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Plex Is Coming To Apple TV
sfcrazy writes: Apple announced that it is turning Apple TV into a platform, opening it up for third party developers. They have already published the beta of tvOS and tvOS SDK, which developers can play with. Which means Plex is now a possibility on Apple TV. The founder of Plex said, "There is no question we will be able to offer Plex on the platform. There are multiple ways to go about it, based on the tvOS SDK we now have access to. We are now evaluating the best path for Plex and will begin work in earnest once we have evaluated the options. The ability to access great and proven iOS frameworks on the device is great for developers like us — we know the stuff is solid and will perform really well. Our goal is to enable people to enjoy Plex on the hardware platforms of their choice, and there is no doubt this will be a top platform for us."
Never heard of it, but now you will be able to get on an apple tv. Isn't it exciting!!!!!
Plex is a horrible interface. I have it running on my Amazon Firestick as a cleint and an imac as a server. The two constantly fail to find each other. I always end up restarting it on mac and rebooting the fire stick a couple of time before the content appears on the other. I used it as a way to show DVDs on my firestick. But it stinks. Now I use Emby media browser and it works like a charm every time. Emby is also free besides working better.
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
You called the article "dumb" because of your lack of knowledge? Interesting concept...
Not plex per se (I'm not a fan of where they took the project since late 2013) but I've always considered lack of support for local media to be a showstopper for Apple TV.
If I knew I could install something like Kodi or an emby client that could supply unrestricted access to my local content, I'd buy an Apple TV tomorrow.
Everyone knows TVs are one of the major enablers of illegally torrented video.
Fixed that for you.
Plex is a media manager. What media you choose to manage is up to you, just like what media you choose to watch is up to you.
Plex is a home media server, forked from XBMC.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plex_(software)
Wikipedia says the server is "freemium" so I guess it's free but you can buy upgrades. There are apps for iOS and Android; the apps aren't free either. And there is some kind of cloud account you can get, and use for syncing your content across the Internet.
I've never heard of this before, but it seems worth checking out if you don't already have a media center solution.
Plex web site:
https://plex.tv/
Breakdown of what you can get for free vs. what costs:
https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/202526943-Plex-Free-vs-Paid
Reddit discussion of cost of Plex:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Chromecast/comments/2f9f0k/what_is_the_true_cost_of_plex/
lf(1): it's like ls(1) but sorts filenames by extension, tersely
I'm enjoying my zombardiocrackle right now.
Pervert!
This is excellent news for me. I have a Synology and a 10.6.8-based original Intel Mac Mini that just acts as an iTunes and Crashplan server. All my films converted from DVD/blu-ray are stored on the Synology, but I need iTunes running to be able to access it on the Apple TV. With this I should be able to use Plex on the Synology and remove the need for iTunes. Crashplan can also be made to run on a Synology, so I can completely eliminate the need for that Mac Mini.
With a few more apps, like Amazon Instant and BBC iPlayer, this thing could then completely cover what I do. One caveat - just please, please, please give me paid app options and not freebies with adverts in the UI.
Here ya go...
Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
When I got a chromecast, I did pay for the 4.99 app so that I could use it to stream to the chromecast. I was using Bubble UPnP + MxPlayer for android playback, but BubbleUPnPs chromecast support was limited. Now BubbleUpnP has it but requires a separate paid transcoding server, so I stuck with Plex across the board.
Paying for plex allows easy setup of across the internet streaming. I never needed that feature since I have a business class connection, static IP and VPN at home. When I am travelling, my devices llook like they are on my LAN anyway, so need to stream some other way out of my network.
The only issue I have had is that randomly (after days) the plex server program will stop responding and need a restart. That is easy enough to do, although I could probably post on their forums and look at the logs to determine why.
Silence is a state of mime.
