I’d like to ask for a feature request to turn ON or OFF experimental features.
Case in point. The new dashboard was forced on us (latest Plex pass) with no choice in the matter (unless you consider running older/outdated software).
Several things were changed. We’ve lost the ability to control the layout of our dashboard. We can no longer search specific libraries or even our own systems.
The new search is very limited in the results it returns and gives a bad impression of our libraries (doesn’t find things). The new dashboard drastically changed the number of “new additions” and calculates these far differently then it used to (step in the wrong direction). The new horizontal scrolling is terrible (IMHO) and I was really surprised to see this added after all the complaints about this in the other clients.
I could go on and on, but the point I’d like to make is that we need the ability to be able to turn “features” like this on or off. While it’s understandable that Plex wants to get some of these new features out the door and tested, it’s not fair to force these changes on us when they are far from well tested or complete. At present these changes have more negative affect than positive on our system. They are more broken then working at the moment.
I hope I’m wrong, but this new dashboard has me worried that it will only get “half-done” as some other things. Plex has a habbit of putting out new features but then not completeing them or not giving the users all the tools they need to really use the feature properly, then they move on to the next “new” thing.
So at least while this is still in the development phase PLEASE give us the ability to turn the new dashboard on or off at will from the SERVER (not the client) so we can have a functional system that our users know how to navigate and use properly.
Better yet would be the ability to turn on and off specific features (eg horizontal layout, new search, etc)
That is actually fine to do for a version or two. The problem with this is that there are so many bugs being fixed in the server and clients that it almost mandates that you try and keep the server updated.
Plex itself on occasion puts out a new client that mandates the server run version x.
I just kind of feel it’s “rude” (lack of better word) to force incomplete feature sets on users that replace currently working parts of the system that aren’t broke or don’t have a problem. They have effectively taken parts of the system that work reliably and replaced them with something new that’s broken in many places.
It’s one thing to release new incomplete features for something brand new but QUITE another things to replace parts of the system that already work with new experimental features that no customer has even asked for (that I’m aware of).
I agree. For some reason Plex keeps removing choice of any kind in all parts of their system.
Most clients have already lost the ability to have an individualized user experience and every change that adds anything to any part of the Plexiverse always seem to come with a loss of customization and often a reduction of functionality.
The new web interface is NOT very good and looks/acts like it was rushed to release for some reason. It cannot even display properly on some systems at normal resolution levels.
I do not see why this was rolled out. The old web interface was perfectly functional for its primary purpose which was maintaining the server and it worked pretty well for playing media.
Plex decided to make a change just because they could (this is not a new occurrence) and the lack of customization is only one of the many flaws in this apparently pre-beta release of crapware that cannot be avoided without also avoiding the new server.
I doubt there will be any rollback or even fix but it would be a good thing.
Carlo,
I realize that along with features come fixes… and I was speaking kind of tongue-in-cheek.
I knew things were going to get ugly in Plex Web when they accidentally included a couple “features” on the sidebar menu a few months back that “shouldn’t have been there yet,” if I remember the quote correctly.
I think these issues are rapidly becoming a math problem for Plex. In other words, for every few people that are now upset about the change of direction… they expect a dozen or so more customers that are new, and don’t even realize that things have changed.
I’ve seen this happen to other companies that have taken Venture Capitol money or funds from other Investors. Once the spreadsheet guys move in… the developers and programmers have to answer to a different drumbeat. Plex is no longer a hobby based spin-off of an open source piece of code. It’s a product now… it’s being sold to customers… even if that is currently done through PlexPass subscriptions or outside investments.
Then again… once we accept that Plex is a Product… we should be able to expect a true Support Mechanism, instead of volunteers on Forums, etc…
Just thinkin’ out loud.
[I will admit though… I’m getting ready to change my Screen Name from “Plexhilarated” to “Plexasperated.”]
I’m going to have to break rank on this one and disagree. I like the changes. That being said I wish I could drag the hubs into whatever order I choose. Having the recently added all inline was nice but being able to move the TV/Movie hubs near each other and make them smaller would help. I also really like the new Continue Watching hub that breaks out of OnDeck. Only wish there would be that it showed the current BIF. I’m sorry for bailing on all of you :’(
Have you really checked out the new UI?
Have you added new media to see how it’s affected?
Have you tried search for something like Star Trek to see what’s returned (assuming you have the whole series). Substitute your own “collection” for this test.
Do you having sharing with any other servers? I do and their results how up before my own server results.
I don’t think any of us are saying it won’t be useful once “finished/polished” but right now much of the features are broken pretty badly and the old interface was working/more useful.
Dang, don’t change your screen name. I can finally spell it without having to look it up.
