Killing PMP

Plex Players Desktop Players
895

Do you have an established procedure for downgrading back to this old version so people who pay for Plex Pass can still sync to their external drives that travel? Without this, Plex is useless to me.

Two things here fail for me. With the new version I cannot sync (or now ‘download’) to a new drive without fumbling with symbolic links and hope they work. I also can no longer tell it I want to transcode my 50gb movie down to a more palatable size for my smaller screen and to save space.

PLEASE post a link to the old version so we can downgrade. PLEASE.

896

This is coming:

This might be coming:

Both of these are from: Plex for Mac, Windows, and Linux - #4 by deactivated which I suggest you subscribe to.

897

I have frequent transcoding for no understandable reason. I started watching Anime on the Apple TV since for some reason it can direct play the same exact subtitled content.

898

Can you provide some samples, please? :slightly_smiling_face:

899

Thank you!

900

I will keep your thoughts in mind.

Thank you

901

I think PLEX for XBOX is good enough to be the solution for HTPC if it doesn’t take too much work for converting from XBOX

902

They absolutely should remove Lifetime subscription offer. It really is asking very little for all the greatness Plex offers… They are really generous (or stupid?) when it comes to pricing their software, all essential functionality is provided free, lifetime is really cheap, and Plex Pass is also not expensive… And I have the TIDAL HiFi (which is $19.99 from TIDAL website) + Plex Pass ($4.99) bundle offer, which provides both for just the price of the former ($19.99), which is insane and couldn’t have come any sooner. I’m gonna buy expensive high-end headphones, and was therefore looking to switch from Spotify to TIDAL, for better music quality. I was having issues subscribing to TIDAL from their website, and it’s $25.99 (essentially $6 extra) when trying to subscribe through iTunes. And TIDAL is also not available on every device (like PS4 and XB1), but thanks to Plex, I can access it everywhere!

I started using Plex a few years back, and it was incredible! I didn’t know much about servers and all back then, and my Windows desktop and MacBook were filled with movies, videos, etc from different sources (let’s be honest, mostly pirated), and were stored in really unorganized and messy ways, and I had to use different players like QuickTime and VLC for different formats (QuickTime for whatever format it did support, and VLC for everything else). I was ok with VLC on Windows, but I hated it on my MacBook, the VLC interface and features have not been updated in forever (maybe never?). And once again, thanks to Plex, I was able to ditch all those and manage and enjoy all my media from one lovely interface, which can play pretty much every format I know of, and presents all my media with beautiful posters and descriptions and all. Also, I no longer have to sync huge movies to my mobile devices, which have little space. Plex totally revolutionized my media consumption options, and I purchased external drives to fill up with movies and all, just as an excuse to use Plex! It’s awesome!

You made some good points too… I don’t know why they’re making new apps though, old PMP (which a lot of people don’t even use/know exists, apparently) was pretty good and fully functional, and was basically the web app in native format. The new app is no different, other than providing the Download option. They could’ve just updated PMP, and kept TV mode as an option like it was, why have a bunch of different apps, and remove essential features (like TV mode) which already exists, and works, so it’s not like they’d have to work hard to add those features… They already exist, just don’t remove them. But it’s gonna be a really bad idea if they make TV mode premium only, everyone already lost their minds when they said they’re gonna drop TV mode… If they make it premium only… :scream::scream::scream:

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903

I would pay a premium for desktop pc mode with all of the current functions. (audio passthrough, 10 foot interface, and keyboard/remote support are the big ones for me).

I’m not complaining about pricing all at, because I’m a cheap ■■■■■■■, but plex is very cheap or even free for most things. I was kind of surprised to find that with Emby, playing video is a premium ($4.99 a month) service. You can install and test everything, but you can only play a video for a couple minutes as a test before you sign up, but it make sense. They have to make money somewhere.

I’ve honestly never paid anything for Plex, I didn’t need any of the plex pass features and didn’t think much of it.

I think with this new commitment to continue desktop player support, I will sign up for a plex pass. (monthly so I can cancel if they pull a 180).

