Tag: Plex

When I was straightening up the other day, I stumbled across my very first Plex server. I have since upgraded my Plex server two more times, and it got me to thinking: when should you upgrade your Plex server? In my latest monthly sponsored Plex video, I step through what servers I’ve used and why I upgraded them.

My first server was a Sony Vaio laptop that I had originally reviewed back in 2013, and at some point it ended up becoming my main media server. It was running Windows 7 with Windows Media Center, and I used it alongside my HDHomeRun tuners back before they had their own software. And of course I ran my Plex server on it too. Surprisingly, after years on a shelf, the laptop powered right back on.

The laptop worked fine for a while because it had an Intel processor with QuickSync support, which Plex has long taken advantage of for hardware transcoding. It was an efficient and cost-effective way to run a server at the time. But as my library grew to include more HEVC content, the limitations of that generation of Intel hardware became clear. Without hardware support for HEVC encoding, the laptop had to fall back on software transcoding, which bogged down quickly when more than one person tried to stream.

In 2017, I retired the laptop and moved over to a WD My Cloud PR2100. That device also ran with an Intel chip, this time from the Braswell family of processors. It expanded the range of formats I could work with, including hardware decoding of HEVC, though it couldn’t encode HEVC or handle HDR tone mapping. As more of my library shifted toward HDR content, the inability to perform tone mapping in hardware became a significant bottleneck.

Earlier this year, I moved to a Beelink NAS with an Intel N150 processor, part of the Twin Lake/Alder Lake-N generation. That change brought me modern hardware transcoding features, including tone mapping, which made a big difference. While some older formats dropped off in support, the trade-off has been worth it because the server is now better equipped to handle contemporary video.

Over time, the way I’ve hosted Plex has also evolved. The original laptop server ran Windows, the WD device had its own Plex server app, and now I run Plex in Docker on Unraid. Docker has proven to be the easiest to back up and migrate. Shutting down the container and copying over the metadata folder is all it takes to preserve everything. Moving to new hardware is as simple as pointing Docker at the same files and starting it up again.

For those looking to set up a Plex server today, inexpensive Intel-based mini PCs are worth considering. I’ve had good luck with small GMKtec systems that cost under $150 (compensated affiliate link). They handle Linux, run multiple Docker containers without issue, and can perform hardware transcoding and tone mapping. If you have an older Intel server, adding a GPU can also extend its usefulness. Plex officially supports Nvidia cards, and I’ve seen encouraging reports about Intel Arc GPUs as well.

Looking back at this progression, each upgrade was less about overall system performance and more about keeping up with changes in video formats and transcoding demands. The servers I left behind were still functional, but they couldn’t keep up with the evolving needs of my library.

Disclosure: This video was a paid sponsorship from Plex, however they did not review or approve this content before it was uploaded. All opinions are my own.

Plex has been moving forward on the roadmap they laid out for their personal media server, and one of the more notable changes is already live—the new mobile app. Alongside that, they’ve been working on a redesigned TV app that’s still in beta. A major part of this update involves how Plex handles music and photos. The original plan was to move both into their own standalone apps—Plexamp for music and a separate Photos app. While that rollout did happen, it generated a lot of pushback from users who preferred having everything in one place – especially on the TV.

Plex responded to that feedback with a new preview version of their TV app, currently available only on Roku. This version brings music and photo libraries back into the mainline app experience. You can see it in action in my latest monthly sponsored Plex video.

Plex says that other platforms will follow, although there’s no timeline yet. Even as those features return to the main app, the standalone Plexamp and Photos apps will continue to be supported.

The apps all share a new architecture that should make cross-platform updates easier going forward. I spent some time testing the preview version on Roku to see how these reintegrated features are coming together.

Music playback is functional and similar to the current Plex TV experience. After selecting a music library, it’s possible to browse by artist, view popular tracks, and start playback. There’s a waveform visual, lyrics support, and playback is handled with attention to audio quality—lossless files will pass through if the device supports them, and the server will transcode when necessary.

