Is there any support coming out for plex as a platform for all media.
Meaning I can have an add in to access my Netflix account through plex?
Same with all the other premium streaming apps?
This is simply not possible. Those other parties do not provide any tools (e.g. API) for such integration. Even if metadata could be gathered, video payback won’t be possible due to DRM.
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@sander1 @TheOriginalXman - How about through establishing a B2B or Partnership relationship with the providers. Utilising a sandboxed Widevine similar to Firefox does for required DRM on the clients installed upon users consent. Though would be a requirement for use or installation of the provider’s Plex channel.
Plex Media Server would receive the metadata required for its library. But it would tell the provider’s API to send the video and/or audio stream directly to the Plex client which requested the stream; when a user requests playback or resumes playback. As it is brokering the request for the Plex Client. The client would send updated playback progress to PMS which would send this data back to provider. The other appropriate applicable metadata would where appropriate with required GDPR compliances, be sent back to provider also by PMS.
Thus the client would receive the DRM’ed stream directly from the provider, getting the appropriate license and video unaltered or intercepted.
Basically it would be saying to the API in conversational manner:-
“<insert provider’s name here>, please send me (PMS server) the metadata I need this for my library. However send the DRM’ed media streams (and other drm data) to my requesting clients as they will be handling the playback. They will send me back to me the updated metadata for requested item and if legally appropriate with consent send it back to you so your records can be updated.”
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In short Plex is not only NOT going this way but they are apparently shortly even limiting plugins which means even if you find a way to get it work or manage to get this working it will be blocked in the future… Very disappointing move from them.
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Not that it mattered. This feature suggestion was NEVER going to happen. There’s no reason for Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu to agree to any such arrangement and anything else would be a blatant disregard for their TOS agreements.
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Users like me will only ever use a unified interface. Not three different devices for 10 different services. Hulu currently does not have my support due to this. I have a work around for Netflix.
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Exactly what you are saying cannot happen happened with Roku. They support those channels.
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Are you talking about a plugin for the Roku Plex app? If so, again, it’s entirely against the TOS for those streaming services and Plex could never officially support it.
As long as Plex has media server in the middle, their hands are pretty much tied with regards of accessing/streaming copyrighted content from official sources.
And users like you are pretty much in the minority. While folks may settle on a single hardware platform (Amazon, Roku, Apple), they have totally bought into the “app per service” paradigm (though Apple’s “TV app” tries to mitigate this somewhat, you still have to have all the serivces’ apps installed).
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I didn’t say for the Roku plex app. Are you trying to obfuscate what I am saying or do you not read well?
Who said anything about the Roku plex app??
I said Roku. The Roku is a media player which brings everything together: Netflix, Hulu, etc. In the same way plex should be able to offer services like hulu and Netflix, by adding these as part of the main app… Through negotiations with these service providers. The same way Roku has.
Plex could never officially support it? What like Roku don’t?
Regarding your comment about plex being the media server in the middle… I again didn’t add this limitation, you did.
All I need is a link to the service and if it streams directly from the service provider to my media player all the better. No coder capable of this. Doubt it.
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I asked for clarification, it was an honest question because it wasn’t clear to me what you were describing. Thanks for the clarification.
Comparing the Roku platform (hardware) to Plex (a software solution) is like comparing apples and oranges. Apple TV does what the Roku does too but that is neither here nor there.
As I said, as long as Plex (a software solution) requires a software server between the video source and the player, this is a non-starter. Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon will never agree to this scenario because there’s no way Plex can guarantee “protecting” that content from pirating.
No, I didn’t add this limitation, it’s how Plex works.
Again, that’s not how Plex works. Everything you view on your Plex app goes through the Plex server. If you don’t understand that architecture, there’s nothing more I can tell you.
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@darcilicious - You talk about hardware solutions and software solutions, what is your point? Exactly how is this “apples and oranges”? Both Roku and Plex are solutions comprised of hardware and software. In the case of Roku they supply both the hardware and software but other than that there is no difference, the real magic is in the software.
