It appears that this affects a lot of aftermarket remotes. But there is a workaround:
Looks like some remotes use the escape keycode to perform the android back action. This remaps it to the correct button.
@evreichard said:
It appears that this affects a lot of aftermarket remotes. But there is a workaround:
- Download Button Mapper
- Enable in Accessibility
- In Button Mapper, select “Add Buttons”
- Add a new button (press your remotes back button)
- Then remap the above to the Android Back button.
Looks like some remotes use the escape keycode to perform the android back action. This remaps it to the correct button.
I appreciate the effort to find a workaround but having to pay $3.49 and add an app I shouldn’t need to fix an issue PLEX created by removing a common sense feature is less than ideal.
some of us bought the app and have full blown plexpass subs and are suffering. from what I see here it feels like plex don’t care or want to fix it.
it was working and now it’s not. imo the “not officially supported” answer isn’t acceptable as the shield platform officially supports keyboards; and this was working until plex decided to meddle with it.
@LetsGoMets said:
@evreichard said:
It appears that this affects a lot of aftermarket remotes. But there is a workaround:
- Download Button Mapper
- Enable in Accessibility
- In Button Mapper, select “Add Buttons”
- Add a new button (press your remotes back button)
- Then remap the above to the Android Back button.
Looks like some remotes use the escape keycode to perform the android back action. This remaps it to the correct button.
I appreciate the effort to find a workaround but having to pay $3.49 and add an app I shouldn’t need to fix an issue PLEX created by removing a common sense feature is less than ideal.
You don’t have to pay for the app. You only have to pay if you want to remap from the true back key to something else. You don’t need to unlock the app to remap another key (escape key in this case) to the back button.
@evreichard said:
@LetsGoMets said:
@evreichard said:
It appears that this affects a lot of aftermarket remotes. But there is a workaround:
- Download Button Mapper
- Enable in Accessibility
- In Button Mapper, select “Add Buttons”
- Add a new button (press your remotes back button)
- Then remap the above to the Android Back button.
Looks like some remotes use the escape keycode to perform the android back action. This remaps it to the correct button.
I appreciate the effort to find a workaround but having to pay $3.49 and add an app I shouldn’t need to fix an issue PLEX created by removing a common sense feature is less than ideal.
You don’t have to pay for the app. You only have to pay if you want to remap from the true back key to something else. You don’t need to unlock the app to remap another key (escape key in this case) to the back button.
Thanks for the workaround and will use this for the time being. Still a pity I have to install a 3rd party app to get what should basic functionality out of the Plex App.
This next bit is for anyone who wants to try this method to get you through.
The UI isn’t that intuitive but after you press “add buttons” and hit escape you have to select the escape key under that same “add buttons” menu and select your key to bind it. I had to check “single tap” “double tap” and “long press” to get mine to work properly but it’s working like it should now.
Thanks again, @evreichard
Full blown Plex Plass holder here. I have an Nvidia Shield TV as my primary playback device, running Plex Media Server off of a Gigabyte Brix running Ubuntu.
My favorite controller for my Shield is a Rii wireless USB keyboard device. Works fantastic for Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Youtube, etc, and worked for 2 years for Plex. Only in the last couple months has the escape key failed to stop playback of a video. I have to mash it down repeatedly for an indeterminate amount of time/repeats to get video to stop playback. Not cool when I have a 4 year old that likes to get out of bed while I’m watching the Sopranos or something else adult-oriented.
Lots of us have been using products similar to the Rii on Nvidia Shields… the Shield is the best set top device on the market by far, the only limitation it has is a decent user input device for search interfaces like Youtube needs. These micro-keyboards are a godsend for pulling up specific videos or logging in to a new streaming service. Usernames/emailaddrs/passwords using remotes or gamepads is fugging stoopid in comparison.
I’m glad to finally know that my Rii device isn’t malfunctioning, and that the problem is indeed the Plex client. I guess I can use the Shield gamepad remote when using Plex, and the Rii for all other streaming clients… but that devalues Plex for me. Seems pretty awful that Plex somehow broke the esc key.
Lockntross is 100% correct: Shield + USB keyboard is the gold standard. Please fix this, Plex.
So, do we know what version of plex the change occurred in? I’m going to find an old apk and downgrade.
EDIT: 6.15.0 is the last version where controls work normally for me.
