Pretty disappointed

Plex Players Gaming Consoles
1

Hi!

 

First of all, thx for adding Xbox One to your supported devices, but here is my feedback...

 

- I have a Samsung smart TV, that also runs Plex client

- I have an Xbox One and was waiting on Plex for it.

- Plex server is running on my Synology NAS

 

- Plex for Samsung is free of charge, no need for premium. I won't die because I had to be premium to have it on Xbox, but still

- Plex for Samsung offers WORKING subs (.srt), not possible on Xbox One, but by burning them by turning the option on in Plex Server, but then, as we are watching FR and En movies, i'd always have them on even when I don't want them. I know it's somehow an Xbox limitation, but c'mon, work around guys! We worked it around on xbox 360 2 weeks after they offered divx support without subs for it...

- Plex for Samsung allows subtitles readjustement on the fly, in case they are out of sync, Xbox One doesn't as there is virtually no subtitles support

- A Very bad one now: Fast forward/Backward on Xbox One is not live, meaning you don't see where you are when you scroll, the images comes back only when you play again

- Xbox One plays the button sounds when hitting play/pause/stop etc... That's a REAL pain, what when the movie sounds are very low and thus your TV sound turned very high?

- Plex for Samsung offers format management on the fly, Xbox One doesn't

- There is not a single option in Plex for Xbox One

- Plex for Samsung offers a start at time option

- Plex for Samsung always ask if it should resume or restart the movie

 

- Plex for Xbox One is slightly faster than Plex for Samsung

- Plex for Xbox One offers a nicer dashboard as well as a similar experience as Plex Server web browsing which isn't the case of Plex for Samsung where the interface is horrible

 

I think I stop here... Too bad I had to buy a premium account for trying all this, would there be a demo, I wouldn't have...

 

 Keep the good work though and hope to hear some news when these points start to be fixed

2

You are comparing a client (Samsung) that is a complete application in the maintenance phase to an incomplete beta (Xbox One) application that is still in full development. Seriously? I'm not saying your gripes are invalid, I'm just saying your comparison is a bit off the mark.

Of the things you mentioned are missing many are likely things that will be added or work arounds for things the Xbox doesn't support (subtitles for instance, burning them in via the transcoder is the work around). Some of the things you list with the Samsung app may not be added since the Samsung app is a 3rd party app developed by Orca and may have things that are not in other official clients (start time, format management - not even sure what you mean by this).

If you don't want to beta test the software and want a complete application, don't buy plex pass and wait until it is fully released and pay the one time fee to get it.

3

Yeah, I'm serious... Just too bad it's not advertise as being a beta anymore...

https://plex.tv/xbox

As I said, if there would have been a demo provided, just as there are plenty on xbox live, I would have waited and not throw a year subscribtion for it. Now I have, cooool, but I'm still browsing my plex server via Plex for Samsung.

Thinking it the other way, I can also say that I paid to say thanks for the server though...

4

It's advertised as being in Plex Pass Preview. Emphasis added below:

In addition to the Xbox app, a Plex Pass also gives you exclusive premium features and early access to new ones.

I will give you the point however, I totally disagree with how they market the plex pass previews and think it causes more problems than it's worth.

5

Wouldn't it be better that way:

"In addition to the Xbox demo app, a Plex Pass also gives you exclusive premium features and early access to new ones."

The part you quoted (thanks for this) doesn't tell at all it's a preview :) It says you get an xbox application as well as access to premium features and new upcoming features. "Early access to new ones" refers to premium features

6

Yeah, no, it's not a Beta. Preview means just that, Preview, as in "early access" to upcoming services, etc

Plex wouldn't be THAT stupid to charge $5/month for something beta, now would they?

I love the "early access" part though, as if we're getting early access to anything; we've been waiting two months (!!!!) for them to fix this dimming problem. What a minute. Given all the bugs right now, maybe it IS a beta, lol.

I'm all thumbs up for Psychokiller's complaints, except did you know if you mux the subs into a .mkv you can toggle through them, and chose "none"? Hit pause, then go to the "..." and you have subtitle settings.

7

Actually i didn't know about it, no. But i'm not a big fan of matroska, explained by the fact that they are heavier to stream, good old xbox first of the name couldn't handle them and since then I kept compressing with mp4. I have to give you the point that I should consider giving them a try again, but well, Xbox Video on my MS Surface won't play them... And Plex for Windows 8 is  to be paid even though we are "lolmium members". But just for the fun i gonna try your trick, thank you!

8

Not sure how mkv's are "heavier" to stream. Chances are they have the same video and audio codec that is being used in your mp4. Mkv in my opinion is the superior container, it's unfortunately not as widely supported as mp4. Please remember mkv and mp4 are container, the video likely used in both of these is likely to be h264 or maybe even h265 now.

@kitkp - You can call it a preview if you want, but you are using an unfinished and still in development application and reporting bugs to the developer. I'm not really sure what else you would call it, but in my opinion it's a beta. The $5 a month for plex pass is not stictly for access to the xbox one application, there are quite a few other things that you get with the pass (syncing, non-local trailer, access to plex pass forums, etc). If you got the pass just for the xbox one (or 360, ps4, etc) application and don't like testing software, then you are going to be unhappy (especially if there is a bug you are having).

I've said it before that plex brings this kind of stuff on themselves do to their marketing. So I'm kind of done defending it, I understand what they were going for when they set up the stuff, but I'm a developer and do enjoy helping them test and support them with some money. The downside is there are considerably more people out there that don't understand that and are just going to be ticked off.

