Apparently, Plex does not like to hear the truth about their Windows 10 Mobile app being broken, I mean literally useless. Not some minor function or glitch, I mean so useless that I have not used it in months and when a new update is released I enter with a notion that it will be nothing more than another disappointment. I install it with a glimmer of hope, but the glimmer quickly fads away.
I have submitted repeatedly my issues with the app (with logs) with hopes that they will get it resolved, sometime they fix the issue and open up another can-of-worms or break the app entirely. I have been patient with the development of the Windows 10 Mobile app, but patient is running thin these days. I am frustrated and rightfully I should be after months and months of trying to work with the developers of the Windows 10 Mobile app. However, they want to point finger elsewhere, in this case Microsoft. Ok fair enough, but no explanation was given when I told them that all my other apps on my Windows 10 Mobile phone work perfectly fine. This is includes non-media apps and Groove, Pandora, Spotify, and their competitor Emby. All work perfectly fine on my Windows 10 Mobile phone.
So maybe the issue is not with my Windows 10 Mobile phone and/or Microsoft, but with the person developing the Plex app for Windows 10 Mobile. The reason for this assumption is because of my statement in the paragraph above. My “vote” poll to hire a new Windows 10 Mobile developer what “CLOSED” and probably rightfully so as this was not a productive use of my time according to Plex, but rather I should either try to work with the developer (I have) or simply shut my mouth. Am I not allowed to complain?
So to be fair I contacted the developer of the Windows 10 Mobile app and asked when these major issues will be fixed? Now let it be know I did not offer to assist in trying to help with their endeavor as I feel that I have spent more than enough of my time helping in the past and it is now time for them to do their part and fix the issue that still plague the Windows 10 Mobile app. If I see progress in resolving these issues, I will return to helping out and doing my part. I have yet to receive a response. Maybe she/he is on vacation or unattainable due to for some unknown reason. Hey, we all deserve some PTO, I get it. However, every single post that I have created was magically answered. Could this just be a small glitch in the forum software or a deliberate attempt to shut me up?
It’s a “feature” of the forum software that, as soon as someone replies to a question it shows up as answered, it has nothing to do with a deliberate attempt to shut you up. Notice how it now shows answered after my reply. You can then go in and mark posts as answered and it will turn to green, which means the thread has been fully answered.
Yes, I am aware of that, but all of a sudden most if not all of my posts got answered!? So either it is a bug or they are hoping that I will be quiet.
The forum has 2 types of “answered”. When you post a question and you get a response from anyone, it will show a gray “answered” icon. It’s suppose to show that you got an answer from someone, not necessarily the correct answer. Only when you (the OP) selects a comment as “Answered” then you get the green icon and that comment gets copied to the front page. It’s always been this way. I’m not sure of any changes to this. You don’t get either the gray or green “answered” if the thread is a discussion. If you started your thread as a discussion, maybe a mod changed it to a question so you could then select the “Answer”.
Lets talk about Plex for Windows 10 Mobile and why it is broken all the time.
Ok. Let’s start with what is broken?
It appears that AudioAudiophile is on par. Exactly what I have been saying all along and he/she is getting attention. Oh wait, he/she hasn’t taken that bait.
Yes, and that user had actually listed some specific issues. Not very detailed, but it’s something.
You still haven’t said what YOUR issues are. Does the phone play Beiber when you try watching the Kardashians? Does the phone reboot when you click pause? I’d like to address your issues, but getting you to say what actual problems you have is like pulling teeth.
I am having the same issues as AudioAudiophile. So are lot of other people from what I have read. They are pissed just as much as I am. AudioAudiophile is going to be pissed too.
v3.2.4 of the app was just released and slowly making out it to users. Give that version a try then report back specific issues that still aren’t working .
Ok great, I will get my salt shaker!. Also why is Plex the highest consumer of my battery even though I have not used it in a month? Does Plex always run in the back ground even though I have killed the task and rebooted?
The app does run some stuff in the background, so it’s possible. This allows for things like initiating mobile sync from PlexWeb or acting as a Plex player so you can send playback to it. The first part should take little power as I understand it. The latter can be turned off so check for that. There are also other options like act as server and so on that may be turned on.
I see, fair enough. The new release coming tonight, I see build number. 3.2.3 in the store but no update option. Uninstalled and reinstalled. Still on 3.1.24.
It’s a staggered release so you’ll likely see it in a few days. Looking at the release notes, battery drain is one of the issues this new release fixes.
Ok got 3.2.5 this morning, so maybe some last minutes changes/updates/fixes.
First impressions:
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Nothing noticeably new (was under the impression that there was going to be some very cool features (like reliability) mentioned by pombeirp. Not that I care about features as much as reliability).