Photo support is also back and works in a similar way to what users are accustomed to on the current Plex TV app. Photos and videos can be mixed in albums, and the experience includes recommendations and folder-based album navigation. There’s also a working slideshow feature via playlists. The only missing piece I noticed was the ability to manually reorder photos within a playlist, which doesn’t seem to be working yet.

The current preview app runs separately from the standard Roku Plex app, so there’s no risk of losing access to existing setups. Instructions for installing the Roku preview are posted in the Plex forums, and the team is encouraging feedback there.

So music and photos are back on Roku, and more platforms will follow. If you’re a Plex user who relies on those features, this preview is worth checking out—and if you have feedback, now is a good time to share it!

For my latest monthly sponsored Plex video, I took on a fun project that turned my Plex library into a fully programmed, always-on TV channel. Using an open-source tool called ErsatzTV, I set out to recreate the experience of traditional broadcast television—with scheduled shows, filler ads, and a sense of timing you just don’t get from on-demand shuffling.

I step through how to get it up and running in my latest video.

The idea behind ErsatzTV is pretty straightforward: it links into your Plex server and plays back episodes from your media library on a set schedule. It even keeps track of what episode aired last, so it will step through a season of a show each day or week. It can also shuffle episodes each time. If you tune in halfway through, that’s where you start watching—just like the old days.

To make it work with Plex, you do need a Plex Pass since it ties into the live TV and DVR features.

I installed ErsatzTV on a Windows machine for demonstration purposes, but it’s cross-platform, and you can run it on Linux, macOS, or via Docker. After downloading and extracting the app, I launched the server and configured it through the web interface. The first tweak was enabling hardware acceleration for better performance, which in my case meant selecting the VAAPI option for Intel graphics.

From there, I connected ErsatzTV to my Plex server and synced my TV show library. My mix included old episodes of David Letterman and Johnny Carson, Star Trek: The Next Generation, some 80s cartoons, and a healthy dose of Bluey for the kids. I also added a folder of vintage commercials and PSAs as filler content to help round out the schedule to clean half-hour or hour blocks.

ErsatzTV doesn’t let you slot individual files—everything has to be bundled into collections. So I grouped the ads into a “filler” collection and set up presets for midroll and fallback padding. This way, the system could drop in the right number of ads to stretch shorter content to the next block precisely.

Then came the fun part: building out the channel. I created a schedule starting at 6 a.m. with “Star Blazers and “He-man”, Bluey from 9 to 1, some afternoon Star Trek, and nighttime talk shows beginning at 10 p.m. with Johnny Carson. I used a mix of fixed and dynamic scheduling depending on the content length. ErsatzTV handled the logic to round everything off nicely with filler content when needed.

Once the channel was ready, I registered ErsatzTV as a tuner device inside Plex using its HDHomeRun emulation feature. That let me pull the guide data from ErsatzTV’s built-in XMLTV feed, and just like that, my custom channel showed up alongside my antenna broadcasts. Everything worked as expected: metadata, descriptions, proper timing—it all lined up. If I tuned in late, I caught shows mid-episode, and the transition between shows and filler felt natural.

There’s definitely something satisfying about turning Plex into a virtual broadcast network. It’s more work than hitting “shuffle,” but the end result feels more alive. There’s structure, nostalgia, and the bonus of always having something ready to play, exactly when and where I want it. Now that the framework is in place, I can add more shows, create additional channels, or even bring back “Tuesday Night Movies.” The only real limit is how much media I can cram onto my server.

See more of my Plex videos here.

Disclosure: This was a sponsored video from Plex, however they did not review or approve this before it was uploaded.

This month’s sponsored Plex video is all about subtitles—again. In prior videos, I’ve covered how to automatically download them through a Plex Pass feature and also how to manage subtitle files manually. But even with the right files in place, sometimes they just sync up properly with the video. This time, I took a look at three different ways to fix subtitle syncing issues.

First, there’s a simple manual offset option. If your subtitles are off by a few seconds, you can go into the playback settings on your Plex client and shift them forward or backward in 50 millisecond increments. It’s available on most platforms. Once there, you can fine-tune the delay until things match up—or hit reset if you went too far and start over.

