Just wanted to share my findings with others on the whole API ban thing with Google, and also some of their limits/requirements. Just to help, because knowledge is power!
Keep in mind, I am using Plex Cloud, not Google Drive mounted and an actual Plex Server
API Bans: These tend to happen when files are actually scanned. Every time you open up a movie or file, Plex automatically scans it for it’s properties. (What resolution is it? What audio is it? Are there subtitles? etc) So if you frequent your files, and skip from file to file often, the API bans will happen more often. You can scan your libraries as often as you so please (again, using the Plex Cloud version, as it doesn’t auto analyze the files) without ever worrying about the API bans. But actually opening or analyzing is where this tends to happen.
Another note on it that might be useful to know, is that the API bans are labeled as “24 hour bans” by everybody, but this is not 100% accurate. The bans are lifted APPROXIMATELY at 6:30 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. eastern standard time. So if you get an API ban at 5:30, it will only last an hour, not 24.
Upload Limit:
This is SEPARATE from the API bans. You can only upload 750GB per day of data. Total. No matter file size, how many files there are, none of that matters. It is strictly the total data amount of 750 per day. (This shit kills me! I need more!) Once this limit is reached, you will not receive an API ban, you will still be able to watch anything and everything you so please, and you will just have to wait until that 750GB data limit resets.
Speaking of resetting, this one is slightly different than the API ban time. Upload limits reset at approximatly 9:30 a.m. - 9:45 am Eastern standard time. I typically start my days uploads right as 9:30 hits, and reach 750GB around 3. And every day, at 9:30 without fail, I can magically start uploading again.
Library size:
I’ve found that with movies and such, library size doesn’t matter. I’m currently sitting at 10,000+ movies at the time of writing, and it takes approximately 12 minutes to scan that folder each time I do.
But Television series on the other hand? That is a different story. Typically because of how they are laid out. You do a folder for each show, then inside of each of those folders is another folder for each season. Every folder you add, adds time to your scan, because Plex Cloud scans ALL of your folders, every time. No partial scans… I recommend splitting up the folders around the 400 show mark. Anything over 400 shows, and it begins to take 10, 20, even 30 minutes to scan. Which is just annoying…
Taking Forever to scan:
Every so often, I get a show added that seems to cause the scan to hang. Currently, it is Steven Universe Season 04. My library there has been scanning for the past 6 hours, and it has not shown. Be patient with these. They will finish scanning eventually, though I have had them take upwards of 3 days to finish before. (That was for the whole “Good Times” show, all the seasons). Once this “Initial scan” of the files that are causing it to hang is done, it will not happen again. You will go back to scanning at a normal rate for the size of your libraries!
Services:
When streaming from Google Drive over the Plex Cloud, I have found that the Kodi version of Plex is your best option. Install Kodi on the Fire Stick, or any other android device, and then go to add-ons, and do a search for Plex. Install that, then go to settings, and choose “original” and “Direct Play” for everything. Works like a charm! Trying to transcode surprisingly fails. And using a roku, or the stock version of Plex on the Fire devices also tends to fail, no matter the settings.
Plex Media Player on the PC is and always will be the best option for viewing though. Again, set everything to direct play at all times, with original quality. It will work 100% of the time, all the time. Unless of course, you have an API ban. Then nothing will work, just sayin…
Anyways, these are all of my findings, and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask! I’ve done all kinds of studies and research on this service, considering how much I use it, and I will gladly help anybody else who wants to know!
