UGreen DXP8800+ 8-bay NAS with Zidoo Z9X Pro and also Plex Server (1 Viewer)

[Tok]

My current theater project is more of an update to how I consume my media. I currently have close to 2000 4K and Blu-ray discs. I got rid of most of my DVDs during the transition to HD back in the mid-2000s. I have all these discs and no one in the house uses them because clicking on streaming shows is much easier than looking for title in my collection even though I re-organized it in the last year. I've been wanting to setup a NAS system for years but I was overwhelmed by the thought of all the discs that I would have to rip plus the cost of storage. There are other benefits with a NAS in having a large storage area for other important digital content like family photos and important documents that one is not comfortable storing in the cloud.

I decided to embark on the journey late last year by purchasing a LG WH16NS40, a Vantec USB3.0 external drive case and a Zidoo Z9X Pro media player. The holidays got in the way so I postponed starting any trials with disc ripping my collection (for personal FAIR USE) and evaluating the Zidoo file playback. I went with the last generation of the Zidoo based on the RealTek 1619BPD chipset because it supports 3D file playback. Of the roughly 2000 discs I own about 10% are 3D titles which I still enjoy viewing on through my JVC projector.

The required software was relatively easy to learn plus using the advanced options to preselect the items to be included in the files created increased the productivity. Another plus with one tool was the ability to append files of longer films that required two discs to make one large file on the NAS so the film would play continuously through without a forced intermission. Another feature of this tool allowed me to re-mux the newer Atmos/dts:X tracks on 3D titles that omitted the newer formats even when it would have been possible. Occasionally one would have to adjust the audio delay parameter to get the proper sync but it was relatively easy to do.

Finally the NAS unit was the hard part of the equation and the most costly part of the project. A 4-bay NAS with even 24-TB drives running RAID5 (72TB of storage) might not be enough estimating 4K titles on BD66 and BD100 are probably averaging between 50GB and 75GB per title and standard 50GB Blu-rays are roughly 35GB per title. With about 600 4K titles and 1400 Blu titles I was estimating roughly 85TB of storage needed. I'm also still an active disc collector even though I'm slowing with not as much interest in newer titles and the increasing cost of the discs. So I wanted something that would have ample space for storage of my (growing) collection as well as space for family photos and video clips.

A six-bay NAS seemed to make more sense, but it wasn't much more cost to go to an 8-bay unit. So I decided to go with UGreen DXP8800+ that was on sale. The Synology 1821 would have been cheaper but it wasn't available when I wanted to start the project. Also the UGreen though the software isn't currently up to the Synology level has a very good hardware set that may be utilized in the future including 2-10Gbe, 2-Thunderbolt 4, 2-NVMe slots, 2-USB3.2 and a Intel 12th Gen i5 processor.

I have started out with six 24-TB Seagate Exos drives in RAID5 giving me 120TB of storage to start. This leaves two bays free to add a backup drive if one fails and possibly another drive for storage. Either way I have some room to grow. I did expand the NAS system memory from 8GB to 32GB and added a 4-TB NVMe Gen4 Corsair module for a Win10Pro VM to extract and merge files. I will be adding a UPS next to hopefully keep the volume safe in the event of power outage.

It's also been a learning experience getting back into using some Linux skills I haven't used for several years. Also I would like to thank UGreen support for being responsive when I was having issues getting my Windows 10 VM setup to use the physical USB3.2 port. For some reason the VM creation tool has options to add USB2/3 functionality in the VM but its not actually implemented in the tool yet or there is a bug, but UGreen provided support on how to configure it through a SSH terminal session into the line command UGOS interface (based on Linux). It's been working rock solid making it much easier to rip by being able to remote into the NAS with the LG WH16NS40 connected instead of having a USB drive hang off my laptop.

The Z9X Pro has some quirks but I was able to work around the ones affecting me the most with stuttering frames by keeping the output resolution at 4K on 1080 content. Also the Z9X Pro has custom EDID options so you can do player-led Dolby Vision aka LLDV. I have played around with that a little but I'm also coming to the conclusion that my RS3100's DTM algorithm does a pretty good job but there are cases where DV FEL data does correct some bad encoding on the base HDR10 encoding.

