Alternatives? Need to play music through my smart TV

Plex Players Smart TVs
,
1

I have been using Plex for 7 or 8 years. I use it to watch movies (only those that I have loaded), photos, and audio files (music and audio books). I have invested an enormous amount of time setting all this up. Everything has worked fine. Until now.

I watch movies and music videos only through my smart TV. I mostly use this same smart TV (actually two TV/stereo system setups) to stream content. I rarely use my iPad to stream content. As for music and audiobook playback when I am away from home I use a Fiio DAP with headphones.

It seems that I will be able to view movies and videos I download from the internet through this new Plex app. It also seems that I will be able to stream music to my iPad, and photos to my iPad. But not to my smart TV.

I am truly perplexed why Plex would do all this. Why have they decided to take away certain smart TV functionality? I will make the shift for movie/video streaming, but I really need to be able to view photos on my 75" smart TV. And more importantly to be able to source music fed to my two audio receivers through the smart TV. But I am told by Plex officials that I will NOT be able to do either of these things through some new Plex app available on smart TVs. Their suggestion to build some “headless” system is no solution for me.

So, I am forced to seek an alternative for streaming music, audio books and photos.

I am wondering what forum community members experience with Emby and Jellyfin is? I am content to stay with Pkex for movies and videos, but I must have the ability to play audio files and photos through my smart TVs.

Which of these two alternatives is best for my audio/photos purposes? Please advise.

5 Likes
2

Nobody has any thoughts to share? Videos I see on YouTube generally advocate Jellyfin. But it looks difficult to install.

I would vastly prefer NOT todo this, but I must have the ability to play music and photos through my smart TV.

I can right now, but I think that is only because my Plex apps on the two smart TVs have not yet updated.

3

I switched from Plex to Jellyfin for music and photos on my smart TV, and it works great, free and no weird limitations. Emby’s good but locks features behind paywalls.

4

kodi would do those things on its own not needing plex
although you could configure kodi as a plex front end as well

5

Would @elan please respond here to this issue. There should be a way for us to play music content through our TV systems. I will not debate removing this function from the Plex app to compartmentalize the feature set. But why can’t this go hand in hand with a Plexamp app for TV use. You have evolved a great music player and it is much appreciated. We need it on TVs.

6 Likes
6

Does Jellyfin support Local Media Assets, e.g., for adding concert and music videos to artists pages?

7

Another reason I play music via my Apple TV: It is getting my high-res lossless audio files, sending them straight to the DAC of my Anthem receiver.

If I have to use AirPlay, then it is going through a down conversion (though still lossless).

8

There should be a way for us to play music content through our TV systems…You have evolved a great music player and it is much appreciated. We need it on TVs.

^ This, this, a hundred times this. There’s a distinct type of *ification going on at Plex and it’s starting to smell a bit.

9

So, where are we on getting the functionality of playing music files through our TVs?

10

Here you go.

12

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.