I’m looking to purchase a My Cloud Expert Series EX2 Ultra, basically, I have a 6tb wd my book which is almost full, I wanted to start using my own cloud after losing 15 years worth of memories but I use the drive for all our streaming in the house for all our content
I’m struggling to understand between the suggested client apps used like plex, my book is just shared via router and picked up by the tv automatically to access all its content (tv>wireless>router<lan<router), do any of my cloud series still operate this function or cant it only be accessed by a client?
First, you may want to see the dedicated subforum for the EX2 since that is a different device (more features/optiions) than the single bay My Cloud unit that is generally discussed in the My Cloud subforum.
As to your question about streaming options. The My Cloud series of devices will operate in a similar fashion. All the content on it will be accessible to any device that can navigate to it using a file manager type of program. If using a DLNA media streaming client (like on a smartTV for example) then one may have to enable the embedded media streaming feature (Twonky) of the My Cloud device. See the device user manual for more information on how to enable the My Cloud embedded media streaming feature.
To use Plex one would generally need to install that as a third party module on a multi bay My Cloud. Plex module is not supported on the single bay/single drive My Cloud units. Plex provides a better/more feature rich interface than the basic Twonky DLNA server included with the My Cloud.
If you are simply looking for a MyCloud with built in RAID, then the EX2 ultra will be great.
You will have DLNA/SMB access to the EX2 just like the MyCloud. I use SMB protocol to stream files to a tablet regularly.
The hardware in the EX2 is more powerful than in the MyClouds; so it can actually run some programs like PLEX Server software effectively.
However, the EX2 Ultra is only borderline with Plex. . . It can stream MP4 files that are directly formatted for viewing; but the “brain” is too weak to do any transcoding on the fly. (i.e. if you need to downres or upres the file on the run). You should look up the compatibility charts on the Plex website to make sure you are going to get what you want.
Hey, welcome to the world of personal cloud setups — totally feel you on the data loss; been there, and it’s rough. Moving to a reliable cloud-based solution like the My Cloud EX2 Ultra is a smart step, especially if you’re already streaming a lot at home.
The good news is that yes, the EX2 Ultra supports DLNA, so your smart TV should still be able to automatically detect it without needing a dedicated app like Plex — it’ll function much like your WD My Book does now via your router. However, if you’re looking for more control, better content management, or future growth, using a media server like Plex or even exploring professional-grade platforms like VPlayed can be a good idea down the line — especially if you’re ever planning to share or stream beyond just your local network.
VPlayed, for example, is often used by creators or teams who want a white-labeled, scalable streaming platform. Not necessary for home streaming, but worth keeping in mind if you ever look to monetize content or manage a growing media library in a more advanced way.
For now, DLNA + local network is more than enough for your current needs. Just make sure media sharing is enabled in the EX2 settings and you should be good to go!
Let me know if you need help with RAID setup or optimizing the share paths.