1 Like
904

Yeah, Plex also only provides one minute previews on mobile, unless you subscribe, or pay a premium for each device you own (I have an iPhone, an iPad, and an Android phone) to unlock full functionality on each. Many services provide full functionality on desktop but not on mobile (like Spotify), as most people use mobile devices primarily these days. Smart! That was the main reason I wanted to get a Plex Pass for a long time, but used to use the web app interface in Chrome on mobile, like on desktop, instead of the native app (not a good experience, but it worked and I didn’t have to pay anything)… Used to feel really bad, I really love Plex and it’s one of the very few things I’ve used in life that just scream quality and satisfaction, something that really surprised me with everything it can do, and far exceeded all initial expectations. Beautiful UI, all my media in one place, with lovely posters, artworks and more, all effortless.

But they provided all the essential features for free, and I had the workaround for mobile app limitations (also, kinda really don’t like the mobile app), and the other premium features are nice, but I didn’t really need them either. So I held out on getting Plex Pass like you. But now they have the TIDAL HiFi + Plex Pass bundle which is perfect for me, and arrived at the perfect time too, gonna purchase high-end headphones soon, so wanted to switch to TIDAL. Now I get both at once. Life is sweet!

Also, really enjoying the extra features that come with Plex Pass, and can finally use the native apps on mobile (and they said they’re gonna update the apps with new UI like on desktop, so that’s great… again, perfect timing), and it’s nice to have no limitations, extra fun and useful features (like dashboard, cinema trailers), although I still feel like I’m getting more for free now than ever before, because the TIDAL bundle is the exact same price as of TIDAL alone, and now I’m getting all Plex Pass features with it. So essentially I’m just paying for TIDAL. But whatever, really enjoying everything! And you - yes YOU - should start paying as well, you cheap “insert censored swear word here” :smile:

Seriously though, they deserve it… Great service, and if you use mobile devices, it’s gonna be really worth it. And they listen to the community as well (as they recently demonstrated). It’s not something I really demand, as there’s a lot of people using these things, and everyone has their own needs and likings - some people can’t do without HTPC, some don’t care (like me), and others don’t even know what HTPC is… And it’s really difficult to listen to and cater to everyone. I like it better when developers do what they feel is best for the future, and stop trying to please everyone, trying to add everything people ask for, making changes all the time. Like how annoying is it that mobile apps keep getting insignificant updates every few days? All this only keeps making every software/app more and more complicated and buggy and messy, and they never manage to please everyone.

1 Like
905

huh I guess I forgot mobile apps weren’t free. I must have paid for plex on ios years ago and forgotten. I know I paid $5 for it on roku at some point in the past for the wife to use. Kinda forgot about that too.

I’m signed up now :slight_smile:

906

While I’d obviously prefer to not pay more, I do tend to think that lifetime subscriptions aren’t really a win-win for all involved. Ongoing payments give companies incentive to retain business and the means to do it.

Now, I’m not sure that $5/month is the ideal price point for something like this. It is just software and an authentication service really. I could see it being $5/mo initially, and then as some kind of loyalty bonus maybe over time it drops to $2/month or something a bit lower, if you maintain a constant subscription. That gives incentive to both gain new subscribers, and also retain the ones you have. Sync and mobile are the only plex pass features I actually use, and sync is now missing on the official Windows app (just the full-quality download feature exists). I don’t really have much interest in preview access as the new features usually aren’t that interesting to me and I prefer a more stable experience.

907

Thank you for the clarification!

908

Well, it’s not really paying more if you think about it. It takes a lot of work to develop apps, and it’s incredible that these things work like they do. And unlike hardware products, software can be constantly updated and added to. So, it’s unrealistic to think “buy once, use forever” in terms of software and services. And anyone with a computer can make an app, so there’s lots of competition. Like for Plex, the lifetime subscription is stupid… They are not going to make a new server/player app every few years, and charge people every time. They’re gonna keep updating these apps, and it’s something you are going to use a lot, probably (I use Plex to watch a movie every few days, and listen to music). So, it’s a constant service, therefore it makes sense that you pay for it periodically. It’s insane how many things we get for little to no cost these days. It takes no money to use YouTube, Chrome, etc, and I don’t see too many ads either. It takes no money to use Plex on desktop, either. I can download PMS, set it up to find and organize my media, and then use PMP/web app to consume said media, on several devices no less. Unless you want to use Plex on mobile, you are not required to pay a dime. But the devs keep making updates, changes, improvements all the time (they have to, at least for the few paying customers, and the others also reap the benefits). Most software products are like this, so realistically, every app you use should utilize a subscription model.

