k video and there are very few companies that aren't using hardware acceleration (GPU) for HEVC 4K. HEVC 4K transcoding via software only is not very common yet, it will get there but again, I'm talking for commercial applications, not private applications where lower bitrates along with lower video quality are not as scrutinized.

And for the OP, although you did mention you didn't want a laptop running constantly, I am running my Plex on a headless MAC Mini. So not much different from a laptop except for no video monitor, keyboard, mouse. I do understand when not streaming or ripping/transcoding, power is pretty minimal on MAC Minis.

I'd like to run Plex Media Server on Roku for listening Apple Music on Roku.
You might be confused that why I can stream Apple Music via Plex Media Server, since Apple Music are not able to listen to on unauthorized devices.
Fortunately, I have DRmare DRM Audio Converter that can help me remove DRM from Apple Music to Plex compatible audio formats so that I can use Plex to transfer Apple Music to Roku for offline listening.