# PlexConnect FAQ's **URL:** \ **Category:** Apps & Creations\ **Created:** [October 18, 2017, 10:40am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexconnect-faqs/210620 "2017-10-18T10:40:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![moody\_blue](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/moody_blue/32/7835_2.png) [@moody\_blue](https://forums.plex.tv/u/moody_blue)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 10:40am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexconnect-faqs/210620/1 "2017-10-18T10:40:19Z")
# Welcome to PlexConnect FAQ: This post will try to answer some common questions related to the use of PlexConnect, a non-official Plex client for AppleTV2&3 platforms. ## Questions: - [Q01: What are the specs of ATV2 and ATV3 ?](#Q1) - [Q02: Video transcoding](#Q2) - [Q03: Audio transcoding](#Q3) - [Q04: Using the ATV remote for better viewing experience](#Q4) - [Q05: Plex features not supported by PlexConnect](#Q5) - [Q06: Can PlexConnect be used to manage remote ATV’s ?](#Q6) - [Q07: PlexConnect does not find any Plex Media Server](#Q7) - [Q08: How to generate certificates (Windows 64-bit)](#Q8) - [Q09: How to load certificates in the AppleTV](#Q9) - [Q10: How to hijack another application instead of trailers](#Q10) - [Q11: My ATV used to work but now has a strange behaviour](#Q11) - [Q12: PlexConnect fails to start in Windows 10](#Q12) - [Q13: How to change icon to Plex Icon](#Q13) - [Q14: How to Update PlexConnect](#Q14) - [Q15: When I click on `trailers` I only see a spinning circle](#Q15) - [Q16: Intermittent connection issues](#Q16) - [Q17: Plex Home](#Q17) - [Q18: SSL: CERTIFICATE\_VERIFY\_FAILED](#Q18) - [Q19: PlexConnect won’t sign in](#Q19) ## Q1 - What are the specs of ATV2 and ATV3 ? ATV2 - [Apple TV (2nd generation) - Technical Specifications - Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/kb/SP598?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US) ATV3 - [Apple TV (3rd generation) - Technical Specifications - Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/kb/SP648?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US) Video and/or audio with other specs should transcode in order to play. [Back to top](#top) ## Q2 - Video transcoding Whenever you want to stream a file whose specs are different from above PlexConnect will request a [transcoding decision](https://support.plex.tv/articles/200430303-overview/ "transcoding decision") to PMS. You should use ATV settings (screen panel on each ATV) to specify its maximum allowed bitrate (which is 14MBps for ATV2, and 20 Mbps for ATV3). If you specify higher bitrates than these the ATV may hang (or not) during playback and power recycle will be needed to return it to normal. [Subtitles](https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200471133-Adding-Local-Subtitles-to-Your-Media "Subtitles") require transcoding if they are embedded. External **.srt** subtitles are supported natively and do not require transcoding [Back to top](#top) ## Q3 - Audio transcoding ATV’s can decode AAC and MP3 natively, and can passthrough other audio tracks to TV/amplifier. PlexConnect has Dolby Digital disabled by default because most TV/amplifiers do not support it. If your TV/amplifier can’t play AC3 you **must** leave it disabled. This will force audio transcoding of AC3 audio tracks to Stereo. But if you have your ATV connected to a TV (or amplifier) that accepts AC3 (Dolby Digital) you can enable `Dolby Digital` (in Apple settings, and also in PlexConnect settings). PMS will then stream AC3 audio tracks without transcoding them. AAC 5.1 wil be transcoded to AC3 5.1. `Dolby Digital=auto` can cause problems with PlexConnect and should be avoided. In summary, both parameters (Apple’s and PlexConnect’s) should be either `On` or `Off` depending on your audio device. If you have no sound with Dolby `On` then DD is not supported by your TV (or amplifier). Warning: Setting `Dolby Digital` to `on` in PlexConnect, and to `Off` or `Auto` in ATV Settings will prevent playback (ATV pauses or gives error messages that film can’t be played). Such combinations cannot be used. Unfortunately PlexConnect can’t validate these situations. [Back to top](#top) ## Q4 - Using the ATV remote for better viewing experience [Secret Apple TV remote controls: Fifteen button combos to power up your viewing! | iMore](https://www.imore.com/secret-apple-tv-controls) - please note