I think Apple TV is over kill for what most people want in a entertainment device. Many just want a streaming device and not a full blown device that runs apps and other crap. If your into gaming your going to buy a PS4 or Xbox of some kind. Apple is trying to exploit the Apple TV to sell apps and other Apple products but they fail to keep the price inline with other devices. Unless your married to Apple your not going to spend $150 to stream Netflix. Your going to buy a USB stick and/or a Roku like device for less. The whole Siri voice search is gimmicky and has really failed to live up to its hype. Apple unfortunately seems to be stuck in a rut of gimmicky stuff rather then revolutionary products.
And about too fucking late. With A-Fire and Roku being 1/2 the cost and Chromecast being 1/3 the cost of the cheaper v3, and not requiring a secure cert hack and hijack of another app, or jailbreaking of an old model, I've put them on all the other TVs.
Apple needs to bring more to the party. Like a la carte cable channels. That would be "One More Thing..." that would make me drop the cash.
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
You called the article "dumb" because of your lack of knowledge? Interesting concept...
Not a difficult concept. Articles are supposed to transfer knowledge from people who know it to people who don't, and summary articles, in particular, are supposed to let everybody quickly decide whether they are interested enough to read on. If everybody knew everything we wouldn't need articles. Things that don't do what they are designed to do are dumb.
The "Version 1.25 of Qxwrple launched" pathology is common on Slashdot and really should be something high on editors and article submitters checklist. (At least in this case you only need to read as far as the second paragraph in TFA to get a clue as to what Plex does).
Of course, some judgement is required - this is a tech website after all - but there's a distinction between expecting the audience to know technical terms and expecting them to recognise every tech product name.
In a survey of 100 programmers, 111111 thought that duck-typing was a good idea.
I had never heard of it before getting a Samsung Smart TV and since I didn't actually get the 51" Plasma to watch broadcast television, I had to find a way to stream my media from a server, without actually having a laptop next to the TV. Anyway, I looked up possible technologies and DLNA that the TV supported seemed the best solution. After I painfully found out DLNA in practice is riddled with problems, I went back to google and Plex came up. A free Plex Media Sever was installed on the Mac Pro, an also free client was installed on the Smart TV, et voila, streaming with full support of any format I had, multiple audio & subtitle streams, plus excellent library organization (it recognizes your media, shows covers/meta data, even downloads subtitles automatically with the proper plugin).
I also got a chromecast dongle at some point and I use it to send some browser video streams to the TV, but for two years now Plex has served me very well. If you have a platform, like a Smart TV/Smart Bluray etc where the Plex client is free, definitely give it a try.
Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. Polar Scope Align for iOS
Plex is the useful fork of Kodi.
No sir I dont like it.
Roku validated the open channel (app) model. Looks like Apple is jealous of Roku's success and decided to copy their model.
Apple has very few original ideas.
What the heck is Plex again?
If I were you, I would be less concerned about not knowing what Plex is and more concerned that I didn't know how to do a quick Google search.
SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
After I painfully found out DLNA in practice is riddled with problems, I went back to google and Plex came up.
For people who cannot install Plex and must use DLNA, there is PS3MediaServer, a transcoding DLNA server for major operating systems.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
I've been running Plex on a Mac Mini for about 5years now. Great software, easy interface and optimized for controlling with an apple remote control (silver 3 button, not white 2 button) or iphone app. I have it connected via HDMI directly to my receiver and GigE to my LAN. All my content I keep on a NAS array in the corner.
I actually bought the mac mini specifically for Plex as at the time windows and linux support was kinda weak. Now they've got plex running in TVs and other devices.
What this announcement shows, is that players like Roku need to be VERY afraid.
Say all you want about the fact that the new Apple TV specs wise is ho hum (and I'd agree with you), but the fact of the matter is that all those people who are familiar with Xcode development and the IOS APIs now can develop for tvOS.
What that means is that in a VERY short amount of time the number of apps will go from zero to crazy in no time at all. Roku has struggled for a LONG time to get a good set of apps for people to use. There are hardly that many games for Roku (the major ones though like Angry Birds are there) and everything else are screensavers, streaming channels or Church apps (for the most part).