The second method is a newer feature for Plex Pass users: automatic subtitle sync. This one’s more sophisticated, designed to handle issues like subtitle drift, where the timing gradually goes out of sync due to differences in video encoding (like 24p vs. 60p). It works by generating a voice print from the movie’s audio and trying to match it to the subtitle file. The server needs to be running version 1.41.0 or higher, on a 64-bit platform. It doesn’t work on some server versions, including the Nvidia Shield Plex Server (although the Shield client will work) and FreeBSD, but most modern 64-bit Windows or Linux setups are fine.

Setting it up requires enabling a few options. In the server settings under “Settings > Library,” you’ll need to turn on “Generate voice activity data.” Then, within each library (under “Manage Library > Edit > Advanced”), you enable voice activity detection individually. Once that’s done, Plex will start analyzing your media files and generating those voice prints. You can manually trigger this analysis per file, and it happens fairly quickly.

When everything’s in place, a new option to autosync subtitles appears in the playback settings. If the subtitle file’s timing is off in a consistent way, this feature can bring it back in line with the spoken audio. It doesn’t work for every situation, but when it does, it’s a nice hands-off solution.

Finally, if nothing else works, there’s always the DIY route. I used an open-source tool called Vibe to generate subtitles from scratch using the Whisper speech-to-text engine. It’s a local app, so everything runs on your computer without uploading anything to the cloud. You just drop in your media file, select SRT format, and it builds a transcript that you can tweak and then import into Plex. Because it’s based on the actual audio in your file, the results tend to line up much better than trying to force in a third-party SRT from somewhere else.

Between these three approaches—manual offsets, auto-sync, and Vibe—you should have a solid foundation for dealing with subtitle syncing issues in Plex. If you’ve got ideas for future Plex topics, I’d love to hear them.

Disclosure: This was a sponsored post from Plex, however they did not review or approve this content or my video before it was uploaded.

Plex officially released its new mobile app, implementing the UI changes from the beta version that I previewed last November. Along with this release, Plex made some significant changes to personal media users running servers on the free tier.

In my latest monthly sponsored Plex video, we take a look at all that’s going on with Plex.

I found the new app is mostly the same as the beta we looked at previously. One important addition is improved support for TV tuners for live TV. Users can now easily switch between their antenna channels and Plex’s free streaming channels directly within the app. Users can set recordings for over the air channels too but can’t yet schedule them like they could on the previous version of the app.

Another big change is moving music and photos out of the main app. Plexamp now handles personal music libraries, and Plex Photos manages photo libraries. Both are standalone, free apps. Plexamp has additional features for Plex Pass users.

With this new app comes changes to how free tier users stream or share media outside the home along with the first price increase for Plex Pass in nearly a decade. Starting April 29, the cost of a lifetime Plex Pass will go up to $249, yearly to $69.99 and monthly to $6.99. Users can get a Plex Pass at the old price before April 29 using my affiliate link.

For users on the free tier, a new “Remote Watch Pass” is required remote streaming or sharing with others outside their home network. This pass costs $2 per month or $20 annually. If the server owner has a Plex Pass, free tier users can continue accessing that server for free. Additionally a Plex Pass user won’t incur fees accessing a server that is one the free tier. Plex did eliminate the mobile unlock fee previously required for Android and iOS users to stream remotely without limitations.

I have definitely heard from users who are having trouble with the new app or don’t like the changes. But this is the direction Plex is taking in order to keep the product sustainable into the future. I have been a Plex user long before they were a sponsor on the channel and still happy with it. But there are alternatives for those who disagree with the direction they’re taking.

Disclosure: The video attached to this post was a paid sponsorship from Plex. However they did not review or approve it before it was uploaded. All opinions are my own.

I spent some time experimenting with a new feature in Plex’s hardware transcoder that allows for HEVC transcoding of media. This means that high quality 1080p streams can be sent remotely at the same bit rate (or less) as a 720p h.264 stream. You can see it in action in my latest monthly sponsored Plex video.

The goal was to see how well this feature performs in terms of efficiency and quality and how easy it is to set up on a Plex server. My test system was a low-cost GMKTec G3 Plus mini PC running Linux, equipped with an Intel N150 processor.

