Why doesn’t Plex offer their own hardware player? zapitti did it, they also offer a zapitti branded NAS. as long as the hardware could direct play and offer a standard consistent experience, I would buy 4-5 in a heart beat. the way it is now on different devices is a mess, each device has its own limitations, bugs, UI differences, etc. etc. I just purchased a Roku 4, it seemed to be the best option to standardize my media player/setup but to be honest its horrible, xbox app is also horrible (transcodes everything) my Samsung smart TV seems to work the best but I’m not going to replace all my TV’s with Samsung smart TVs just to get the best most consistent plex setup. but even Samsung TV has some limitations.
call it PlexBox… sell the whole experience call it Plexperience!
capable hardware, consistent UI, etc. etc…
continue to support the other platforms but I think its time for the next step… sell your own hardware like zapitti does.
The devs should stick to software and stay out of the hardware side of things. I have two Shield TVs, a bunch of tablets and laptops, an Intel NUC, and two RPIs - and Plex works great on all of them. No need to develop hardware when there are so many capable devices already out there that can run Plex perfectly.
Plex would not need to develop hardware… the way I see it, It would most likely be a licensing/branding deal with a hardware manufacturer the hardware would be built to plex specifications, Plex itself could still stick to what it knows… software. zappiti licensed dune players and they are also licensing their NAS devices… I can guarantee they do not design and manufacture their hardware…
I disagree, the hardware currently available from any and all manufacturers is crap, mainly because they’re all streamers. at least the hardware that can run plex. I have no desire to build custom RP’s or htpcs. I think Plex and their customers would benefit from plex hardware
The Shield TV has plenty of horsepower, and it will run Plex Server when the 3.2 update is released. Plex comes preloaded on the Shield TV, so I think they already have an arrangement with a huge industry leader. The Intel NUC comes with core Intel processors, so I hardly think they are crap.
@michaeljtaylor said:
your welcome to your opinion. as am I.
What hardware have you tried that doesn’t perform, other than using an XBOX app. Have you tried a computer, or the Shield, or various NAS hardware, Intel NUC…so many hardware options, so I’m very interested in where you came to the conclusion that all current hardware is crap.
an intel NUC is basically a PC not a streamer, …im sure they are more than capable but they can also be pricey. especially to purchase 4-5… I would like/prefer an STB type box. I’ve had many media players over the years, (ntv550’s) played everything I threw at it flawlessly but netgear stopped supporting it and it did not have a great interface … also have PCH a400, plex runs great on it but it doesn’t play every file in plex (there’s actually a thread on this from another guy) I have the same problem as him it will not play all movies from within plex but when it does play a movie its great (ff rw chapters subs, etc) all work great… also have a couple of zappiti players (basically dune tv303d) they play everything i throw at it perfectly as well, but does not support plex (except from a forum member) and it did not work that well when i tried to install and use it… same goes for my mede8er 600 player… plays everything but no plex support
my goal is to move completely to plex but haven’t found a media player that works as well as I would like. (except as I pointed out in my original post… my Samsung smart TV)
I currently use a mix of plex and zappiti but I do not want to maintain multiple metadata/databases. and I like dynamic features of plex much much better than zapitti, so I’ve been looking for a good option to replace my current zappiti players… but I’m not having much luck.
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I have not used a shield. I was considering it (comparing it to ruku 4) and it sounded like roku was the way to go for plex. but I was wrong, plex on the Roku 4 is horrible. i cant speak specifically about the shield but it also is not just a media streamer, seems geared toward gaming, so i have no doubt it has the horsepower, my main concern is how plex runs on it and what type of plex experience it offers. but at this point i might give it a go and keep my fingers crossed.
If it doesn’t have to be 4K and/or HEVC give the Raspberry Pi3 a go.
With PMP embedded and Rasplex there are even 2 players which run on that thingy. And it’s not too pricey.
@michaeljtaylor said:
your welcome to your opinion. as am I.
