Plex Archives - Lon Seidman & Lon.TV Blog

Using AI to Organize and Curate My Plex Library ! (sponsored post)

admin — Sat, 30 May 2026 15:15:50 +0000

Many media server enthusiasts like me spend more time managing our libraries than actually consuming the content within them. I recently looked into whether artificial intelligence could streamline this process, specifically within the Plex ecosystem.

In my latest monthly sponsored Plex video, I install a Plex MCP and connect Open AI’s Codex to see what we can do.

My goal was to see if AI could handle the organizational tasks that usually require manual input, such as curating specific story arcs or generating recommendations based on viewing history.

The bridge between the AI and the media server is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. MCPs in this context connect an AI desktop client—such as OpenAI’s Codex, Claude Desktop, or Gemini—to a local Plex instance. Setting this up requires a Plex token, which is accessible through the XML info of any media item in the library. Once the token is dropped into the configuration screen, the AI can interact with the server’s data through plain English commands. I demo this in the video.

One practical test involved creating a playlist for a specific narrative arc within Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Rather than manually selecting episodes that contribute to the “Dominion War” storyline, I provided the AI with a text file containing an episode list sourced from a Reddit discussion. The system generated a sequential playlist in approximately ninety seconds. Beyond simple lists, the AI can also aggregate data from the web. I asked it to research the highest-rated episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation across multiple sources and build a playlist based on those aggregate ratings. While this research-heavy task took several minutes, it resulted in a curated selection based on external critical consensus without any manual sorting or list creation on my part.

The utility extends to music as well. I requested a smart playlist for 1980s pop music. By defining the decade and genre in a simple prompt, the AI configured the metadata filters within Plex to include tracks from 1980 to 1989 categorized as pop or rock. Because it was set up as a smart playlist, it automatically updates whenever new tracks fitting those criteria are added to the library in the future. This replaces the need to navigate through various menu layers to set up complex filtering rules.

Analysis of viewing habits is another area where the AI provides utility. By accessing watch history, the system can identify content that has been overlooked. For instance, I asked it to find episodes of a specific children’s show, Bluey, that had the lowest view counts to find episodes my children might have missed. It can also cross-reference a watch list with a viewing history to suggest new series. When I requested science fiction recommendations, the AI suggested several shows I had not yet watched, such as Farscape and Babylon 5. It then added these items to my Plex watch list upon request and identified which streaming services currently host them.

For those interested in more advanced automation, the AI can be used to monitor upcoming releases of TV shows and movies. I currently use a routine that scans my watch list every morning and sends an email notification when new episodes of my tracked shows are scheduled to return to streaming services or broadcast.

By using an AI as an intermediary, the technical burden of database management is replaced by a conversational interface. It’s a definite time saver and fun to play with!

See more of my Plex content here!

Plex at a Crossroads?

admin — Sun, 24 May 2026 12:32:09 +0000

I have spent a significant amount of time covering the evolution of Plex, both as a user of over a decade and as a creator covering the home media space. I got my lifetime Plex Pass in 2015 and have been a user of Plex longer than that.

Recently, the company announced a substantial shift in its pricing model that signals a turning point for its original core product. On July 1, the cost of a lifetime Plex Pass will increase from $250 to $750. This move effectively positions the lifetime license as a deterrent rather than an incentive, clearly designed to steer new users toward recurring monthly or annual subscriptions.

In my latest video, I take a look at this new strategy and provide some of my own analysis on why Plex is doing this. While I have maintained a long-standing sponsorship relationship with Plex, my analysis of this change is based entirely on my own research and opinion – I did not have any input from the company.

It is important to distinguish between the two halves of the current Plex ecosystem: the free, ad-supported streaming side that offers live channels and on-demand content, and the personal media server software that they started with in 2008. This price hike affects only the latter, and specifically the premium features associated with the media server.

When the lifetime subscription was introduced in 2012, it served a specific purpose. As a small startup, Plex needed to demonstrate a paying user base to investors while catering to a community that traditionally avoids subscription models. Plex initially offered the Plex Pass at $3.99 a month, but received backlash from users who preferred on a one-time purchase. So Plex offered a limited time $75 lifetime license that later became a permanent offering.

My own data collection suggests that this early success has created a long-term sustainability issue. In a recent informal poll of my audience, 91% of Plex Pass holders reported being on a lifetime plan, many of whom paid once a 5-10 years ago and have not had to pay more since, despite receiving constant software updates and server maintenance.

Maintaining a modern media server is an expensive endeavor involving a team of developers in a competitive labor marketplace. From a strictly economic standpoint, the lifetime model has ceased to be viable for the personal media server side of the business. While the sky was the limit in 2012 for new users, one could argue that today that potential market is a lot smaller due to most potential users being acquired, and generational differences in how Gen Z and Alpha consume media.

We are seeing Plex react to this by shifting its focus toward the “FAST” (Free Ad-supported Streaming Television) market. Industry data shows these channels now capture nearly 7% of U.S. television viewing, a sector worth billions in potential ad revenue.

A look at the company’s recent history of investment confirms this shift. After years of modest growth, Plex received significant infusions of cash—totaling tens of millions of dollars—starting around 2021. These investments coincided with their pivot toward global streaming and ad-supported video. Today, the Plex homepage barely mentions personal media servers, focusing instead on content discovery and streaming.

This leads to a question about the future of the home server. If the new pricing fails to convert users into recurring subscribers, the company may reach a crossroads. One potential path is the “minimally viable server” model. We are already seeing hints of this through the release of a robust open API, which allows third-party developers to create their own client interfaces. Apps like Plezy are already utilizing this, offering a streamlined, community-driven experience that connects to the Plex backend without the streaming additions.

Ultimately, the personal media server is likely to survive, but its form may change. Whether it remains a primary focus of development or becomes a backend utility for independent developers will depend on how many new users are willing to trade the one-time payment for a monthly commitment. For those of us who have relied on the platform for years, the next year will reveal exactly how Plex intends to balance its roots with its aspirations for the mass market.

OSMC Vero V Review: A Legit Nvidia Shield Alternative for Plex?

admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:43:02 +0000

For some time, my search for a media player that matches the capabilities of the Nvidia Shield has come up mostly empty. The goal is usually the same: find a device that handles Dolby Vision Profile 7 and Profile 5, lossless Dolby and DTS audio, and 24p frame rate switching without requiring significant technical workarounds.

While I have previously examined devices like the Ugoos AM6B+, they often required a level of modification that made them less than user-friendly. But the other day I picked up a Vero V, a device from the open-source OSMC project that is being positioned as a dedicated high-end player for media enthusiasts.

Check it out in my latest video!

The Vero V is priced at approximately $200 and must be imported from the UK, which puts it at around the same price point as the Nvidia Shield. Unlike the Shield, which runs on Android TV, the Vero 5 is built on a minimal Linux installation running the OSMC fork of the Kodi media player. This means it lacks mainstream streaming applications like Netflix or Disney Plus. It is a specialized tool intended for playing back local media or files served from a home server.

The Vero V has an AM Logic S905X4 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage. While the Wi-Fi is limited to 802.11 AC, the inclusion of a gigabit Ethernet port provides the necessary stability for high-bitrate 4K files. On the back, it features HDMI, optical audio, and analog outputs, alongside USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports. In my testing, the device booted into its interface in under 30 seconds, and the setup process for audio passthrough and resolution switching was straightforward within the OSMC menus.

Since there is no native Plex application for OSMC, I utilized the PM4K for Plex add-on. The interface differs slightly from the standard Plex client but remains functional, maintaining metadata, watch history, and library organization. During playback tests, the Vero V handled Dolby Vision Profile 7 and Profile 5, as well as lossless formats like Dolby Atmos, TrueHD, and DTS:X. It also demonstrated capable tone mapping when playing HDR content on a standard 4K display.

A significant point of discussion for enthusiasts is the level of Dolby Vision support. Currently, the Vero 5 supports the Minimum Enhancement Layer (MEL), which is comparable to the Nvidia Shield’s capabilities. However, the developers are testing a beta firmware that aims to support the Full Enhancement Layer (FEL), a feature typically found only on standalone 4k Blu-ray players.

Choosing between this and more established hardware depends largely on one’s specific needs. The Nvidia Shield remains a more versatile device for those who want a single box for both Plex and subscription streaming services. Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, recently promised to support the Shield “for as long as we shall live” given his personal affinity for the now decade-old media player.

However, for those looking for a dedicated player supported by an active community of enthusiasts, the Vero V serves as a reliable alternative that functions effectively right out of the box. Having a hardware option that does not rely on a large corporate ecosystem provides a certain level of security for the future of high-end home media playback.

Vibe Coding New Plex Apps ! (sponsored post)

admin — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 12:51:22 +0000

For this month’s sponsored Plex video, I examined the process of integrating the Plex API with AI coding assistants like Claude and Google Gemini. The primary objective was to determine whether natural language prompts could generate functional applications to control and analyze data on my local Plex media server.

See it in action in my video!

The development setup was relatively straightforward. I accessed the Plex Media Server API documentation and downloaded the OpenAPI specification, which resulted in a single JSON file. After placing this file in a dedicated local directory, I instructed Claude’s coding application to reference it for API structure.

