---
title: All Wires
published_at: 2017-05-03T15:30:29Z
hook: On removing moving parts in my home media setup.
---

I have a new policy in my home network and media center:
more wires. My media set up used to be a Plex client on my
PS4 (and previously an Apple TV) streaming data from a
server on the wireless network from a server with external
drives attached.

About half the time, it was fine. The other half was
plagued with intermittent problems of various sorts. Video
would stutter, stop partway through, or mysteriously fail
to start until the second or third try. It was all very
hard to diagnose. Maybe my wireless signal was too weak, my
server underpowered for transcoding purposes, or Plex for
PS4 too buggy; maybe all of the above.

A configuration that works some of the time is almost worse
than one that works none of the time. Every time you turn
it on is the likely start of a debugging odyssey involving
restarting things, adjusting streaming configurations, and
repositioning APs. All in all, there's a reasonable chance
that I spent more time playing with it than using it to
watch movies and TV.

I recently tore it all down and replaced it with a new
setup: a drive connected to an old Mac connected right into
the TV. No more wireless. No more suspect software or
operating systems. No more transcoding. No more APs. No
more PS4 or Apple TV. When I play something now, it works,
and it works the first time.

---
title: All Wires
published_at: 2017-05-03T15:30:29Z
hook: On removing moving parts in my home media setup.
---

I have a new policy in my home network and media center:
more wires. My media set up used to be a Plex client on my
PS4 (and previously an Apple TV) streaming data from a
server on the wireless network from a server with external
drives attached.

About half the time, it was fine. The other half was
plagued with intermittent problems of various sorts. Video
would stutter, stop partway through, or mysteriously fail
to start until the second or third try. It was all very
hard to diagnose. Maybe my wireless signal was too weak, my
server underpowered for transcoding purposes, or Plex for
PS4 too buggy; maybe all of the above.

A configuration that works some of the time is almost worse
than one that works none of the time. Every time you turn
it on is the likely start of a debugging odyssey involving
restarting things, adjusting streaming configurations, and
repositioning access points. All in all, there's a
reasonable chance that I spent more time playing with it
throughout its lifetime than using it to watch movies and
TV.

I recently tore it all down and replaced it with a new
setup: a drive connected to an old Mac connected right into
the TV. No more wireless. No more suspect software or
operating systems. No more transcoding. No more APs. No
more PS4 or Apple TV. When I play something now, it works,
and it works the first time.

Rewrite a sentence or two
Rewrite a sentence or two


Former-commit-id: 3a00cac2d20e34e12079b4c7b82bbe24a6fefece