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Appears to load faster, but this is the first run on this build.
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I experience that when stopping playback, closing Plex and then going back to resume play that I was notified of a playback error (sorry missed the details) .
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After Plex sits for a while with no music playback and when I decide to resume the controls are not responsive.
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Long delay from “Play” from tap-and-hold on album tile. Some times the album never plays and I must press Play to start music playback.
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Slight delay with Bluetooth at launch. Here the songs plays but through the phone’s speakers then switches over to Bluetooth. Also notice that if I pause a song and then resume that it plays through the phones speakers and then Bluetooth. In some cases no Bluetooth play at all, just phone’s speaker.
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Video playback is non-existent. Plex just sits there with a dark screen and I have to hard exit the app to regain control of my phone.
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Music playback slider appears to be in sync with music playback.
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Lost Playlist on Home.
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Still no “Play” from tap-and-hold on Playlist tile.
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Battery drain not fix, if anything it has gotten worse. I typically have 28-32 hours by the time I get to work around 6:00am EST. I now have less than 18 hours.
I am going to chalk this up as fluke on my install. I just cannot believe for a second that all this silence since build 3.1.42 ( and being ignored) was devoted to fixing issues that everyone has ben complaining about for the past several months only to succumb to this level of failure. Nah, can’t be!
Going to reset app data and uninstall and reinstall.
Ok reinstalled Plex 3.2.5. Just another note here on the install. It fails several times unless I reboot. This has been the only app that does this in my experience.
The list of issues in my recent post above still stand with the exception of battery drain. I will need to monitor this over the course of the morning.
I reviewed the release notes for this build and I must say that I am very disappointed. The list of fixes really does not address the complainants that I and others have posted. So what are we doing here!?
The list of new features is also disappointed, but I am really should not complain as they are not a value-add but more of a bonus since most people are complaining about reliability with the exception of Video Upload. However I see no function/controls to this new feature. Should I assume that this is handled by the Camera Upload function? If so, this is the wrong path to take. There should be some separate control either within Camera Upload or as a separate Tab. Also, there should be control over where videos are uploaded as I do not care to cherry-pick through my already massive photo collection.
Ending impression:
It does not seem that we have gained any ground with improving Plex for Windows 10 Mobile. So the past month or so was a complete waste of time and again I enter this with a grain of salt only to be met with disappointment. One step forward, two steps back is not progress.
Seriously Plex, you need to find another developer. He/She is make a complete mess and is pissing people off! How much longer are you going to allow this!? If this continues people who have bought into your solution are going to request a refund and this is not going to go ever well in your reviews.
P.S. Battery drain fix is a complete joke. Sine my last mentioning of this in my previous post (18 hours of battery life) I now have about 6 hours of battery life. WTF!!!???
Let’s go through your issues one at a time then, because what you describe is not what we have seen in our testing. Let’s start with the most glaring one.
- Video playback is non-existent. Plex just sits there with a dark screen and I have to hard exit the app to regain control of my phone.
Please recreate this then provide me the log from the app and from PMS.
Tested the new version on my Lumia 950, I am not able to reproduce most of your issues:
Nothing noticeably new (was under the impression that there was going to be some very cool features (like reliability) mentioned by pombeirp. Not that I care about features as much as reliability).
Personally I’d rather like the dimmed background, but nowhere have ‘very cool features’ been announced.
Appears to load faster, but this is the first run on this build.
it definitely does load quicker, also on subsequent openings.
I experience that when stopping playback, closing Plex and then going back to resume play that I was notified of a playback error (sorry missed the details)
Can’t reproduce this
After Plex sits for a while with no music playback and when I decide to resume the controls are not responsive.
Can’t reproduce this
Long delay from “Play” from tap-and-hold on album tile. Some times the album never plays and I must press Play to start music playback.
Can’t reproduce this
Video playback is non-existent. Plex just sits there with a dark screen and I have to hard exit the app to regain control of my phone.
Can’t reproduce this, both on wifi and off wifi
Music playback slider appears to be in sync with music playback.
Not sure what the issue is here.
Lost Playlist on Home.
Can’t reproduce, playlists are still showing on home.
Still no “Play” from tap-and-hold on Playlist tile.
Agreed, that would be a good addition.
Battery drain not fix, if anything it has gotten worse. I typically have 28-32 hours by the time I get to work around 6:00am EST. I now have less than 18 hours.
Can’t comment on this but I never get18 hours battery life…
I’m jealous. What model Lumia 950 do you have? I can recreate these issues almost at will.
Stock Lumia (not XL), fully up to date on production build, no insider build installed.