I tested this approach with Claude Code, ChatGPT’s Codex, and Gemini’s command-line interface on a Mac. All three tools successfully read the JSON file, interpreted the API requirements, and edited the application files directly on my local machine. Since these applications were designed to run locally, standard authentication was bypassed in favor of a Plex token. This token can be retrieved by viewing the XML data of any media item within the Plex web interface and extracting the character string from the resulting URL. You can see how to do that in the video.

The initial test was a swipe-based media selection tool. I requested an interface that presented random movie recommendations, where swiping right would immediately trigger playback on an Android TV client. Claude generated the core functionality on the first attempt, requiring only minor debugging to ensure the player execution command operated correctly. By default, the coding tools tended to write the web applications in NodeJS. However, to utilize an existing web server on a Synology NAS, I instructed the AI to rewrite a subsequent project in PHP.

This PHP project resulted in a jukebox-style application designed for multiple users on a local network to add songs to a Plexamp que. By scanning a QR code, users access a client screen on their mobile devices where they can search my server’s music library and submit song requests. As the administrator, I monitor the queue from an admin interface and have the ability to reorder the requested tracks, shifting specific songs up or down the playback list before they route through Plexamp.

Subsequent experiments focused on data retrieval and display. I directed the AI to build a statistics dashboard that analyzed my viewing habits over the past year. By programming the app to filter out content consumed by my children, it generated a localized report on my specific media consumption patterns and active viewing days.

A final application served as a digital “Now Playing” marquee. It queries the server to display the current media’s thumbnail and a progress bar, while simultaneously pulling a list of similar titles from the library. Clicking any of the recommended titles halts the current video and initiates playback of the new selection.

My initial experiments suggest the barrier to entry for developing customized Plex experiences has lowered significantly. Where interacting with a platform’s API once demanded fluency in specific programming languages, I found that natural language processing models now act as a functional bridge between raw documentation and executable code.

Moving forward, the integration of Model Context Protocol (MCP) to instruct the AI on Plex’s API instructions will likely make things more efficient especially for those on constrained token limits with their AI provider. I’ve found Gemini Pro’s command line interface to be pretty generous in its token allocations.

See more of my Plex content here!

The Nostalgia TV for Plex App Turns Your Plex Meida into a Retro Cable TV Experience! (sponsored post)

admin — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 02:05:09 +0000

My latest sponsored Plex post takes a look at Nostalgia TV, an independent application that provides an alternative user interface for Plex media servers. While not an official Plex product, the app utilizes the Plex API to connect to a user’s existing libraries and present content through a 1990s-style cable television interface. This allows users to view their own media files as a series of linear, “live” broadcast channels.

Check it out in the video here!

The application is currently available only for Android and runs on both mobile devices and television-based hardware. You can find it on the Google Play store here.

Setting it up is relatively straightforward compared to other similar tools; it does not require additional server-side installations like Docker. Once the app is pointed toward a Plex server and specific libraries are selected, it automatically generates a variety of themed channels. On the free tier, users have access to about five or six channels that match content based on library metadata, such as children’s programming or specific movie genres.

A pro version is available for a one-time fee of $20, which unlocks deeper customization and additional features. This includes the ability to add or remove channels, change the visual theme—ranging from a “Rad Lad” 80s monitor style to a more polished “Premium” look—and enable commercial breaks. These commercials are pulled from a user’s own designated Plex library and serve to pad the timing of shows so they stick to 15-minute scheduling increments.

While the core functionality of tuning between channels is notably fast, the application is in its early stages and is a bit buggy especially when it comes to customization.

Configuration via a remote control can be cumbersome, though the app includes a local web remote feature that allows for easier channel editing through a web browser. Within this web interface, users can adjust content flow using methods like random shuffling, sequential blocks, or “cyclic” ordering to maintain episode chronology. Unfortunately it’s not currently possible to build an hour-by-hour schedule – the app fills in the channel guide automatically.

Beyond the interface itself, the app integrates with the standard Plex ecosystem by reporting playback status back to the server dashboard, supporting both direct play and transcoding when necessary.

This project serves as a practical example of the extensibility now possible through the Plex API. By leveraging the server’s existing handling of video playback and library management, independent developers are able to focus entirely on creating niche user experiences.

Next month’s video will show case some things that I “vibe coded” using AI tools and connecting them to the Plex API. Stay tuned!

Disclosure: this is a paid sponsorship from Plex. However they did not review or approve this video or post prior to publication.

How I’m Using Plex in 2026 (sponsored post)

admin — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 16:28:57 +0000

I’ve been using Plex for well over a decade now, long before any sponsorships entered the picture, and it remains the backbone of how I manage and watch my media at home and on the road. As a point of disclosure, this video and the transcript it’s based on are part of a paid sponsorship with Plex, but they did not review or approve the content beforehand.

My current Plex server runs on Unraid, which has proven to be a flexible choice that makes installing the Docker version of Plex super easy. Right now, the server itself is a small Beelink ME Mini NAS/PC paired with a USB-connected multi-bay SATA enclosure. It’s not a particularly elegant setup in terms of cabling, but it’s been reliable.

One of the reasons I’ve stuck with Unraid is how easy it is to migrate from one machine to another. Moving from an earlier NAS box with thermal issues to the current setup was simply a matter of transferring the Unraid external boot drive and disk array. The system came back online without any any configuration drama, which makes incremental upgrades far less painful.

The processor in this server is a low-power Intel N150, and in practice it has been more than sufficient. It handles multiple Plex transcodes at once and still leaves enough headroom for other Docker containers I run alongside it. That experience has reinforced my view that you don’t need particularly powerful hardware for a small, well-tuned home server so long as your processor supports hardware transcoding. The Intel N100 and N150 chips are available in many affordable mini PCs and entry-level NAS devices.

I also maintain a second Plex server offsite at a family member’s house, running on a Synology NAS. That system serves double duty as a test bed and as an offsite backup destination, giving me control over where my data lives. To connect everything together securely, I rely on Tailscale. It allows me to access my servers remotely without exposing them directly to the internet, and I can limit access to specific people and devices. That balance between convenience and security has worked well for my use case.

Most of my serious viewing happens at home, particularly higher-bitrate Blu-ray rips that I watch in my home theater. That setup centers around an older LG OLED television paired with an Nvidia Shield from the 2019 generation. Despite its age, the TV still delivers excellent image quality, and the Shield handles Dolby Vision playback from both streaming services and locally ripped discs.

With proper audio passthrough enabled, lossless Dolby Atmos tracks make it from the server to the sound system untouched, which is exactly what I want for that kind of content. I also enable refresh-rate switching so films play back at their native 24 frames per second, avoiding unnecessary judder.

Over time, I’ve built up a sizable library, and lately I’ve found myself revisiting older television series. Plex’s ability to shuffle episodes has become a surprisingly useful feature, especially for shows I know well and don’t feel the need to watch in order. It turns familiar series into something closer to background comfort viewing, without much thought required.

Live TV is another part of my setup, using an HDHomeRun tuner integrated into Plex. I can mix over-the-air channels with streaming channels in a single guide, and when I’m traveling, I can even watch my local channels remotely. Plex doesn’t currently support ATSC 3.0 broadcasts due to encryption and audio codec limitations, so recordings are limited to ATSC 1.0. I also handle actual recording through the HDHomeRun app, with Plex pointed at the directory where those recordings are stored so both systems can access them.

One of the more recent additions to my workflow is Plex’s watch list feature. When I hear about a show or movie that sounds interesting, I add it to the list from my phone. Later, when I sit down to watch something, Plex shows me not just the title but where it’s available, whether that’s on my own server, a friend’s server, or a streaming service. It’s a practical way to reduce the time spent deciding what to watch, especially when free time is limited. The same interface also surfaces trailers and upcoming episode release dates, which acts as a lightweight reminder system.

Music is handled through Plex as well. I’ve been slowly ripping decades’ worth of CDs into lossless files, which now live alongside my video library. Most listening happens through the Plexamp app on my phone, both at home and remotely. For travel, I’ll download albums or playlists directly to the device. While wireless headphones limit some of the benefits of lossless audio, using wired headphones makes a noticeable difference, especially on long flights.

Speaking of travel, the download feature has also been useful for loading TV episodes onto a tablet before trips using the Plex mobile client, letting me watch without relying on in-flight connectivity.

Looking back, Plex has stayed in my workflow because it’s made managing and accessing my media more straightforward. It brings together local files, live TV, and streaming discovery in a way that reduces friction rather than adding to it. For me, that efficiency is the real value, and it’s why the system I set up years ago continues to evolve rather than being replaced.

The Multiview App for Apple TV and Android / Google TV Review

admin — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 01:49:42 +0000

I came across an neat cord cutting app last night called Multiview. As its name implies, it can run four simultaneous OTA broadcasts on a single screen using an HDHomerun network tuner. The Apple TV version can also ingest streams from Tablo and Plex – including FAST streaming services.

You can check it out in my latest review.

Multiview is available on both Android and Apple platforms, including Apple TV, Google TV, Android TV, phones, and tablets. It feels a bit like the YouTube TV multiview experience but without the subscription attached.

The app costs ten dollars as a one-time purchase, and there’s a free trial that provides enough time to see whether it fits your needs. I paid for the pro version of the app myself, and the impressions here are entirely my own.

