How to Turn an Old PC Into a Streaming Server

Do you have an old PC or laptop lying around at home that you no longer use? Perhaps it’s too slow for your daily tasks or maybe you’ve upgraded to a newer model. Before you consider throwing it away or letting it collect dust in a corner, why not repurpose it into something useful? With the right software, you can easily turn your old PC into a streaming server that can play all your media files, from movies and TV shows to music and photos.

Reduce e-waste, repurpose your old PC

Technology is advancing at a rapid pace, and many people are constantly upgrading to the latest gadgets and devices. But what happens to the old ones that are just gathering dust? Instead of throwing them away and contributing to the growing e-waste problem, why not consider repurposing your old PC?

Repurposing your old PC doesn’t just benefit you – it also helps reduce the amount of e-waste that ends up in landfills. E-waste is a growing problem that contributes to environmental pollution and poses health risks to those living near dumping sites. By repurposing your old PC, you’re doing your part in reducing the amount of e-waste and helping to create a more sustainable future.

One great way to repurpose your old PC is to use it as a casual gaming PC, playing slots and other games at real money casinos. Many online casinos offer a wide variety of games that can be played on older machines, allowing you to enjoy some entertainment without breaking the bank. But today, we’d like to look at an even better way to use your obsolete piece of hardware: turning it into a home media server. By installing software like Plex or Jellyfin, you can create a central hub for all your media files and stream them to your smart TV or phone. This not only saves you money on buying new devices, but it also reduces clutter and simplifies your media consumption. Plus, it can be accessed from anywhere in the world.

Let’s get started!

What you’ll need

First of all, let’s take a look at what your old PC needs to know to be fit to run a media server:

• A processor that is powerful enough to handle media encoding and decoding (recommended Intel Core i3 or higher)
• At least 4GB of RAM
• Sufficient hard drive space to store your media files (at least 500GB is recommended, but terabytes worth of storage is can run out just as easily)
• An Ethernet cable or a Wi-Fi adapter for network connectivity
• A router with port forwarding capability

Software-wise, the list of requirements is just as short. You’ll need streaming server software such as Plex, Kodi, Emby, Universal Media Server, or Jellyfin, and media player software on your remote devices such as VLC, Kodi, or Plex.

How to set things up

First and foremost, you should clean your old PC, both its hardware and its software. Make sure to check its contents before formatting the hard drive – there may be some old files left there that you may still need. Then, you can proceed with installing your OS of choice. In most cases, Windows will do fine – but usually, Linux is recommended as it’s a more stable operating system.

Next, you have to choose your server software. Some popular options include Plex, Universal Media Server, or Jellyfin. Each software has its own strengths and weaknesses, so do some research to find the one that best fits your needs.

If you want to use the media server on your home network only, you can do so on a different PC or a smart TV using the right app (Kodi with addons, Plex, or whichever your choice may be). If you plan on streaming your media remotely, there are more steps you need to take:

• For Plex:
  • Make sure your router supports “UPnP” or “NAT-PMP”
  • Go to the Plex settings, and enable “Remote Access”. The server will attempt to configure the settings for you.
  • You can manually forward Plex’s internal port to an external one if you like. For this, read the Plex documentation available on its website.
• For Jellyfin
  • Pretty much the same. When setting up the Jellyfin server, simply enable remote access.

What clients to use?

In the case of Plex, it’s easiest to use the Plex client to access your media library remotely. Plex has software on pretty much every platform, from Windows to Android and iOS. Plus, it has its own streaming media you can watch for free (with ads if you are using the free tier) – it has the largest collection of trash B-movies we have ever seen.

Jellyfin also has clients for pretty much every major platform. Plus, you can always use Infuse, the “elegant video player” which is available for iOS, Mac, and Apple TV.

Conclusion

Repurposing your old PC into a streaming server is a great way to reduce e-waste and create a more sustainable future. With the right software and hardware, you can easily turn your old machine into a central hub for all your media files, from movies and TV shows to music and photos. Not only does this save you money on buying new devices, but it also simplifies your media consumption and reduces clutter. Plus, it can be accessed from anywhere in the world, making it a convenient solution for on-the-go entertainment. So, instead of throwing away your old PC, consider repurposing it into a streaming server and joining the fight against e-waste.