Setting up the feature was straightforward. In the Plex web interface, under the server settings, I enabled the experimental HEVC video encoding option. It was also necessary to ensure that hardware acceleration was turned on. Additionally, Plex provides an option for HEVC optimization, which pre-encodes videos for better playback on low-powered servers.

To test performance, I loaded a 4K HDR Blu-ray movie onto the Plex server and played it back on my laptop. Initially, the video was streamed in full 4K resolution, but I then switched to a lower bitrate of 720p at 2 Mbps to force a transcode. The server responded quickly, and the video quality remained impressive. Due to copyright restrictions, I couldn’t share a direct visual comparison, but the results were noticeably better than the standard H.264 encoding.

Checking the Plex dashboard, I confirmed that both decoding and encoding were being handled in hardware, with the output using HEVC. The CPU usage remained relatively low, hovering between 25% and 36%, which was similar to what I had observed with H.264 encoding. This suggests that enabling HEVC does not significantly increase the processing load, at least on a modern Intel processor like the one in my test setup. With this level of efficiency, I estimate that the system could handle three or four simultaneous transcodes without much issue.

For those considering enabling this feature, you’ll need at least a 7th-generation Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 processor. Lower-end hardware needs to have Jasper Lake or a newer architecture to be fully supported. Even if a system supports hardware transcoding, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will support HEVC encoding, as some older Intel chips lack the necessary features.

Playback device compatibility also plays a role in whether a client can receive an HEVC stream. On Apple and Android devices, including Apple TV and Android TV-based systems, the automatic quality adjustment features defaults to H.264. To ensure HEVC transcoding is used, the resolution and bitrate must be manually selected. Additionally, HEVC playback requires a Chromium-based browser on Windows, macOS or Linux, or Safari on macOS. Other browsers like Firefox and Opera won’t work. Similarly, the Xbox One S doesn’t support HEVC playback but will automatically revert to H.264 when necessary.

The improved efficiency and quality of HEVC make it a useful addition to Plex’s transcoding capabilities. It’s worth experimenting with if you have the right hardware.

Disclosure: This was a paid sponsorship by Plex, however they did not review or approve this content before it was uploaded.

Plex recently rolled out a hardware tone mapping to the Windows version of the Plex media server. You can see it in action in my latest monthly sponsored Plex video.

Previously exclusive to Linux, this feature now allows Windows users with supported Intel processors to transcode HDR video to SDR with hardware acceleration, making it more accessible for out-of-home streaming on devices like phones and tablets. While the update brings much-needed capability to Windows, there are notable differences in how the feature is configured compared to its Linux counterpart.

To enable hardware tone mapping on Windows, users need at least a Tiger Lake processor or newer. This requirement contrasts with Linux, which supports older hardware, including Kaby Lake processors from 2016. The configuration process in Windows involves navigating to the hardware transcoder menu, where HDR tone mapping can be switched on if it isn’t already. Users can manually adjust settings for saturation, contrast, and brightness to optimize the output for different devices. These adjustments apply server-wide, affecting all transcoding sessions. While this manual configuration allows for flexibility, it also requires more effort from the user.

Linux simplifies the process with pre-baked algorithms for tone mapping. These presets eliminate the need for manual adjustments, allowing users to select an option that best suits their viewing devices. The detailed information about these algorithms is available in the support documentation provided by Plex.

In testing the Windows tone mapping feature, I used an HDR film and converted it to 720p HD. The hardware transcoder effectively handled the process, with CPU usage averaging around 27% and minimal memory impact. The output, however, was brighter than expected, contrary to Plex’s guidance about darker results.

For those with systems that include an NVIDIA GPU alongside an Intel or AMD processor, Windows users gain access to the same tone mapping algorithms as Linux, bypassing the need for manual configuration. Additionally, software-based tone mapping is an option, though it’s more resource-intensive and less efficient than hardware solutions.