The software is still early in its life, and that shows through some bugs and quirks. The developer is active on Reddit and open to feedback, which makes the rough edges feel more manageable. Even in its early state, the app demonstrates how much innovation can come from small developers in the cord cutting space, especially when they build around open hardware like the HDHomeRun tuners the app relies on. I’ve used HDHomeRun devices for years, and their openness has always encouraged creative third-party projects like this.

Building out a layout inside the app is simple. I was able to pull in four OTA channels, switch audio between them just by moving the cursor, select one stream to go full screen with a button push and switch the layout to two-up or three-up configurations when needed. The app lets you save these layouts so you’re not rebuilding them every time you want to watch. Switching between these presets feels quick on the latest Apple TV hardware.

There’s also a program guide that resembles a traditional grid interface. It loads in all of the OTA channels your tuner sees. Occasionally it hangs, but backing out and reopening usually resolves it. Some of that may be tied to how many channels my Plex server exposes, since the app can merge OTA channels with Plex sources when Plex is connected.

The Plex integration currently works only on Apple TV. It brings in Plex’s FAST channels alongside OTA channels, which makes for some interesting multiview combinations. I did find that a local Plex server is required at the moment and that Plex accounts with two-factor authentication enabled don’t connect properly yet. After switching to an account without two-factor enabled, everything worked. Once connected, I was able to place OTA channels right next to Plex FAST channels within the same grid.

ATSC 3.0 support is present but mixed. The app will tune video from an ATSC 3.0 HDHomeRun, but I couldn’t get audio working in my market. The developer says it works where he is, so it may depend on local conditions. Encrypted ATSC 3.0 broadcasts don’t work at all, as expected, since they remain restricted by broadcasters.

I also tested the app on my iPhone, where it works similarly to the TV version, and on an Android TV device. The Android build currently supports only HDHomeRun sources and feels a bit slower on lower-end hardware. My Nvidia Shield had trouble running it, locking up during tests, while Walmart’s Onn 4K box handled it more reliably, even if it didn’t feel quite as fluid as the Apple TV.

The free demo gives you three fifteen-minute sessions along with the ability to watch a single channel without limits. For anyone trying to follow several games or events at once, the app offers an interesting option to experiment with.

You can find it on the Apple App Store here and the Google Play Store here.

Plex on the Steam Deck (sponsored post)

admin — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 12:37:00 +0000

I’ve done a lot with Plex over the years, but never have I run it on my Steam Deck. Since the device is effectively a handheld Linux PC, it’s possible to run the full Linux Plex desktop application on it and access media the same way you would on a computer.

In my latest monthly sponsored Plex video, I step through installing and running both the Plex and Plex HTPC clients and demonstrated them running on the Steam Deck.

The process starts in the Steam Deck’s desktop mode rather than its usual gaming interface. From there, I went into the Discover app store, searched for Plex, and chose the desktop version instead of the HTPC edition initially.

The desktop app supports media downloads for offline viewing, which the HTPC version doesn’t, so it made more sense for someone planning to take content on the go. After installing it, I found the app under the multimedia section, signed into my Plex account, and confirmed everything worked.

To integrate Plex into the handheld’s regular Steam interface, I opened the Steam client in desktop mode and added Plex as a non-Steam game using the little plus icon at the bottom of the library interface. Once added, I rebooted back into gaming mode, and Plex appeared in the library under the non-Steam tab. I wasn’t able to make the icon show up properly, though I’m sure there’s a method tucked away in the settings somewhere. Even without the icon, the app launches like any other game.

Running the desktop version inside gaming mode takes a little control adjustment. The trackpads can work as a mouse, and Steam’s controller templates can remap the controls however you want. I set mine to a simple mouse-only profile, though the touchscreen works too. Navigating Plex this way feels natural enough, and the download option appears just as it does on other desktop platforms for Plex Pass users. My Steam Deck is one of the originals that doesn’t have an HDR display, and with only a 720p resolution, it makes sense to choose smaller download sizes when storage is at a premium.

Playback was smooth in my testing. A 4K Blu-ray rip of Jurassic Park—a Dolby Vision disc—played back without issue over my LAN, tone-mapped appropriately, and looked fine on the Deck’s display. Local network streaming especially felt quick and responsive. As a client device, the hardware seems more than up to the task. I wouldn’t run a Plex server on it, though; the AMD processor in the Deck doesn’t support hardware transcoding, and the whole idea of carrying a server around isn’t practical anyway. But if you wanted to do it there’s no restriction on it.

For those who prefer a TV-style layout, the Plex HTPC app installs from the same app store and works as expected. It responds quickly, though like the desktop app it requires a bit of controller mapping for navigation. The tradeoff is that it doesn’t support offline downloads. Depending on how you like to use Plex, either app may be the better fit.

What surprised me most is how naturally the Steam Deck functions as a portable media player once everything is set up. Since many people already travel with the device to play games, adding Plex creates another use case without much effort. And with all the power packed into the hardware, it behaves very much like a small PC that happens to have a built-in screen.

If you’d like more Plex topics explored in future posts or videos, feel free to suggest them. I’m always collecting ideas as I work through this series.

Disclosure: This video was sponsored by Plex, however they did not review or approve it prior to uploading.

Plex Pro Week Webhooks Follow-up – Free and no-code options

admin — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 13:17:16 +0000

During Plex Pro Week this year, I contributed a video talking about Plex’s Webhooks feature that allows for a relatively easy way to link your Plex install to automation tools like N8N, IFTTT and Zapier.

In that earlier piece, I showed how Plex can fire off data whenever something happens on your server—whether it’s a play, pause, rating, or media being added. That data can then be sent to automation tools like N8N, which I’ve used in the past. But running an N8N server can be complicated and the hosted version requires a subscription.

In my latest sponsored Plex video, I demo a free, no-code path that doesn’t require hosting anything yourself using Make.com.

You can check it out here!

Make.com offers a free tier with 1,000 “credits” per month. Each credit equals a task, so something like receiving a webhook and then adding a row to a spreadsheet would count as two. For casual use, the free plan can go a long way.

I set up a simple workflow that starts by having Plex send a webhook to Make, which in turns takes some of that data and posts it to a Google sheet as a means of creating a log of watched content. That event is triggered anytime a new piece of media is played based on the state of the “event” tag in the webhook.

I then set up a second branch for when playback stops. In that case, I had the system call ChatGPT to generate recommendations for what to watch next, and then send that recommendation via email. The input for ChatGPT came directly from the webhook data, which made the recommendation specific to what I had just finished watching. It worked smoothly, and it showed how easily AI can be folded into these workflows.

For those thinking about linking Plex to home automation, the free, non-complicated options are a bit more limited. Services like IFTTT require a paid tier for webhook support, while open-source projects like Home Assistant can handle webhooks for free but require a bit more setup and complexity. Home Assistant, in particular, could be a strong option for linking Plex events with things like lights or thermostats, though it isn’t as straightforward as make.com.

There’s also Plex’s new official API, which was announced during Pro Week. The documentation is out, and I expect third-party developers will soon release connectors for platforms like make.com and N8N. That should make integration even easier, reducing the need to rely solely on webhooks. My YouTube colleague Techno Tim has already been experimenting with it, using the API to drive a dashboard for monitoring Plex server performance.

What I tried here was aimed at giving a taste of what can be done quickly without coding. Setting up webhooks with Plex and pairing them with make.com is accessible and flexible, especially for logging and basic automations. From there, it’s easy to imagine extending the idea into more complex routines, whether that means generating watch lists, building dashboards, or nudging your smart home into action when the credits roll.

When Should You Upgrade Your Plex Server? (sponsored)

admin — Sun, 31 Aug 2025 01:15:31 +0000

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.

Synology’s Beestation Plus Makes for a Simple Transcoding Plex Server

admin — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 13:54:20 +0000

The Synology BeeStation Plus (compensated affiliate link) is a personal cloud server that offers a stripped-down take on Synology’s usual network-attached storage experience. Unlike their more robust NAS systems, the BeeStation line focuses on just a few core functions—file syncing across devices and photo backup from phones. It’s more or less a homegrown alternative to services like Dropbox or Google Drive, and this new Plus model adds something the original lacked: the ability to run a Plex server.

In my latest video, we take a look at this new BeeStation performs as a Plex server.

That Plex capability is what drew my attention this time. I reviewed the original BeeStation last year, and not much has changed outside of this new functionality. The interface, the photo and file syncing—all of that remains the same. What’s different is under the hood: more storage, faster hardware, and just enough headroom to make media serving viable.

The BeeStation Plus comes in at a price roughly double that of the original model. It’s also just slightly less expensive than Synology’s newer DS225+ NAS when configured with storage. The DS225+ shares the same Intel Celeron J4125 processor found here.

The BeeStation Plus includes 8TB of built-in Synology-branded storage running at 7200 RPM, compared to 4TB at 5400 RPM on the original. There’s also a bump from 1GB to 4GB of RAM.

From a design standpoint, you get basic connectivity: Gigabit Ethernet, USB-A and USB-C ports for external backup drives, and a fan that’s quiet during operation. Unfortunately, it lacks 2.5-gigabit Ethernet, which is now available on that aforementioned DS225+.

