Layout Dialog Will Not Go Aways

[arskin_fe]

Server Version#: Latest Plex Stable at this date
Player Version#: Android 9 (TV)

Installed Plex client on an Android TV Media Box, 4G/64G > Yamaha Receiver/Amp > Samsung 55" screen.

At the slightest cursor movement Plex client throws up the Layout dialog. Options are “Remind Me Later”, “Keep Mobile”, “TV Screen”.

But it doesn’t matter which option I select. The dialog disappears briefly and re-appears on the next cursor/ keyboard action.

It effectively makes the Plex client software useless.

Is there a cure?

Thank you.

[BigWheel]

@arskin_fe

Android TV Media Box, 4G/64G

Does that actually run Android TV or is it the mobile OS customized.

@arskin_fe

At the slightest cursor movement

AFAIK the Android TV app interface is only designed for a remote, not a mouse. The mobile interface is only designed for touch.

[arskin_fe]

The box reports Android 9, so I have to assume that’s legit.

As to controls, the results are the same with remote or keyboard.

If the mobile GUI is touch only, it begs the question how to switch it out when the Layout Dialog persists no matter what?

I wonder if there is an accessible configuration file somewhere where the switch can be set?

Cheers

[marekszulik]

Do you see the mobile or TV layout on your device? If you select “Switch to TV”, does the app restart?

There seems to be a bug where, even after switching the layout to TV, the dialog still appears on keyboard presses, but that does not 100% fit what you’re observing, so I’d like to get more details.

[arskin_fe]

The app restarts when Switch to TV is toggled.

Happy to help with details…

[arskin_fe]

I thought maybe the issue was the Yamaha amp, into which the Android box is connected via HDMI.

SO I tried connecting directly to the screen HDMI, but the result is the same. Cannot get past the Layout dialog.

Cheers

[tatt0]

@marekszulik

Do you see the mobile or TV layout on your device? If you select “Switch to TV”, does the app restart?

There seems to be a bug where, even after switching the layout to TV, the dialog still appears on keyboard presses, but that does not 100% fit what you’re observing, so I’d like to get more details.

The dialog just keeps popping up after selecting TV Layout and app restarted! What more details do you need? It is reproducible on Android TV! I run the Plex client on Formuler Z8 Pro! Please fix it! Thanks!

[BigWheel]

@tatt0

What more details do you need?

Can you enable logging at all in the app or will it not let you do anything?

[tatt0]

@BigWheel

Can you enable logging at all in the app or will it not let you do anything?

Not possible! The app crashes every time when I try to go into Settings. I can’t get past the home screen at all. Browse to movie or tv info screen it crashes!

[tatt0]

There is another post with a video showing the behaviour:

Plex 9.1.0 not swtching to TV version on android box (android 9) (ugoos X3)

Edit: Hello, good news. They fixed this bug in beta 9.3.0. Working again super no problem ! But no mention in release notes. Server Version#: newest stable Player Version#: 9.1.0 (stable and beta same bug) (9.0 working fine) 9.1.0 version don’t work on android box (android 9), few weeks ego previously using beta I think (9.1 beta), was same, downgraded to stable, was working fine, but updating to this version stable, I can see only mobile version, and every click promoting to switch to tv ve…

[Gytissszzz]

Yes this is the same isue.

[BigWheel]

thank you for pointing out the other topic on this

[arskin_fe]

I cannot get past the dialogs, so cannot get to the settings GUI

[arskin_fe]

@tatt0 - thanks. It’s good not to be too lonely

[Volts]

These boxes are running “standard” (mobile) Android, or Android TV, or some crazy hybrid thing? Their vendors use all sorts of wild marketing language.

[BigWheel]

it is mobile since it is saying “keep mobile”. We thought it maybe doesn’t have the “leanback” launcher part of android which is what the TV interface uses so it restarted when trying to launch TV mode. But in the other topic it was mentioned it was working with an earlier version.

[tatt0]

@BigWheel

it is mobile since it is saying “keep mobile”. We thought it maybe doesn’t have the “leanback” launcher part of android which is what the TV interface uses so it restarted when trying to launch TV mode. But in the other topic it was mentioned it was working with an earlier version.

LeanbackLauncher is there alright on Formuler Z8 Pro. This annoying bug is not present on version 9.0 and only started to pop up from 9.1. How can this happen when the older version doesn’t have this bug?

[Volts]

@tatt0

How can this happen when the older version doesn’t have this bug?

Bugs usually aren’t on purpose!

[tatt0]

@Volts

Bugs usually aren’t on purpose!

I would agree to that if this is a new functionality and contains bug but come on, the TV layout feature has been there for a long time and works in previous versions! When new functionalities get introduced in new version it should not break existing features! This happens quite often with every new Plex version to be honest!

Every software is buggy there is no doubt about it but when the Plex devs are slow to fix them and/or are ignoring them then it is not ok! I browsed through this forum for quite some time now. I noticed that most of the topics were closed without offering any fix! It looks like the Plex devs are not actively monitoring this forum and listening to thier users which causes quite a lot of frustration here, me included!

Compared this with the Emby forum it is worlds apart! The Emby devs are actively participating in answering and solving bugs/issues the users might have. You literally get a fast response to your question there within a day! When Emby can do it with their small team, why Plex can’t?

[Beckemy]

Thank you to point this out. I’m struggling with this as well since the new update. Hopefully this will lead to a constructive fix.