9

MKV's stream great on my XB1, but yeah, it sucks they don't play on Windows 8 native Xbox Video player. Sometimes I burn the subs into mp4s on RipBot to play on the XB Video app of my SP3.

@adamskoog, I'm just not sure if Plex says "Beta" anywhere on their site regarding the XB1 app, if they do then they certainly aren't pitching it as such, although they should!

If it acts like a beta, and feels like a beta and smells like a beta.....I hear your frustration at trying to defend them.

I too am continuing to pay for the monthly pass in spite of the frustrations, as, like you, I think developers need continued support, but their lack of communication on things like the dimming issue (and subtitle problems!) is not doing them any favors. Just read the 10 pages of complaints on the "dimming" post and you'll what I mean, but I imagine we're on the same page there? ;-)

10

I thought I read something that the xbox video player was supposed to have mkv support now: [Some info here](http://betanews.com/2014/12/09/xbox-video-for-windows-8-1-can-now-play-mkv-files/). Might want to check for some updates...

I'm quite well versed on the dimming issue, although fortunately haven't been experiencing it. My opinion on the whole addition of the screen saver has been voiced before, but I find that Plex adding it was completely unnecessary. If there was an issue with the built in screen saver on the xbox it should have been taken up with Microsoft and fixed at the operating system level and not each individual application doing there own thing. It messes with the overall user experience and confuses the user when something that is trying to keep that level of cohesion suddenly does something the user doesn't expect. My fix would be to remove the thing, but at least let us disable it if we don't want it to act that way. The first few times it kicked in I thought he TV turned off and was turning the tv on and off thinking something broke.

11

It's not even marketed as Preview or Beta anywhere.

https://plex.tv/features

says it as "Available on most devices" with Xbox listed with no "Plex Pass" icon beside it.

https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/204103413-What-version-Plex-Media-Server-is-required-

states that "Plex Media Server version 0.9.11.1 or newer is required"

(we're now at 0.9.11.7 for public)

https://plex.tv/xbox/

states:

Plex for Xbox is currently available for free to Plex Pass subscribers. In the future, it will be made available, for a fee, to those without a Plex Pass.

Some people seem to be confusing Plex Pass for "beta" or "preview".  Sure, Plex Pass gives access to beta versions with new functionality in testing, but it's actually intended to support Premium Features.

The app is not in Preview.  The app is not in Beta.

I wonder if anyone from Plex actually reads this forum since this is the main support forum for Plex for Xbox.  Do they have a staffing issue?

12

Thank you... Sas wondering if my English is so bad that i understood it wrong... Yep, nothing, nothing states it's a beta or a preview... Yet they all happily make us pay a premium pass to get it in this state...

13

If your that disappointed, why are you paying for it? Email plexpass@plex.tv and ask for a refund and tell them why, if you have an issue vote with your wallet by not giving them money. This is what you would do with any other business isn't it?

Also of note if you check the blog [here](https://blog.plex.tv/2014/10/05/plex-xbox-one-xbox-360/) you will see the following text:

If you don’t have a Plex Pass, you’ll be able to purchase the apps with a one-time fee after the Plex Pass preview period.

Note: Emphasis added.

14

You can add as much emphasis as you want, it is simply not clear, just don t try to deny it. If you read my first message, you would understand why I'm not asking for a refund... I'm allowed to say what I think of this and I think its good if people can read about it and be warned as Plex team doesn't seem to do anything to make it clear

15

Honestly, I'm also pretty disappointed with Plex for Xbox One. I bought the pass, just for it, as I have been running Kodi on an android box, and didn't want to change remotes/ inputs/etc all the time.

I have no experience with any other Plex client, only xbox one.

I'm back to using Kodi/ Android, as you just can't even compare the 2 with regards to stability, functionality and customization.

This app definitely feels like a paid beta.

16

Just dumped plex and went back to kodi. It’s just not ready for prime time yet.

17

Well at least one thing is sure, plex team doesn’t give a ■■■■ about it, since OP not even an official answer.

18

The app is in preview phase, which I imagine the majority of users here understand as a Beta.  You're trying to compare it with a mature app that has been available for a few years which is incredibly unfair.  You seem to be suggesting that the Plex team shouldn't have released the app until it had 100% feature parity with other mature platforms, along with no bugs.  That I can assure you would mean the Xbox app would not be available until minimum 2016.  Would you be on these boards complaining to the devs about what's taking so long if that were the case?  Seems they can't win either way with you

19

The app is in preview phase, which I imagine the majority of users here understand as a Beta.  You're trying to compare it with a mature app that has been available for a few years which is incredibly unfair.

I repeat again for the hard-of-reading people here:

It's not even marketed as Preview or Beta anywhere.

https://plex.tv/features

says it as "Available on most devices" with Xbox listed with no "Plex Pass" icon beside it.

 

https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/204103413-What-version-Plex-Media-Server-is-required-

states that "Plex Media Server version 0.9.11.1 or newer is required"

(we're now at 0.9.11.7 for public)

 

https://plex.tv/xbox/

states:

Plex for Xbox is currently available for free to Plex Pass subscribers. In the future, it will be made available, for a fee, to those without a Plex Pass

 

LET ME TELL YOU IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS:

This app is released.  It is not in preview.  It is not in beta.  It is available for anybody with a (paid) Plex Pass.

 

If this is NOT the case, then the Plex marketing team should be rewriting those pages VERY quickly.

 

One day we might actually see Plex supporting their paid products in their forums.   I sure hope so, after paying for a Plex lifetime pass.

20

Some are having really hard time reading my OP… ttx1… Thank you DaleFamily