I’ve been a lifetime plex pass member for years, but the “F*** you, I don’t care what you think” silence we’ve gotten from Plex on this has left me super disappointed and a bit pissed off.
Do you expect they will say sorry after each complain? You have the answer:
The first update is purely to address the most serious bugs first. Other feature and UI related stuff is coming down the line. That’s not to say we’re ignoring posts though, we’re reading all of them and passing on feedback and issues internally. The UI is still evolving, and we’re looking on how to help solve a lot of the pain points some users are experiencing.
Do you know what would be really brilliant PR? Accepting responsibility for a poor decision.
Some form of mea culpa “Yeah, we screwed up - sorry, we should have kept the legacy version in the store as a unique/different app whilst we rolled the new version out. Our bad.”
Except we’ve had, barely and mostly from ninjas not the devs, the “it had to be done this way” line, which defies belief.
I’ve been a lifetime plex pass member for years, but the “F*** you, I don’t care what you think” silence we’ve gotten from Plex on this has left me super disappointed and a bit pissed off.
Do you expect they will say sorry after each complain? You have the answer:
The first update is purely to address the most serious bugs first. Other feature and UI related stuff is coming down the line. That’s not to say we’re ignoring posts though, we’re reading all of them and passing on feedback and issues internally. The UI is still evolving, and we’re looking on how to help solve a lot of the pain points some users are experiencing.
Exactly - just bug fixes for the new app - no mention of giving us the option to use the old app until they fix this mess. I don’t want an apology - i want the old app back.
@trashboat said:
Exactly - just bug fixes for the new app - no mention of giving us the option to use the old app until they fix this mess. I don’t want an apology - i want the old app back.
It’s already been stated a couple of times the old version WILL NOT be back. Can’t be more clear than that.
I just don’t understand why it had to be updated to the new UI at all. The previous version of Plex was almost perfect and much better than the current version.
The only problem I had with the previous app version is that sometimes when I’d start to play a movie from the beginning, the screen would dim, making me have to quit the app, re-launch it, resume playing and rewind to the beginning. This would be annoying for sure, but not nearly as annoying as the current problems.
It honestly seems like nobody tested this app before it was released. I have a very simply setup. I have one Plex server (on my main computer), no playlists, TV shows or music. Just movies. I only play on my local network and I’m unable to play one movie from start to finish without encountering some sort of error message.
@kalinius said:
I just don’t understand why it had to be updated to the new UI at all. The previous version of Plex was almost perfect and much better than the current version.
The only problem I had with the previous app version is that sometimes when I’d start to play a movie from the beginning, the screen would dim, making me have to quit the app, re-launch it, resume playing and rewind to the beginning. This would be annoying for sure, but not nearly as annoying as the current problems.
It honestly seems like nobody tested this app before it was released. I have a very simply setup. I have one Plex server (on my main computer), no playlists, TV shows or music. Just movies. I only play on my local network and I’m unable to play one movie from start to finish without encountering some sort of error message.
Plex is no different than any other app development company. They all have to deal with changing technologies and as a result sometimes have to completely re-write their apps.
As for, “the previous version was almost perfect”…you must be joking. Maybe the UI was better for most people, but functionality was stale. And nothing new could be added. As an example, there would have never been Live TV or DVR in the old app. They just couldn’t add any new functionality because MS change the back end framework. Yes, some things are still missing, but there was definitely a lot of new functionality added that many of us have been waiting more than a year for.
@kalinius said:
I just don’t understand why it had to be updated to the new UI at all. The previous version of Plex was almost perfect and much better than the current version.
The only problem I had with the previous app version is that sometimes when I’d start to play a movie from the beginning, the screen would dim, making me have to quit the app, re-launch it, resume playing and rewind to the beginning. This would be annoying for sure, but not nearly as annoying as the current problems.
It honestly seems like nobody tested this app before it was released. I have a very simply setup. I have one Plex server (on my main computer), no playlists, TV shows or music. Just movies. I only play on my local network and I’m unable to play one movie from start to finish without encountering some sort of error message.
Plex is no different than any other app development company. They all have to deal with changing technologies and as a result sometimes have to completely re-write their apps.
As for, “the previous version was almost perfect”…you must be joking. Maybe the UI was better for most people, but functionality was stale. And nothing new could be added. As an example, there would have never been Live TV or DVR in the old app. They just couldn’t add any new functionality because MS change the back end framework. Yes, some things are still missing, but there was definitely a lot of new functionality added that many of us have been waiting more than a year for.