Say what you want about how the Apple TV sucks, the fact that millions of Xcode developers for IOS can develop for it means it will pretty much sink companies like Roku.
uhhh no.Plex is what Kodi would look like if they went for monetization. I like Plex, i have a lifetime sub, but at some point they will go over the evil wall and thats why its great Kodi is there. I use both extensively. Plex for remote stuff, Kodi for local.
Good-bye
I left the iTunes Apple TV world for a Synology box running plex and Amazon Fire TVs running the Plex client. I got tired of encoding all my media in a format that iTunes was happy with and I got really tired of having to restart iTunes.
Apple is trying to do what Roku and Amazon Fire TV have been doing for a few years now....big surprise.
uhhh no.Plex is what Kodi would look like if they went for monetization. I like Plex, i have a lifetime sub, but at some point they will go over the evil wall and thats why its great Kodi is there. I use both extensively. Plex for remote stuff, Kodi for local.
Why not one for both uses?
bork bork bork!
I'm not getting all the hate for Plex. Plex is amazing.
It's not just a media server. It's a full-blown server and media management and distribution system akin to running your own Netflix. I paid the one-time lifetime pass and it's been totally worth it. We stream to many Rokus, computers and Android devices amongst my household and immediate family.
Having paid for the PlexPass, all the clients I add to my Plex Home group are free so users don't have to pay for each client. I run it on a 6-disc FreeNAS RAIDZ2 system that has enough CPU horsepower to run Plex Server right on the NAS itself. The system is beautiful and amazingly capable. Just drop any old video file on, and Plex handles everything else: metadata, posters, trailers, organization, and any necessary transcoding to play any type of video file onto any client regardless of its capabilities.
I know Emby is popular because it's open-source, and perhaps some parts of it are better than Plex (I've never used Emby). But the reviews I've seen put them pretty close to each other, with often Plex having a slight edge overall. But probably ultimately depends on what you're doing with it and what features matter to you.
Anyone who flat out hates Plex probably doesn't understand how it's really supposed to be used and what needs it's meant to address. It's easy to hate the perfect screwdriver if you're trying to use it as a hammer.
Because i dont like be tied to any one tech or company. I store older movies in a streaming setup on Plex on a single server feeding all clients, all 'new release' movies are stored locally on each device delivered via sneakernet. I keep a rolling set of new releases sized to a storage medium available for a good price. Right now im up to a 64 GB ($20) set of new releases. New releases fall off of sneakernet and into Plex after a year or two
Good-bye
where is the Big Screen 75" Apple TV with optional iPad remotes
Apple already DID the Computer/TV thing a few DECADES ago. No one bought it, even though it was actually a pretty cool solution for a kid's room or a dorm room.
As has been discussed here before, Apple is VERY smart to NOT get into the nearly-zero-profit game of Television-designing-building. Instead, they are marketing an ARM-based iOS-variant microcomputer as a Set-Top Box. MUCH wiser decision. They get all the capabilities that make a "computer TV" special, with none of the baggage of building the display, tuner, HDMI-switching stuff.
And I would imagine, there will be an App for your iPhone/iPad for the new AppleTV, just like there is one for the current model. For one thing, Apple recognizes, right in the TVOS Developer Docs, that, for example, gaming on the new AppleTV is fundamentally different from gaming, even networked gaming, on the iPhone/iPad.
Will that play her VHS tapes?
There's an App for that! [j/k]
I wonder if this will be as big of a flop as their current iOS port that crashes after a few minutes of playing content.
Or their OS X version that crashes, well, whenever it feels like it.
Apple TV? That still a thing? And what ever Plex is. I guess the 13 people, that have an Apple TV will be happy for something new.
Yeah, more like 25 MILLION. And that was BEFORE the new model came out.
That seems like a LOT of effort. Like you I have a lifetime sub, came up from xbmc and pytivo before that with some windows media center and hd homerun mixed in along the way.
No sir I dont like it.