I think you are trying to obfuscate things here by throwing out irrelevant statements but if you want another example of Netflix, Hulu, etc. integration into something you would consider a “software solution” like Plex than please explain Playon? They integrate these services into a media player as well as a media server that can serve out to other devices. In fact it will allow you to record streaming media from these services for later play back.
The person that said they have no API’s… yeah ok, I bet that’s news to them since they paid real developers to have them created.
I am not saying it would be easy or straight forward but don’t throw excuses out simply because you don’t want to do it.
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This request seems much more relevant now that Plex has rolled out this exact function for the Tidal music service. If they can do it with Tidal, they should be able to do it with Netflix, Vudu, MoviesAnywhere, etc. I’m sure it would require some sort of agreement between Plex and the provider, but it at least appears to be technically possible.
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+1 for a unified search over all of my accessible content via the Plex interface. Like others, I understand how Plex works, and I understand it wouldn’t be trivial to add the requested feature. But nobody is saying the Plex server needs to be the source of the video, or that we require Plex’s JIT transcoding, or offline viewing capabilities. My xfinity box and app provides access to netflix and hbo now and soon, amazon prime video.
I’m seeing less value in my Plex subscription. IMO it should be investing everything it can in being the unified viewing experience. The argument that people are used to different apps is true, and it sucks. I have to remember which seasons are on my local Plex server vs. which I bought from Amazon. And what did I get for free on Google Play? And is that show a Netflix original, or Prime original?
What’s the pitch to get Amazon and Netflix to partner up? Show customers what they could be watching. Like Breaking Bad? (netflix), check out Ozark, only available on Amazon Prime.
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the only software able to do what you want, integrating all those subscriptions services in one place (amazon prime and netflix are already there, others might be added)… and adding content into your library is only one… and plex is a fork from that software wich is kodi.
Neverthless Plex is still great and worth a subscription but to use with kodi as a frontend, kodi is free and opensource, if you want to help kodi you can be a donor or develop addons.
Plex is the best option to use with kodi, for me it only makes sense to use both.
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You are “spot-on” and that will be the only way they survive
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This is the killer feature, a one stop shop for all content. I have Prime, Netflix and nowtv (UK) and my own stuff, I just want to see it all in one place. I doubt it will ever happen. Kodi is the closest thing but its confusing as hell for most people.
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There’s a hardware product called Caava that accomplishes universal search across Plex, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and cable DVR. I have not found a software solution.
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I don’t think the Plex folks get it. I really don’t. I also think that their idea of “one place” is far too restrictive. I don’t really care if Plex can index my Amazon content or Hulu or Netflix. Don’t care. I mean, it would be nice, but I understand the limitations, and it doesn’t matter. What would be really nice, though, would be for Plex to be able to play them through an embedded browser tab or whatever. Plex doesn’t have to do anything except provide a way to get into and out of them through Plex. No, it’s not a unified interface, but it doesn’t even matter at this point. The important thing is that I only have to have one media center running, and can get to all of my media FROM it. They really, really need to rethink this.
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Like I just mentioned try the caavo product. It’s essentially a smart HDMI switch. It is a unified interface for other smart devices. Say you put Apple TV in Port 1, Roku in 2, PS4 in 3, pc in 4. Caavo identifies each device, you get your Netflix, Hulu, Plex, prime, and whatever other apps in 1 interface. It will launch and switch HDMI ports to the preferred device/port for each app. Ie Netflix on Apple TV and Plex on roku. It also allows universal search with voice through several apps, they call it deep linking and support Plex, Netflix, Hulu, prime, Vudu, and your cable DVR recordings. I am debating picking up one just for the universal interface alone, let alone voice search, and content aggregation.
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first i understand your and everyone desire for a one stop media viewing shop…
Second to answer most likely why we will not see it with Plex is simple for every source it would require a licensing agreement and Open access API which most do not have otherwise DRM could shut down the service as a whole.
Third is somecase’s Roku’s and other Frontends are already the main stop but what your asking Plex to do is bypass geoblocking by pulling the video into your server account then server it to you which would be slower than directly going to the digital services page or app and also break TOS of alot of those services
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They’re adding multiple streaming services at Reelgood I don’t see why PLEX couldn’t do this.
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