For Plex to stay competitive in this cord-cutting market I think the search functionality needs to be updated immediately. We should be able to search across local, Plex-friend libraries you have access to, and streaming services all at once. A feature I really admire from TiVo allows users to do just that. Do we really care which provider it’s from? No, we’re searching for something specific we want to watch. There’s no reason why this can’t be implemented immediately as searching Netflix was possible from within Windows Media Center in 2002. I believe searching across multiple providers is becoming an industry standard (Firestick, AppleTV, Roku) and Plex is getting left behind. My mother is now familiar with using the Plex app while watching my son but she couldn’t find things she “knew we had” cause she searched within Plex and didn’t know she had to switch apps to search for it on Netflix.
Obviously a “linked accounts” area would need to be added to the settings menu. Plex could continually update this section with new services as they become available. Anyone who subscribes to a streaming live tv service (Playstation Vue, Youtube TV, Hulu, Sling) can currently use their credentials to login to specific apps/websites like FXX or Disney and is basically on-demand content. The ability to login to all of those services could be added and included in the plex global search. This is something offered by PlayOn with the ability to download the on-demand content however all we would need is the ability to search and stream it.
A new menu feature of “what’s popular”, “what your friend’s are watching”, or “recommended” could be displayed on the home screen after streaming accounts are linked to help you find things you have access to and may not have watched or searched for otherwise.
