I bought a Shield TV mainly to use as a media streamer/Plex server. I got the 16GB version as I have a 2TB USB drive for media storage. It works fine in that regard EXCEPT, Plex stores all of your meta data on the internal storage EVEN IF YOU’VE ADOPTED A USB FLASH DRIVE AS INTERNAL. At least this is according to Nvidia and they are “waiting on Plex to allow storage of such data on adopted storage”. That’s pretty doubtful imho. For as much as Nvidia pushes Plex, one would hope they would reveal how things work in advance.
Had I known this, I would never have gotten a Shield TV and just built a low power computer to run Plex. Bad on me for trying to do it the ‘easy’ way.
Anyway, thought I would post this as a heads up to anyone who might be thinking along these lines.
I chatted with Engineering.
They know of the problem and are already working on allowing exactly that.
Edit: It isn’t really a bug. The support docs do state it’s a known limitation at this time: https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/221099648-Limitations-When-Running-Plex-Media-Server-on-NVIDIA-SHIELD
Thanks for the quick update. I wasn’t blaming Plex, I was ticked at Nvidia for not disclosing such a limitation. Had I known, I probably (begrudgingly) would have bought the 500GB Shield TV. I just didn’t want to spend an extra $100 for 500GB when the same money gets you a 2TB USB drive.
I hope you guys are able to figure this out soon. 
Understood. I wanted to get back to you ASAP and let you know where things stood.
In light of this, maybe some feedback to nVidia on this ‘technicality’ is in order?
@ChuckPA said:
Understood. I wanted to get back to you ASAP and let you know where things stood.
In light of this, maybe some feedback to nVidia on this ‘technicality’ is in order?
Chuck, they are well aware of the bug/limitation but they really show little inclination to fix it. In fact there has been some finger pointing back at Plex (and other companies) saying that the way it works is the way it is designed and there is nothing that prevents apps from using attached storage to store data. It is just not possible to have data span internal and external even if external is “adopted” to look like internal. I do not speak fluent enough Android to really understand but I kind of think that Plex might be well served to assume that it will not get fixed and figure a way to move at least the big parts of their data (like index files) to external storage even with much of the Plex data remaining internal.
I have never heard any understandable explanation as to why things like Index files could not be somewhere other than the “Plex data directory.” But the “why” may not matter as it looks like it may not change even if it is possible. Maybe having a separate directory for indexes etc is just too complex for Plex’s programmers?
If I knew how the shield is setup (i don’t own one to get into), if it’s a package change which can be done in scripting, I could and would do it.
I saw the OP’s post. I tried to help. If everyone’s already aware of it, I’m sorry, please don’t shoot me for being redundant ? 
@ChuckPA said:
If I knew how the shield is setup (i don’t own one to get into), if it’s a package change which can be done in scripting, I could and would do it.
I saw the OP’s post. I tried to help. If everyone’s already aware of it, I’m sorry, please don’t shoot me for being redundant ? 
I would not “shoot” you. Slap you around a little, maybe, but not shoot.
However I do firmly believe we should STAMP OUT and ABOLISH redundancy.
Do I get to slap you around first?
On topic now…
I’ll keep looking to see what I can find that I might be able to do myself.
This issue has been around since Nviidia announced the Shield was going to be a PMS.
So now it’s been over a year and still no fix!
At least the missing media was fixed!
To the OP there have been hundred’s of posts about this issue. Shame you didn’t find this forum earlier! o:)
@ChuckPA said:
Understood. I wanted to get back to you ASAP and let you know where things stood.
In light of this, maybe some feedback to nVidia on this ‘technicality’ is in order?
Appreciate it. If it’s any indication that nVidia doesn’t give a ****, here’s the response I got from them when asking about this:
"Plex developers designed their application to store all of its meta data on the consoles storage. Were waiting for them to allow meta data storage on adopted storage.The only workaround is to use the SHIELD Pro 500GB version or setup a PC Plex Server.
