@KarelSoel
@MilesT wrote:
Apps like Plex (on Roku) might support what you are trying to do.
THIS!
I did this very thing for my mother. She had several collections of DVDs that I ripped to MP4 format, put on a computer, then loaded Plex.
If you go ahead and put the content into a format such as MP4 that the Plex server can simply play as is, rather than requiring the server to transcode it, then you don't need a powerful computer to accomplish this.
Yes, the initial setup requires some work, but if you follow the instructions from Plex, to include the naming convention of the directories and files, then it'll work very well. I used something like "E:\Plex\Movies\Bullit (1969)\Bullet (1969).mp4" which will may be self explanitory.
Now, as for doing this remotely, that's a little tricky. You could place the files in a similar directory structure on the USB, and a user could copy the entire structure to the data drive. The files would automatically be read by Plex and inserted into the library. Or, you could create a DOS batch file that accomplished this. The user would have to launch the file, and the copy command in the batch file would copy everything over.
I'd suggest setting up Plex on your own system first, then once you have the files in your Plex setup, transcoded and possibly even optimized by Plex, then copy then to the USB, structure and all, for copying. It's what I did.
You'll still need to set up Plex, but if you do this ahead of time on your own, when to you the setup, you'll have a large library to get her started, then can supplement with others as needed. You could remove the files from your Plex setup if you wanted
DBDukes
Roku Community Streaming Expert
Note: I am not a Roku employee.
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