I suppose I should’ve said the old version was near perfect for basic users like myself. As I mentioned, I only use it to stream movies from my computer, nothing else. I find it odd that although new features have been added, simple ones that used to work near flawlessly are now non-functional.
@kalinius said:
I suppose I should’ve said the old version was near perfect for basic users like myself. As I mentioned, I only use it to stream movies from my computer, nothing else. I find it odd that although new features have been added, simple ones that used to work near flawlessly are now non-functional.
I have to agree with this statement. If you were just playing your library of movies and shows, it was very adequate.
I’ve been making use of the newer features as they’ve rolled out, and sure, it was behind the times in those areas… but it fit the original mission of Plex, and it was the interface that sold me on the product.
@trashboat said:
Exactly - just bug fixes for the new app - no mention of giving us the option to use the old app until they fix this mess. I don’t want an apology - i want the old app back.
It’s already been stated a couple of times the old version WILL NOT be back. Can’t be more clear than that.
Well that’s just stupid then.
Basically, we have no choice but to Lump this broken ■■■■.
Just took me 50 mins to watch a 20 min episode.
Makes no sense, you have a working App, why nor deploy it until you fix this crap. Or at least give people a choice?
Basically you cut off your face to spite your nose!
@trashboat said:
Exactly - just bug fixes for the new app - no mention of giving us the option to use the old app until they fix this mess. I don’t want an apology - i want the old app back.
It’s already been stated a couple of times the old version WILL NOT be back. Can’t be more clear than that.
Well that’s just stupid then.
Basically, we have no choice but to Lump this broken ****.
Just took me 50 mins to watch a 20 min episode.
Makes no sense, you have a working App, why nor deploy it until you fix this crap. Or at least give people a choice?
Basically you cut off your face to spite your nose!
My understanding is that MS changed their backend framework and the Plex app had to be rewritten basically from the ground up to work with it. The old app is incompatible with the old framework. So there is no going back, unfortunately.
Hopefully if my facts are off someone will correct me
@trashboat said:
Exactly - just bug fixes for the new app - no mention of giving us the option to use the old app until they fix this mess. I don’t want an apology - i want the old app back.
It’s already been stated a couple of times the old version WILL NOT be back. Can’t be more clear than that.
Well that’s just stupid then.
Basically, we have no choice but to Lump this broken ****.
Just took me 50 mins to watch a 20 min episode.
Makes no sense, you have a working App, why nor deploy it until you fix this crap. Or at least give people a choice?
Basically you cut off your face to spite your nose!
My understanding is that MS changed their backend framework and the Plex app had to be rewritten basically from the ground up to work with it. The old app is incompatible with the old framework. So there is no going back, unfortunately.
Hopefully if my facts are off someone will correct me
Nope, you pretty much got it right.
They had an app identified as “Plex”.
To release the same identified app under the new framework it replaced the previous edition and it is a forwards only process, the framework MS have in place does not allow apps from the old framework to be added any more.
Basically now that they’ve moved forward with upgrading the app (rather than introducing a distinct second, newer, app) they are unable to move backwards.
The tactical error, in my opinion, was not releasing this new app as a distinct entity but rather ‘overwriting’ the old one.
Had they just released this new app as something else, then there would have been numerous benefits:
1\ the people who really, desperately, wanted the features only available in the new app, could use it
2\ the people who cannot upgrade their PMS due to platform restrictions (thinking mostly older/low-power NAS) would still be part of the Plex ecosystem under the legacy app
3\ the people who rely on subtitles would still be watching shows with subtitles without major issues under the legacy app
4\ the people who find the UI an abhorrent mess wouldn’t be jumping to another media platform, but rather continuing to use the legacy app whilst the new app found its legs
5\ people would be able to bug-test and report issues at their discretion by selectively using the new app whilst retaining the ability to switch back to the legacy app for uninterrupted viewing
I could go on.
Regardless of whether I am retained as a Plex user I sincerely hope that Plex Inc. learns from this experience.
My understanding is that MS changed their backend framework and the Plex app had to be rewritten basically from the ground up to work with it. The old app is incompatible with the old framework. So there is no going back, unfortunately.
Hopefully if my facts are off someone will correct me
I just registered to also echo my displeasure with this horrendous app update.
I keep reading that the framework had to be redone, and that’s fine, but they could’ve kept the same UI. To say otherwise is absurd! There was NO REASON we had to be forced into this nasty looking, difficult to navigate, feature dropped user interface.
I’ve tried to ‘live with it’ for a week or more, as we were asked, and I’m still frustrated beyond belief. How can you get rid of the simple FF and REW feature!? Now its a skip … W T F???