For users focused on streaming full bit-rate media within the home, the tone mapping features are less critical. The Windows version of the Plex server reliably delivers video to devices like the NVIDIA Shield without the need for transcoding. However, for those who frequently transcode video for out-of-home use, the introduction of hardware tone mapping to Windows is a welcome addition. While it requires some manual effort, it now offers a somewhat viable alternative to Linux for handling HDR-to-SDR conversions.

Ultimately, this update broadens the options available to Plex users on Windows. While Linux remains the more streamlined and resource-efficient choice for extensive hardware transcoding, Windows users now get a more efficient solution HDR video transcoding.

Disclosure: This video was a paid sponsorship by Plex, however they did not review or approve this content before it was uploaded and all opinions are my own.

Plex recently unveiled a preview of its new mobile user interface, a redesign that aims to enhance navigation and improve user experience. While still in beta, the new interface feels familiar and new at the same time. I took it out for a spin in my latest video.

The first thing I noticed was a quick-access watchlist button at the top of the screen and a redesigned user section offer streamlined control over profiles, subscriptions, and settings.

In the lower section users can now click the “library” button to get access to their Plex server or one that was shared from a friend. A significant shift lies in how users navigate their libraries – users can now select them from a drop down menu or by tapping the library button a second time. This is in place of the previous “hamburger menu” which required the user to “pin” different libraries to get quick access. Browsing and filtering options inside the library remain consistent with the prior interface.

The landing pages for movies and tv shows have also been redesigned. Users can now enjoy enhanced visuals, such as detailed logos and imagery, creating a cleaner and more immersive browsing experience. Actor pages and related content maintain familiar structures but will evolve further as the beta progresses.

Plex’s emphasis on its free live TV and on-demand movie offerings is evident in the addition of dedicated tabs for these features. These sections separate free content from personal libraries, improving organization. For users of the Plex DVR, antenna-based channels will return in future updates, ensuring no loss of functionality.

Notably absent from the new interface are photo and music management features. This shift is deliberate, as Plex transitions these functions to standalone apps: Plexamp for music and Plex Photos for images. These changes aim to streamline the core app while offering specialized platforms for other media types.

For those interested in the philosophy behind the redesign or wanting to try the beta, Plex has shared detailed resources on its blog and forums. These platforms also serve as hubs for feedback, enabling users to shape the future of the app.

As the beta evolves, it will be interesting to see how these updates are received and refined. Whether you’re a long-time Plex user or new to the platform, the changes mark a step toward a more intuitive and visually appealing experience.

This post was sponsored by Plex, however they did not review or approve what was posted before it was uploaded.

In this month’s sponsored Plex video, the spotlight is on a new feature that allows users to write reviews for TV shows and movies and have them viewable by friends on the Plex platform. The reviews show up ahead of the critic reviews that Plex sources from Rotten Tomatoes.

For TV shows you can rate and review entire series, individual seasons, or specific episodes. Currently reviewers have the option to make the reviews visible only to yourself, only to friends, or expand things a bit by allowing friends of friends to see them. For more information on how social features work on Plex, check out my Discover Together video from a little while back.

Plex also allows for spoiler-tagged reviews. When marked, the spoilers are blurred out, protecting other viewers who haven’t seen the content yet. It’s a useful addition for those who want to discuss plot twists or endings without ruining the experience for others.

The new feature should now be enabled across most of the platforms Plex supports. This includes Android mobile and TV, Apple TV and iOS, Roku and Fire TV. If you’re not seeing it enabled be sure to make sure your app version is up to date. More information can be found on this Plex support page.

For those budding reviewers who want a wider audience, Plex is beta-testing a feature that allows select users’ reviews to be seen by the entire Plex community. If you’re interested in contributing as a critic, Plex has an application form up where you can submit your information.

Disclosure: This video was sponsored by Plex, however they did not review or approve it before it was uploaded.

For this month’s sponsored Plex video we take a look at a few several minor yet useful features for its Plex Pass subscribers that might enhance the overall user experience. While these features may not seem groundbreaking, they can offer a more tailored and convenient viewing experience. Take a look in my latest video.

