Hi.
I want to start the Media Server Software on demand.
I thought that I had seen a setting, now I can’t find it.
My other question is that I loaded a Movie and now it’s Transcoding from AC3 to AAC.
Why is it doing that automatically and how do I stop that?
Need to disable auto-play globally.
I want PLEX to function only on demand.
Thanks!
what do you mean with “on demand”?
For Plex to work, you’ll need to run the Plex Media Server application. If there’s no clients connected, your OS will let the app sleep until there’s requests coming. For Plex to only start when you open a client, you’d need another application running in place of the PMS to monitor those requests and start the server (which is sort of redundant).
Transcoding depends on the capabilities of your client (or what the client OS tells the Plex Client it’s capable of). If your client e.g. supports AC3 but only for a certain amount of channels or max bitrate, Plex will transcode it to match that limit – if the client prefers AAC over transcoded AC3, the transcoding target will be AAC.
Sometimes transcoding is also triggered by how you’ve configured the client. You can e.g. check if you allow your client to direct play or direct stream – or if you have e.g. required it to go for a certain quality level when streaming in a certain environment (e.g. via mobile / the internet / your home network…
@tom80H -
I only want PLEX Media Server to only start on my system when I click on it, hence, on-demand.
Right now, it is playing a movie and I didn’t request it, so I want to stop that as well.
I must ask is it trans coding? Check via activity tool in top menu bar
Now it it labeled as “now playing.”
I just unchecked Start PLEX Media Server at login in the System Tray. That should help.
However, now playing is still Transcoding which just finished.
This is located in the video snapshot in the middle of the screen.
The movie is now paused on the home screen. How can I just “stop” the video?
I see that there is a learning curve… lol.
Just stopped the Media Server by exiting but upon restart the video again starts playing where it left off.
Is there no stop button?
Would mark as unplayed stop the video?
I am missing the stop button from the Media Server application?
Sorry for all the questions.
Hoover the cursor over the image and select stop.
The stop function is as displayed in screenshot below
Now it’s Transcoding again…
Here’s a pic -
I’m usina a W10 system and I see that you are using a Mac.
Do you mean the “close player” button that is a small X on the lower right hand side?
Why is it Transcoding, anyway.?
Shouldn’t PLEX alert me and ask permission?
Because web browsers usually don’t have an AC3 decoder.
I know for sure that Firefox doesn’t.
And it is only converting the audio, not the video. So the impact on your cpu load should be minimal.
If you want a player on your PC which doesn’t trigger transcoding, download and install Plex Media Player additionally. Download below.
Hello OttoKerner -
That’s interesting. It’s only converting it for the browser.
Does it do this only once and save the new audio or is it on every browser open?
Still think PLEX should ask me before doing.
Is there a way to view the movie natively on a PC in PowerDVD 18?
TIA!
I would prefer this.
This is strictly on-demand. Nothing is stored. The type of player and the selected audio track and the available network bandwidth are all considered before the decision is made to transcode or not.
That is how Plex is working. And it won’t ask. Don’t forget: Plex is a server. It can server remote clients. It can serve clients running on a set top box or a mobile phone. If it should ask before each of these tasks, then you might as well hand out the files to play manually.
No. That is a DVD player. Not a Plex client.
Install the Plex Media Player software.
It also plays all different varieties of media files.
How about VLC?
Thanks.
VLC is no Plex client.
OK. what are some other PLEX clients for the pc, Apple and Android.
I understand what you are saying, just trying to get this one questions done.
Thanks.
You cannot start Plex Media server on-demand. As a server it is intended to run 24/7.
Well, there is a box in the System Tray to uncheck in the media server.
Is that for the built in player or the server?
I just don’t want this system bogged down if PLEX is not serving any video, etc.
Why would I need to download the player if PLEX media server has a built in player?
So it would run only when you asked. I have been running Plex for many years now and there are no issues on a iMac i5 bogging down unless your trans coding more than 2 Titles. Check running your Plex server with a few common apps that you use with your task manager.
With Plex server also make sure you don’t have Video Preview Thumbnails enabled in Library settings and scheduled tasks are not at a time when you need you computer for other tasks.
