The original post: /r/datahoarder by /u/crazyhubble on 2025-03-13 20:57:17.

I am not sure if this is a r/PleX question or a r/Datahoarder question but being it’s Plex related, I thought I’d start here first.

I am trying to find a way to automagically sync files to an external drive for travel.

I have Plex automated to download new episodes and I am aware I can just have it make an optimized version to the external drive but I cannot seem to get my optimized versions to work without a ridiculous amount of user input in the most recent version. Also, I use an iPad Pro (2020) for travel and it will not use the external drive as a source for Plex.

I am wondering if anybody knows of a way to have my server look at what is on my external drive, look at a folder (Random Series Folder), compare the 2 and move episodes that are non-existent on external drive but exist on server, to the external drive.

I want next to zero user input. My job entails getting randomly called in at 2 in the morning, and driving 6+ hours to random locations, and sometimes spending multiple nights in a hotel. I would like to plug it in and forget it until I need to go somewhere.

I do realize remote access exists but I am often in areas with little to no internet access. Downloads also exist but I have the 128GB model and that fills pretty quick. I would like to be able to unplug from server, leave, and transfer from external drive (or watch from it).

Synctoys used to exist and seems like it would work rather well but it is pretty non-existent at this point.

I am open to options and if you have any other suggestions, they’d also be appreciated but from what I have found, syncing a folder with an external drive and watching via VLC seems to be the best option. I am more than capable of “marking watched” when I get home to my Plex server.