One of the new features, “Rewind on Resume,” is designed for those moments when you’re interrupted mid-viewing. Instead of resuming exactly where you left off, this feature allows the video to rewind a specified number of seconds, helping you remember what was happening before you paused. This could be particularly useful for those who, like many of us, find themselves frequently interrupted by daily life.

Another feature adds player controls for the “Skip Intro” and “Skip Credits” options that were previously only set at the server level. Users can choose to have intros and credits skipped automatically, manually, or not at all, depending on their preference. This is especially convenient for binge-watchers who want to skip past the end credits of a concluding episode and the intro credits on the subsequent one.

For those who utilize Plex’s DVR feature, there’s an option to automatically skip commercials during playback. However, this only applies to content recorded via the DVR and not to manually added other content. This feature, like the skip intro and credits options, can be customized to the user’s preference, allowing for automatic skipping or manual control.

Of note – the skip features are not yet available on every Plex player. Unfortunately Apple devices do not have these player-level controls at the time of this post.

Another little feature will provide some help for those of us who often fall asleep in front of the TV. Called the “Passout Protection” feature, this setting allows the user to set a time limit after which the playback will stop. This can be set for one to three hours, with a prompt asking if you’re still watching before the playback stops. Alternatively, this prompt can be disabled for those who prefer uninterrupted viewing.

Lastly, Plex has enhanced its music player, Plexamp, with a feature called “Mix Builder.” This allows users to create playlists based on selected artists or albums. Unlike some other Plexamp features that can take you on a musical journey, this feature lets users curate their own listening experience by locking the playlist onto specific artists or albums.

While these features may not revolutionize your Plex experience, they do offer small improvements that can make using the service more enjoyable. For those with a Plex Pass and compatible devices, exploring these options might reveal some valuable enhancements to your media consumption habits.

Disclaimer: This post & video was sponsored by Plex but they did not review or approve the content before it was posted.

Installing Plex on Linux is easier than you might think, even on a low-cost mini PC like the GMKtec G3 with its Intel N100 processor (compensated affiliate link). The goal of this tutorial is to set up the Plex Media Server without diving into complex command lines, making it accessible even for those not well-versed in Linux.

I chose Ubuntu 24.04 which is known for its user-friendly setup. I installed Ubuntu on a MSATA M.2 SSD inside the G3, allowing me to dual boot between Windows and Linux. My Windows installation is on the G3’s other M.2 slot’s NVME drive.

For this example I have an external USB SSD attached with two movies and a season of a television show for demonstration purposes. I suggest formatting the drive in the exFAT format which will simplify access permissions.

The installation process, guided by a thorough online tutorial, involves using a USB drive to boot and install the OS. Once set up, the desktop environment is ready for use, with an app center to facilitate installing additional software like Plex.

To install Plex, I accessed the app center, searched for Plex Media Server, and installed it with a click. After logging into my Plex account and naming the server, it was time to add media libraries. The process involves pointing Plex to the appropriate folders on the external drive where my media is stored. This setup is straightforward, similar to what one would experience on Windows.

Hardware transcoding is a notable feature that works efficiently on Linux. Unlike Windows, Linux supports hardware HDR to SDR tone mapping, significantly improving performance when trying to transcode large HDR 4k Blu Ray files to much smaller streams for remote viewing.

Testing with a 4K HDR movie and a TV show episode simultaneously, the mini PC handled the transcoding with ease, utilizing less than 35% of system resources. By contrast, the Windows version of the Plex media server ground to a halt when the 4k movie began transcoding due to its hardware transcoder not accelerating the tone mapping process. On Windows only Nvidia GPUs are supported right now for hardware tone mapping.

Updating the system and Plex server is managed through the app center, ensuring the software remains current. I also detailed in the video how to back up the installation by navigating to the Plex data stored in var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/.

Personally I’ve found Docker to be the best way to manage Plex on Linux as it makes the installation easier to backup and migrate. But Docker does bring with it more installation complexity. In the future we might take unRAID out for a spin that integrates Docker in a very user friendly way. Stay tuned!

Disclosure: This was a paid sponsorship by Plex. However they did not review or approve this video before it was uploaded and all opinions are my own.