The Plex Media Server is installed through the web control panel. It’s not the latest version—Synology seems to vet versions before distributing them—but the process is pretty painless. You’ll need to walk through the usual Plex setup steps manually, including mapping your media directories one by one. The BeeStation Plus creates default folders for things like movies and TV shows, but you have to point Plex to them yourself.

Once it’s up and running, Plex behaves as expected. I tested it by playing a BluRay MKV rip of Back to the Future from my phone over Wi-Fi and had it transcode a 4K HDR10 file down to 1080p at 8Mbps with tone mapping. The hardware handled that without issue, using only about 20% of available system resources thanks to Intel’s Quick Sync technology.

One catch: hardware transcoding requires a Plex Pass. It’s a separate purchase—not bundled with the BeeStation—and available either as a subscription or one-time payment. Without it, Plex will still work fine on your local network if you don’t need transcoding, but you will need to pay to stream outside the home.

Transferring media files to the BeeStation is easiest over a local SMB share. You can access the device through your network like any other NAS box, and I was getting about 100MB/s transfer speeds, which lines up with expectations for gigabit Ethernet.

So what’s the verdict? The BeeStation Plus works. It’s a more capable version of the original, and for someone new to Plex who wants a simple, all-in-one box, it might be a decent starting point. But at this price point, it sits in a weird middle ground. For casual users, the original BeeStation might still be enough if they don’t need the Plex server. It’s possible Synology will add more app support to this device in the future, and if they do, the extra processing power here will help. But for now, the BeeStation Plus feels like a bridge between the simple and sophisticated—and that may limit its appeal.

Plex to add Music & Photos Back to New TV and Mobile Apps (sponsored post)

admin — Sun, 20 Jul 2025 12:38:00 +0000

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!

Automating Your Media with the Plex Watchlist RSS Feed!

admin — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 14:57:31 +0000

Plex has been sponsoring a monthly video on my channel for a while now, and this month I took another look at one of my favorite features: the watch list and its RSS feed that allows for many more uses. You can see it in action in my latest Plex Video.

One of the things I really appreciate about Plex is the strength of its universal search engine. For instance, if I search for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, I can not only explore every season of the show but also see where it’s available to stream, even if it’s not on one of my own Plex servers. It gives me a single place to bookmark anything I want to watch, so later I can sit down at the TV, pull up my list, and head straight to whatever I’m in the mood for. It’s a really convenient system, especially when someone recommends a show—just hit the watch list button, and it’s waiting for you at home.

What the watch list doesn’t do, though, is notify you when a new season or episode is available. It does have a shelf on its recommendation page, but it’s not front and center. That got me thinking—could I build something to fill in that gap? I started playing around with the RSS feed Plex generates for your watch list. It’s turned off by default, but once enabled under your Plex Pass account settings, it gives you a URL to a standard XML file. That feed includes metadata like titles, summaries, and most importantly, the TVDB or IMDb ID for each item. That opened the door to building something a little more customized.

With a little help from AI, I created a Python script that parses the RSS feed, connects to the TVDB API, and pulls in the next known air date for each show. The script runs in the terminal and outputs a table sorted by upcoming release dates. Right now it’s basic, but it could easily be extended to integrate with Home Assistant or another tool for sending notifications. I’ve already got it tracking things like the next season of Squid Game and Stranger Things, along with upcoming episodes of Skinwalker Ranch and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

I also had the AI write a PHP version of the script that looks better in a web browser.
Code for both versions are available here. Even without programming, you can do simple things like ask ChatGPT for sci-fi shows that aren’t already in your feed. That alone gave me a few new ideas for what to add to my list.

This RSS feature is easy to access and doesn’t require an API key. If you’re comfortable with a little coding—or even just working with a chatbot to help—you can build something that extends what the watch list already offers. If you’re doing anything creative with your own watch list RSS feed, I’d love to hear about it.

Make Your Own Streaming TV Channels with Plex and ErSatzTV (sponsored post)

admin — Sun, 01 Jun 2025 12:40:21 +0000

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.

Plex Subtitles .. Again: Auto-Sync, Manual Sync and Make Your Own with On-Device AI!

admin — Sun, 04 May 2025 12:26:25 +0000

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 Update: New app, Plex Pass Price Increases and Changes to Free Tier (sponsored post)

admin — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 21:18:31 +0000

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.

GMKTec G9 Compact NVME NAS Review

admin — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 15:03:02 +0000

For nearly a decade, I relied on a WD MyCloud PR2100 NAS device as the backbone of my home media setup. It served as my Plex server, managed my HDHomeRun DVR, and generally functioned as the central hub for all my media needs.

While it continued to perform reliably, the hardware was starting to show its age. It was limited to gigabit Ethernet despite my upgraded multi-gig network, and its processor struggled with newer video formats, particularly for hardware-based transcoding in Plex. I decided it was time to explore an alternative that offered more flexibility, particularly for installing Docker containers and other self-hosted applications.

Enter my latest experiment: the GMKtec G9 and a Wavlink USB drive enclosure, which is the subject of my latest review.

This compact Intel N150-powered mini PC is marketed as a NAS device, thanks to its four NVMe slots that allow for a solid-state storage array. It also features a USB-C 3.2 port capable of 10 Gbps speeds, which enabled me to integrate a Wavlink four-bay USB drive enclosure. With a combination of SSDs and spinning drives, I set out to see if this unconventional setup could handle my media server needs.

For the operating system, I opted for Unraid. Having explored Unraid in the past, I was already familiar with its capabilities, particularly its flexibility with storage and Docker applications. While Unraid doesn’t yet support the N150 processor’s GPU for hardware transcoding, that feature is expected in version 7.1 next month. For now, that means this setup isn’t ideal for Plex transcoding, but it works fine for direct streaming and other media-related tasks which is what I typically do at home.

One of the main considerations with this setup was cost. The GMKtec G9, priced around $239 with a 512GB SSD pre-installed (compensated affiliate link), offers a relatively affordable entry point for a NAS-like system. The Wavlink drive array, at about $115 without disks, provides a budget-friendly option for additional storage, though it lacks some of the conveniences of higher-end NAS enclosures, such as hot-swappable bays. Instead, drives are secured in trays that require screws, making swaps more labor-intensive. One other important note is that the Wavlink device doesn’t support software RAID on Windows – it’s basically a JBOD array which makes it a good fit for Unraid.

From a hardware perspective, the GMKtec G9 is a compact but capable device. It has 12GB of soldered RAM, which isn’t upgradeable—a potential limitation for users running multiple self-hosted applications. However, in my use case, RAM hasn’t been an issue; even with Plex and a few Docker containers running, memory usage remains low. The back panel offers two 2.5-gigabit Ethernet ports, multiple USB ports, and HDMI outputs, allowing it to function as a compact desktop PC if needed. In fact it comes with a fully licensed version of Windows 11 Pro preinstalled!

One concern I encountered early on was heat management. The NVMe slots lack active cooling, and while I added heat sinks to mitigate the issue, temperatures are still running higher than I would like. Selecting lower-powered NVMe drives may help, but it’s something to keep in mind when configuring this setup especially if you plan to work the array heavily.

With Unraid up and running, I configured my storage into an array that includes four 4TB hard drives, one of which serves as the parity drive for data protection. I also designated an NVMe drive as a cache to improve performance, particularly for media applications. One of the key lessons from this project was the importance of caching in Unraid. Initially, I configured my media share to write directly to the spinning drives, but this significantly slowed write speeds due to the parity configuration. Enabling the cache drive drastically improved performance, allowing for smooth file transfers without the mid-transfer slowdowns I initially encountered.

For applications, I set up Plex, the HDHomeRun DVR, and Immich, an open-source photo organization tool. Plex has been responsive, particularly when browsing the library, thanks to the NVMe storage. However, without Unraid’s GPU support for hardware transcoding on the N150, it’s not yet an ideal solution for remote streaming of high-bitrate content. Once Unraid 7.1 is released, I plan to revisit the transcoding capabilities.

As a whole, this setup has been surprisingly functional. While it lacks the polish of a dedicated NAS, the combination of a mini PC with external storage provides a flexible and cost-effective alternative. It’s not the most elegant solution—there are cables everywhere—but it works. Unraid’s flexibility means that if I decide to transition to a different hardware setup in the future, I can easily migrate my storage and applications without major disruptions.

I’ll be keeping this system running for a while until I come across a better solution. One of the advantages of Unraid is the ability to pick up the drives and plop them into another PC without any need for reconfiguration. More to come on this project!

Disclosure: the NAS Box came in free of charge from GMKTec and the Wavlink SATA Array came in free of charge through the Amazon Vine program. No additional compensation was received nor did anyone review or approve this review before it was uploaded. See more on my disclosures here.

Plex Adds HEVC Transcoding (sponsored post)

admin — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 14:04:26 +0000

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 Rolls Out Beta of New TV Interface (sponsored post)

admin — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 19:42:56 +0000

Plex recently announced a preview beta of their new interface for televisions. The beta is currently available on Apple TV but will be rolled out to additional platforms in the coming months. You can see it in action in my latest monthly sponsored video from Plex.

The home screen retains familiar elements, but with some notable refinements. For those running a Plex Pro server or have access to one, you’ll see a new row of servers running horizontally across the top of the screen. You can favorite specific libraries, which pins them to the top of the navigation, minimizing unnecessary scrolling. Browsing options are now slightly rearranged, but everything is as you’d expect—filters, collections, and categories—remains accessible, albeit in new locations.