...just a very expensive compact computer
I think the price is very reasonable, I bought one AppleTV for $69 that I use in one room and for the other room a Raspberry Pi2 with OSMC. With all the extras (cables, 5GHz Wifi, Powered hub) the Pi2 ended up costing more but was fun to setup. I can stream movies and music to both from a Seagate NAS.
All in all I'm happy with both, they work fine with my TVs and I wouldn't call any of them expensive. I also think calling users idiots says a lot more about you than them.
Apple Newton -> iPhone, like whatever dude.
Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
Apple Newton -> iPhone, like whatever dude.
Well, Slashdot ate my nicely-composed reply; but suffice it to say that they had a price point to hit, a feature list to hit, and a release date to hit, and so, this is what we have. For now.
But remember, this box also has a complete SDK, a unique remote (with the possibility of using other devices as remotes/controllers) and voice-recognition (with dual microphones for noise cancelling), and solid Ethernet capabilities. Will it be able to play local audio/video content? You bet. Will it be able to play streamed content? Yup. Will it be able to receive AirPlay content? Just like the previous model. Will it have "Channels", like Hulu, HBO, NetFlix? Sure. Will it do Surround audio? Up to 7.1 . Will it support Interactive, or "Enhanced" Channels (like the NFL Channel)? Saw it in the Demo. And most importantly, Does it have App capabilities? Oh, yes!!!
Could it support 4k video? Next model.
Would I like to see more video/audio formats? Sure, who wouldn't?
Would it be nice to have a USB and SDXC Card slot? Maybe.
But it really IS a pretty good start.
The thing is, Apple has to release a PRODUCT. It has to work like an appliance; not like the typical HTPC, which is not only typically too "computer-y", but is usually hideously unreliable, compared with something like a Microwave oven or DVR. Apple would get laughed off the planet if they released something as complicated and unreliable as most HTPCs are, at this point in time. That means that the OS has to be rock stable, even when running third-party apps, the CODECS have to be rock-stable and fast, the networking has to be flawless and fast, the display subsystem has to be well-behaved, etc, etc.
So, you can consider this more of a "1.0" (or possibly 1.1) device, with much more to come. But if I know Apple, they will continue to add capabilities and features through OS and App updates, and Developers are ALREADY flocking to the platform; so, by this time next year, AppleTV will be MUCH cooler than it is right now, guaranteed.
Apple knows the power of Apps, and everyone knows that they have an INSURMOUNTABLE lead in that regard, period!
Because i dont like be tied to any one tech or company. I store older movies in a streaming setup on Plex on a single server feeding all clients, all 'new release' movies are stored locally on each device delivered via sneakernet. I keep a rolling set of new releases sized to a storage medium available for a good price. Right now im up to a 64 GB ($20) set of new releases. New releases fall off of sneakernet and into Plex after a year or two
I fail to see the benefit of what you're doing, especially if all of the media are in common / non-DRMed formats, especially keepin 64GB worth of 'new stuff' locally. It's especially confusing since Plex can "sync" whatever media you select to your local clients (for offline viewing). Am I missing something?
bork bork bork!
Sad that there are that many stupid people still allowed to walk around unattended in public.
Networks fall over, im ok with the bulk of the collection (old stuff) going down from time to time, which it does. I keep a local set of the newest stuff so that it ALWAYS WORKS no matter what. Its layered functionality. I maintain one set of highly curated and organized movies, and use different 'faces' to serve it, the current faces being Plex and Kodi. Its really not that complicated. Local storage is SUPER cheap right now, dropping $20 per machine on a 64 GB drive is trivial.
Keep in mind not just serving for me, but other people too at remote sites too, and not everyone has Plex sync or wants to pay for it. Its really easy to hand my relatives a $5 flash drive when i see them at family gatherings, instead of maintaining a hole in their networks so i can upload stuff.
This is a system i have come up with after long trial and error. I got sick of traveling and not being able to reach my home server for one reason or another, so i added sneakernet to the mix. I would be happy to discuss it more if you are really interested. The entire point was to not have to rely on a any single service or protocol, even TCP/IP.
Good-bye