What hardware have you tried that doesn’t perform, other than using an XBOX app. Have you tried a computer, or the Shield, or various NAS hardware, Intel NUC…so many hardware options, so I’m very interested in where you came to the conclusion that all current hardware is crap.
don’t get me wrong there is hardware that works, my Samsung tv for instance but I cant go out and purchase 4 smart tvs just for plex, same goes for NUC’s (they are pricey) particularly if purchasing 4-5, ive recently bought Roku 4 (its horrible), I have tried it on xbox as you mention but even if it worked I would not buy 4-5 for all my TV’s same goes with playstation 3, and of coarse on my PC’s but again not going to put a pc at all my tv’s … a friend of mine has a fire tv and a chrome cast? and I was not impressed, ive done research and have been reading through the forums, it seems every device (the streamer category) has some limitation in regards to direct play or quirks, etc all the interfaces are a bit different, navigation/control… again a bit different on each…
my point with my original post is a media player that could direct play high bitrate hd media, consistent UI and control. that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg… $150 ish I think would be Ok… I would even pay more possibly…
its just a post and a thought… wishful thinking… not even sure I want to go with 4 or 5 shield… this looks like it would fit in in my game room but not my bedrooms or living room… I wish plex worked on my zapitti players or even my PCH but as it stands its hit or miss with th PCH… I will stick to what I have at the moment…
those wd tv look to be for the server, don’t need plex server, looking for players at the moment. my plex server is running on my qnap TS870 pro (i3 cpu 16gb ram) runs great… so don’t need storage or server, thanks though… contemplating the shield but will probably have to stick to my current system for the time being. a combination of plex/zapitti
I decided to ask plex directly. this is their answer and this is why I think Plex hardware would be a good idea.,
as I mentioned NUC can get expensive, and would require me “building” it , installing software, etc. and I have no desire to build Rasberry Pi devices for all my viewing locations either. I would not have a problem if a device direct streamed, but I bought a Roku (since returned) and it was a mess with FF RW, chapter skipping, subtitles etc. when it was direct streaming. it worked much better when I connected it to my receiver but I don’t need it for my living room I use my Samsung TV for that.
Hello Michael,
We do not typically provide support via this email, but I will assist as much as possible. It is not possible to direct play a video with DTS audio if the device connected to the Plex device does not support DTS audio. I am no aware of any Plex device (Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast, etc.) that is able of decoding DTS audio themselves. They are only able to pass through the audio so the receiving device must support DTS. This is a limitation of the devices and not Plex. Plex can only utilize the features the device itself is able of performing. The only Plex clients that support DTS decoding is Plex Media Player, which is the replacement to Plex Home Theater. This is currently in preview mode for Plex Pass members only. Plex Media Player is run on a computer or an embedded device like a Raspberry Pi or an Intel NUC.
If you still have issues, please post some details in our support forums at https://forums.plex.tv/ if you haven’t done so already. Our staff or friendly community should be able to help you out.
Thanks for your interest in Plex!
Do you need to have as high a quality full HD in all rooms, the reason I ask is that I went through various devices in the home and ended up with the below solution.
Convert all media apart from Blu-ray rips which are mkv’s into mp4 files with aac 2 ch 1st track/AC3 5.1 ch as 2nd, with quality no higher than 5mbps (just lower than broadband upload rate).
Then for the blu-rays which I rip using make mkv, leave untouched with dts/true-hd etc.
Then create an optimised version of these files as 5mpbs mp4 files, again with same audio setup as above.
I then have a pmp player in the lounge connected to the surround sound system, and 50" TV, although I will likely change this to a shield TV in the next year or a new premium Samsung TV with the new Plex client.
Then on all the other TV’s I have a fire TV stick.
When I play a film in the lounge it automatically selects the best quality of film available and gives me dts etc out of the surround sound system, and in all the other rooms it will always select the mp4 file as Plex will always try and direct play when possible, and with all the other TV’s in the house being no bigger than 32" I don’t see the loss in quality and do not need surround sound in those rooms.
This works so well I have been able to move my server from a PC with a passmark score of 2200 to a machine with just 1600, because all the files direct play perfectly.