Next to the library section you’ll find Live TV, which now integrates both live streaming channels and over the air TV if you’re making use of Plex’s DVR features. While integration between different servers and content sources isn’t fully seamless yet as it is in the current UI, the effort to accommodate various setups shows promise.

The next section over is “On Demand” content which includes the thousands of free ad supported TV shows and movies from Plex’s servers along with their recently announced rental section.

The discovery section, watchlist functionality, universal search, and settings haven’t changed drastically but have been given a cleaner, more consistent layout. From account settings to profile configurations, everything feels intuitive and easy to navigate.

One detail worth noting is the way user reviews now take precedence over professional ones when browsing movies and shows. I think this is a great opportunity for budding movie reviewers as you’ll be able to link back to your other social media platforms in your profile. This feature is optional and users have the option to revert back to having professional reviews first, followed by user generated. There’s also an option to turn off each set of reviews individually or fully.

I am receiving a lot of feedback from users on my YouTube comments with many expressing mixed or negative feedback on the new changes. This is an early beta and a lot will likely be changed over the coming months. Plex will be listening to user feedback on their forum page here, so I definitely suggest popping in there and making your voice heard.

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

Plex HDR Hardware Tone Mapping Comes to Windows (sponsored post)

admin — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 10:00:14 +0000

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 Previews New User Interface (sponsored post)

admin — Sun, 24 Nov 2024 12:21:42 +0000

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.

M4 Mac Mini as a Plex Server?

admin — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 14:52:11 +0000

One of the most asked questions I received on my M4 Mac Mini review the other day was how well the Mac Mini performs as a Plex server. In my latest video, we put its Plex serving capabilities to the test and compare it to the lowest cost Plex server you can buy – a $150 GMKTec G3 with an N100 processor.

The tests included playing back a standard Blu-ray rip, a 4K Blu-ray file with HDR-to-SDR tone mapping, and an AV1 file, with all videos transcoding down to 720p at 4 Mbps.

The M4 Mac Mini, powered by Apple Silicon, performed consistently well, leveraging Apple’s native APIs for hardware transcoding. Its hardware encoders and decoders, now supporting AV1, resulted in similar CPU consumption to what we saw on the Intel N100 with Quicksync.

Both systems performed similarly in handling basic 1080p-to-720p transcoding, maintaining stability with minor spikes in usage. Both also handled AV1 transcoding in hardware thanks to AV1 being added to the M4 chip’s hardware acceleration. They even handled hardware tone mapping with the 4k Blu-Ray MKV, converting the HDR media to SDR while brining the 2160p resolution down to 720p.

In terms of resource consumption, the results were quite different. The Mac consumed around 1.3 GB of RAM for two simultaneous 4K tone mapping transcodes, while the Linux system operated with a lean 320 MB, making it much better suited for scaling up with multiple users. The Mac also had a good chunk of its 16GB of memory already in use for all of the background tasks Macs do.

But for casual transcoding tasks and/or having the Plex server be a secondary feature alongside its primary desktop functions, the Mac proved viable. But when scalability and efficiency come into play, the Linux-based Mini PC outshines it for far less money. The Linux system’s ability to handle more users with minimal memory overhead and its compatibility with Docker make it a robust option for dedicated Plex server setups.

Plex Adds Social User Reviews for TV and Movies

admin — Sun, 13 Oct 2024 14:52:19 +0000

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.

Plex Pass New Quality of Life Features (sponsored post)

admin — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 11:55:57 +0000

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.

How to Install Plex on Linux the Easy Way! (sponsored post)

admin — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 11:57:27 +0000

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.

Plex Server on the Cheap! Intel N100 Mini PCs are a great choice.

admin — Fri, 31 May 2024 12:44:49 +0000

In my latest sponsored Plex video, we look at using a very inexpensive Intel N100 based GMKtek G3 Mini PC as a Plex server. Despite being a budget device, its performance, particularly with hardware transcoding, is impressive.

You can see my initial review of this particular PC here.

I began by installing the Windows version of Plex Media Server on the mini PC since it comes pre-installed with Windows and the Windows installation process is the simplest.

The Intel N100 processor, part of Intel’s Alder Lake series, features QuickSync technology, which enables hardware accelerated video decoding and encoding. This is important for users who plan to stream content outside their home network. QuickSync compresses videos into lower bitrate files on the fly, facilitating smoother playback over varying network conditions. Additionally, the chip’s capability to handle multiple video formats makes it a versatile choice for media servers.

Hardware transcoding requires a Plex Pass (compensated affiliate link). You can learn more about hardware transcoding in this video. If you are just direct playing the files from your Plex server inside the home the hardware transcoding (and Plex Pass) aren’t necessary. You’ll be able to spin things up for free.

In my real-world testing, I demonstrated the mini PC’s ability to handle multiple simultaneous hardware transcodes efficiently. For instance, a 4K VP9 encoded video from Netflix and a Blu-ray MKV file were both transcoded without significant CPU load, maintaining around 20-25% usage. Even with five concurrent transcodes, including various formats like VP9, H.264 and a 10-bit HEVC, the CPU usage only reached about 35%.

However, the mini PC encounters limitations with 4K HDR Blu-ray MKVs when playing back on non-SDR displays. Windows does not support hardware-based HDR tone mapping, forcing the CPU to handle this task, resulting in poor playback performance. Hardware tone mapping does work on Quicksync equipped processors on Linux operating systems, however. I explored this in another video using the same N100 hardware. It works great!

Despite these limitations, an Intel Alder LAke N100 mini PC is an excellent choice for most Plex users looking for a budget solution with low power consumption.

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

Plex Now Has Hundreds of Free Channels – Here’s how to navigate them (sponsored post)

admin — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 14:09:05 +0000

Plex, well-known for its media server capabilities, has now ventured into providing over 600 free advertiser supported television (FAST) channels in the U.S., with a total of 1,100 channels globally. These free channels are accessible on various platforms, including mobile and and TV devices, without the need for a dedicated Plex server.

In my latest video we take a look at how to navigate all of these choices.

Plex’s interface is structured to help viewers quickly narrow down their choices. The channel guide offers an initial glimpse of all available channels, and further efficiencies are found through category filters like “Hit TV” or genres such as crime and sports. There is also a “featured” section where Plex showcases some of the heavy hitters on the platform like the NFL’s free channel which was recently added.

Plex’s universal search feature will also surface content that is playing live in addition to on-demand offerings.

Moreover, Plex integrates local over-the-air TV channels if a user has a Plex Pass and a network TV tuner, allowing for a blend of local and streaming content. This feature enriches the user’s viewing options, providing a seamless integration of local and global content on a single platform.

Viewers can personalize their viewing experience by adding channels to their “favorites,” making them easily accessible upon each return to the service. These preferences sync across all devices connected to the viewer’s Plex account, ensuring a consistent setup regardless of the device used.

New channels are being added all the time. Plex has a helpful search tool set up on their website that can give you a breakdown about what’s available in your particular market.

Disclosure: this post and video was sponsored by Plex, however they did not review or approve this content before it was uploaded.

Serving Plex Media to Legacy Devices via DLNA

admin — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:01:46 +0000

In this month’s sponsored Plex video, I explore an older feature of Plex that connects your media to legacy devices like old TVs and media players through Plex’s support for DLNA. This makes it possible to browse and consume media from your Plex server while making use of all of the metadata stored in your Plex libraries.

The Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) was established in 2003 by a group of technology companies aiming to create a standardized framework for sharing digital media across devices. DLNA has been widely adopted by manufacturers and software developers in the decades since.

The process begins with enabling the DLNA server function within the Plex web app’s server settings. Once activated, the Plex server can communicate with any DLNA-compatible device on the network, making it discoverable to a wide range of electronics, regardless of their manufacture date.

I conducted a demonstration using DLNA Browser on a Windows laptop to mimic the experience on a TV or audio device. The interface presented options to explore video, music, or photo libraries stored on the Plex server. One key point is that DLNA does not incorporate authentication, which means all shared media on the Plex server becomes accessible to anyone on the same network.

For video playback, Plex’s DLNA server allows browsing by key metadata points like genres, directors, actors, etc. You can of course also just browse media alphabetically and even dive into the folders stored on your server. The server will assign playback history to the main user on the server but will not store playback progress.

The music playback functionality through DLNA stands out, especially for high-quality audio files. Modern audio devices that don’t have support for a Plex client, including my home theater receiver, can access and play lossless audio files directly from the Plex server, complete with album art and metadata. This feature is particularly valuable for audiophiles with extensive digital music libraries. Unlike video playback history is not stored, however.

Despite its benefits, DLNA integration isn’t without challenges. Older devices may struggle with newer media formats, requiring manual configuration for transcoding—a process that ensures media compatibility but may demand a more technical setup.

DLNA is not just limited to legacy devices either. One viewer wrote in to tell me they use it with their Meta Quest headset to access their media. Many modern televisions will also pick up your Plex media server and present it within the native TV interface too.

Plex’s DLNA feature can bridge between past and present technology, offering a practical solution for extending the life of older devices through access to modern digital media libraries.