that some features, such as `chapter navigation`, are only available in [DirectPlay](https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200250387-Streaming-Media-Direct-Play-and-Direct-Stream "DirectPlay") situations [Back to top](#top) ## Q5 - Plex features not supported by PlexConnect There are many Plex features referenced [here](https://www.plex.tv/features/ "here") but some of them are not available in PlexConnect, such as: 1. Flinging 2. Plex News 3. [Inline Collections](https://www.plex.tv/blog/beginning-look-lot-like-collections/ "Inline Collections") (non-hybrid collections are supported) 4. PlexConnect also has some limitations with the support of Photo Albums - if they contain videos PlexConnect will not see them. You need to create a separate library for videos [Back to top](#top) ## Q6 - Can PlexConnect be used to manage remote ATV’s ? No. PlexConnect and ATV’s should be installed in the same LAN. If you have a jailbroken ATV2 you can install PlexConnect in it. Otherwise you need to install PlexConnect in a separate device. Plex servers can be remote (logging the ATV to [plex.tv](http://plex.tv)). [Back to top](#top) ## Q7 - PlexConnect does not find any Plex Media Server From Oct 1st, 2020 onwards [this announcement](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-support-is-ending-2020-09-30-on-older-smart-tv-devices/629707) may impact PlexConnect: 1. If you have PlexConnect installed in the ATV2/3 you can’t login it to [plex.tv](http://plex.tv), therefore you can’t access remote PMS, or use plex pass. But you can use your local PMS 2. If you have PlexConnect installed in other platform, you need to install python 2.7.9 or higher (2.7.18 recommended) If you opt for option 1. these are the steps to access a local PMS: 1. Identify the IP assigned to the ATV and parametrize PMS (see below) 2. SSH to the ATV3 and stop PlexConnect (see [Wiki](https://github.com/iBaa/PlexConnect/wiki/Install-Guide-AppleTV-3#how-to-update-plexconnect)) 3. Edit `Settings.cfg` so that `enable_plexgdm = False` and `ip_pms = x.x.x.x` (where x.x.x.x is the ip address of Plex Media Server) 4. Start PlexConnect If you are using PlexConnect with PMS 1.1.0+ please note that Plex clients need to be logged in to [plex.tv](http://plex.tv) (and this is mandatory to use Plex Home), or use an IP that is authorized to access PMS without login. If you opt to use the latest method you need to authorize both the IP of the machine where PlexConnect is running and the IP of all ATV’s, as in the following example (no spaces allowed): ![imagem](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/8/f/8f356105c0f5c639d6cfdbc2c58f0cbceb4665e3.jpeg) You can also authorize the whole LAN with 10.100.10.100/24 but this should be avoided if you also use reverse proxy, because then you are going to open PMS to the whole world. In above examples replace 10.100.10.xx with your actual IP addresses. [Back to top](#top) ## Q8 - How to generate certificates (Windows 64-bit) Certificates can be copied between platforms, but in case you don’t have certificates, or your certificates have expired, you can use Windows to generate them: 1. Download OpenSSL from [here](https://sourceforge.net/projects/openssl/ "here") and unzip to `c:\OpenSSL` 2. Open a CMD session and give the following commands 3. `cd c:\OpenSSL` 4. `copy bin\openssl.cnf *` 5. `bin\openssl req -new -nodes -newkey rsa:2048 -out trailers.pem -keyout trailers.key -x509 -days 7300 -subj "/C=US/CN=trailers.apple.com" -config openssl.cnf` 6. `bin\openssl x509 -in trailers.pem -outform der -out trailers.cer` 7. `type trailers.key >> trailers.pem` 8. copy `trailers.pem` `trailers.cer` and `trailers.key` to the PlexConnect `certificates` folder [Back to top](#top) ## Q9 - How to load certificates in the AppleTV Ensure that PlexConnect is running and follow these steps in the ATV: 2. open AppleTV’s `Settings` app 3. Select `General` and select `Network` 4. set the DNS server to the network connection to the IP address of your PC (or NAS) 5. Again Select `General`, highlight `Send Data To Apple` and press `Play` on the remote (very briefly) 6. Remove any older profile listed here 7. Select `Add Profile` 8. Enter `(ip of PlexConnect)/trailers.cer` 9. Reboot the ATV [Back to top](#top) ## Q10 - How to hijack another application instead of trailers Yes. OpenPlex and the Synology installer already allow this. For the remaining users: 1. The certificates need to be generated for another URL (where it reads `trailers.apple.com` in `Q8 step 5.