need media streamer suggestions (WD TV Live, Roku, etc)

Lazybones · July 12, 2013, 11:45:50 AM

Every newer version of plex server tends to include updated to the trans-coding engine.

It has been under substantial development so try a newer version of plex to see if the video quality improves...

Also in the advanced options in the Plex roku client you can switch from the new "experimental trans-coder" back to the old "stable" trans-coder but it is rarely needed if ever now in the latest releases..

FYI I had played with that windows service thing and many other options for the PMS under windows but ultimately liked running it under Linux better.

I haven't had the Roku / Harmony issue you described, but it has been a long time since I programed it.. Those profiles sometimes get changed in their database over time.

Thorin · July 12, 2013, 02:27:54 PM

Quote from: Tom on July 12, 2013, 11:38:52 AM
It's a full system. Though you have the choice of that or the Phenom II x4.

Mind you, I'd like to keep them for a bit longer depends on how quickly you need it I suppose.

I'd be fine with the QX6600. It's totally up to you, though, you're the one offering them out. Heck, you could ask for some money or some help with renos.

Quote from: Lazybones on July 12, 2013, 11:45:50 AM
FYI I had played with that windows service thing and many other options for the PMS under windows but ultimately liked running it under Linux better.

Yeah, but I don't have extra computers yet to run Linux on, and my current computers all run Windows. And they're in full use. So does Plex Media Server run as a daemon on Linux, or do you still have to have someone logged in?

Tom · July 12, 2013, 03:15:48 PM

It definitely runs as a service on teh lunix.

As for renos I did technically ask

I'm not going to make it a condition though.

If then weather plays nice, someone is coming on Sunday to help some.

Lazybones · July 12, 2013, 05:23:23 PM

It runs as a daemon under Linux.

Under ubuntu all you need to do to update it is run apt-get update to keep it up-to-date and it restarts and updates everything.

Only issues with Linux vs windows is that some of the channel plugins still depend on flash or silverlight so they won't run. But there arnt that many.

Thorin · July 27, 2013, 10:35:21 PM

Man, it takes hours for new video files dropped into my folders to get recognized and added to Plex Media Server's database of files. That really sucks. I downloaded something and tried watching it last night, and it didn't show up until this morning. Yes, the download finished last night and I copied it from the download directory into the directory that Plex sits and watches. Plex is set to update every 15 minutes as well as when it sees changes in files.

Lazybones · July 28, 2013, 11:31:14 AM

Is plex still indexing your media for the first time?

15min may be to frequent I would suggest 1 hr. it might be never completing due to overlap.

There is a plex plugin that will let you force a library section updates on demand.

Melbosa · July 28, 2013, 12:57:02 PM

Yeah that seems very weird. Do you have it checked off to watch for Folder Changes? While it may not show up in the Unwatched or other meta data folders right away it always ends up in All Movies or All TV shows within minutes for me with that option on.

Thorin · July 28, 2013, 01:48:42 PM

No, I've had Plex running for a couple of weeks now so it better not still be indexing for the first time. I have it set both to watch for folder changes and to run every 15 minutes. A minute after I copy a file into the directory, I get a popup saying the library scan is complete, which tells me that it's noticed the new file. It just doesn't add it to the library.

I also don't use the All Movies and All TV Shows. I added my own sections for Movies - Little Kids, Movies - Kids, Movies - Teens, Movies - Adults. This is to help my kids figure out what they can and can't watch when there are young people in the room.

Lazybones · July 28, 2013, 01:59:39 PM

Here is the plugin:

http://wiki.plexapp.com/index.php/Library_Updater

Should work from nearly any plex client and let's you update on demand.

Did you turn on the advanced image index option? That option can take weeks to generate Netflix style fast forward thumbnails, it is off by default.

Thorin · July 28, 2013, 03:16:14 PM

Thanks for that plugin. I haven't got a @%&#ing clue how to use it. After reading all five pages of the forum thread that the Download section refers me to, I guess there's something that I download and unzip to somewhere, and then magically something some@%&#s.

Sorry, I'm having a @%&#ty day.

But really, after an hour of reading and trying to figure out, I still have no idea what to do with it. All I've learned is that NASes may or may not properly update directory modification times and that Plex on Windows may or may not have problems because of this.

I have no advanced image index option in the Media Manager, and that's the only place I can see any settings that might be changeable.

Hell, I can't even install the newest Plex because it requires a newer Windows Installer and I can't figure out how to update _that_.

@%&#ty day.

Thorin · July 28, 2013, 03:39:50 PM

Ugh, to answer my own damn questions (for Windows):

1. download the file attached to this post: http://forums.plexapp.com/index.php/topic/21108-update-library-from-a-plug-in/?p=350209

2. start Plex Media Server

3. right-click the Plex icon in the system tray and choose "Open Plug-ins Folder"; note the path

4. unzip the file downloaded from step 1 to the path discovered in step 3

5. RESTART PLEX MEDIA SERVER

6. go to the web client: http://localhost:23400/web/, now there's a new channel to click on

Also, all this does is tell Plex it should update, so if its mechanism is to look at the last modified time of a directory and that still doesn't work properly with a NAS, then this won't solve my problem.

But at least the files eventually show up.

Lazybones · July 28, 2013, 06:09:02 PM

Assuming you have installed Windows XP SP3 you can get the latest windows installer service here http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942288/en-us

Tom · August 01, 2013, 10:09:27 PM

My turn. I'm looking for something that only needs to do youtube and netflix. I have a media box more than capable of doing all the local file playing I can throw at it.

Mr. Analog · August 01, 2013, 10:32:22 PM

XBox or similar console?

It's pretty hard to find a device these days that doesn't have Netflix support.

Lazybones · August 01, 2013, 10:44:40 PM

Quote from: Tom on August 01, 2013, 10:09:27 PM
My turn. I'm looking for something that only needs to do youtube and netflix. I have a media box more than capable of doing all the local file playing I can throw at it.

I would suspect a Google TV box would be what you want, you will need something with a keyboard remote for searching.

As far as I have seen most devices that do Netflix also include a YouTube App... It is a really low bar to shoot for, but some of them are harder to search than others.