 

[John Dirk]

I've recently embarked on a similar [but scaled down] journey. I considered UGreen but, since I have a very capable HTPC, decided it's admittedly superior hardware was not worth the software tradeoff. I ended up with a Synology 923+. My library is MUCH smaller than yours so I started with (3) 12TB drives for a total of about 22TB of storage using Synology's "hybrid RAID" option.

Like you, it's been a long time since I've worked with Linux so the learning curve has been a bit of a pain. So far I have about 400 feature films and maybe 20 or so TV series in my Plex library. With a library this size and all of my household PC's backed up, I still have about 14 TB left! I don't bother adding 4K titles as I feel the time investment and file sizes make popping in a disc comparably tolerable.

I let the HTPC handle Plex server duty. Up until a week ago I had the NVidia Shield Pro as my media player but, despite recommendations from several trusted sources, found it offered no great leap in performance or convenience over the Plex HTPC app. So far I'm very happy with what I've achieved and am about to pack up my physical media collection and place it [save my 4K titles] in storage.

Does the Zidoo have a native media server? If not, what are you using?

 

[JohnRice]

@John Dirk , the Zidoo is a media player, so yeah, it is basically its own media server. If I’m understanding your question. Use local storage and/or NAS, and just point it to them. If the file naming is done right, it indexes them automatically and creates the library.

 

[John Dirk]

@John Dirk , the Zidoo is a media player, so yeah, it is basically its own media server. If I’m understanding your question. Use local storage and/or NAS, and just point it to them. If the file naming is done right, it indexes them automatically and creates the library.

Thanks. I'll have to look into that player. Plex is decent but does mix it's ad-supported and paid options in with the local library, which can be annoying.

 

[JohnRice]

Thanks. I'll have to look into that player. Plex is decent but does mix it's ad-supported and paid options in with the local library, which can be annoying.

I've talked about it a little elsewhere, but I have a similar Zidoo media player to what Craig has. Mine has an internal drive bay, and they have ones with two bays, but they all can access NAS storage and have USB ports. So, you could use exclusively NAS and have a player like the Z9 in each system. Each one would be completely independent, which could be a positive or a negative, depending on what the goal is.

I use it for HD TV shows and Reg B BluRays using local storage. Storing everything with a NAS just seems like too much hassle, to me. Especially the high cost.

 

[Tok]

It's all pretty new to me. Still learning as I go. I was initially planning on getting a Zidoo or similar device for each flat panel display in my house but my Sony OLEDs have the Plex app so I used the docker app in the UGreen NAS to implement a Plex server. I suppose I could use the Zidoo as a Plex client on in theater that has a RS3100. So far both Plex and the Zidoo Home Theater app both have issues with properly matching content to poster art even on the Zidoo following file naming convention. Though both did a decent job identifying some more obscure content from the Columbia Classics bonus discs.

Also I have discovered that in order to use the Dolby Vision VS10 processor in the Zidoo that it will put everything in HDR10 including the menu system. I prefer to only use HDR/DV if the content is actually encoded with it. I may be putting a HDFury VROOM into the system chain in the future to get the best of both worlds short of buying a MadVR/Lumagen to perform tone-mapping. I will say when I was sending DV to the projector with a Custom EDID 1000nit and LLDV enabled the image was very satisfying on DV encoded content.

 

[Tok]

I've talked about it a little elsewhere, but I have a similar Zidoo media player to what Craig has. Mine has an internal drive bay, and they have ones with two bays, but they all can access NAS storage and have USB ports. So, you could use exclusively NAS and have a player like the Z9 in each system. Each one would be completely independent, which could be a positive or a negative, depending on what the goal is.

I use it for HD TV shows and Reg B BluRays using local storage. Storing everything with a NAS just seems like too much hassle, to me. Especially the high cost.

It's definitely a large task and a high cost project if you have a large library. One reason I'm doing it is that I eventually plan to store fewer discs in my home theater area. Probably will just keep it down to special sets and favorites from the boutique labels.