The navigation is the worst I’ve ever experienced. When I finish an episode of a TV show, its GONE! I have to push UP just to find the navi highlight.
Some say its a ‘faster’ app but I don’t see it. First, it takes many movements to get to my folders (which is slower), and second after I finally select one I have to wait for everything to load. I have a Dell 16 core server with 32GB ram running this and that is unacceptable. The previous app was nearly instant.
I’ve also read here over and over that this is just a simple wrapper for the xbox media player, but others can play everything fine still. WTF… people pay good money and this is just a ‘simple wrapper’ ?? What exactly are you developing and putting peoples money into here?
I’ve been in IT for over 20 years and I’ve never seen anything so bad. I mean seriously guys… I really hope this UI and app isn’t whats going to stay.
*Removed Plex account -> Xbox Live account linking requirement
This is BS. I just tried to open plex using my sons xbox one account and it asked to log in to plex. Its in my freakin basement! So is that “feature” true or not? Seems like its not…
@Tdawg410 said:
I just registered to also echo my displeasure with this horrendous app update.
I keep reading that the framework had to be redone
Where did you read this? I haven’t read anything about an Xbox One update rendering all older apps broken, requiring a full rewrite. None of my other Xbox apps have changed lately. AFAIK, Xbox One apps have been UWPs since day one, so I don’t understand how this is getting blamed on MS. Can you share a link to more details?
@Tdawg410 said:
Its been said over and over in this thread as well as others here in the xbox plex forum… hell just look at the post directly up from mine.
Yeah I know a few have mentioned something like that on this thread, but I don’t think anyone has linked to any factual info regarding MS breaking back compat for all Xbox One apps. This is the first I’ve heard of it, so I’m interested in more details if anyone can share. I doubt MS would do something like that…
There’s “Traditional” XBOne Apps, and then there’s the newer “UWP” XBOne Apps.
As of the latest XBOne OS update (or was it earlier?) Microsoftare no longer accepting “Traditional” apps into certification for going into the Microsoft XB App Store.
Plex Inc. replaced the “Traditional” Plex app with the “UWP” Plex app. To get it back Plex would have to resubmit it as a new app, however as per the previous point - Microsoft are not allowing people to submit “Traditional” apps any longer.
So the net effect is that the old version of the Plex app for XBOne, for all intents and purposes, has been erased from the XBOne ecosystem.
It’s not about removing backwards compatibility, it about not certifying any new apps that require it. And because Plex Inc. overwrote the Plex app with a new version, the previous one would be considered new in the eyes of Microsoft, and rejected on the basis that it is written under the traditional framework.
Does that help, at all?
n.b. I don’t know what the ‘traditional’ framework was called, and I can’t be bothered doing the legwork on this, but it’s probably in here somewhere… https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/publish/the-app-certification-process UWP is the ‘Universal Windows Platform’ so developers can be creating content for Windows 10 and Xbox One simultaneously (ie: universal)
I’m really unhappy with the “upgrade” too. I can suffer the UI, but it’s stopped playing the majority of my music collection. Seems like anything without album art just hangs.
There’s “Traditional” XBOne Apps, and then there’s the newer “UWP” XBOne Apps.
As of the latest XBOne OS update (or was it earlier?) Microsoftare no longer accepting “Traditional” apps into certification for going into the Microsoft XB App Store.
Plex Inc. replaced the “Traditional” Plex app with the “UWP” Plex app. To get it back Plex would have to resubmit it as a new app, however as per the previous point - Microsoft are not allowing people to submit “Traditional” apps any longer.
So the net effect is that the old version of the Plex app for XBOne, for all intents and purposes, has been erased from the XBOne ecosystem.
It’s not about removing backwards compatibility, it about not certifying any new apps that require it. And because Plex Inc. overwrote the Plex app with a new version, the previous one would be considered new in the eyes of Microsoft, and rejected on the basis that it is written under the traditional framework.
Does that help, at all?
n.b. I don’t know what the ‘traditional’ framework was called, and I can’t be bothered doing the legwork on this, but it’s probably in here somewhere… The app certification process - Windows apps | Microsoft Learn UWP is the ‘Universal Windows Platform’ so developers can be creating content for Windows 10 and Xbox One simultaneously (ie: universal)
Thanks for the explanation. I hadn’t heard about this, but it makes sense that MS would deprecate old apps over time. Bummer that Plex rushed the new one (replacing the old good version) rather than releasing it under a different app id to get beta feedback.
