That’s all well and nice, but the user I was responding to is the admin of their server. A server they state is only used locally (has no internet access) with local accounts they created on the server (which sound a lot like managed accounts so wouldn’t have discover/watchlist anyway).
So, other than them doing something wrong, what’s your explanation for how they’re getting tons of ads while watching their local content?
Me and the rest of my users continue to have a watchlist, and from it a suggestion to other servers. And it is also possible that they share a single user.
So you’re choosing to go back and use a feature that is pretty much designed to show you where items can be found, both locally and on external services. Given that choice do you think much weight should be given if you were to complain you were being subject to ‘tons’ of ads (which lets be fair is a bit of an exaggeration if all you’re using is the watchlist).
In the same way that it is an exaggeration to say that the fault lies with the user. The user does not “choose”, he sees the option and clicks, he does not understand that it does not work or what it is for, only that he used to watch movies and now he does not.
It’s not a ‘user’, it’s an admin. Someone who is IT-savvy enough to set up the server, add media, and other local accounts. Are you telling me they’re too stupid to understand that you’re not forced to click on the watchlist? Or the discover hub? Or that you can continue to watch media exactly as you did before any of these were added?
And yes, the user does ‘choose’. Maybe the first time there’s a little bit of ‘I don’t know what I’m doing’, (or if they’re are very much IT-illiterate and haven’t yet had someone provide a bit of assistance to explain it) but after that (and having decided they don’t like it) it’s very much their choice to continue using it, rather than just going back to what they did before (which is entirely unchanged in functionality).
Are you telling me that we can’t use the watchlist, something that has been requested for years, because it has advertising and that would mean we can’t complain?
And again, you have too much hope in users, my mother still has problems with Kodi, which has not changed in years.
Yes. If you don’t like the ‘advertising’ then don’t use it. The whole point of the Universal Watchlist is to do exactly what it’s doing. If you want to continue using it regardless then put your big boy pants on and just deal with the awfulness of seeing some logos for streaming providers. Then either create a feature request for a local watchlist, or vote on an existing one.
It’s funny you mention Kodi. I have Plex plugin for Kodi, blows the Plex player out of the water. Plays my 4Ks without even blinking. I have struggled with Plex on its own from time to time to play 4Ks. I don’t have a small server. either. Too bad they couldn’t get Kodi to develop their player.
The point of the watchlist, something that has been requested for years, is to give us a quick and easy option to add a movie or series to a list to watch later. Same function as the rest of the streaming services, you will not see Disney + promoting Netflix series for example. Plex has simply decided to add an extra step, even having the content on the local server, it decides to show you its own page and warn you that it is on other sites.
Pretty sure it’s Plex who decides what the point of their feature is. And if they’ve added the extra step (as you call it) then that’s part of the point of it.
It’s not a local watchlist, it’s not supposed to be a local watchlist, it’s not been pitched as a local watchlist, and it doesn’t even remove items after you’ve watched them from a local source (which would be a fairly major part of a local watchlist). If you want to try and use it that way regardless then you’re free to do so, but it comes with potential downsides (such as the notification of other services where you can find the media).
I have the exact same issues. Our content is not our content. It’s advertising platform for Plex. Image if Microsoft started doing something like this. LOL
So do we agree that Plex, instead of adding an option that has been requested for years, has created something different but with the same name, and with ads? Even with almost identical functionality if it weren’t for the ads? And you’re saying now that it’s not only our mistake, but we shouldn’t use it? Something we’ve been asking for for years?
I can agree they’ve created something different to a local watchlist and have been pretty clear it’s different. As to the same name, ‘watchlist’ is pretty generic. And I disagree that there is any advertising if I’m honest. It’s information which is entirely expected when using the watchlist for it’s intended purpose.
I don’t think I’ve said anywhere it’s your (or anyone else’s) fault that Plex have introduced it. What I’ve said is it would be your fault you keep seeing the thing you don’t like if you keep going back to the place where that thing is. It’s a fairly simple premise…
Yes. The server admin should have control of how THEIR content is shared. But this has nothing to do with THEIR content. That’s the whole point. As a server admin you don’t have control of whether your users access your stuff from an android device or a smart TV or even through Kodi. All you have, & all you SHOULD have, is the right to control what from YOUR server they can access & impose limits to things like number of streams & bandwidth limitations to what they get from YOUR server.
