Illustrated multiroom use cases : how to implement this ? (1 Viewer)

[rick3r]

Hello, I have a couple of use cases that can be summarized in the 3 presented below. I also add some requirements.

Requirements to be fulfilled :

1. Movies in the theater room should come from Plex, since all my media are under its library
2. Tv is hooked to a HTPC by a HDMI cable, Windows 10 and a wirelesskeyboard
3. We can consider that I have no current equipment, besides a Denon AVRS530BT that can be discarded if required
4. I would like to have either 2 speakers for the TV setup or a quality soundbar
5. I would like to use the speakers of the living room either to watch movies, or to include them when streaming music in all the 1st floor WITHOIUT having to switch configurations, connections or other. It mus be simple to switch from one use to another
6. I will NOT use streaming solutions like Tidal, Netflix, Spotify. I prefer to rely on my all-offline collection of music and movies.
7. I do not wish voice control. If it comes with the solution okay, but since I am not aware of voice control assistants that can play music stored in a NAS from Plex, that feature would be denied by the requirement #6.

My question is, can you tell me if a multiroom ecosystem (eg. Sonos) would do the trick ?

I imagine a setup where I could have for example a Sonos Soundbar in the living room, a Sonos Play:5 in the dining room and a Sonos One to the second living room.

Any (positive) thoughts are welcome !

 

[DaveF]

This seems pretty easy: setup a Plex server, install the Plex app on your various streaming boxes and speakers.
https://www.plex.tv/blog/plex-sonos-better-together/

Now, if you don’t already have an HTPC and haven’t setup Plex at all, then you should know this that an HTPC is a hobby itself. It is much simpler to use streaming services like Movies Anywhere.

 

[rick3r]

Hi @DaveF thank you for this. May I ask to dig a bit more your answer ? For example :

1. When you mention to install Plex in my streaming boxes, as of now I don't have any. Part of the question was indeed to confirm wheher or not wireless speakers like Sonos One could connect to plex library, maybe by the Sonos Controller app on mobile ? This seems possible with the provided link, indeed.
2. I totally agree with you, as being in the HTPC game for mode than 12 years now, after my own DIY setups with mixers and cables, having followed the birth and death of XMBC, enjoyed long years of Kodi, tried at the time PS3 Media Server, along with all the fiddling required to maintain it in a functionnal package, the OS updates, sound & video drivers, media format compatibilities and so... But now I have reached a level where everything is stable, at least as long as I maintain my actual ecosystem, which I am about to change to go wireless multiroom.

One thing that bothers me is the double function that would have the living room speakers. I cannot get a clear picture of the setup as it should be. How can I achive these 2 use cases at the same time :

1. Play a movie from a media file, stored on a drive :
   • Played by Plex player, in Windows 10 (I tried Plex app from Vizio TV, this is not just crap, it is unusable for many reasons)
   • HTPC is hooked to AVR with HDMI
   • AVR is hooked to TV also with HDMI
   • Speakers are hooked to the AVR by cables
2. Play music into those same speakers in a way that :
   • They are included in a group of satellite wireless speakers, like Sonos One, in other rooms
   • They are controlled by a mobile App
   • I would not have to fiddle a lot to make them change their source from the use case #1 (play a Plex movie) to start streaming music (current use case)
   • The music would come from the same library that other medias, currently Plex, with DLNA activated I mention

Would that be impossible ? Would I have to add wireless speakers in the corners of the living room that would be totally independant from the "home theater" setup with the AVR ?

I think, @DaveF that you're right when you say it could be pretty straightforward, but I would like to have more details of how the new setup is gonna behave, what will work, what will not.

Thank you and please come back if you have more insights !

 

[DaveF]

You’ve got a Plex server. You need Plex clients on your TVs. Use a smart tv’s app. Or buy an AppleTV or Roku or nvidia shield or whatever and use its Plex app.

As for Sonos, I don’t own them, no idea what’s involved. I just searched and found that Plex and Sonos support each other. Follow their instructions.

 

[DaveF]

I think you sort of misunderstand Plex at conceptual level. Don't think of it as having a hard drive you've connected to your TV or AVR.

* You have storage with all your media
* You have a Plex server with access to all the media. Media and Server can be separate devices. Server can be in a closet out of site. It's the server.
* You have clients (running Plex apps) that talk to the server and playback content. They're connected to TVs and AVRs, or integrated into SONOS speakers, etc.

You can use a computer that does all three: has storage, runs Plex Server, and runs the Plex Client software and is connected directly to your AVR / TV. But that's a special use-case for a personal media server system.

You've got the Plex server and some Sonos speakers. Connect according the Plex and Sonos instructions.

You want to watch or listen to Plex content through other devices: add clients as necessary to the TVs or AVRs or whatever and enjoy.