Plex needs a back button on the screen in TV Mode!

Feature Suggestions
1

Hey Plex

Just to give a quick setup background, we use Synology as the Plex Server and intel NUC’s as the client players.

Really enjoy using your server and player, but I get complaints about one thing and it drives people insane.

There is no back button, which means you have to either use the menu button to go all the way back,
then go all the way in again. Major hassle.

So, when I go into series, I select a show, then go to season.
Everyone from all other software, it is intuitive to just press back, if you either selected wrong on change your mind.
I know that you can go to the 3 dots and go to show/season, but there needs to be a back button.

I have seen people swear at the screen and get really angry, to the point where guests broke the remotes, just because there is no back button. It just doesn’t make sense!

Please Please please please please please fix this, before we all only move forward and loose our minds.

2

Are you talking about Plex Media Player in ‘tv mode’?
Because it has a back button. More than one, in fact.
You can use either Backspace or Escape or B

The Back action is also already mapped for Windows MCE remote controls (and Logitech Harmony devices, since they can emulate MCE remotes).

If your remote control is using HDMI-CEC, the Back action is also already mapped to the Back/Return buttons on regular tv remote controls.

On a Playstation 4 Dualshock controller, Back is on the Circle button.

On an XBox Controller, Back is on the B button

3

Hey Otto

Firstly… I did not know that. haha!
But also, secondly, we have no keyboards connected to it, and is operated by Crestron remote controls.
So, there was no way for me to try different buttons.
Thus, I will need to add some programming to the Crestron Remotes.
(btw i just tested on the one NUC by connecting a keyboard to it, and it totally works, so thanks for that!)

but, lastly, could there possibly please be an icon/button, like in the web player, for people who doesn’t instinctively press random buttons, for people to select back intuitively?
It really would help a lot.

4

The idea is to have as few buttons on screen as possible, or you’ll have to scroll over even more items with the arrow keys.

And a Back button is nowadays present on any remote control, so it is better to concentrate to better make it work IMHO.

Do they have a default mapping? We are already catching quite a few default buttons, so I’m curious how your remotes are programmed by default.

5

Hey Otto

Although that logic does make sense, it has a flaw in it, that full control cannot be obtained if you don’t use a specific method of control. Back is a very important part of control and leaving it out visually, is ridiculous compared to loss of control you get. Please, it’s only one button that you need to use almost all of the time. It’s like being in a hotel and the give you a remote control to control the TV, but also, you need a keyboard, just so that you can press backspace. The win/loss ratio here weigh heavily on user experience, I believe. Please reconsider.

Crestron Remote Controls doesn’t have any default programming, but are used on almost all yachts and hotels as the control system for AV, Lighting, Blinds, TV Lifts, Switching control, all on one remote.

6

Maybe the back button of your remote is already programmed, but just with the wrong event?
I’d take a look at the PMP logfile after pressing the ‘back’ button on the remote.
Maybe it is as easy as writing a custom inputmap and deploying it on the player(s), instead of having to reprogram the remotes themselves.

see MCE Remote Support Is Broken In PMP - How Do We Fix It?

and https://support.plex.tv/articles/216459997-create-your-own-inputmap/

7

Hey Otto

That is a clever idea, and would have worked if the button was assigned, and if I could access the assignment to see what the assignment is for that configuration.
But I can’t.

Basically with Crestron you can switch to different configurations within one remote.
For instance, I select PLEX on the remote, then the configuration switches to PLEX control,
If I select shades. then up and down controls blinds to go up and down, and no longer controls PLEX,
I can select Sat TV, Then the same remote control takes on the configuration of the specific Sat TV remote control.
It does not double fire, because you will get too many clashes.
Everything needs to be assigned and programmed manually within each configuration.

Crestron editing software is also software that only developers have access to, which makes it impossible for me to reprogram my remotes myself.

So I have to pay an authorized company to edit , then upload an updated program and then reload it via VPN to each controller, one by one. (I mean it’s a simple change to add the button’s functionality),
but all of this is a process that costs a lot of money and it takes 2 people.
And even then, It’s still

I guess you guys just refuse to see it my way.
So be it, it’s your software, you can do what you want I guess.

I’m just letting you know there’s an issue that customers find frustrating / annoying, and everyone I have spoken to about this, over the year we have used PLEX, has not only mentioned it, but expressed how much they get angry over it.

I do believe you gave me an answer to my support question, even though I don’t like the answer, it is a valid solution. So I will leave it at that if you would like to close the support ticket.

I will get the company to reprogram.
Thanks

8

Early 2021 clean-up: implemented (common use cases and exception handling explained)