I have to say Plex is more complicated to set up than Kodi is; even Synology’s Fire video app, DSvideo is easier but for me I find Kodi no problem. Perhaps it will be easier when nVidea Shield will make it easier.
Update: What I have now done is the add another folder to my library. I called it Optimised as seen here:
So I go straight to optimised videos.
In your situation, Plex may not be the solution. If you already have better ways to watch your content, by all means, there is no need to force a square peg into a round hole. What’s great about Troypoint is that it helps give us so many options to effectively carry out the same cord cutting tasks.
I rarely transcode anything. Most recordings dont need it. I disable any subtitle downloads(my pref), dont need any artwork either unless you collect it. Most hls/ts streams just play without help and to be honest no server is needed. What are you recording? If tv is your media than a shield with added storage will do. If iptv than good bandwith up/down preferably on a shield but not required and an external storage device. No transcoding required really unless you are torrenting.
One of the things I like about a nVidea Shield TV Pro is the A1 upscaling. Actually I have just snapped a deal on Amazon for a 1TB Crucial External SSD at £66. Another thing I have found out with Shield is that I can share it to my PC and create a share to the drive on the shield. Then be able to send videos and other files from my PC. I have already done a similar thing with my firestick connecting my PC with Wireless File Manager, I transferred that golf video on to one of my USB flash drives on my UGREEN adapter using this method to try playing it from Plex App that way. I’m now waiting for Black Friday to see any deals I can get on a nVidea Shield TV Pro.
Grrrrreat price on the crucial ssd 
I will say this. I had a shield about a year ago and due to an update gone bad I sent it back, no questions asked(amazon). I picked up another a month or so ago and DAUM…I forgot how nice it was and *key word…versatile. 
Would like some expansion on what you are saying there please. I do not and have no intention to use a DVR for recording. I do have an excellent IPTV (British) that supplies all my needs for sport, mostly UK, Golf, Premiere League, UEFA, FA Cup, World Cup etc., They also provide a lot of great films, like Maverick and Elvis released recently. If I need any particular film or TV shows that my IPTV has not got I generally get from The Crew in Kodi. I sometimes get a little buffering when watching live stuff on my IPTV and hope that by getting a Shield this will help to resolve that. With NordVPN running I get 69Mbps download and 25Mbps upload with my ISP.
So no downloading, just viewing? If thats the case a server is way over the top but can be used and if Plex is needed than the shield+plex server should be on target for you. A simple server. Actually a great combo since the shield has integrated the server option into their device. The shield also is tightly integrated with “Live Channels” << a google app that has never really caught on but nvidea has integrated that free app with the shield and it also works very well (recording included)
I do download films and TV shows that are not on my IPTV. Sometimes my live football games clash at a time I want to watch it, I can record it to an external USB flash drive but because of the flash drive has to be formatted in FAT32 I am limited to only recording the match in two halves. So you say I can record to the shield but what format is the shield storage formatted too?
I too have a UK IPTV provider and a 1GB connection and get roughly 250mb download 60mb Upload with IP Vanish via the Fire TV Cube, but we all get a bit of buffering depending on load on the server plus most of the guys selling IPTV are all going through the same CDN (Content Delivery Network) so if there’s s a big football match or boxing or whatever, there are more guys streaming hence load on the CDN no matter how great a setup and bandwidth your IPTV guy is using. I don’t really watch IPTV much these days, I just download NZB’s via newsgroups and stream from my Plex server via a Synology NAS for my family and I or I use Syncler + and Real Debrid. I still have a free user account for 4K HDR via Netflix and have my Amazon Prime account, I think we are spoilt for choice to be honest my friend 
on my shield I setup a 1tb external and had it converted to internal storage(emulated) and it is using the full 1tb. So I download to a created folder within the download folder, no issues.
I’ve seen the shield pro as low as $159 this year. so keep your eyes peeled.
What format is that 1tb external drive in? Also, if I use my Crucial SSD on one of the USB3 ports on the Shield that only leaves one left, so if I use the UGREEN adapter on the other one, then I would have two ethernet ports on the shield. Does this help in any way by hooking two ethernet cables but they would be coming from the same router.
It was formatted ntfs, which I format most drives to before using them. Not sure what the shield changed it to if at all but it was incorporated into the shield emurated storage format.
Do you have a router with a usb?
Yes I do but it is USB2.
Just read on the nVidea site
Blockquote SHIELD TV is compatible with the FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, and HFS+ file systems.
ok, little slow but could still be possible to record there. Many routers allow this with samba support.
I bought a used USFF Dell Optiplex 7010 from ebay and installed an SSD. It’s sole function is my Plex Server and has done outstanding (I use automatic commercial removal). I have a second HDD in it for recording and an external HDD to tore all my videos, photos, CDs, records and tapes. Plex plays them flawlessly too.
I was thinking along those lines as well. What spec is the one and the OS you got and what price did you pay for it on eBay?
Optiplex 7010 Ultra Small Form Factor
Core i5-3470S
Came with 4Gb memory and 320Gb HDD, I added 4 more Gb memory I happened to have and moved HDD to second slot and added SSD
System was Windows 10 Pro and I forced an update to W11, not really necessary but I like to try things.
Cost me $70 on E-Bay and the upgrades I did were form parts I had salvaged from an old computer I had been playing with.
This machine is quite easy to modify. Manual is available online from Dell.
Good Luck!!!
You can use a low spec pc as a server. A friend of mine picked up a beelink mini pc for around 150 and works great