This has nothing to do with how YOUR content is shared, it’s how someone ELSE uses the app that they get your stuff FROM your server.
They can, but it’s a per-device setting. As someone who has 2 servers in the same house I can assure you it is not a perfect solution, though most of that is them being on the same LAN. I’m not actually sure what the “Primary” does except put that on top in the More section.
But thinking about that I guess there could be an option to “Inherit” permissions & let you choose which Server to inherit from, but I don’t think it should be defaulted to “On” which I know is what you want, but that would give you the ability to set that once & never have to again. Not solving the immediate issue but preventing future ones. I just don’t see how to solve the present one without causing more issues than you solve still.
That’s the whole point. It’s NOT. You control what they can see from your server, not what they can see from elsewhere.
Only within their app. Firestick displays their recommendations of what is on other servers how they like, Roku does it how they like, Chromecast does it how they like. Plex does it how Plex likes (Not Admin 65357 or User 4539186). In fact Amazon keeps changing things so that Chromecasts loose the Amazon Prime results, & Google just fixes it so it works again.
Much respect. Gotta see things from every side.
While I agree with you mostly I do think it has changed somewhat. In my opinion for the better, but that’s just an opinion. Before if someone searched for things on Plex if it wasn’t there it would show no results & that person would know it’s not available. For hand-held users who don’t subscribe to any streaming services I assume this would lead to a call or text to the server owner asking them to go steal it & put it on Plex so they can watch it. Now if they search & it’s not available on the server they see a result saying it’s available on Netflix, which for some reason they don’t have, so when they click it it says they have to sign up for Netflix, so they call/text the server admin & say “I clicked it but it didn’t let me watch it, now I’m upset. & can you go steal it & put it on Plex for me…”
Sure, they are Plex users, But a User who has access to Joe’s server, is therefore USING Joe’s resources (ie: Media) & is therefore a User OF Joe’s Stuff, therefore IS Joe’s User. Even though they are ALSO Plex’s Users… The big test to this: If Joe stops using Plex & switches to JamFlipper will they as well? Most likely yes, at least at 1st, if their device has the JamFlipper App. So Thereby the “Owner” of that user is more Joe than Plex.
The only difference is that they see stuff, even if they can’t access it. That’s one of the main reasons I dislike Amazon Prime. It shows me results for things but I have no way of knowing until I go to watch it if it is included or if I have to then buy or rent it. I can see that being an annoyance for sure.
But that’s not true. If what they use it for is the Family Movie Library & now it just has the crappy free stuff Plex has & links them to other places to watch it doesn’t work anymore, at least not how they use it.
I mean it’s more like it’s blurring the line between the 2, making it easier to use both seamlessly
I mean personally I think it does the opposite. I just had a problem last night where one of my housemates rented the new Spiderkid movie on Vudu & told me he was going to pay me because it used my card. But I just ripped the Blu-ray like 2 weeks ago & it’s on Plex. He said he looked it up on the search (Chromecast’s) & it didn’t say it was available on Plex. The other housemate who it was rented for (They’re going to see Dr. Weird in the theater & he wanted her to see it 1st) called him stupid & told him he has to look on Plex 1st because Plex doesn’t show in the search… So now, were they not both Managed Users, I’d be able to tell them they can search in Plex & it’ll show them both what’s on Plex as well as what’s on other places. Then they would go to Plex to search, though he probably wouldn’t because he’s lazy & that’s an extra like 3 clicks, but eventually he would get in that habit & then BAM, less confusion, not more. I’d much prefer there be a way to integrate Plex into the Google Chromecast Search results, I actually have looked multiple times for a way to do just that, but this is, eventually, gonna be the best we get probably.
But it’s a reasoned argument… The users “Belong” to who they do business with. If they use Plex for the other things then it’s joint ownership. The “if I use a different server my users will as well” isn’t a threat to take my ball, it’s a reasoned rationale, because who they follow is what matters. You wouldn’t say a Marvel fan who hates Disney movies but now uses Disney+ because it’s where the Marvel stuff is is a Disney fan would you? No, because they aren’t using Disney’s service they’re using whatever service has Marvel on it.
That’s the problem right there. They weren’t “Introduced to” Plex & then Plex did everything. Plex is the vehicle not the destination, the destination is the Media stored on the Server they use.
