Looking for best possible client interface experience. Voice?

Plex Players Streaming Devices
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I use Plex for DVR, music, photos, videos. I also use streaming services (Netflix, Amazon Prime etc.). 70% DVR, 25% streaming and 5% photos and music. Not very demanding (modest size library, mostly 720p, dolby 5.1.

So I finally replaced one of my rPI PMP boxes with an ATV V4 since the rPI platform is no longer supported (or updated) and doesn’t support streaming services (TV is dumb).

The ATV remote is horrible. It is too small, too sensitive (a tiny vertical movement when trying to click often brings up the top menu on the TV). Even I hate it and I am pretty flexible!

The ATV Plex app is awkward. Manually deleteing an episode after watching is about ten (non-intuitive) clicks, one of which is a long click. Likely this is also the case on most other platforms due to the common look and feel.

So the WAF is about zero and I’m trying to do something about it. I’m willing to work with the ATV if we can solve the remote problem. I’m willing to buy an alternative (roku, shield, fire tv etc.) but I’m really thinking that some of the problems (deleting) are in the common interface and therefore on all clients or that advice like “roku has a much better remote” only to find that roku sucks at some other feature. Bottom line is, if I try out many things (roku, fire tv etc.) the WAF will go negative and even if I find a good answer, she will be so confused that I will have to find a good divorce lawyer!

Enter voice control. The Siri remote for ATV responds very well but the Plex app doesn’t use it very well. I can’t seem to find how to navigate when browsing and I don’t have a clue how to delete. FF/rewind are excellent, though. Alexa seems ok but I see that you can’t skip forward (commercials) or backward (“what did he say?”). You also can’t delete. I’m not sure if there is a google home way to control (phlex currently non-functional) and I think it is missing delete.

So I’m looking for the best possible user experience. Deleting was a bit awkward in rPI PMP and the UI took my wife a bit of time to get used to “always go left and choose browse” but she finally got used to it.

We are mostly an Apple household so ATV was very promising. Totally love the AirPlay feature with the ATV so I’d really LOVE to fix the ATV remote with voice commands (Siri, Alexa or Google) or maybe to use another remote (tablet?)

ANYTHING that will improve our user experience would be appreciated. I realize the biggest issue is the remote (specific to ATV) but the second biggest is the Plex “standard” UI which is mostly OK but terrible for deleting TV shows after watching. Voice command is just one of my hopeful solutions. Any creativity in the community to help my cause (ideas about how to delete?) would also be welcome.

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I’m no fan of the Apple TV remote either. I’ve been using the Harmony Companion / Hub combo for a long time. I even ended up buying my husband a second Harmony remote with the display because the companion requires remember which button does which “action” and he doesn’t TV enough to remember :wink:

Anyhoo… get a Harmony Hub and Harmony Touch (also there are mobile app versions of the remote).

Re: Siri voice/shortcuts with Plex: I think you’re out of luck there but that’s not something I use.

Re: deleting – are you trying to delete after you watch an episode or ? Can you share more about that? Mostly, I use “On Deck” from the Recommended tab (can be added to your Home Screen) to keep track of the next episode and rarely delete from the ATV…

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Just to throw another option out there.
The Shield offers easy deletion after watching.
As for the remote. Well on the original Shield it’s truly awful.
So bad it’s makes the ATV remote look superb and also despite being slightly larger it was infinitely more easy to lose.

That said on the 2019 Shield that’s all changed. The remote is fantastic…
Touch sensitive backlighting and a lost remote feature.
My harmony became obsolete the day I first used the new Shield remote.

I haven’t really ever bothered with voice control but I believe the Shield works well with Alexa.

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“Truly awful” is putting it nicely. :grinning:

I’ve a Shield Pro 2015.

The remote died and no replacements were available at the time. In hindsight, it was the best thing that could have happened.

Picked up this remote on Amazon.

Probably the best $17 USD I’ve ever spent. I am unable to get the microphone working, but I never used that capability anyway (Translation: I spent ~2 minutes trying to get the microphone to work. I could not, so I quit since I never used that function anyway). Other than that it works great.

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Hit the nail on the head! The ATV remote is simple, which is great, but the two faults are the symmetry (we always seem to pick it up backwards) and the incredible sensitivity of the touch pad even when changed to “slow”. Also, minor issue, but the “Menu” key is really used as a “Back” key in every app I’ve seen.

I have the mobile version on my phone. My problem with phone based remotes is that they are very far from “instant”. You have to wake up the phone, type in a password, launch the app (unless it is the foreground app already) and all you wanted to do was pause! Maybe you have another, easier way to use a phone remote (that doesn’t kill the battery)?

Yes, I am. I have “On Deck” on my Home Screen but I almost always use the library search. After I’ve seen an episode, I delete it because I won’t see it again. To do so took a lot of key presses on the RPi but it is far worse (and less intuitive - e.g. you must “Go to Season” then “Go to Show” if you just “Go to Show”, you can’t delete) on the ATV (and presumably on all new generation UI but I’m making an assumption here). Maybe I will display content differently to make that easier (e.g. by episode instead of by show).

I’m beginning to think the deletion issue is created by my choice of display format (by tv show).
Are you browsing by TV show or are you looking at On Deck or Recently Added? That way, when the show ends, you might be in a better place to delete. Also, are you required to “long press” to get the menu that includes Delete?

It actually looks just about perfect. I’d eliminate the Netflix button because I hate special cases (i.e. Netflix should be exactly the same rules as Prime, Crave or any other). I can live with that, though. I think I would use the voice.

Again, this is the kind of remote we should be using for streaming devices (not if you wnat “universal”, though!). It looks similar to the new shield remote (though smaller). I love the simplicity.

So maybe a shield…

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Just to be clear, I’m talking about the Harmony Remote mobile app. I have an iPhone 6 that is just a “remote” – I pick it up, press my thumb on the home button (unlocks iPhone), tap Harmony (on the home screen of the iPhone), start my viewing experience (e.g. power on A/V, ATV, and TV with a single tap). I haven’t found the Harmony remote to be much of a battery hog.

Again, the Harmony remote with the Display may be the way to go. Much more like a traditional remote but with all the bells and whistles (e.g. activities) of a Harmony.

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Yes, I figured that. You mention a dedicated iPhone 6. I thought about that. Basically removes requirement for password on phone. I have old iPads and old iPhones that I can use. Still it is short of the instant use of a remote (don’t have to unlock/wake up with home button) but maybe I can live with that. Biggest issue is that, being older, battery life means it must be charged every night.

Gee, whiz. I think for the ATV, the “Salt” remote (from Switzerland) is almost perfect. I’d remove channel up/down and add mic. I would use it as is if only I could purchase it!!!

I really can’t believe we spend hundreds of dollars on the box (ATV, shield) and all we want is a simple remote.

You might be right about the Harmony with display. I can make it as simple as I want and I can also control the volume on the receiver (currently done by the Siri remote).

I thought about a Roku or Fire TV remote for the ATV. As long as they are IR, they can work.

When I finally get the simple solution (best client and simple remote), I will put it on all 3 TVs…

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True. I personally have no truck with Netflix.
But it can be re-programmed via a 3rd party app I believe. Its on my to do list along with getting busy with some image editing apps and printer.
That said the whole fact that I can power down my system each night and resume the next day with Plex loaded at exactly the place I left it is a major win for me.
Finally I was kind of wary of the triangular shape of the remote. It just sounded a bit gimmicky.
But i was very wrong. It really does feel natural to hold and use. Normal shaped remotes now feel very strange.
Fortunately, other than my Sky remote I dont need any others…including the Harmony.

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