As long as they make the new app support audio passthrough for AC3/DTS there will be no problem.
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My understanding is that the new Plex app will not be controllable via a remote, be readable from the sofa on a large TV / 4K screen, nor support refresh rate changing, audio / video sync adjustments, or HD audio passthrough.
Is this correct please?
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That moment when you realise you bought $200 worth of Philips Hue Lights to use Desktop app Philips Hue Sync with Plex on my HTPCâŠ
I hope they still incorpoate the media player / TV layout in the future application for HTPC which supports Direct Play.
Until then I might have to start looking at alternatives. Glad to see other people of the Plex community are disappointed as much as I am.
I also have the Windows store app because I enjoy the look of of the Live tile in my start menu. Apart from that now I guess Iâm going to have to fill that void with something else 
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This is exactly my case as well, I use PMP on a Mac Mini with a 7.2 Amp. No HTPC / TV Mode support means using devices where most lossless audio formats have to be converted and where refresh rate changing is flaky at best.
As a plexpass user, Iâm feeling completely robbed. Iâve been using Plex as a HTPC nearly since its inception and now youâre telling us to take a hike? Bull****
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Yeah not all that upset about pmp - but the kodi plugin should be updated -
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You donât need optical to get proper 5.1; 5.1 works just fine over HDMI. In fact the higher audio options (DTS:X, Atmos) I think cannot be done over optical cables as there isnât enough bandwidth, IIRC.
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Iâll add my two cents⊠What are we [the power users] getting in return? Please give some transparency to what cool new feature(-s) removing support for PMP and TV Mode will enable you to give attention. If it is really moving maybe we can focus the discussion more.
I just spent a bunch of money to build a new HTPC for my Plex Server and Zwift Gaming / Workout / Racing, and the Plex side works GREAT with high wife-acceptance-factor using the Harmony remote, direct audio output of original streams, and no dropped frames or buffering along with refresh rate syncing. We also use AppleTV, iOS, and Android apps on devices for casual watching, but for serious movie mode NOTHING comes close to PMP as it is today.
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I know. But my receiver has only an optical input. Itâs a little older.
Sure, I could buy a new receiver but again, money.
Realistically, Iâm looking to purchase both a streaming box AND a new receiver just to get back the audio functionality which I already have.
And on top of that, Iâm already paying for Plex as well.
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As one of the biggest advocates of PMP, I am quite saddened by this announcement. It truly is a great player for the HTPC, especially if you were using the embedded PMP version. I have had the final build of PMPv1 installed on my living room NUC and running as an appliance without reboot or issues for close to two years.
I know everyone that loves PMP is upset but take a minute and think about it for second. If you have a version that works really well for youâyou will likely be able to keep using it for a long time coming. Look at PHT, it still works for the people that love that Plex client.
I am going to advocate that Plex moves PMP to Plex Labs for the communityâso that maybe it can live on that way through power users willing to work on it as a FOSS project.
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Actually they are⊠Taken from the blog post under their âsecondâ point:
The new desktop app is notably lacking TV mode, which means that weâre going to stop supporting the traditional HTPC setup (using a desktop computer connected to your TV or home theater) with this app.
Iâm not sure how else that can be interpreted. Yes, you can still choose to use this app with your HTPC, but Plex has stated that is not their intended use of the new app and will not develop it towards that use case.
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As someone who has been using Plex on a HTPC (and introduced countless other people to it) for over 11 years, this news is absolutely infuriating.
I run an extremely powerful HTPC which allows me to play all my 80gb 4K+ media with any audio codec from a 50TB direct attached storage whilst using my phone or remote to navigate. Why on earth would I want to mess around trying to stream that content to a less powerful box that buffers and struggles to play such high bitrate content with audio codecs that arenât supported?
It is such a strange decision when almost every other system uses a remote anyway.
It is like asking us to trade in a Porche for a Go kart because they kind of do the same thing.
Ridiculous, and the only hope is the open source community.
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The only thing we have to go on is:
Employees and Ninjas have said exactly that - in no uncertain terms, so as not to be misunderstood by users who think they may have misunderstood, unable to believe their ears and eyes.
That, and the fact that the âreplacement app for PMPâ:
Is impossible to read from across the room, does NOT support 10â remote or refresh rate switching, audio/video sync or HD passthrough and Plex seems very pleased with themselves as they drag users, kicking and screaming, into New Plex⊠not at all like your Fatherâs Plex, in a world where HTPCs simply donât exist (even though you and I âclaimâ to have one - weâre obviously mistaken).
Welcome to New Plex.
Youâll get used to it - eventually.
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I get what your trying to say you will still able to use a htpc with plex, it just won"t be optimised for it. But let us be clear about the language used here and I will refer to the article from Variety, to which they quote from their blog:
To quote the title of the article and plex themselves " Plex Introduces New Desktop App, Ends Home Theater PC Support". So they cutting off support for htpc and they use that language themselves. Plex wants you as a user to use devices other than a htpc and they say that in the article as well and their blog. I get what they are trying to do and that is to create something that will work on everything and not on just one thing. Problem with the solution to their problem is that it creates more problems without even requiring to do so. This new desktop app,could it have had the same functions as the old PMP? AbsolutelyâŠand it still would have achieved their goals and still provided users an avenue to still use their pcâs but they elected not to, why??? Why add another device, despite the fact of them espousing about âAl Goreâ and âgood for the environmentâ and as I said in my original post many users use their HTPC as a server/player. Iâm all about constructive conversations about things, but you really have to wonder about their motivations for doing this? Cause from what I can gather from other posts this seems to affect people who use laptops and desktops (not connected to tvâs) too! This move really makes no sense to add another device to whole scenario. I built a HTPC so as remove devices and clear clutter.
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I thought this was funny too. Ok ⊠go from one device to two 
Yeah I donât get itâŠthe only thing I can think of is that they will introducing paid player apps again, but even that doesnât make total sense.
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Matt,
Some elaboration on your part could go a long way towards dissipating all of this uproar about discontinued HTPC support. For such a major announcement, this topic deserves more than one paragraph in the blog and more than two sentences in comment responses.
When I first read the blog ( and the many articles that it spawned on my news feed) my takeaway was that I would no longer be able to watch my own media in plex and that streaming would be the only option. As I have several terrabytes of legally obtained movies and home videos, this was extremely upsetting.
After further research, and reading your comment, I believe that the only change for HTPC users is that they will have to use the web interface to watch their own movies rather than the Plex media player app. This is not a big deal!
The problem is that the blog post makes things sound much more world shattering than they really are. I suggest a supplemental blog post be sent out specifically clarifying this issue.
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Sing it brotherâŠI have only jumped on the plex bandwagon and looks like i might just jump off now. Emby and kodi are now becoming real options.
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Well, you havenât lost it. Just keep running the old receiver, the old computer, the old version of PMS and the old version of PMP. Technology moves on, and you can either keep up or stand still.
But then I can only watch old movies!!!
/sarcasm
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The problem lies in the fact what they are introducing is not going to be optimised in any way to people who use a tv as their head unit from their pcâs. You have introduce another device if you want to use your tv.
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