Plex Launches Movie Rental Feature

admin — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 14:45:13 +0000

My latest monthly sponsored Plex video takes a look at Plex’s new movie rental feature that allows users to rent and watch popular films without having to leave the Plex interface.

Rentals can be found in a new tab that’s been added to Plex’s free movies and TV shows section. Here, a variety of films are available for rent, distinct from the platform’s ad-supported content. You will also find rentals integrated into Plex’s universal search and watchlist features. Users who prefer not to see rental options in their search results can adjust their settings to exclude them.

The rental process within Plex is straightforward. Upon selecting a movie, users have a 30-day window to commence viewing. Once the movie is started, there is a 48-hour period to complete it.

After renting a movie, it appears on the user’s Plex home page and will also be at the top of the rental tab. Rentals will be integrated with the rest of the media accessible to the viewer. Users will also receive email notifications reminding them to watch the film before it expires.

A notable feature of Plex’s rental service is the capability to view rented movies across different devices, maintaining continuity in the play location. But there is currently no offline viewing option and rentals can only be played back on one device at a time. At the moment rentals are limited to 1080p only with 5.1 channel surround sound.

The pricing structure for rentals varies. Older movies generally cost around $3.99, newer releases are priced at $5.99. I noticed a few rentals available for movies currently in theaters that are priced higher.

Currently, the rental feature is only available in the United States, with plans for future expansion to other regions. As the feature evolves I’ll post some updates. You can also keep track of changes on Plex’s support pages.

Disclosure: This video was a paid sponsorship from Plex. However they did not review or approve this before it was uploaded.

Plex Updates Search (sponsored post)

admin — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 14:13:05 +0000

In my latest sponsored Plex video, I explore the latest updates to Plex’s search feature, changes that significantly enhance the user experience for those navigating through their extensive media libraries. You can watch the video here!

The primary change in Plex’s search functionality the ability to customize what is being searched. Users can now filter their searches to specific servers, excluding content from other sources if desired. For example, a search for “Ghostbusters” will yield results from the user’s server, Plex’s on-demand features, and external sources. However, with the new search filters, users can narrow down these results to display only the movies available on their server if they choose.

Another notable improvement is the ability to search for content based on specific actors. Typing an actor’s name, like Mark Hamill, brings up a detailed list of their work available in the user’s media libraries and on Plex if desired. This feature extends to genre searches as well, allowing users to explore categories like sci-fi across their own libraries and Plex’s on-demand offerings.

Plex has also integrated the watchlist feature into search, which allows users to add content right from the search results. Additionally, because Plex now indexes content from various other services, users can also search and add content to the watchlist that’s on streaming services they may be subscribed to.

The search settings are remembered on each client, meaning if a user sets their preferences on one device, these preferences will be retained the next time they log into Plex on that device. These new search features are now live on the web along with TV and mobile apps.

Plex Dash 2.0 Adds More Server Configuration Options (sponsored post)

admin — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 16:30:26 +0000

In my latest monthly sponsored Plex video, I explore the latest update of Plex Dash, an app that allows users to manage their Plex server from a smartphone. This update brings a bunch of new features, enhancing the app’s functionality and user experience. The app is free and available to those who have a Plex Pass subscription.

If you need a Plex Pass, — Plex is having a Black Friday sale for 25% off a lifetime Plex Pass. You can find it here (compensated affiliate link) – use code FUZZYFRIDAY to get the discount. The code is valid through November 28th at 7:59 AM UTC.

Plex Dash, available on both iPhone and Android, initially served as a monitoring tool for Plex servers. The update, however, extends its capabilities to server administration, previously only accessible via a web browser. This development is particularly beneficial for those who need to manage their servers remotely.

As before you can monitor servers in real time to see what media is currently being played back and what kinds of transcoding processes are taking place. This new version of the app expands some of these metrics to include tasks the server might be doing in the background along with enhanced charts to monitor CPU, RAM and network performance.

Plex Dash has also expanded its library administration capabilities. Users can now adjust library settings directly from the app. Server settings can also be adjusted through Plex Dash, with most options from the web interface now available in the app. However, settings for remote access still require the web interface.

A notable new feature is the ability to browse server logs in real-time and download them for later review. This functionality is particularly useful for troubleshooting and monitoring server activities.

While the update significantly enhances Plex Dash’s capabilities, there is still room for improvement. For instance, the ability to edit metadata directly from the app is currently limited to just changing thumbnails. Expanding this feature to include full metadata editing would be a valuable addition for users who manage extensive libraries.

The updated Plex Dash app is a robust tool for managing Plex servers on the go. Its enhanced features bring a level of convenience and efficiency, especially for users who frequently need to administer their servers remotely. As the app continues to evolve, it will likely become an even more indispensable tool for Plex server administrators.

Disclosure: This video was part of my monthly sponsorship from Plex. However they did not review or approve the video before it was uploaded.

Tutorial: Accessing Your Plex Server on a Personal VPN Like Tailscale

admin — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 14:39:43 +0000

In my latest sponsored Plex video, I delved into accessing a Plex server through a personal VPN like Tailscale. This curiosity was sparked by Apple’s recent update that allows the use of VPN clients on the Apple TV hardware natively, eliminating the need for any special hacks or tricks. Native VPN support is not exclusive to Apple TV and extends to several Android TV devices as well.

The motivation behind using a personal VPN for Plex is simple: added security. For someone like me, who only shares the Plex server with myself, there’s no need to expose the server to the Internet. One of the advantages of Tailscale is that it works without exposing any ports on my router to the outside world.

In the video I demo an Apple TV connecting to a Synology NAS located about 10 miles away at my mom’s house. This NAS, securely locked behind a router with no open ports, is inaccessible to the outside world but it is running the Tailscale VPN client.

Once connected through my Tailscale network, the Plex server, which was previously inaccessible, became available. The experience was smooth, with a Blu-ray MKV file playing at 19 megabits per second over the internet without any transcoding. My mother has Frontier’s 500 megabit symmetrical fiber optic service at her house which worked seamlessly.

Tailscale offers the advantage of limiting access to specific devices. For instance, I can choose to share only my Plex server with others without exposing the entire local network. Tailscale is free for up to 100 devices, making it a cost-effective solution for most users.

Personal VPN clients like Tailscale are also available on mobile devices, providing the same seamless experience on the go. The compatibility with TV boxes makes it easier to take your Plex server off the public internet without losing functionality. It works well with Android TV, and while it’s doable on Fire TV, it may require sideloading. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work with Roku at the moment.

Personal VPNs are an option worth considering for Plex servers, especially for people who don’t share their Plex server with many people. It offers control and peace of mind, allowing you to enjoy your content wherever you are while keeping everything locked safely behind your firewall.

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

Running Plex in a Docker Container on Synology is Super Easy

admin — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 13:51:26 +0000

Over the last couple of months I’ve been playing around with a bunch of self-hosted projects using Docker containers on my Synology NAS. In my most recent sponsored video for Plex, we take a look at spinning up a Plex server inside a container using Synology’s new Container Manager on DSM 7.2.

One might wonder, why use Docker when you can simply install Plex from the Synology package center? The answer lies in the flexibility and advantages Docker offers. Docker containers provide backup and migration opportunities that are more straightforward than other methods. They also offer a level of isolation, enhancing security. In the case of Synology specifically, the Docker versions tend to get updated more frequently, ensuring you always have the latest features.

Before diving in, ensure your Synology NAS is compatible with Docker. Synology’s website has a list of compatible devices that work with their Container Manager. If you are a Plex Pass holder and want to enable hardware transcoding you’ll also need to ensure your Synology NAS is running with an Intel processor that’s compatible with QuickSync video encoding. You can learn more about video transcoding in another video I made on that topic.

My video will take you step by step through the installation process by using a Docker Compose file to configure the container. If you’d like to see the one I’m using you can download it here.

Setting up Plex on Synology NAS using Docker was one of the more straightforward Docker projects I’ve undertaken. The process is efficient, and the benefits, especially in terms of backup and migration, make it worth considering for your next install.

Plexamp Headless Allows Lossless Audio Streaming to Speakers, Audio Systems from a Raspberry Pi

admin — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 13:12:00 +0000

In my latest monthly sponsored Plex video, we take a look at using an interesting official Plexamp client designed for the Raspberry Pi.

They call it “headless” as it’s designed to work on a Raspberry Pi that can be booted up and set aside to drive audio into a speaker or audio system. Once configured the Pi player will appear in the casting players menu alongside Chromecast devices.

The big difference between using the headless Raspberry Pi player versus a Chromecast is that the audio is not compressed for output – meaning your Raspberry Pi can pull high quality FLAC audio directly from the server yet behave exactly like a Chromecast would.

And because Raspberry Pis support high quality digital to analog converters (or DACs) you can achieve some really nice audio output once you have everything set up properly.

The installation process is a little involved but not terribly difficult. Your Pi needs to be running a 64 bit operating system and have Node.JS 16 or higher installed. There are some good instructions on the official Plex forum post to get things started and I followed these instructions for getting Node.JS working.

In the video I step through an installation from the beginning so you can see each step executed visually.

While this is definitely an enthusiast use case it’s nice to see that Plex is still focusing on the types of things media nerds like us want to do with their personal media servers!

