Hi, is there a quick easy “single button press” we can do to see if a file we are playing is in fact Direct Playing? On the old Plex app all we had to do was press the up arrow and in the top left corner it would say if Direct Playing. On the new app (Fire & AndroidTV) we have to press up to bring up the menu, then tab over to the right, then tab down to Playback Info to see the same info we saw much quicker before.
On Emby all you have to do is long press the center “round” OK button and that info will pop up (which they call Stats For Nerds), long press again and that info disappears which is much quicker than Plex is currently…
Am I missing a Plex shortcut to see if your our files are Direct Playing? Thanks much
I don’t know a quick way in the client to check. I personally use Plex Dash which is a great service but requires Plex Pass, and Tautulli which doesn’t require a Plex Pass but takes a little more work to set up. Both are excellent and Taultulli arguably is a little better as it provides a huge amount of information about your server and what people are doing on it. Either one is a single button press to pull up the app and see what is going on as they both default to the currently playing section of the respective apps. Your other alternative would be to make a shortcut to the Plex dashboard online and put it on the home screen of your phone or something.
On Android TV you can enable the Information overlay (Settings > Video > Display information overlay). That’ll bring up your current playback details right on the TV.
The information available in Plex Dash (as pointed out by Blkbyrd) are also available in the server dashboard (through your browser)
Hi, thanks for your replies. I already have “Information Overlay” enabled but there are no playback details being displayed whatsoever. As a matter of fact, toggling “Information Overlay” on/off/on/off changes nothing when I press up/down arrow keys on the tv remote and/or the firestick remote. I only see the same progress bar.
Perhaps “Information Overlay” is broken on AndroidTV app v8.25.1.28703 (the newest as of today) which is why I can’t see it? Or perhaps this feature doesn’t work when installing on either 1) Sony Bravia TVs or 2) Firesticks?
Where is this “Information Overlay” info actually supposed to be displayed? On the old old Plex app versions it would show up in the left hand corner. Now I have nothing nothing nothing even with “Information Overlay” enabled…
Yes, I know about seeing this info on the server dashboard but the server pc is way across the house from where the TV is so it would be nice to see if my files are direct playing on the TV screen without having to get up and walk across the house every time I want to check Really wish I could get “Information Overlay” working… I seriously think it’s borked in v8.25.1.28703
Hi Mod OttoKerner, can you please tell me how to fix the “Information Overlay” difficulty I am having with the Plex app installed on both my Sony Bravia TV and 4K Firestick? I have the “Info Overlay” option enabled but still can’t see if my files are Direct Playing… this is with Plex App 8.25.1.28703…
One way to tell if it’s transcoding is if it’s not an instant play. At least for me, there’s a 1-2 second delay when the server transcodes a bit of data before sending you any of the data. I notice it when I play shows with a subtitle on them (almost always have to transcode those).
I can’t get the overlay to work either, but honestly you should really give Tautulli a try, or get a Plex Pass and try out dash. Between free mobile apps and Plex Dash the pass prices are totally worth it. Especially the lifetime pass. I think you would be much happier being able to quickly pull up something on your phone to check your server status, then you would be pulling leaving an overlay on your videos, or jumping through hoops to check it. Tautulli is super easy to set up, and Plex Dash is as easy as making one payment.
As a matter of fact I spend a good portion of my time helping to solve issues with Plex. A handful of things were suggested to you to try and solve your problem of which your either not willing to invest in the product that you use to get additional functionality, or your too lazy to install a plug-in or navigate to the dashboard. This is a bug that I will absolutely attempt to get some help with, but you my friend decided to fly off the handle about this being “the bottom line”. I just wished you luck in your endeavors since you apparently were moving on.
Problem : Plex “Info Overlay” doesn’t work on various devices which is a Plex setting that worked on older versions of Plex and one of the many bugs I have reported over the years which never get fixed.
Your solution : Third party software and/or buy Plex Pass. In other words give money to the company that can’t even get a simple overlay right and doesn’t fix bugs.
And saying that it’s a bug being the bottom line as the root cause of a problem is just simple English language, it’s not “flying off the handle”. Sheez, good luck to you as well You can have the last word.
Spending two minutes searching the forum reveals that this is something that hasn’t been around now for quite a while and at this point I think its fair to assume that with the rise of other methods to track what your stream is doing that it will probably be removed outright. Video overlay hasn’t been a functioning thing for like 2 years now. Ever since they switched to the new player to you know fix bugs and increase functionality.
Or the dashboard which is a free first party solution accessible to everyone and take nothing more then a shortcut to access. So no, your assessment is incorrect, two free options, one that requires no work, and one paid option.
As an English speaker for my whole life, I can tell you that the phrase “the bottom line” is not used as a passing statement for anything other than frustration. Also my statement about flying off the handle was directed at the general demeanor of your comment.
Is not a reasonable response or assessment based on the comment I made to you. My good luck comment was not an attack or snide, it was a response to you saying that the overlay was the bottom line. I was genuinely wishing you luck in finding something that provided what you need. You were the one that wanted to subsequently turn this into a confrontation.
So again, good luck finding a platform that will better suit your needs. I’m sorry that the options that everyone here tried to generously take their time to show you don’t work.
Really wish I could get “Information Overlay” working… I seriously think it’s borked in v8.25.1.28703