I really like the new Discover feature with the universal watchlist. If you could add a “Watch on TV” button like Justwatch and Reelgood have, it would be perfect. This request goes for movies and shows in my plex library as well. I know there is a Chromecast button but I prefer to stream from phone to Roku.
Again, can you please add a “Launch to TV” button for phone apps to launch all plex library and streaming to a Roku?
Thanks
Let me check if I understood this suggestion correctly…
You want to play a video from Discover on a different device? So if you e.g. pick a video available on Netflix, you want to open it in Netflix but instead of playing it using the Netflix app on your mobile, you want to play it in the Netflix app on the TV?
That sounds rather tricky. I don’t think the Plex app on your phone can see what other apps are installed on your TV…
I would be happy with getting the same functionality that the AppleTV device has whereby you can launch the appropriate app associated with the programming. It is brilliant on the AppleTV the way it works, but I only have one appleTV, whereas all of my TVs are actual Roku Devices. I would use Plex Exclusively if this were updated for Plex to work the same on Roku as it does on the AppleTV.
@tom80H, it is different than that. Reelgood offers a “Play on tv” functionality that works on Rokus without deep linking. Technically, it isn’t really a “play on”, but rather I think it is a workaround that replicates the actions of a Roku remote control, probably using one Roku’s APIs (maybe something like this). Here is a link to Roku’s official Developer documentation.
Here is how it behaves in Reelgood, and how I think Plex’s Discover can duplicate the functionality to workaround Roku’s lack of deep linking availability.
First, the user logs into the app on either iOS/iPad/Android, and tells it which services they are subscribed to/connected to. Plex already does this as part of the “Discover” functionality because we, the user, tell it which apps we have installed.
Then, the app finds the hardware device to connect to, and behave like a remote. For example, I have two Roku devices and both are added to the app.
Finally, I find a program or movie I want to watch. Just like Plex’s Discover, it lists which services it is available on, but it also gives the option to “Play on tv”. When selected, it asks which of the connected services the user has told it that they are connected to play it with, and then which hardware to play it on. Once selected, the app (this is my understanding, and I could be mistaken) sends remote control commands to automatically open the chosen show/episode/movie/media the Roku of my choice, in the app that I told it to, and starts playing.
I hope this explanation helps, and provides a better explanation of what some users are looking for. Plex’s Discover is the only option I’ve been able to find that meets my father’s needs, because he’s been tracking everything with paper and pencil (old school), and since he has a Roku, I can’t recommend this to him.
(a bonus would be able to mark the program/movie as watched once launched, but I’m getting ahead of myself and that’d be a different feature request).