That’s like saying you were introduced to the Taxi driver because Joe sent the Taxi to take you to Joe’s house. Sure. you can now use that Taxi service to go other places, & if that Taxi service stops driving to Joe’s area you can still use the service to get other places. But if you now have to use the Bus or the Subway to get to Joe’s House & the only thing you use the Taxi to do was go to Joe’s house, then, although you paid the Taxi Driver or Bus Faire or Subway ticket not Joe, the one deciding how you get to Joe’s House is still Joe, because he is the destination. Maybe he has 3 ways to get there, maybe only one, but the destination is what matters, not the transport method.
I don’t think anyone is telling those who use their stuff that Plex is “No longer a thing”. This isn’t a “We Don’t Talk About Plex” song & dance. Rather it’ll be more like “Hey, I know you are all used to Plex, but I’ve been having trouble with Plex & I don’t like the direction it’s going into so I’m going to be using this other service called JamFlipper instead. It does mostly the same stuff, but it doesn’t look as nice, is more work to setup, & isn’t available on every client, but if you want to have access to my stuff I’ll help you set it all up”
Where do you come up with that rationale? People who watch real movies from someone’s server 99% of the time aren’t going to stay if all that’s left is junk that’s free for a reason, with some decent movies mixed in here & there granted, but mostly it’s free there it’s free other places as well. If you paid for Disney+ & then Disney took out all movies & shows except Disney Channel original movies would you stick around just because you are already there? Probably not…
Exactly. For me I have few things on my Server that are available on the Streaming services because we all have access to those. The ones I do it’s because those services handle them dumbly like not matching covers or putting them in the wrong order because “Half” comes before “Philosopher” alphabetically.
As someone who DOES like those features their value is that they show stuff on streaming AS WELL AS on Plex. If it ONLY showed what was on the streaming platforms Syncler & JustWatch do that better, Maybe in the future Plex will improve, but as it stands without the local media it’s not really something to stay for alone.
This watchlist has been requested for years? Because in my opinion the current Watch List is just a junk feature, It’s more or less useless. It doesn’t have any continue watching, or show if there are new episodes, or remove things or even mark them when watched, or have a way to sort so that when new episodes are added it moves them to the top, it doesn’t even copy the Watched status from your server (Unless mine is just broken). The ONLY use I see for it, as it is now, is to see when new episodes for something are going to air, & see if there are specials I’m missing from a show, & to see where shows I don’t have are available to stream. I mean I get the desire for an actual Watchlist, I just don’t see that meeting those needs as it stands. I’m seriously curious as to what use it has in a server that has no desire to link to anything outside of it. Not in an argumentative way at all, I’m genuinely curious how it’s being used.
This is my situation as well and I am sure we are not alone. My users are my parents, my siblings, a couple of aunts and uncles. Mostly IT illiterate people, who are by now a tiny bit educated thanks to the widespread use of smartphones, but they are not really proficient in that either. Plex should work just like Netflix or Amazon Prime. Install the app, somehow sign in with your user and that’s it. The default configuration should be the best one for the majority.
Thinking from a users perspective (not the admin) I also think the current features are not done correctly. I currently disabled all “Online Media Sources” as well as “Streaming Services” for my account but I still get the results under “more ways to watch” when I am searching.
So in my opinion this is advertisement in an application I already pay for (plex pass) and I seriously have to think about continuing the plex pass when it gets extended. So I think its time to look for alternatives to Plex after 10+ years of using it.
You made points in reply to my comments, with some of which I agree, others not so much. But I appreciate the discussion. This discussion has gone pretty far afield from my original intent, which was to point out (however awkwardly) that server admins should not have absolute control over other users’ Plex experiences. So, I’ll just leave it at that.
Same. I 100% agree that Admins have no right to control anything outside what their users can see from their server, I’ve been making that point for weeks. But I appreciate the discussion. Like the idea of having an Inherit Permissions option only came about because of discourse like this, & once it’s there it seems obvious. That’d give the users the ability to choose if they want the Admin to have control or not. & if they ever change their mind they can uncheck & go back to controlling their own. Let’s just hope Plex hears it
Indeed.
Well it is quite easy to fix. It is your server, you pay for it, your rules so you should make decision.
I think it is also easy to handle. If all servers that you have added have same settings to disable something then it will be disabled. Othewise it is enable.
For example:
1 of 3 servers have disabled discover feature then it will be enabled but if all 3 servers have discover disabled then it is disabled.
