Any Recommendations on a Media Server like Plex but without all the CLUTTER that they’ve strewn in there slowing it down & making it lose its Network Connection daily like Plex does now & keeps getting worse?
You’ll need to be a bit more detailed by what “clutter”, “slowing it down” and “lose its Network Connection” mean otherwise it’ll be hard to answer you on anything specific.
Two popular media servers are Emby and Jellyfin and might be worth taking a look at as alternatives.
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I want to suggest Jellyfin’ but don’t know your system set up.
I also want to point out the absurdity of asking for a “different media server suggestion” like, the one your posting ons’ website help forum, “you know just as good, but none of those bells and whistles.”
To me that’s the equivalent of walking into a BMW dealer and asking for them for a recommendation for a car just like theirs, just you know, stripped down, but just as good 
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Judging by this rant earlier today…
I assume he means a server without on deck, recently added etc…
Absolutely no tidal, Plex.inc curated movies, DVR, Live TV etc…
You know, all the clutter that is forced on us and apparently cannot be turned off… oh wait!!!
But specifically he wants a server system that doesn’t crash/lose connection like it does for him every day (and perhaps once every couple of years for the rest of us?)
More importantly the (non existent) server he wants to move to must have devs who assume that a feature request with 70+ votes represents some vast majority of users and will implement that feature immediately or run the risk of being branded as not listening to its users/paying customers.
Apologies to all for my CAPS lock key not engaging more constantly.
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Hi there & thanks very much. I’ll try to answer your question below. I’m not looking to try and fix it. It progressively gets more cluttered with apps I don’t use nor want & ever since that stated like LIVE TV, WEBCASTS & similar… It keeps being more & more unreliable. I don’t want to have to restart it multiple times a day which it does sometimes now when before, it could go weeks without a hiccup. Anytime I add new media it kicks offline & family out side my home cant stream & I didn’t know it was happening for awhile but that is definitely a thing since an few updates back. Even music files do it more which I thought odd since they’re so small but I assume it’s quantity not the larger video files necessarily. Even not being able to turn off the “Recommended” section in the libraries is been a feature asked to have the option a few years ago & they keep telling us that it wont happen because others like that section but THAT makes no sense because we want the OPTION to turn it off server side, not a deletion of it. I also contend that at least in my case, the “Recommended” section causes the media to kick offline or hang, or load way slower than the regular Library section does because it goes to RECOMMENDED by DEFAULT. If there was a way to make that not the default & make Library the a default, that would help but no one seems to care what the customer wants over here anymore. I think all the “Extras” like Live TV & TIDAL & similar, should be OPTIONAL ADD-ONS. I miss the Server that was clean & fast & it’s been slowly getting slower with “Clutter” in my opinion. The initials FW should be more simplistic & then have add-on FW if people want it but as much as I love PLEX & have touted them in the past, now I’m just going to try other things & move on. Thanks again for your help.
Yes but I want fast & simplistic & RELIABLE. Something Plex used to be& hasn’t been since al the “Clutter”. I appreciate your input. Take care
A lot of these sounds like personal situation issues and not Plex issues overall because the software has nothing to do with network disconnects so you might experience that same issue on other media servers. Same with slowness and shutdowns… that’s not a common experience and usually points to something in your setup or environment that could use additional troubleshooting. This forum is pretty open to helping in those cases when done in good faith and with specifics (helps to do a post about network disconnects and then a different post about server reboots for example).
As far as features you don’t like or don’t appreciate like the Recommended tab that’s kinda personal preference and not really a “fault”. As much as you don’t like it… most do and that’s why they picked this product, so maybe Emby has an interface you prefer. That’s not the fault of the product, it’s just a mismatch in personal preferences.
In regards to the additional services like arcade or free streaming channels I can’t really say - I only use the personal library stuff. Everything else is turned off so I don’t see it or use it. I don’t think those services being an option has any real impact on the home library functionality though so that might be a correlation you’re making that isn’t entirely accurate but feels like it to you.
Honestly… it’s really up to you where you want to spend your time and effort. I think the network disconnects and server reboots and remote user disconnects are something that troubleshooting directly and specifically would be solveable but the impression you’re giving here is not “I want to address my issues”.
So maybe, if you’re that fed up and don’t want to invest effort\time\good faith approach to your issues then you’re better off spending that time and effort checking into the other media center options which Plex community by it’s very nature isn’t really able to help sort out for you. You might try some of the cord cutter specific communities out there or maybe browse some of the various reddit communities and see what they roll with for their setups.
So you have your option as far as I can see them and it’s up to you where to apply your resources. No judgement either way… good luck!