 

[John Dirk]

So far both Plex and the Zidoo Home Theater app both have issues with properly matching content to poster art even on the Zidoo following file naming convention.

I have yet to find a solution that doesn't have this issue, which is why I plan to create and maintain an incremental metadata backup once my Plex library is substantially complete. I've spent hours manually correcting matching and cover art errors.

 

[JohnRice]

I have yet to find a solution that doesn't have this issue, which is why I plan to create and maintain an incremental metadata backup once my Plex library is substantially complete. I've spent hours manually correcting matching and cover art errors.

Honestly, I've had very little trouble with the Zidoo. I just always look at https://www.themoviedb.org/ to make certain I have file naming correct. It's even found some pretty obscure movie titles. TV shows have worked perfectly in all but one small instance. That is Battlestar Galactica, where it just won't distinguish correctly between the two-episode intro miniseries and the regular series. It also allows you to download the database to a flash drive for installation on another unit, if you want.

Of course, I haven't had many situations where there are more than one movie with the same title.

 

[JohnRice]

However, I am reaching the 16TB of the one internal drive I have. So I'm venturing into adding a 4 bay external enclosure.

 

[Robert George]

I've been using media players with external storage for quite a while. My current unit is the Dune HD Pro One 8K Plus. This is my second Dune HD player though my last player was the Zidoo Z9X.

I have to tell you the latest models from Dune HD finally fulfill the promise media players have been trying for for years. The new Dune uses a newer Amlogic SoC that is the best I've used. There was a couple of issues with the first release of these players, specifically severe stuttering on 4K UHD rips with very high bitrate Dolby Vision metadata (KL I'm looking at you) and their database management software used strictly the letter of the titles for arranging the titles in alphabetical order. Any title that started with "The" was put under the T.

There have been two (beta) software update since i got the player. The first fixed the stuttering issue on some discs and the second recent update fixed the database issue. You can now set a switch that will ignore "the" in titles.

This media player is as close to perfect as I have found. Not 100% mind you. There are still a couple of minor quirks playing some menu structure. Some Paramount discs will overlay menu graphics for a few seconds. Not a big deal as it will still play everything I throw at it. No problems with disc folder structure, ISO, even MKV with Dolby Vision (Oppo 203 can't do that, even jailbroke). When playing a full disc rip, you have the option to play the full menu or just the movie.

As far as external storage, I don't know what the limit is. I have two 5-bay enclosures, two USB external HDD, and a network enclosure with 27TB internal and two 8TB USB external drives connnected to the network box.

Yeah, I have a lot of data. Most of my 4K and Blu-ray collection are stored as full size files.

 

[John Dirk]

However, I am reaching the 16TB of the one internal drive I have. So I'm venturing into adding a 4 bay external enclosure.

Yea, you're definitely living dangerously having that much data without a RAID solution of some sort.

 

[John Dirk]

I've been using media players with external storage for quite a while. My current unit is the Dune HD Pro One 8K Plus. This is my second Dune HD player though my last player was the Zidoo Z9X.

I have to tell you the latest models from Dune HD finally fulfill the promise media players have been trying for for years. The new Dune uses a newer Amlogic SoC that is the best I've used. There was a couple of issues with the first release of these players, specifically severe stuttering on 4K UHD rips with very high bitrate Dolby Vision metadata (KL I'm looking at you) and their database management software used strictly the letter of the titles for arranging the titles in alphabetical order. Any title that started with "The" was put under the T.

Plex seems to automatically ignore "The" in titles but, call me weird, I actually prefer mine that way which requires tedious, per-title intervention.

I have the same question for you and @JohnRice . How do these players [Dune HD Pro, Zidoo, etc.] handle server environments? In other words, can a single player serve multiple clients or do you need a separate unit for each. plex definitely has it's limitations but it works on any device I throw at it, even smartphones.

 

[JohnRice]

How do these players [Dune HD Pro, Zidoo, etc.] handle server environments? In other words, can a single player serve multiple clients or do you need a separate unit for each.

You'll have to dumb your question down a bit for me. In particular, what is meant by "clients".