“Not officially supported?”
Do you support the Nvidia Shield or not? You can’t break a pre-existing feature and expect nobody to notice. Honestly, I’m far more concerned that new releases have made it out with nobody noticing this on the dev team. You guys do testing on a Shield unit before release, right?
In any case, my wife and I would love it if you could re-enable implement this feature. She’s quit Plex in favor of Archos, but I’d still like to use it.
OMFG! As a Plex pass user and nvidia shield owner can I just give you guys a big thanks! Been dealing with this no stop button in the shield app for some time now. Couldn’t and still don’t understand why there is a stop button in my Roku, and my fire stick apps but not on the shield which is a better device. I think the shield app needs some loving from the Plex guys.
This is really frustrating that the escape button is still not work nearly 5 MONTHS later on the Plex Android app. I just installed Plex on my Odroid C2 running android and can confirm escape button does not work to get out of playback either. I have one of those mini wireless back lit keyboards from amazon with a small mouse pad in the middle. This keyboard I have has right and left bumper buttons on the top. Strangely enough I found out when I press the top right bumper button it exits playback. No clue why plex is even registering this button as a back/exit button but it is for whatever reason.
This is very annoying… The Nvidia shield controller is not the greatest so I purchased an air mouse controller and the back button is really an escape button and the Plex app does not stop the video when you hit escape… Why???
Thanks for the workaround.
hey, why is there no way to stop a video? it applies to Xiaomi Mi Box 3 too.
let’s say you don’t support USB keyboard, OK but but why don’t you add a stop icon??
is that too costly ?
now while I can understand you can’t support a full USB keyboard, is that too costly to support a ESC key??? that’s a standard right you don’t need to test with tons of USB keyboards, we would not ask that.
But ESC key IS a standard, so please add back support to ESC key.
Totally useless to run a Video if I can’t stop and go back to the menu!
And please, do NOT expect users to use the standard remove android TV control, they all suck! Users DO use third party bluetooth keyboards like the Rii, so please adapt to users, do NOT expect the other way.
Pressing the Win and Back buttons on a Rii remote gets me out of a video on my Mi Box. However, the remotes that I prefer using don’t have a Win key.
Came here looking for an answer and this one worked! I have a Rii+ Wireless keyboard device that I use as my primary with Nvidia Shield TV. Pressing and hold the “Win” button then pressing the “Back” button exited out of Live TV and returned me to the previous selected screen. Thanks for the solution! It was about to drive me nuts!
Plex Pass user here as well. My HTPC died and bought a Shield TV to replace it. Like others say, it is really strange that ESC works on all other apps on the Shield except for Plex. Most folks do use a keyboard with whatever flavor of Android TV they are using so it seems very weird that Plex does not support ESC.
@BigWheel I have a question (if you do not mind).
It seems to me that Shield TV (a version of Android TV) and Android TV do support keyboards?
https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4701
You see multiple companies saying that their products work with Android TV.
https://www.logitech.com/en-gb/android-tv (as an example)
I am not trying to make you mad and am a long time Plex Pass member. I had been running Plex Media it on an HTPC but that PC died so I bought a Shield TV so now run the Plex TV app for Android TV (Shield TV) .
I also run Plex Server on a linux box.
I am using a logitech K830 keyboard and a Riii8s.
I know that Windows+Backspace works. And Keymapper works with some tweaks (shortening the timings in options).
I find it really strange that ESC does not work like the Shield folks say it will? Can I ask why keyboard support is not enabled for Plex on Android TV when there is an actual keyboard function under the Shield (Android TV) settings?
Keyboards do work with Plex Media Player (which make sense) and I see why the two controllers that come with Shield TV work and Android TV does seem to support keyboard so not sure why Plex does not?
I am an ex developer and now moved to the dark side (management) and do not understand the logic to not supporting keyboards when Android TV appears to support them (as does every other app I have used on Shield TV)?
Thanks for taking the time to educate me…
I have an android TV box and have this problem too. I have the possibility to switch to the “mobile experience” which has this issue solved…
The problem is that I then get another show stopper.
I then have an orange overlay all the time.
Do the developers actually watch Plex themselves???
Another 3 months further and there is still no STOP button in TV-mode.
Why?
Either make Plex react on the back button of my fly-mouse or add a STOP-button!
August… ending august and we are still without a stop-button.
