So I excitedly installed the new app thinking it was going to have some kind of improvement over the old one. Unfortunately what greeted me was a bit of a mess that seems far less user friendly than what you had previously.
I have a number of issues:
The aspect ratio seems completely out of order. I have tried to change the aspect ratio on my TV but no setting makes the whole app, and therefore all my content, fit. The content just disappears at the end of the screen. In menus it is most notable because I can only see the left quarter of the shortcut letters for searching down the right side.
On deck is totally non-existent. I used to be able to keep up to date with what episode I am up to after my latest binge and now I have to search that from scratch.
Libraries have been stuffed. I have two audio libraries, one for music and the other for audiobooks. Plex for XBox One now only shows me the audiobooks and I can’t access the music library.
The inputs for fast-forwarding and rewinding have changed. Using the trigger buttons to scan through video content no longer works and you have to open the menu, push the analog stick to either fast-forward or rewind, then press a button and then it skips an arbitrary length of time. Why not add that feature but keep the old trigger button scanning like it used to have?
Overall I’m pretty disappointed with this app. I’m yet to see one thing that I consider an improvement over the old app.
Can you provide any assistance with some of the items on my list, especially the aspect ratio?
This is true of anything with multiple libraries. I have Recorded TV and TV Shows and only the Recorded TV shows up. You can get to your second library by searching for the titles but that is pretty useless.
New update is about 10 steps backwards. There’s no longer a home screen - so we lose the On Deck, and the Recently Added section for both Movies and TV. So have to go wading through entire library to get to the latest additions.
Also, loss of FF/RWD controls using the controller triggers is a questionable change.
I’m cynical enough to think you’ve deliberately made it much worse, in order to.get us to now pay for a normally functioning version.
Please revert to the previous version until you sort out this mess.
@leswilder said:
Recently added and On Deck being displayed prominently were the best things for usability to me.
That’s all still there as that’s my main use of watching. Have you navigated to the home screen? For me this shows On Deck and recently added without any issue.
@leswilder said:
Recently added and On Deck being displayed prominently were the best things for usability to me.
That’s all still there as that’s my main use of watching. Have you navigated to the home screen? For me this shows On Deck and recently added without any issue.
Home on mine is a blank screen with nav bar at the top. I have to navigate to a library before I see anything then filter for recently added. Not user friendly at all. Before I could load the app and instantly see anything new or jump to where I last left off.
@leswilder When you say blank screen do you mean completely blank? Could you grab a screenshot? It should never be completely blank. The first time you launch the app it should have a message explaining how the top bar navigation works, and then after that it should always have content.
I’ll try and grab a screenshot before I leave for work. I did want to add to this thread though – I see the same behavior as is being described in this thread on one of my Xbox S consoles. The one in my family room has a populated home screen – continue watching, on deck, etc. The other just has a screen with an arrow pointing up and some text telling me my media is browse-able through the library menu on top. It is like it is stuck in some kind of OOBE mode – trying to teach me how to find my media … come to think of it I’m not sure the app has been quit and relaunched since the new app has been released in that room (sleep and suspended, but not quit). I’ll grab a screenshot and try exit\relaunch.
Every library screen essentially looks like below, where as the S in my family room has on deck, recently added, etc. on each, when a library is navigated to using the directional controls. Pressing ‘A’ on a library drops me into all media for that library, but otherwise I can press down and use the “quick” lists. I tried quitting and relaunching the one that has blank library screens and a few other actions, but it won’t start showing the “quick” lists. Same console (sku, etc) is attached to both TVs. TVs are the same resolution, but different models. Same type of connection. Same network subnet. I’m using different gamer tags, but it is the same Plex account (thanks for fixing that). One TV is HDR where the other isn’t. Let me know what other questions you may have about the differences.
If you want to add some more to your list, Plex Mix which we’re paying for, is no longer available on XBOX One.
While it’s still usable on iOS.
While I do understand the problems of software development, which was long my job, and the odd bugs, I can’t see how one justify unleashing a version which functionally does less than the one it is remplacing.
@mwstark You need to follow those first run instructions the first time to populate the dashboard. Have you followed it to completion (the dashboard will populate when you complete it successfully) and still seeing it the next time you relaunch the app?
@Moussa. I had not realized I should be reading and following along. After following along diligently, On Deck, etc all show on reboot. I do think that this is the same problem that is being cited adnauseum on these forums – especially in this thread. If you have a rail for OOBE then you should force the user to stay on the rails, or ask them if they want to “jump right in” if they try and leave the rails. Anything else is somewhat equivalent to expecting a user to actually read a EULA (people do that right??). I imagine a lot of people just try and enter into their media rather than hit the up cursor on the last step. Most of the complaints around “have to always search from scratch”, etc. are likely tied up here.
@Moussa said: @mwstark You need to follow those first run instructions the first time to populate the dashboard. Have you followed it to completion (the dashboard will populate when you complete it successfully) and still seeing it the next time you relaunch the app?
So it seems as if Plex expects everyone to know that there are steps to getting this started. I don’t think anybody is doing this as the interface is just simply unintuitive especially to those of use that used the old app. If you expect people to follow a tutorial or client set up then maybe you should ask that after install as this isn’t what its like on the Plex website.
And pressing up to access some secret selection menu above the different types of media?!?!?!? That is just not how users expect to interact with the app. No wonder no-one can find it.
Overall, I think the community is telling you that your interface is not user friendly, which is the number one reason why most of us chose Plex in the first place.
Remember Windows 8 (hey, second time I’ve referenced it in as many posts! take heed, Plex devs!)? Remember how the UI was virtually void of any semblance of intuitive interaction, and how Microsoft had to build in those gigantic inane “Move mouse here to access charms!” prompts? Because the UI wasn’t self explanatory? Remember all that Plex? Now, do you also recall how damn quickly Microsoft put 8 to pasture and push ahead with Windows 10 in a clear effort to return the UI to an intuitive model?
Lesson: if you feel compelled to start the OOBE with such a tutorial mode as ‘move focus here’ then the UI isn’t naturally informing people that’s where the focus should be, and so the UI is, by any objective design measure, a failure.
