OP here. I have long since given up and bought new Echo devices. But I wanted to chime in, seeing how much traction this has gotten:
The onus to get this fixed should NOT be on the users. Plex should care more that their functionality is now broken on Amazon devices, and work with Amazon directly to get this fixed. It does not matter if the technical issue is on the Plex side or the Amazon one, Plex needs to assign someone to be personally responsible to getting this fixed and seeing it through to completion.
Users reporting this to Amazon is like spitting in the wind. I have already tried this route and gotten nowhere.
@anon18523487 If you are correct that this problem âcan only be fixed by the device manufacturer with a firmware update to replace the old root certificate with a new oneâ, then you are likely saying that this problem will not be fixed.
Someone posted an article previously that Amazon has an unrelated upgrade in the works for all Alexas except the 1st gen. This suggests that the 1st gen devices are being orphaned.
List of Amazon devices that continue to get security software support, 1st gen Echo and Tap conspicuously missing:
If your team is sure the problem is with Amazon, then they should at least be able to state that Plex will never again work on 1st gen and let everyone get on with it.
Meanwhile, the Emby skill does work for 1st gen devices with a user-supplied certificate, and probably will continue to do so.
Maybe the Plex team should consider a variation of this solution, as it is dodging whatever limitations there are in the Echo and Tap firmware.
It may well be that implementing a labor-intensive and maybe architecturally undesirable change for a relatively small and getting smaller class of devices like 1st gen is not worth it for Plex to do. If so, stating that explicitly would be helpful.
I refuse to reward Amazon by purchasing a new device when the old hardware is just fine. I donât expect new features on old devices but I DO expect whatever minor updates are needed to keep the existing features working.
Just reading through the topic after experiencing the same issue on my two 1st generation Echo speakers. Still works perfectly on my Echo Show. Iâm loath to throw more money into Amazon coffers to buy more recent speakers so will be clinging on to the tiny glimmer of hope that Plex devs have some successâŠ
I still find the original Echo of use, even without the ability to use the Plex voice skill.
I mentioned the Emby voice skill, though as a replacement for Plex, it is probably too big a PITA to set up and maintain for most. It does have the significant advantage of actually working, however.
Major music and sound skills such as Amazon, Pandora, Tunein, NPR, and SomaFM still work on Echo 1st gen.
Currently, Plex, Deezer, WJST Jet Set Radio, and probably others do not work.
You can still Bluetooth Plex, WJST, Deezer, or any other sound app to it from your phone or tablet.
Amazon will give you $25 trade-in value to upgrade to a newer Echo device, but I get more value than that out of it. It is still a very good-sounding speaker system, much better than any generation of Echo Dots, and probably still as good as newer Echos.
I put my original Echo on the bathroom counter, where it looks good and serves well. I hope the NSA enjoys it too.
It appears to be Amazonâs fix; not only Plex, but WJST Jet Set Radio and Kansas Public Radio (KPR) On Demand skills are working again (they broke at the same time as Plex).
The Amazon Tap doesnât yet work with any of those skills.