I don’t really buy-into the investors theory that much (yet). While I’m sure the money has some influence at times I still believe the critical calls and product road map are still with the same “core” people.
I personally think they have lost touch with the community and think they “know best”. They “think” they know a better way of building the proverbial mouse trap at times and fail to listen to the community that presently uses the software and pushes it (probably far more than any of the Plex employees) to the extreme.
It’s a catch 22 at times I’m sure. They want to go off on these new “tangents” to make the product seem better but they have been neglecting critical features and things the server really needs. This new searching mechanism will no doubt catch some press attention and because of that probably get a few more customers but they need to keep these customers as well. It doesn’t take long playing with these new features to see how broken they are and how much they messed up what previously worked.
I’m feeling myself slowly falling back to where I was in 2014 when I started the “vent thread” due to new “half done” features being added when they weren’t ready yet. We went through a period after the vent thread where new features seemed like they were tested well/better before release. Now this. It’s like deja vu.
We still have many good features incomplete like filtering (still only positive filtering which is still crazy). We have Media Optimizer which is close but still a no go IMHO, etc…
If Plex would only work with the community to see what we need instead of what they think we need we would all have a much stronger, better product…
@cayars said:
If Plex would only work with the community to see what we need instead of what they think we need we would all have a much stronger, better product…
Work with the community??? What a novel concept. I am pretty sure that is something that the current Plex lesser demons would pee their pants if it were even seriously considered. The greater demons and the actual Plex gods would throw fits as well and the basic laws of the universe could be changed by such a radical concept. Entropy could even reverse.
I think the days of Plex listening to user complaints of the minority are over, even if those complaints have merit. The masses of new users coming to Plex probably don’t even know half the things you guys write about, or even know they exist for that matter.
Plex all together is looking to become less complicated (as we’ve seen), which unfortunately can mean less user customization options and functionality in the future. I hope thats not the case though and still have faith Plex won’t fully go this route.
@MovieBuff44 said:
I think the days of Plex listening to user complaints of the minority are over, even if those complaints have merit. The masses of new users coming to Plex probably don’t even know half the things you guys write about, or even know they exist for that matter.
@MovieBuff44 said:
I think the days of Plex listening to user complaints of the minority are over, even if those complaints have merit. The masses of new users coming to Plex probably don’t even know half the things you guys write about, or even know they exist for that matter.
But they will know because we will tell them.
Stories about the “Good ol’ days” will become pervasive and the yarns will grow to levels only limited by imagination so that the earlier days of Plex will acquire mythic proportions and make what will become the current time seem backward and the Plexiverse will begin seem like a slum. Paul Bunyan and Hercules and even Zeus will seem pikers when compared with the Plex gods and heros of old.
@Elijah_Baley said:
Stories about the “Good ol’ days” will become pervasive and the yarns will grow to levels only limited by imagination so that the earlier days of Plex will acquire mythic proportions and make what will become the current time seem backward and the Plexiverse will begin seem like a slum. Paul Bunyan and Hercules and even Zeus will seem pikers when compared with the Plex gods and heros of old.
Honestly the new quick search more than meets my needs. It sometimes returns peculiar results I’ll admit. That said I did go to the “full” search screen and it does look like there’s probably a sorting issue as the one server share I’ve a part of had content showing before my own. Hopefully that gets remedied.
As far as the UI itself I find if I stay on the All Libraries portion of the Dashboard it’s similar enough to the “old” way that I’m not affected. As stated earlier I’d like to be able to move or combine hubs to customize it and I’d be fairly happy. I’m not sure what you meant by adding media. It just updates the hubs as I would expect. It’s possible I’m missing something here.
I am missing the customizability of the UI on all platforms. We for example really don’t care for the recently aired and I just use the recently added to make sure stuff integrated properly.
For my daughter I’d really like to remove these in her account because it shows stuff that’s irrelevant to her. The on deck is what works there and the recently watched episodes so she can continue watching where she left off in an already watched series she is watching again…not easy to keep track. And I don’t want to set it unwatched again to not confuse with the really new stuff.
I’d also like to see a filter to watched only since we keep some new stuff for her and there really is no way of blocking. On the same note I miss the “All Seasons” functions that used to be there. Just easier for her to pick a previously watched episode.
I am getting the feeling that in some regard Plex is becoming like Apple - we know best and what’s good for you. This is a bit sadening but does open the door for new competition to come in and attract the power users that feel left behind.
Basic UI preferences shouldn’t be hard to implement again. “On Deck”, “Recently Aired”, “Recently Added”…just make a list in the settings where you can move these items up and down or disable them. Store in a settings file with the order numbers 1,2,3…and 0 for disabled.
