Plex For Windows - Not Playing Downloaded File

Plex Players Desktop Players
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Server Version#: 1.16.5.1488
Player Version#: 1.0.0.792-d4adb056

Is there a trick to getting the new Plex for Windows to play the “downloaded” file? I downloaded this episode of Westworld and it displays the downloaded icon, yet there is still bandwidth activity matching the bitrate when playing the fil suggesting it is not playing the downloaded file.

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I have also confirmed that it is still playing the remote source file by renaming the remote source file and being presented with a

“Please check that the file exists and the necessary drive is mounted.” error when trying to playback - surely the locally downloaded file should still play?

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Are you starting playback from the Downloads menu item?

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I wasn’t I’ve since seen that option… but why…

If i start a synced item from my on deck on any other device it favours the synced version over a remote one, why cant this?

Also - further to this, how do i now sync things to other devices using plex for windows to begin the sync?

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The ‘Sync’ in this app is working fundamentally differently than in the mobile apps. Hence why it is also named ‘Downloads’ and not ‘Sync’.

The concept was radically simplified, which leads to big differences in behaviour.

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You’ve still not told me how I initiate a download to my mobile device from Plex for Windows

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You can’t. This is also part of the simplification.
Initiating downloads is only made on the device to which it shall download.

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What… Thats ridiculous.

So I’ve now got to get my mothers device into my hand to “download” her music.

or Ive got to create my awesome updating dynamic playlist in “plex for windows” and then open my android device to “download”??

This is a huge step backwards.

Edit: to clarify, i love the download option its really cool, but this change to needing to have the device in my hand on which i wish to “download” is beyond silly

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Would it have killed to offer a “which device are you downloading to” option prior to the download options?

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Go back to regular Plex Web to initiate “Sync” for your mobile devices. Plex for Windows, although it looks like Web, is not Web and does things differently.

1 Like
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So now I’ve got to keep a web window open for sync actions, and Plex for Windows for playback of things chrome can’t? It just seems things are being long-winded or removing existing features for one or two new ones it’s like, you want sync in desktop clients? Well you can’t have a TV layout or way to sync to other devices

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You can’t think of Plex for Windows (or Plex for Mac) as PMP without the TV mode or as Web with Download. This is a totally new client that just happens to use an interface that looks like Web. For the Download feature, think of it like other clients that had Sync. You can use the client only to sync to itself. You can’t use it to sync to some other device. That ability is only available in Web, that hasn’t changed. Sync on other devices will change to use Download, but it still won’t be able to Download to other clients. There are still more features coming to Download.

I’m personally hoping for more changes in the UI to differentiate it more from Web. I would also expect that at some point you could use Web to Download to devices.

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Of course we can, if PMP is dying I’m 2020 then you’re changing the entire way people interact with their media and removing features people use daily

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You couldn’t do this with PMP.

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Yes I could…

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That would only be with the Desktop mode which was basically Plex Web. You can still do that with Plex Web so it hasn’t changed.

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Plex web within PMP had the same media capability of PMP when it came to media, chrome, ie and FF do not.

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Correct, that was Plex Web inside of PMP. This new player is not Plex Web.

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Correct, and I’ve lost functionality, PMP used to do everything, now I’ve got to keep Plex for Windows open for compatible playback, and a browser open in case I decide I wish to sync or “download” to another device, unless it’s the device I’m on then I can only do it from that device.

Can you not see you’ve taken one app that could literally do EVERYTHING but “download” and forced us to use 2 clients if we want the same feature set

And dont even get me started on the loss of the 10ft display, and forcing me to loose full media compatibility is just a farce

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This [comapring Plex for Windows versus PMP] isn’t the correct argument. Plex for Windows is actually a replacement for the Windows UMP app. The sunsetting of PMP is just an untimely coincidence so it appears that Plex for Windows also replaces PMP.

So in terms of the Download/Sync, you previously would have needed 2 apps as well (the UMP app as the client and Plex Web to manage), so this hasn’t changed. On a Mac, there was no option for Sync so this is an improvement.

The sunsetting of PMP does lose some abilities. There’s always a chance that these features could be added into Plex for Windows/Mac.

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