Server Version#:1.42.1.10060
Player Version#: 8.6.4 10597
Setup:
- I have three TVs, each with a Roku; 2 with Roku Express, 1 Roku Streaming Stick 4K
- I have multiple Libraries of TV and Movie media, in separate folders so there’s no cross-pollination
I’ve named the libraries with a number in front, so if they are ordered alphabetically, they come out in the order I want. A few examples: 0 Just Downloaded Movies, 0 Just Downloaded TV, 1 Current TV, 2 Movies, 2 Movie Series, 3 Ended TV…and on.
So, I’ve not been following the whole “Plex Experiance” thing; today, when I went into Plex on the Streaming Stick, it had updated to 8.6.4, so this is ALL new to me.
Feedback
- Not a fan of the UI in general…I miss the libraries along the left-hand side of the screen, I find it VERY clunky to use the horizontal library scroll.
- Just like when I’ve set up Plex on ANYONE’s machine (PC, TV, etc.) in the past, my libraries were thrown out of order. I don’t understand just WHAT order it’s supposed to be, it CERTAINLY isn’t alphabetical, which I would’ve thought would be the logical choice. It took me a bit of fiddling to figure out how to reorder them, but I got them into order. Then, when I went to one of the Roku Express TVs, the Libraries WERE in order there…like it’s sharing the order from the first machine?
- Plex still does something REALLY annoying…when you first go into a Library, it defaults to “Recommended” mode, which then says I have no content…I’m assuming because I haven’t watched anything on this new version, yet? Then I go to “Browse” mode and everything shows up. EVERY TIME I set up Plex on a new machine - for myself or for friends - I have to go through this dance. And then, on SOME versions of Plex, the default setting is “don’t remember that setting”, so when I go BACK to the Library, it’s once again in Recommended mode! Luckily, THAT doesn’t seem to be happening with this new 8.6.4 version, EDIT: on the Express, I was able to go to Settings and see where one can change the Default View from Recommended to Browse. Worked like a charm. On the Streamstick, I’m having the issue (described below) where the buttons randomly don’t work; when I go to Settings, I can’t move the cursor; I can ONLY use the Backspace button on the remote to return to the Plex menu
Bugs:
- Buttons are randomly NOT WORKING in the menu structure; I’ll go into a Library and try to go left to change the setting from Recommended to Browse, but it won’t move. Then in another Library it WILL work, and eventually, after going to the problematic Library multiple times, it worked. At this point, I can’t go to the left and choose Recommended, Browse or…the other things in that left-hand menu.
- If I go to my face on the upper left-hand corner, I can’t go down to select the icons below my face. One time while in my profile, I couldn’t hit ANYTHING…kept giving the error sound and I had to exit Plex completely.
- When I play a show, NONE OF THE CONTROLS WORK. I can’t pause, I can’t fast forward or rewind. I can use the big backspace button on the Roku remote to get out of a show, but then it starts from the beginning, and I STILL can’t use the buttons to control the playback. NOTE: Further testing has shown this is happening ONLY on the Streamstick; the Express can pause and f fwd/rev as usual.
- As I’ve gone between the Streamstick and the Express, I’m getting different results. For example, on the Express, if I’m in Home, looking at the lists of Recent Shows in my libraries, and I want to go to Libraries instead, I hit the up arrow ‘til I highlight the horizontal menu and then go right to select Libraries. On the Streamstick, however, hitting the up button only takes me to the top of the libraries, but not to the horizontal menu. to go there I have to hit the Backspace button on the remote, THEN Home highlights, and I can hit the right button to go to Libraries.
- As I tried watching some shows, on one, I was about half-way through the show and then it would at least remember where it was and start from that point, but the controls still didn’t work.
All in all, I’m QUITE disappointed; I find the new UI a bad design in general, and outside of the design the execution has SO many bugs, it’s a shock it made it to public usage.
