Right, and I’m with you there, don’t get me wrong, I understand how an App has expanded past its traditional OS-specific frameworks. What I cannot be convinced of is that the App loading from the local plex server has the right to load a bunch of ad infested content that I didn’t request or approve. It’s running on my machine, it’s a local server meant to serve my local media.
The local plex instance is hosting the HTML that instructs my browser to load whatever external resource and produce a view of said disgusting ads, highjack my menu, and so on. If the HTML did not link the js and css those things would not come up.
Would you be happier if the server didn’t come with an embedded app? That would solve the issue for you wouldn’t it?
Or, and this may sound a little crazy, why don’t you just login to the app? Do it once, your settings get saved and you no longer have to look at the ‘ads’ that are seemingly the worst thing that has ever happened…
If it didn’t come with an interface it would be worth much less and be less adopted. I think you’re confusing your own indignation with my tone and disrespect with the issue. You don’t have to like me, but the issue I raised is valid and you know it.
For the log in suggestion: I already explained that it’s not an experience I enjoy - having to remember and type up my password every time I want to see some movies on my local network. And that seems to have been considered a valid use case since plex itself offers an option to forego authentication for specific IPs.
I’d imagine the embedded app in the server is used a lot less than one of the many other player apps that are available. I get far more use out of the apps on my computer, phone, and TV than I do from using a browser to open up the server. But, notwithstanding that, the app in the server is just an embedded version of app.plex.tv. It works in exactly the same way, always has.
Unless you’re signing out then Plex should be remembering that you’re logged in. The worst you should have is needing to select a user and maybe input a PIN, but that can be bypassed by going into options within whatever app you’re using and selecting automatically sign in.
I understand. I use a micro PC connected to my TV which has a browser. When the browser closes, stuff is cleared. It’s in a common space, others use it to check mail and so on, not a good idea to maintain sessions. Either way, Plex is able to properly serve up a UI in the browser, the part where it fails is respecting user choice - which is not the same as providing workarounds for removing ads after the fact.
It’s not an embedded app.plex.tv, it’s served by the plex server directly. Not an iframe, not a proxy, the files are on my hard drive. Otherwise it would never load up the UI when the internet is down.
curl http://10.0.0.201:32400/web/index.html | grep iframe
% Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current
Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed
100 11543 100 11543 0 0 1334k 0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:-- 1409k
<iframe name="downloadFileFrame" style="display: none">
There’s no positive outcome from the default behavior at this time, no matter how I look at it. Something is changing my menus, is showing me ads, and I have no way to permanently disable that unless I log in and use the workarounds designed by them. If the ad content is such an awesome thing, why is there an option to disable it anyway? In fact, why not make it a permanent menu item all the way at the top, and push whatever local server all the way down?
Revenue is way more important once you hit a specific number of users because they all just transform into statistics. Oh you want us to ask you before displaying ads? Haha, guys, 'mere! There’s 1 dude asking for this. That’s like 0.003% of our userbase!
But no, let’s go full crazy and say stuff like this:
If you are clearing sessions when the browser is closed then how would it be able to retain your user choices?
Semantics. It’s a local copy of app.plex.tv within the server. It operates exactly the same way as app.plex.tv (because it’s the same thing) with the exception of it’s usually a few versions behind.
You have the answer of how to resolve this. You can login to the server and/or the app to save your settings. Or you can unpin the offending sources. If, however, you want to use a browser where you’re clearing everything when you finish then I don’t really know how you’re expecting your settings to get saved between sessions.
Default behavior is to bypass user choice. What you’re describing is a method to suppress a default behavior, which is the problem and why I started the thread and didn’t apologize after the first comment suggested the workaround.
People usually come to the forum for help. It is normal for Plex employees, moderators and other users to try and fix the issue.
After your second post I figured out that you were lodging a complaint, not looking for help with a problem.
There’s nothing wrong with that but don’t equate people trying to help with ignoring your issue.
I don’t understand why you don’t want to log in to Plex.
I agree that it would be nice if Plex asked if we want to use their services but how do they ask you if you don’t log in?
I am not refusing to log in, I’m logged in now. I’m saying it’s not a convenient workaround with the setup I have. And besides, would it be annoying to you to turn something on, once? Meaning if you want the content, turn it on in your account.
I would argue It’s a better trade-off – usability wise – than requiring that I state my preference multiple times because the server “has no other option” than asking plex.tv for my preference at login. There’s plenty of options:
ENV variable
Server config
Defaulting to no on private intranet locations only when there’s no logged in user
Simple text file in the server’s path storing the preference
Offering 2 different options for plex server downloads no, that’s stupid, I meant for the web GUI pack downloaded form production servers
Open sourcing a stripped down UI (ensuring revenue) together with the server which is already OS
Most of the above could be activated based on the admin account preference - the one account which claims the server. If that account has adfest off, server follows that preference for anyone except accounts with ad content explicitly enabled.
hey @plex_unstable.cf so I was asking about this and there was a change in the web app recently that I did not know about regarding this. Need to use at least the local web app 4.48.1 ( avail in server 1.21.2.3918) or newer to allow for the local web app to load without providers.
not sure what version you are running but update server if earlier than 1.21.2.3918.
Exactly, I’m asking for the same thing essentially, but for situations where there’s no user logged on.
Awesome. I am not sure which version I was on but had to be older because I blocked it in my pi-hole and little snitch for the random IPs plex server itself was trying to connect to.
Alright, updated, status is “up to date”.
Signed out of the server too (unclaimed), did not log in, and the UI is clean, only serves what the local plex server has indexed. Love it. This is such a game changer you have no idea.