This solution even enables the use of iphones/ipads/android devices/ and Chromecasts to work flawlessly.
thanks for you suggestion/input… however I don’t see myself converting all my movies anytime soon… way too many and too busy ATM, and I think its easier to just keep the 2 systems up and running (plex and zapitti) and continue to maintain the 2 databases…
its a shame that there is no player that can do this (STB) many of my old media players can do this (decode DTS and other audio) dating back to 2009, they’re just not plex compatible.
@OttoKerner said:
If it doesn’t have to be 4K and/or HEVC give the Raspberry Pi3 a go.
With PMP embedded and Rasplex there are even 2 players which run on that thingy. And it’s not too pricey.
I have recently started looking at this(due to all other hardware being inadequate in my eyes) but from what I have read you need to jump through hoops to get an IR remote working with it (I could be wrong I didn’t spend a ton of time researching this) but if you have any info/guides getting plex on this working with a remote I might reconsider my stance on “building” something that suits my needs.
@michaeljtaylor said:
I have recently started looking at this(due to all other hardware being inadequate in my eyes) but from what I have read you need to jump through hoops to get an IR remote working with it
If your TVs support HDMI-CEC, you can use the remote control of the TV.
Without CEC-support there are still multiple options. The most configurable/responsive is a FLIRC USB dongle.
Maybe I’m missing something, but it sounds like ultimately what you want is something with rather high end specs, but costs less than an Intel NUC, and isn’t a Roku, an XBox, a Playstation, or a Smart TV? I…don’t really see you having much luck with that, especially if you also don’t have time to transcode or tinker.
Is there any particular reason you can’t skimp a bit on the specs for “rooms that aren’t big screens with fancy speakers” and just get a Roku 3? They’re easily below your $150 threshhold (if not half of it) and are far more “stable” than the often maligned & griped about Roku 4s (which sound to be improving, but I haven’t yet found a reason to upgrade from my XD yet, let alone my 3)
@jkalland said:
Maybe I’m missing something, but it sounds like ultimately what you want is something with rather high end specs, but costs less than an Intel NUC, and isn’t a Roku, an XBox, a Playstation, or a Smart TV? I…don’t really see you having much luck with that, especially if you also don’t have time to transcode or tinker.
Is there any particular reason you can’t skimp a bit on the specs for “rooms that aren’t big screens with fancy speakers” and just get a Roku 3? They’re easily below your $150 threshhold (if not half of it) and are far more “stable” than the often maligned & griped about Roku 4s (which sound to be improving, but I haven’t yet found a reason to upgrade from my XD yet, let alone my 3)
No I don’t think I am asking for something with high end specs… just something that preferably would play direct. and this would require the STB to be able to decode dts audio and/or other audio formats instead of just pass through. my media players from 2009 did this and I spent less than $150 for them. (NTV550’'s) they work great to this day, but like I said no plex integration. other players that I have and can play HD mkv files with dts audio include the zappiti players I currently use. they cost me about $200 a piece, I have an PCH a400 (issues with plex files, see post above) and I also have a mede8er, I believe I paid ~$160 for the mede8er, this also plays HD mkv files perfectly but again it doesn’t support plex… I would not even care if the player did not support direct play. if it was able to direct stream that would be OK, BUT when I tested the Roku 4 while direct streaming FF, RW, skipping to chapters or enabling or disabling subtitles caused major anomalies. it was horrible. here is my post on the specifics (https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/223251/roku-4-plex-horrible#latest) I then connected it to my HT receiver to see how it would perform when direct playing, none of these issue were present. it worked well, but I don’t need players(s) for my main setup I need players for my bedrooms, guest room and game room. I really don’t think its too much to ask, I might still consider a shield, I know it wont direct play but maybe I wont see the anomalies I saw on the Roku 4 when it was direct streaming (I’m hoping since its a more powerful device) but I also don’t want to have to purchase every plex device just to test this out… No I don’t want to tinker, I want to plug it in and have it work, not everyone wants to tinker or transcode, i used to but not anymore… this is why I think it would be a good idea to have Plex hardware … or perhaps come out with an officially supported plex client for dune or something similar.
do you own any Roku 3 devices or a shield? perhaps someone who owns them would be willing to test FF, RW, chapters skipping and subtitles while direct streaming. to see if they experience any of the anomalies I saw when testing Roku 4.