Plex Update: Plexamp Now Free for Everyone

admin — Sat, 29 Jul 2023 15:16:48 +0000

In this month’s sponsored Plex video I share the news that Plex’s awesome music player PlexAmp is now free for everyone! Before it was available to Plex Pass subscribers only.

While some features remain exclusive to the Plex Pass, most features are now accessible to everyone. If you’re already using the Plex app on the free tier to listen to music, I’d highly recommend switching to Plexamp especially if you have a large personal music library.

For those unfamiliar, Plexamp requires a connection to a Plex personal media server. This could be your own server or one shared with you by a friend. The app also integrates with the Tidal music service.

Plexamp supports most of the popular music formats out there including large lossless FLAC audio files. I’ve been on a personal mission to store all my CDs from the ’90s in lossless Flac format on my Plex server. The audio quality is significantly better than the compressed tracks on other platforms.

One of the standout features of Plexamp is its focus on music discovery. It’s designed to help you find and enjoy tracks from your library that you might have forgotten about. There’s a unique “stations” feature that lets you listen to the oldest tracks in your library and then progresses to newer ones. There are also mood-based and decade-based stations, allowing you to tailor your listening experience based on your current mood or nostalgia.

The app displays a visualization of the song’s waveform, and you can jump to different parts of the track with ease. There are also some cool visualizations that sync with the music, adding a visual element to your auditory experience.

However, there are some limitations on the free tier. For instance, offline playback isn’t available, meaning you need to be online to use Plexamp. Some advanced features, like the artist mix builder, are also locked behind the Plex Pass. But the free version does offer a lot, including the ability to transcode audio, which is especially useful if you’re trying to save on bandwidth while streaming on the go.

Plexamp is available on multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux. The Android and iOS versions work with Android Auto and Carplay respectively. There’s also a “headless” version for the Raspberry Pi, which I’ll delve into in a future post. And for those who want to cast their music, the free tier allows you to send audio to any Chromecast-compatible device.

If you haven’t played around with Plexamp yet, give it a try!

New Plex Feature: Discover Together

admin — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 12:59:09 +0000

Our monthly sponsored Plex video for June focuses in on a new social sharing feature called Discover Together. This feature, currently in beta, allows users to share their watchlist and viewing history with friends.

The Discover Together feature is currently available to Plex Pass subscribers, but once activated, it extends to all friends connected to your Plex account – even those on the free tier. Upon activation, users are greeted with a landing page explaining the new feature and providing privacy options. By default, all information is set to private, and users can choose to share their watch history, watchlist and ratings with friends.

Your personal profile keeps track of how many movies, shows, and episodes you’ve watched since joining Plex. It also displays your recent watch history, watch list, and ratings. This information is then shared with friends.

The Friends tab displays all your Plex friends, and you can click on each friend to view their profile. The Activity feed shows what everyone is watching in real time, and shows what media is trending among your friends.

One of the fun aspects of Discover Together is the ability to send messages to friends about specific episodes or movies. For instance, if you’re watching an episode of Star Trek Picard and notice a friend has watched it too, you can send them a message to discuss the episode. This is especially helpful if a television show has a huge spoiler and you want to talk about it – you’ll know which of your friends has seen it!

The feature works on TVs, phones, and the web interface and offers a similar interface on each platform.

For those interested in automations, Plex now offers the ability to set up RSS feeds for your watch list and your friends’ watch lists. This can be found in the account settings under the watch list section.

Plex’s Discover Together feature provides an efficient way to share and discover content with friends. It’s a robust tool that extends beyond your Plex server, indexing content from various streaming services. It’s a feature I look forward to exploring more in the coming weeks.

Plex Amp Sonic Sage Adds ChatGPT AI Music Recommendations

admin — Sun, 14 May 2023 17:17:42 +0000

In my latest video I dive into the world of AI-powered music discovery with the Plex Amp player and its new “Sonic Sage” feature. Sonic Sage uses ChatGPT to deliver playlist recommendations.

Here’s how it works: Sonic Sage interfaces with OpenAI’s GPT model. To get it running, you’ll need an API key from the OpenAI platform. There is a small cost for using this key but I’ve found it to be minimal. So far I’ve only racked up about 5 cents of cost for well over 20 queries.

Once you’ve enabled Sonic Sage, it lives right inside the search icon on your Plex Amp app. ChatGPT uses your queries to generate music recommendations. You can ask it for anything, from general genres to very specific prompts. For example, you could ask for “high energy, lesser-known female rockers from the last 20 years”, and Sonic Sage will whip up a playlist to match.

The AI’s recommendations are based on how you word your prompts. While it’s not perfect at always getting things right, it does a pretty solid job of delivering great music to match what you’re looking for. The only drawback I’ve noticed so far is that these AI-generated playlists can’t be saved, but I’m sure this could change in the future.

This feature works best with a very large personal library or with Tidal, a subscription music service that integrates with Plex and Plex Amp. Tidal costs $8.99 a month if you subscribe through Plex and delivers all of its music as CD quality lossless FLAC audio. I covered the Tidal integration in a previous video.

In my view, Sonic Sage adds an interesting new dimension to Plex Amp’s already awesome music discovery capabilities.

Turn Your Lights On and Off with Plex Webhooks

admin — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 11:58:30 +0000

For this month’s sponsored Plex video, I delved into the webhooks feature that’s part of your Plex Pass subscription.

Webhooks fire off data to a specified URL when specific events happen on your Plex server, such as adding new content, pausing, or playing media. Some of the applications that can listen for these webhooks include IFTTT, Zapier, Home Assistant and Homebridge.

Although it might be slightly complicated to set up, once you have it figured out it can do some cool stuff. In the video I demonstrate how I connected my Plex server with Homebridge, allowing my lights to turn on and off automatically based on hitting the play and pause button.

I also slightly modified some code in the Homebridge Plex plugin I was using to look for a Plex “scrobble” event that fires off whenever the credits are reached or 90% of the content is played. This will turn my lights on right when the end credits start rolling most of the time!

Overall, webhooks in Plex open up a world of possibilities for integrating your Plex server with your smart home system. While it may be complicated to set up initially, the end result is a seamless and enjoyable viewing experience.

Plex Adds End Credit Detection to the Plex Media Server

admin — Sat, 01 Apr 2023 12:53:14 +0000

My monthly sponsored Plex video this month does a deep dive into the new Plex end credit detection feature. You can watch it here.

On TV devices the end credits will zoom out into a small box and Plex will present some additional content options to watch next. Clicking the remote will return the end credits to full screen if you want to watch them in full.

End credit detection will also know when content appears after the credits finish rolling. In that instance you’ll have the option to click “skip credits” and be brought directly to the post credit scene.

Credit detection is CPU intensive so you may want to have this take place during your server’s maintenance window. Plex has set up a cloud database to speed the process along, so if your file is in the database your server will download the credits location from Plex vs. having to run a full analysis. Your Plex server will also trigger a “watched” flag that fires off right when the end credits begin.

See more, including configuration options, in the video! Thanks to Plex for their long standing support of the channel!

All About Plex Subtitles

admin — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 14:23:02 +0000

This month’s sponsored Plex tutorial dives into a frequently requested topic: subtitles.

I will confess that I am not a frequent subtitle user but I know that many of you out there use them quite frequently. One of the challenges of subtitles is getting them to work in a way that won’t trigger a transcode.

Many of us use Plex as a way to store our Blu Ray movie library on our server for convenience. And typically Blu Rays use the PGS subtitle format which are essentially image files that Blu Ray players overlay on top of the video being played. So if you are ripping Blu Ray files and including subtitles in that rip you’ll have those PGS files embedded inside the MKV file you’re using.

The problem with the PGS format is that very few streaming players support them natively. In my testing I’ve found only the Nvidia Shield TV and Apple TV support that. All of the other players I tested triggered transcoding to bake in the captions before sending the video to the client.

The most compatible solution I’ve found are SRT formatted files. These are essentially ASCII text files with time stamps that most players support natively without the need for an additional transcode. Plex Pass users can search for and add SRT files in the Plex interface using the OpenSubtitles.org database right on the content playback page. If you don’t have a Plex pass you’ll have to hunt down those files yourself.

Finding subtitles can be tricky as lengths vary from one version of a film to the next. As studios re-release old films on different formats sometimes things don’t line up or like in the case of Star Wars they change a few things here and there that ultimately impact the timing of dialog. Plex does have a subtitle offset feature that we’ll cover in a future video to better align dialog.

A PGS Encoded Forced Subtitle

Another topic we covered are “forced” subtitles that only appear when another language is spoken. A great example of this is when Jabba the Hutt is speaking at the beginning of a Return of the Jedi. Force subtitles need to be enabled for playback like other types of subtitles and the same rules for transcoding apply here too – if you have a PGS encoded forced subtitle it’s going to force a transcode even if those subtitles are used for a very small portion of the film. These are the types of subtitles I use most often.

There is much more to cover on this topic but I have found SRT encoded subtitles to be the most compatible but also the least attractive. How they look will largely depend on how the client renders them. The good news is that because they are just straight ASCII text they are very easy to edit.

Subtitle Edit for Windows

I found a great open source (free) utility called SubtitleEdit that is extremely powerful for editing SRT files. It can even convert PGS to SRT. It only runs on Windows but there is a version that runs in a web browser on their site.