Wow you’re so funny. Wrong but funny. You have to be dim to believe they cant simply make turning off Recommended an option. I am clearly not the only one who has had issues with servers disconnecting which has got really bad in the last year. It’s been over 2 years or longer since people asked for this option of turning off RECOMMENDED (NOT Get rid of it completely for the Plex Fanboys) and I assumed it would eventually be an option but it hasn’t & then I realized yesterday that the reason its only “70+ Votes”, as you state, is because EVERYTIME the subject is broached, discussion of it gets shutdown like a Fascist Regime telling everyone your Freedoms are no longer your Rights. If you add-up all the posts that were shutdown early about the RECOMMENDED section, you would realize that the full amount of people asking for this is many more. The FACT that all discussion gets immediately stopped on that subject & the FACT that PLEX brass is unwilling to even consider making it an option to turn off, makes me question WHY? Why something that should be an easy fix and gives all the OPTION of their choice is such a hard thing for them to now do. I’ve been here since the beginning. I built my own server that’s over 8 years old & runs 24/7 & where I can edit it remotely from any PC in my home & I had to configure it so I can restart it from other PCs too. It’s not me nor my server that is the problem here as you insinuated. It never used to do this. The libraries Default to the “Recommended” section instead of “Library” it loads straightaway and takes for ever to load if on Recommended so again, the issue isn’t with my HW or it would load slowly on “Library” as well. & as you state in your opening paragraph, I want it the way it WAS> With On Deck & Recently added but without the rest. It should be my option after all since I purchased the Lifetime membership for a Media Server that was fast & clean, not one that forces content & addons on the customer. All the extras should be optional & if you think I am crazy, I think you’d make a good dictator. Have a good one.
Hi, Been here awhile. I know how things work. The community is great but having options to turn things off & on are in Plex already, I just think they should apply to other places in the server. Thanks for your input. Cheers
Try Emby. It does not do everything you want but I use it for most of my viewing and the Emby devs respond to most questions on the forums quickly.
Emby is far from perfect but so is every other media manager that exists.
BTW: I suggest you avoid JellyFin as it is just a branch of Emby from before Emby realized that they needed to protect their intellectual property and went closed source. While technically what JellyFin has done is legal I believe that morally they have stolen Emby’s intellectual property.
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By the way, thanks for the recommendations. That’s how “Recommendations” is supposed to work, when they are asked for. Seriously thank you, I will be trying out the ones you all have mentioned & if this topic is still open, I will post my reviews to help others wanting similar sleek servers. Take care
Thanks very much, will do
Oh the irony.
Have fun with Emby.
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I think your very confused. My libraries default to Library view and only change to recommended when I ask.
I have absolutely NO issue with Plex’s automation of my requested viewing style. It’s a Library view.
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Some interesting thoughts in this thread for sure.
I think my favourite was the Emby/Jellyfin thing.
Create open source software… make it bloated over the years to the extent that others choose to use that open source code to make a leaner version.
There is no intellectual property in open sourced software.
If parts of that open sourced software SHOULD have been close sourced it’s not stealing. It’s definitely incompetence though.
Kudos though. It’s pretty brave making accusations of stealing in an open forum.
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My server has been running for just about 4 years (3 with Plex Pass) and I have had no random shutdowns of any kind. No lock ups, just normal reboots to do Windows updates, and after getting my router configured to work with Plex and my VPN, haven’t had any Remote disconnects.
The only thing I use that’s “CLUTTER” (in your opinion) is the Podcasts, because I’m sick and tired of having to download this and that “specialty” app just to access what I want.
Your “personal” wants, of this and that being able to switch on/off or “optional add-ons” are just that, YOUR WANTS. Do I agree it should be more customizable for those of us who want to “tinker” with the ascetics and feel? Yeah, but since the people over at Plex are trying to make a unified experience easy enough for non-tech people to interact with, our “requests” are not priority to them. By all means make your requests, but try to relax (no need for an aneurism over it).
I just find it funny that people who have made something that a lot of people enjoy are constantly berated for not making it “MORE TO insert entitled person here 's LIKING!”
You’ve been given some alternatives (like you asked for) but I’m sure you’ll find fault with them also.
My last suggestion is BUILD WHAT YOU WANT & HOW YOU WANT IT!
You seem to insinuate it’s so easy…
Good luck on your search 
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This ^^
reading links in links in links on this thread.
When @BigWheel reply here
I’m sorry, an “ Option to remove “Recommended” tab in players ” will not happen. I’m closing this to give your votes back.
Seemingly equates to “A snide response”
@SE56 covered it well. Don’t look at the recommended tab (that seems to cause @Turfking8 so much offense) and never see it again.
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