 

[JohnRice]

Plex seems to automatically ignore "The" in titles but, call me weird, I actually prefer mine that way which requires tedious, per-title intervention.

Just to add, the Zidoo allows you to configure that. I have it ignore "A" and "The" at the beginning of titles, but you can just leave that option blank.

A couple little things I think are stupid in how the Zidoo works. It has a "Currently Watching" page, like a lot of players, but it times out after a week. So, if you're watching a particular show, but don't watch any of it for a week, it disappears from the page. Also, when you finish the last episode of a season, it also disappears from the page, rather than automatically going to the first episode of the next season.

 

[John Dirk]

You'll have to dumb your question down a bit for me. In particular, what is meant by "clients".

I think you may have already answered this question in a previous comment I just re-read. What I am asking is, "do you need a separate physical Vidoo [or Dune HD Pro] for each room/device or does it have a way of "serving" client apps on Smart TV's, streaming boxes, etc. that present data supplied by the main unit upon request."

 

[JohnRice]

I think you may have already answered this question in a previous comment I just re-read. What I am asking is, "do you need a separate physical Zidoo [or Dune HD Pro] for each room/device or does it have a way of "serving" client apps on Smart TV's, streaming boxes, etc. that present data supplied by the main unit upon request."

That's what I figured, but wanted to be certain. Yeah, each Zidoo is an isolated destination. There also isn't a simple way to sync them, as far as I know. Though it can transfer everything from one player to another, but that seems to be intended for moving to a new player. So, multiple Zidoos can all access central media, like on an NAS, but each one operates independently.

 

[John Dirk]

That's what I figured, but wanted to be certain. Yeah, each Zidoo is an isolated destination. There also isn't a simple way to sync them, as far as I know. Though it can transfer everything from one player to another, but that seems to be intended for moving to a new player. So, multiple Zidoos can all access central media, like on an NAS, but each one operates independently.

Wow! That's an expensive ecosystem should one want a whole-house solution.

 

[JohnRice]

Wow! That's an expensive ecosystem should one want a whole-house solution.

The tools to match the objective.

I see people here probably spending thousands of $ on hard drives alone, in order to put everything they own on NAS. That seems completely absurd to me. If that is the goal, I suspect a solution using Apple TVs, apps, or similar devices for multiple destinations makes more sense. But I have zero interest in doing that, so I don't know what's the best way to accomplish it.

The fact is, I only have one and only want one of this particular component, in my HT. So, it's kind of perfect. Not everyone, probably not most people, want to do a comprehensive system in every room that can access every piece of media they own. I don't.

 

[DaveF]

The tools to match the objective.

I see people here probably spending thousands of $ on hard drives alone, in order to put everything they own on NAS. That seems completely absurd to me. If that is the goal, I suspect a solution using Apple TVs, apps, or similar devices for multiple destinations makes more sense. But I have zero interest in doing that, so I don't know what's the best way to accomplish it.

The fact is, I only have one and only want one of this particular component, in my HT. So, it's kind of perfect. Not everyone, probably not most people, want to do a comprehensive system in every room that can access every piece of media they own. I don't.

If you want all your discs ripped and stored in a DIY streaming system, there’s no way around having the hard drives.

All the AppleTVs or Zidoos are just the streaming clients. You still need the storage system with the media.

But once you’ve got the hard drives full of your discs, then the whole house solution is basically done. Because every video device made in recent years runs Plex and Emby and Kodi.

As for the cost: Hard drives space is about $1/disc stored, or a 3% to 10% surcharge per disc for the benefit of a DIY streaming system. ($300 16TB disc holds 320 x 50 GB UHD, which cost about $20 each).

Definitely a niche hobby. But the absolute costs are not extremely high compared to the net cost of the hundreds of discs and various video players typically owned by such an enthusiast.

For me the real impediment is time. Ordering a disc, waiting for it to arrive, finding the couple hours to rip, do metadata, save on HTPC: it’s a week before I can watch. Or, spend five minutes searching and hit play on a streaming movie and watch in the moment.

My HTPC is dying a death of neglect against the vast convenience of streaming services.