Also, $5 per month might seem a little high, just a little, considering Plex isn’t like Netflix or Spotify, which provide their own huge libraries for streaming… But it’s still a service, and it makes life much easier and much better if you have a lot of your own media (which is why you’d use it in the first place). I think the $5 is ok, but can’t see it getting any lower than 3-4 bucks, and still be beneficial to the devs.

Most devs/companies are starting to introduce subscription models, turning every product (including games now) into services, essentially, and it makes sense. We don’t buy huge software packages like Photoshop anymore. Instead, we use small, dedicated pieces of software. The only problem I have with all these subscriptions is that they’re not all available in one place, so it’s a little difficult to manage and keep track of. You can subscribe to many services through iTunes, but not all of them. Hopefully, soon there will be some agent/service that collects all kinds of possible subscriptions (from Plex Pass to PlayStation Plus) in one place, and makes it easy to pay for and use them.

1 Like
910

a couple of questions:

  1. not including the new app that has caused so much commotion, is the latest windows desktop version 3.104.2?

  2. a) if yes to the above, does audio pass through still work with version 3.104.2?
    b) will this version continue to work with the latest server updates in the foreseeable future?

  3. regarding elan’s “we’ve hear you loud and clear” post:

when he writes: “we will keep pmp in tv mode working as it is today and will fix serious issues which impact the product for the foreseeable future.”

does he mean that tv mode will now be activated in the new app? or does he mean that the latest “non-new-app” will continue to be available and supported?

thanks!

911

Just a sincere thank you. Much <3

912

Keep in mind that you can get Photoshop+Lightroom, for professional use/etc, for $10/month.

Most of the value-add of Plex (imo), is its versatility with the various set-top options and that it keeps up with all those vendors and does the QA so that it “just works” everywhere. At least that is the value-add of ongoing investment. Most of the new features developed in the last few years haven’t really been all that useful to me (Music, DVR, etc). The keep-the-lights on stuff can’t be THAT expensive. But it is certainly important.

But I don’t expect it to be free, which is why I favor a subscription over one-time model (I have paid for the lifetime pass and would obviously want some kind of reasonable credit for that).

Another approach would be to charge to unlock specific features, like a fee for mobile devices, or for DVR, and so on. Maybe make any new feature free to any paying use for a few months to encourage use, or give any paying user an opportunity to try out a feature for a month or two for free. There could be a base subscription for keeping the lights on.

I just don’t think that it makes sense for something like Plex to cost $60/yr just for mobile apps and syncing and so on. I get that we’re a bit niche so we don’t have the same economies of scale as a AAA game or whatever, but a lot of complex niche software gets sold for less than that.

All that said, the last thing I want is for them to go bankrupt, so I’m more than happy to pitch in to keep that from happening, even if it is a bit more than I’d consider fair. You do have to consider the other side of this, however. If you start charging too much when the FOSS alternatives aren’t THAT much worse you’ll start having competition popping up everywhere, including other commercial Plex-like offerings.

914

Thank you @elan for this announcement. It makes me finally have at least a little security in knowing that Plex will listen to the masses. This left a bad taste in my mouth for what might still come but at least I feel a little secure giving Plex some more time and maybe over that time I’ll feel more and more secure.

One thing I want to mention to both you and @Achilles is that I think you might want to also reconsider the embedded thing as well – if for nothing other than the Raspberry Pi (including Pi 4). One of the biggest problems a lot of us have with streaming boxes is they are completely useless if they are ever abandoned. As an example all of the old Roku devices that don’t work for anything are sitting in people’s closets and filling the landfills because they server no purpose at all. The Raspberry Pi is a bridge between HTPC and Streaming Boxes because it can function just like a streaming box for purposes of Plex, provide a better experience as well as a more custom experience, and if it’s ever at a point where that model is no longer able to support the codecs of the current time it can easily be repurposed as a print server , router, or any number of other things. I’d be much more willing to invest $40 in a box to try if I know that I can utilize it for something else if it doesn’t work for Plex.

To be clear, I don’t think the Pi is a replacement for HTPC or Streaming boxes per se but it is certainly a perfect merging of the two. I think it is a critical device to support.

Overall though, I am really happy to hear that you are not completely abandoning your loyal base. It was great to come back home from the weekend and see these updates.

915

Speaking for myself and not the company—I’m a huge fan of the rPI in general and the rPi 4 is pretty incredible for the price point.

5 Likes
916

That would be good news, especially if the TV mode could bring back a correct use of remote arrows, as it has been asked for a long time: Apple Remote volume control

1 Like