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333 points indigodaddy | 8 comments | | HN request time: 0.974s | source | bottom
1. apexalpha ◴[] No.33582336[source]
These kind of threads always bring mostly negative comments out.

So let me just add that I've been using Plex for years to play 4k HDR files for myself and transcoded versions for family and friends.

And it works beautifully!

No complaints really. There's clients for all devices family has, I have all my files, I can share to friends, etc...

Yes, they've also added a new streaming service. I really don't see the issue, just disable it if you don't want it.

For me Plex has always worked fine. Good product.

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2. cogman10 ◴[] No.33582870[source]
My pet peeve with plex is they aren't really focusing on the fundamentals.

Checkout this issue [1]. A 2 year old request to support a newer codec, AV1, with seemingly no support in sight.

Or you've got the fact that plex's transcoding STILL only targets h264 (and gives limited options for bitrate/resolution targets). Most hardware support H.265 (and some newer hardware supports H.266 and AV1).

It's a product that was originally built on serving a media library and it's pushed most of us to working around it while the business is clearly focusing on other priorities.

[1] https://forums.plex.tv/t/add-support-for-av1-coding-standard...

replies(1): >>33582978 #
3. Deukhoofd ◴[] No.33582978[source]
> Most hardware support H.265

But software support is lacking, especially in browsers. It's licensing scheme requires developers to pay for a licence to support it in their application, which means that no open source developer is going to get themselves burned on it. It's the singular reason that AV1 was developed.

replies(1): >>33583030 #
4. cogman10 ◴[] No.33583030{3}[source]
Funnily, plex supports H.265 (just not transcoding to it).
5. drexlspivey ◴[] No.33583441[source]
How easily can your family/friends find your stuff when you first give them access? For me it’s always a session where I have to guide them:

1) go to settings -> online media sources and disable everything.

2) click the ‘More’ button at the bottom left then go to these libraries I shared with you and click three dots —> pin for every one of them

3) go to settings —> Quality —> Video quality and select original so you don’t transcode everything to 720p, 2mbps for no reason

4) go to settings —> Subtitles and enable subtitles so you don’t have to enable manually every time you play a video

replies(2): >>33583907 #>>33588099 #
6. katbyte ◴[] No.33583907[source]
I have a hard enough time with people getting Emby settings right and it’s all local accounts but it’s definitely easier then that: here’s your l/p, please check the quality settings as “auto” is often not great
7. ViViDboarder ◴[] No.33588099[source]
It’s not hard for my parents. Just “search for X thing”. It doesn’t really matter what server it’s coming from.

3 & 4 aren’t issues for me. My home upload speeds suck (same for many people), so transcoding to optimize for this is unfortunately necessary. And I don’t even have subtitles downloaded.

8. jklinger410 ◴[] No.33595486[source]
The negative comments are well earned. Yours is misleading.

They have spent the last few years burying and neutering all of the features that you claim "work fine."