Available on Plex - means “available on Plex’s free channel of movies/shows” not “on a Plex server”
Available on Your Services - is your streaming services you have configured in Plex. Does not include libraries
Available to Stream - means available for streaming anywhere
Released - Means it’s released
None of these, except maybe Available to Stream, include your libraries that you have access to. If Available to Stream does include libraries, it is not useful because the filter also has everything on your watchlist that is streamable anywhere at all.
I would like for there to be an additional filter that is “Available in your libraries” or even better “Available to Watch Now”. This filter would include everything that “Available on Your Services” includes PLUS items that are on your watchlist and in a library you have access to. Basically the use case is I want to know what I have available to me on my watchlist that I can watch right now.
In a perfect world, I would also like if this was the default view when on the Recommended tab of the Watchlist. Right now it’s “Movies Available On Your Services” but it’s be nice if it was more like “Movies Available To Watch Now”
This request has been brought up a couple of times before but I think it was closed either due to inactivity or not understanding what the request is as it was improperly labeled a duplicate. If I was not clear enough let me know and I will provide screenshots:
The suggestion thread you’ve linked was closed because it’s indeed a duplicate.
I had specifically linked the main suggestion that’s already been there. After closing the other one we had also highlighted that the main/original thread was discussing an option to filter what content is available on your own / shared servers (in addition to filter for certain channels).
Hence I suggest you comment/vote in that thread in order to help avoid scattering this even further and therefore distracting/cannibalizing votes.
Otherwise please explain what part of your suggestion I’m missing (I don’t want to close something that’s not already covered).
I’m actually willing to close mine if the votes would transfer because I think the difference (and this is more important) is that On Plex vs. Streaming is very confusing. I think what’s warranted is a filter for Servers + Free Plex Streaming + Selected Channels to show all movies you can currently watch. Like a “Currently Available” filter
Selecting individual streaming channels isn’t necessarily part of that but I think it’s far less important
Thanks for the reply. I only see one comment asking for what I’m asking for (from August), and it seems different than the purpose of the original post. I’d think these are two separate feature requests in that matter.
Jeremy is requesting the ability to filter the current watchlist by items available on a particular streaming service, even if you don’t have that service. I am requesting the ability to show all watchlist items that can be viewed right now across all of your streaming services and Plex libraries. These feel like two distinct feature requests to me. If you still disagree I can close this and post there but I think there’s value in having both.
It drives me nuts that my media server software can’t tell me at a glance whether or not items on my watchlist are available on my media server.
I like the Recommended view. I like the “Movies Available On Your Services” row. It’s been discussed before in the first linked thread here (now locked), but why on earth do movies on my server not appear here? If not here, why not in another row?
Why do we need to drill into watchlist items to see if they’re on my own server (or servers shared with me)? So many oversights here that lead me to question the priority of servers over Plex’s on-demand offerings. For goodness sake, we use PMS as a reaction to streaming—not as another funnel to them (except when necessary).
I agree with everyone above on the filters as well.
It would nice while filtering by Service, I had an option for only the services I have selected, and / or any service PLEX can search. I also agree with the Watch Now option. Unless I’m wrong, my understanding of the Discover and Watchlist would be to 1st discover things I’m interested in, either from my selected services, and / or any service if I so choose…2nd, then add items I like to my watchlist. The Watchlist could then be used to review items that are currently available to watch now, what’s coming up, and what service they are located on…local, shared, and streaming service, preferably the services I’ve selected, and any / or if I so choose. Integrating the watchlist with the Guide would be great for seeing when something from my watchlist is available. Also…leave shows in the Watchlist after watching them. I use the watch list instead of the spreadsheet I’ve been maintaining for years.
#1 filter I want, right at the top of the list, would be “Available on this server” (or “on my servers” cause I hear connecting to multiple servers is a thing, though I’d wager the vast majority of users only have their one local server, so finding “local content” or “my content” is how we think about it).
Also, I want the opposite “not available” filter(s) (on my server, and/or on my services). The watchlist has two purposes for me, tagging movies I haven’t watched/want to rewatch, but also tagging new movies I hear about; later I want to consult the list and fetch them.
Lastly, “available on my services” vs “available to stream” is just plain confusing, I have no idea what the difference is. I’m using Plex on my TV, so everything I watch is streamed, even if from my NAS.
Also, regarding “my services”, I kinda wish I could tag “services I’m currently subscribed to”, and “services I sometimes subscribe to”. Lots of services in the settings list I’ll never subscribe to so they’re just noise (not available in my country, or I just don’t like them).
I know it might be convoluted, might be difficult UX, but eg I subscribe to Disney+ for a month every 6 months or so, long enough to watch the newest season of whatever.
So if I add to watchlist all the Disney+ shows I follow, then once in a while I can come back and see “ok, 3 new seasons, I’ll re-subscribe for a month”. But most of the time, I don’t really care that movie x or y appears “available” for me just cause it’s on Disney+, cause I’m not currently subscribed.
Same for Youtube movies.
Basically the filter I want is “can I actually watch it” vs “could I pay to watch it”…
I must say after all this time, I’m still shocked this isn’t implemented.
But… I suspect the absence of this feature may actually be a bug.
There is reference to this feature being available in Plex’s own page on universal watchlist. See the below extract from here - the question is basically what we are asking for!
How does the Watchlist know an item is available on a personal Plex Media Server? We take privacy seriously at Plex. To be absolutely clear up front, personal servers are not sending lists of library content to Plex. We don’t know what’s on your server.
Instead, when you visit a page that checks service/server availability of a title, the Plex app asks the Plex Media Servers you have access to (owned by you or to which you have access) whether there are any items matching what you’re viewing. If there is a match on that server, then it can appear as an available source on that page.
Is there anyway to confirm this with Plex support? And/or expedite review of this request?
I just want to comment that this is still a feature I’m interested in and just want to ensure it does not get closed. The Recommended tab of the watchlist is very odd if it’s only for my streaming services. The ideal use case is I sit down and I want to know “What can I watch right now” and I believe some combination of settings should allow the recommended tab to do that.
The watchlist is a major reason why I use Plex so I am hoping this can get changed.
