Plex Media Player on Windows 10

Plex Players Desktop Players
1

Just did the conversion from Windows 7 to Windows 10. Plex seems to be a nightmare!
I downloaded the newest server and player from plex.tv.

It seems Plex Player GUI has been redesigned to be VERY difficult to use!
I want to start in TV mode without the stuff on the left edge of the screen.
I also need the exit menu that used to exist offering me the choices of exiting the player, shutting down the computer etc.

Can someone PLEASE guide me towards a document to tame this unruly piece of software?

As I have it now, I start the player, enter TV mode and STRUGGLE to get rid of the stuff on the left edge of the screen. I STILL have not figured out the proper hoops to jump through.

Then when it is time to shut down. My kids don’t have a clue anymore! It was SOO easy before!

Thanks for your help!

2

Select your username/avatar, choose exit.

3

I don’t know if it helps but if you go to Avatar → Settings → Main you can change the Layout from Auto to TV to make your Plex start up a little quicker :wink:

You can also ensure it is in Full Screen mode, Always on Top and the Mouse is Disabled etc
 if need be.

As for the Sidebar, whist you can unpin items from it and re-order stuff even in a minimalist view I think you can’t get rid of it completely as it replaces the old top bar - this seems to be part of the UNO UI update that Plex is currently transitioning to. On a positive note it does disappear when you move the focus to the right into the main panel.

I personally quite like the sidebar although I would merge the Avatar and Home menu items as I think a) having two separate items steals real-estate away from the other menu items, b) the main panel doesn’t change between the two and c) I know my username - if I forget that, especially as I use the same username across a lot of sites, then it’s time to put me in a home!

I would also rework the MORE item at the bottom of the sidebar so that it was part of the Settings.

Now if only the Grid View would arrive in TV mode in both the Windows and Xbox One clients!!

4

I Open the player. In the upper right corner of the screen I see:
TV Mode, Full Screen, Activity, Settings, Select Player, and what I think you are calling Avatar.
Under Avatar is: Announcements, Get Plex Apps, Help, Keyboard Shortcuts and Sign in.

If I choose settings. There are only about three things related to the Player. ALL the rest is about the server.

I am lost


5

I cannot find any of these settings anywhere. On my computer (using Google Chrome) it is VERY difficult to get the left side to disappear. Moving focus as in moving the mouse to the right side and clicking somewhere definitely does NOT make it disappear on my computer screen.

6

That choice of Exit does not appear in my list of choices. Something is blocking the options!

7

Ah - you’re using the PlexWeb interface on Windows 10?

I thought you were using Plex Media Player. I’ve not tried the TV UI in PlexWeb yet but I will take a look when I get home this evening (maybe an hour or so) and see how it compares.

8

It is a pure coincidence that your upgrade from Windows 7 to 10 also overlapped a Plex Web update that happened within the last day or two. The OS you’re using won’t have any bearing on what Plex is supposed to look like in a browser.

Incredible timing, eh?

9

No, I am using Plex Media Player but I THINK it morphs into the Server when I click on Settings. (The top of Google Chrome still says Plex Media Player)

In any event my version of PMP does not have any settings worth while.

10

Yes, incredibly BAD timing! To top things off Go to the Plex Media Player Audio portion of the help files online:
https://support.plex.tv/articles/212072167-audio-configuration-guide-plex-media-player/
and click on Plex Media Player forum link at the bottom you get the message:
“Oops! That page doesn’t exist or is private.”

11

Not at all intuitive but, if I hit ESC enough times the exit menu will appear

This is not a solution by the way!

12

When I got home earlier this evening I launched my PlexWeb to find that I’m still on v3.104.2 and not the new UNO update v4.0.1 so was struggling to even switch it into TV mode.

Admittedly it has been a long day as I had just completed a 12 hour shift :frowning: As such I thought I would be best to leave things until tomorrow when I have clear(er) head.

But now I’m really confused :frowning:

I would like to know what software your using - and which of the following you think you’re using:

  • PlexWeb - and what version
  • Plex Media Player (PMP) and what version
  • Microsoft Store Plex - I don’t think this is really supported now but I could be wrong
  • Windows Media Player (WMP) - Not sure how this fits into the mix

If your using Google Chrome then it can only really be option 1 but I am open to be totally wrong here.

Is it possible to take a screen shot and PM me the pic?

13

I must have been brain dead when posting. I created a lot of confusion calling Plex Media Player - Windows Media Player. I am sorry.

I am using PMP version 2.38.0.999
I am using Plex Server version 1.16.3.1402

These are the only two pieces of Plex software that I use.

Thank you for your continued help!

14

Here are three screen shots that will show my issue:

This is how Plex Media Player starts up for me:

inital%20screen
inital%20screen943×530 150 KB

This is the Avatar menu:

avatar%20options
avatar%20options943×530 150 KB

This shows the default TV mode with the left side stuck! I cannot find a way to reliably get rid of it. ie make the right side full width.

default%20tv%20mode
default%20tv%20mode943×530 140 KB

15

Simply press the ‘Right’ cursor button.

It also appears as if your PMP is not signed into your Plex account.
Sign it in.

It appears you have an empty side bar.
I recommend you to trigger a reset of everything and let Plex automatically populate your side bar and the home page:
https://support.plex.tv/articles/customizing-the-apps/
(scroll down to “Reset Home Customization”)

As of now, the web app with the new UNO mode is only available in the ‘hosted’ version on app.plex.tv
There is also a support article available for customizing this one https://support.plex.tv/articles/customizing-plex-web/

16

In TV Mode (last screenshot), once you navigate to the content (right-arrow), then the sidebar slides off the view. You navigate back to the sidebar by using the left-arrow until it re-appears.

There is no way to permanently disable the sidebar. It’s designed to be visible or not as needed.

Oddly enough however, you do seem to be missing the “tabs” at the top (see below).

19%20AM
19%20AM830×602 235 KB

18

Is the web app the same thing as Plex Media Player for Windows?

I never sign into Plex. I never had to in the past and have no desire to start doing this. It has always been optional in the past


FYI, the information below does not apply to this version of PMP.
There is no User Menu there is however a Restore to defaults button. But, pushing it did nothing of value for me.

Reset Home Customization

If you would like to revert all changes that have been made to your Home screen, you can do so using Reset Home Customization. This option can be found by navigating to the top of the Navigation Sidebar, opening the User Menu, and selecting Reset Home Customization.

19

Yes this is outdated and I’ve reported it to Plex.

In PMP on a computer in TV Mode, navigate to the right and then all the way to the bottom and you will see to buttons: Manage Hubs and Restore to defaults. Select “Restore to defaults”.

20

No. They may look similarly (at least in ‘desktop’ mode), but PMP has the better player engine, whereas Web runs in a web browser and thus has relatively poor support for various video, audio and subtitle codecs.

If you want to avoid transcoding or need audio ‘passthrough’, use PMP.

Actually no.

You go right,
then up to your user avatar,
Enter,
‘Reset customizations’

1 Like
21

Ugh, too may places to do similar but slight different things; UI needs a bit of clean up still :frowning: