I'm setting up Plex on my UGREEN NAS DXP2800 and I've followed two different YouTube guides. The first guide had me install a popular Linux container for Plex, where I left the CPU limit at unlimited and set memory to 7000 out of 8GB. However, this guide didn't specify anything about changing the puid and pgid, and it used a bridge network while matching the NAS port to the container's port at 32400. I enabled hardware acceleration in Plex but didn't change anything else in the server settings.
The second guide had me use the official Plex container. This time, I was instructed to set both puid and pgid to 0 and use a host network instead. I also enabled hardware acceleration here.
While streaming, I've noticed that the second option offers significantly better video quality. I even switched the first installation from bridge to host to see if it made a difference, but it didn't. Did I do something wrong with the Linux installation, or is the official Plex container just better?
4 Answers
Just to throw in my two cents, if you're seeing better quality with the official container, it could be due to how it handles network resources and transcoding. Sometimes the configurations can make all the difference in performance. Stick with what works best for you!
It sounds like you might be using the Linuxserver.io image for Plex, which is a popular option. Guides can vary, and sometimes they miss important details. In general, unless you have a specific need, opting for the official Plex image is usually the safer bet. It tends to be more reliable and better supported.
I get that it can be confusing. If you’re not sure which version you’re using, try posting a link to the image or a screenshot. That’ll help others give you more targeted advice. But generally, both the official `plex-inc/pms-docker` and `linuxserver/plex` images are solid choices!
Thanks for the tip! I'll share a link next time.
You mentioned in another comment it's not the Linuxserver image, but that's usually first on Google. Can you clarify what the other one is? Either way, I'd suggest going with the official Plex container or the Linuxserver one unless you have a reason not to. They usually perform better and are widely used.
Good point! I really noticed the difference during streaming. Thanks!