` you need to specify another URL, see list below). You can use `trailers` as the name for the certificates or choose another name 2. You need to modify `hosttointercept` in `Settings.cfg` for the URL to intercept (see list below) 3. If you change `trailers` as the name for the certificate, then you need to modify the `certfile` parameter in `Settings.cfg` to specify the correct name 4. Restart PlexConnect so that it picks the changes in `Settings.cfg` 5. Load the cert in the ATV following Q9 (changing cert name if needed) List of URL names for each ATV app: 3. iMovies - [www.icloud.com](http://www.icloud.com) 4. WSJ Video - [video-api-secure.wsj.com](http://video-api-secure.wsj.com) 5. Trailers - [trailers.apple.com](http://trailers.apple.com) Other URL’s listed [here](https://github.com/iBaa/PlexConnect/wiki/Intercepting-another-App "here") may also work. [Back to top](#top) ## Q11 - My ATV used to work but now has a strange behaviour For unknown reasons the ATV can work during several weeks and then start showing strange behaviours, such as rebooting in the middle of a film. It is believed that this is due to buffer overruns, or other causes that corrupt the firmware. The recommended procedure is to restore the ATV to factory settings (reloading the latest firmware). When this finishes you need to complete the ATV setup, which includes rearranging apps in the initial page, loading the certificate required by PlexConnect, specifying the fixed DNS, activating dolby digital if needed, etc. [Back to top](#top) ## Q12 - PlexConnect fails to start in Windows 10 The following services can block ports used by PlexConnect: 1. VPN - Can block port 443 2. IIS - Will block port 80 [Back to top](#top) ## Q13 - How to change icon to Plex Icon Please follow the instructions [here](https://github.com/iBaa/PlexConnect/wiki/Changing-the-Trailer-app-icon "here") (only works from v0.6 onwards) [Back to top](#top) ## Q14 - How to Update PlexConnect 1. Stable PlexConnect versions can be obtainned from [here](https://github.com/iBaa/PlexConnect/releases "here") 2. Development versions are available [here](https://github.com/iBaa/PlexConnect "here") To update Plexconnect: 1. Stop PlexConnect 2. Unzip the new version over the existing one (certificates and settings are preserved) 3. Start PlexConnect [Back to top](#top) ## Q15 - When I click on `trailers` I only see a spinning circle This can be caused by several situations: 1. PlexConnect is not active 2. Timezone and hour of the ATV are incorrect 3. Python 2.7.8 or older ([plex.tv](http://plex.tv) login requires python 2.7.9+) [Back to top](#top) ## Q16 - Intermittent connection issues If you are experiencing this issue and you log showns `DNSServer: Warning: DNS error (10054): An existing connection was forcibly closed by the remote host` this may be caused by a Firewall. Avast can cause it. [Back to top](#top) ## Q17 - Plex Home In order to use Plex Home your ATV needs to be logged in to [plex.tv](http://plex.tv) [Back to top](#top) ## Q18 - SSL: CERTIFICATE\_VERIFY\_FAILED If `PlexConnect.log` contains this error message you can try [this](https://medium.com/@moreless/how-to-fix-python-ssl-certificate-verify-failed-97772d9dd14c) [Back to top](#top) ## Q19 - PlexConnect won’t sign in See [Q07](#Q7). [Back to top](#top) ---
**Author:** ![DonkeyBallZ](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/donkeyballz/32/130391_2.png) [@DonkeyBallZ](https://forums.plex.tv/u/DonkeyBallZ)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 8:44am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexconnect-faqs/210620/2 "2019-04-26T08:44:48Z")
Thanks got it setup on ubuntu ---
**Author:** ![moody\_blue](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/moody_blue/32/7835_2.png) [@moody\_blue](https://forums.plex.tv/u/moody_blue)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 11:23am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexconnect-faqs/210620/3 "2019-09-20T11:23:54Z")
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**Author:** ![BigWheel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/bigwheel/32/78783_2.png) [@BigWheel](https://forums.plex.tv/u/BigWheel)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 1:02am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexconnect-faqs/210620/4 "2019-10-08T01:02:10Z")