Best Regards, Troy NVIDIA Customer Care L2 "
Now that response was only received after I spent about 45 minutes online with someone from nVidia trying to troubleshoot the issue, only to have them escalate it, only to have THEM give me the finger. The CR had no idea of the storage issue, so how is a lowly consumer supposed to know?
Again, appreciate the response here, I’m just ticked at nVidia.
Apologies for bumping the old thread but it’s the common issue for anyone with 16GB Shield.
My PMS now occupies 8 GB out of 11 GB of available storage which causes quite a bit of pain, despite another 256GB connected to console.
Now, the real problem is that PMS shows as one of core applications (as opposed to downloaded) and cannot be moved to connected storage. I know very little about Android programming but same behavior can be seen on phones with preinstalled apps (like you can’t move or uninstall Facebook app on most of the phones, just force disable it).
So it very well might be that NVidia guys are correct on their end and so long as PMS sits as a one whole core app it will always occupy the internal storage.
May be devs could look into that? Like splitting the app in two parts with core engine and database separately or something like that? (apologies if that sounds like programming nonsense).
Would be great if it gets sorted somehow.
@quadro40k said:
Apologies for bumping the old thread but it’s the common issue for anyone with 16GB Shield.
My PMS now occupies 8 GB out of 11 GB of available storage which causes quite a bit of pain, despite another 256GB connected to console.
Now, the real problem is that PMS shows as one of core applications (as opposed to downloaded) and cannot be moved to connected storage. I know very little about Android programming but same behavior can be seen on phones with preinstalled apps (like you can’t move or uninstall Facebook app on most of the phones, just force disable it).
So it very well might be that NVidia guys are correct on their end and so long as PMS sits as a one whole core app it will always occupy the internal storage.
May be devs could look into that? Like splitting the app in two parts with core engine and database separately or something like that? (apologies if that sounds like programming nonsense).
Would be great if it gets sorted somehow.
I gave up on the 16gb over a year ago - sold it and bought the pro.
If you keep adding media it WILL crash - with a likely total reset to get it back!
I have been waiting for the same length of time for the option of getting access to the PMS folder.
Then I can move my watched DB from my current server and use the shield as my first choice!
Nvidia 6 is out and still no change.
For this same period both Nvidia and Plex have been noticeable in their ignorance of this matter.
@spikemixture said:
I gave up on the 16gb over a year ago - sold it and bought the pro.
If you keep adding media it WILL crash - with a likely total reset to get it back!
I have been waiting for the same length of time for the option of getting access to the PMS folder.
Then I can move my watched DB from my current server and use the shield as my first choice!
Nvidia 6 is out and still no change.
For this same period both Nvidia and Plex have been noticeable in their ignorance of this matter.
Oh my. Just the idea of moving the library makes me cry.
I do hope though they’ll seriously look at it as it’s a major limitation that will eventually hit any Shield 16gb owner and might become real limiting factor in future as Plex is adding features.
@quadro40k said:
@spikemixture said:
I gave up on the 16gb over a year ago - sold it and bought the pro.
If you keep adding media it WILL crash - with a likely total reset to get it back!
I have been waiting for the same length of time for the option of getting access to the PMS folder.
Then I can move my watched DB from my current server and use the shield as my first choice!
Nvidia 6 is out and still no change.
For this same period both Nvidia and Plex have been noticeable in their ignorance of this matter.
Oh my. Just the idea of moving the library makes me cry.
I do hope though they’ll seriously look at it as it’s a major limitation that will eventually hit any Shield 16gb owner and might become real limiting factor in future as Plex is adding features.
As stated it’s been a year and nothing so don’t hold your breath
By a pro and use the 16gb as a player
But u won’t be able to get the DB from the 16gb to the Pro.
Actually that’s half true as you can backup the DB from the 16Gb
- there is just no way to restore to the same box or another Shield !!