There is much more to cover on this topic. Definitely check out the video and leave a comment about what you’d like to see next!

New Plexamp Features: Guest DJ and NFC Tags

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 12:35:10 +0000

In my latest video we take a look at two new features recently added to Plex’s awesome music client called Plexamp. In full disclosure this piece was sponsored by Plex.

The first feature, Guest DJ, utilizes Plex’s sonic analysis feature that we covered in a prior video. The way it works is that it will look at the sonic fingerprint of the song you’re currently listening to and slip in other songs that sound similar.

What’s neat about how Guest DJ works is that it will continue to progress through the album or playlist you’ve selected. Some settings insert a single song others will do more. You can even veer off and have it keep suggesting sonically similar songs. If you decide to switch it off you’re back in control of what comes up next.

Plexamp also recently added support for NFC tags. These are very inexpensive devices that can be found on Amazon that allow small amounts of data to be written to them wirelessly. Plexamp can write a shortcut that can point at an album or playlist to the tag through its share sheet. Scanning the tag later will pull up Plexamp and bring you right to the album or playlist for playback. One use case could be attaching tags to your physical albums – scanning one can start playing that album immediately in Plexamp.

Plexamp requires a Plex Pass but is one of the many benefits of their subscription plan for Plex Pro users. See more Plex content on my channel!

Amazon Kills “Deep Linking” Impacting Plex, Reelgood, and Others on Fire TV

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 14:40:41 +0000

Over on AFTVNews my friend Elias Saba reported on a new development on the Fire TV platform that will impact Plex (affiliate link), Reelgood, Just Watch and other third party content search engines. Amazon reportedly will be disabling “deep linking” which is the practice of having one app link to content inside of another app. This topic is the subject of my latest video.

What this means is that if you’re maintaining a watchlist in Plex you can still maintain that list and find new content in the Plex database on FireTV, but Plex will no longer “drop you off” in another app to watch. You can, of course, use Amazon’s built in search which will continue to deep link into supported (paying) apps. This new Amazon policy mirrors a restriction Roku has had in place for its devices.

Why are they doing this? Because home screens and platform integrated search engines are a big business. Amazon and Roku can require providers to pay to be a part of search and/or get a higher position in query results. If you’re using a third party provider to find stuff to watch that impacts the bottom line. Those third parties apps can also charge for placement in their search engines which is a competitive activity.

Roku’s business model is no secret – most of the money they make from you using the device – not buying it. That’s why Roku and Amazon devices are so inexpensive. You can learn more in this video I made a little while back diving into Roku’s financial statements.

Like everything I do on this channel I went down a rabbit hole yesterday testing how deep linking works across all of the major platforms. Here’s how the others stack up:

Roku: No deep linking allowed but their built in search has good results (for now) that will deep link elsewhere.

Android TV / Google TV: Deep linking is still allowed but I’m finding that it’s broken for the most part. Linking into Netflix works ok but many other providers don’t seem to work reliably. Some deep links bring the user to the Google Play store even if the app is already installed.

Apple TV: Apple TV’s deep linking appears to work the best right now. Most of the apps I tested work through Plex and Reelgood. Apple TV is the most expensive box because the hardware isn’t as heavily subsidized vs. the other platforms making Apple less reliant on monetizing user activities.

All that said I still think third party watchlist apps are worth using to keep track of all of the great content we have available to us these days. You can see some prior coverage I did on those apps here.

Plex Watchlist Feature Update

admin — Sat, 31 Dec 2022 13:40:34 +0000

My last video of 2022 is my monthly sponsored video for Plex! This month I’m revisiting the watchlist feature that we first looked at a few months ago. You can watch it here.

Watchlist is like a “to-do list” of the content that you want to watch, both on your local Plex server but also on other services. Plex will constantly monitor content offerings on other platforms and let you know where your favorite shows and movies can be seen.

What’s changed is that Watchlist now has its own position on the Plex sidebar (before it was integrated into the Discover feature). Another welcome change is that Watchlist will now keep track of individual episodes watched in a television series – before it would mark the entire show as watched even if a single episode was marked seen.

In the video I also show you some useful tips and tricks for searching for content and adding it to the list along with filtering options to help narrow down your choices.

This all works similar to Justwatch and Reelgood that we covered last year but the difference here is that it’s all tightly integrated into your Plex media library. You can even publish an RSS feed of your watchlist to integrate into other applications!

I have many hours of Plex content available on my channel that you can find on this playlist.

Amazon Fire TV Cube Firmware Update Fixes Some (but not all) Lossless Audio Passthrough Problems

admin — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 14:02:31 +0000

In my original review of the 3rd Generation Amazon Fire TV Cube I said that Amazon’s top of the line streamer is not something I can recommend for enthusiasts due to issues with lossless audio passthrough in Plex and similar apps.

Enthusiasts running Plex typically stream rips of Blu-Ray movies with lossless audio tracks containing Dolby ATMOS True HD audio or one of the many flavors of DTS. The only name-brand box that does it perfectly is the aging Nvidia Shield so many enthusiasts were hoping that Amazon would offer something to meet that need as well.

And then I got a DM from my friend Elias Saba at AFTVNews.com who passed along this story about those issues being addressed in a firmware update. So, I bought another box (I sold my original one to a viewer) and posted this followup video to see if they got it fixed.

The good news is that Dolby TrueHD ATMOS audio is passing through correctly now. The bad news is that no flavor of DTS audio is passing through and it looks like Dolby Vision support for enthusiast media that was working before is no longer working. All of my titles defaulted to HDR10 even with an embedded Dolby Vision track. Dolby Vision continues to works fine in streaming apps which is probably 99% of this product’s audience.

I am going to hold onto my Cube though as it appears Amazon is trying to address this enthusiast need. As new firmwares come down I’ll continually test things to see if anything changes. Stay tuned!

New Video : Plex HTPC Overview

admin — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 16:15:18 +0000

Each month Plex (affiliate link) sponsors a tutorial video on the channel covering one of the many, many features of their personal media server and streaming service. This month’s video is about Plex’s recently released an official Home Theater PC (HTPC) client for Windows, Mac and Linux. You can see my review of it here.

This app runs full screen right when loaded and replicates the living room interface experience found on smart TVs and set top boxes. Notable in this release is full support for lossless audio passthrough, client-side “tone mapping” to convert HDR content to a SDR color space on non-HDR displays, and the ability to switch a television into HDR mode for content that supports it.

HDR is a tricky beast with PCs and unfortunately the HDR here is more of a generic profile vs. one based on the metadata of the individual media files. It also does not support Dolby Vision.

Here’s a little more technical detail from the Plex team as to how HDR works:

HDR10: This works when using Windows. MPV creates a Rec.2020 swapchain in D3D11, which outputs to the display. There is a switch in HTPC’s settings to switch the display from SDR -> HDR when you play HDR content.
HDR10 with Static Metadata Passthrough: One of the users in the forums has done a writeup on how to use some of the more experimental features of MPV to do HDR10 with static metadata passthrough. So the maxCLL and maxFall values from the content are sent through to the display. See https://forums.plex.tv/t/hdr-metadata-passthrough-plex-htpc-for-windows/794358 for more information.

So for the best experience I’d still stick with the most recent Nvidia Shield Pro (the 2019 version). But it’s nice to see Plex showing some love to their most technically inclined users looking to build out their own home theater PC experience.

New Video: Plex Hardware Transcoding on AMD Ryzen

admin — Sat, 28 May 2022 23:56:06 +0000

Plex is a long time sponsor of the channel. Each month I produce a sponsored post on a feature of aspect of the product. This month we take another look at hardware transcoding of video content. You can watch my latest Plex video here.

In the past I’ve always recommended that people run their Plex servers on Intel hardware that supports Quicksync technology. Intel builds this into even their lowest end chips and it allows for nearly realtime transcoding of video to reduce bit rate and resolution on demand. For a long time that was about all Plex supported.

But recently a mysterious note appeared on the Plex hardware transcoding support page that indicated some limited support for AMD GPUs:

So I wondered.. Would this work on a Ryzen based Mini PC? It turns out the answer is YES! I took out the Beelink SER4 I reviewed few weeks back, installed the Plex Windows server on it, enabled hardware transcoding, and it started successfully transcoding a BluRay MKV file to a 1080p 8 megabit stream in hardware with minimal CPU utilization. The (hw) in the screenshot below indicates it’s running in hardware mode:

The Beelink SER4 is running with an AMD Ryzen 4800U processor with the latest AMD drivers. As Plex says “your mileage will vary” so I can’t say definitively if this will work on other AMD devices as well as it did here. But it is good to see hardware transcoding compatibility expanding.

Last year we tested it on the Macbook Air M1 and found that it was able to hardware transcode running the Intel version of the Plex server! Plex just announced an official Apple silicon version last week so we’ll give that another test in an upcoming video. Stay tuned!

Plex Pass On Sale Until May 27th

admin — Mon, 23 May 2022 15:04:17 +0000

Every once and awhile our channel sponsor Plex has a special offer on a lifetime Plex pass that unlocks all of the features of the Plex personal media server. The lifetime deal runs through May 27th and costs 95.99 if you use code GEEKOUT at checkout. Click here to get it ! (affiliate link)