[mythtv-users] Plex

[Justin Alcorn]

On Tue, Oct 24, 2017 at 3:40 PM, Greg Oliver <oliver.greg at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Fri, Oct 20, 2017 at 9:21 AM, James <jam at tigger.ws> wrote:
>
>> Hi all, opinions please
>>
>> My Samsung TV chokes on myth’s uPnP files. I need to transcode (or put my
>> recordings on a thumb-drive !!)
>>
>> One of the solutions I’ve been looking at is Plex media server.
>> But I’m naive about this whole area.
>>
>> Will some knowlegable please comment.
>> eg I think appleTV’s mythtv app uses mythtv streaming
>> Is the interface ‘nice’?
>> What are the options to receive (and watch) a stream.  eg plex has an
>> appleTV app. eg (australian) ABC has a streaming app on the Samsung so some
>> sort of SDK must exist.
>> I want a stream server. Is myth video a good generic library server?
>> (I do use myth video, but that is my *only* experience of hosting a
>> stream)
>>
>> Apple may be akin to shark droppings, but (to seamlessly drain all your
>> money while you smile) they do make very nice hardware (eg bluetooth mouse
>> and keyboard work at the bios screen eg their trakpad is a joy to use (left
>> click, right click, double click, scroll, click-and-drag etc)
>>
>> James
>>
>
> I use Plex for watching anything remotely (off my local network).  For
> realtime transcoding per watching device, etc - it is definitely the best
> out there.  I use mythfrontend inside the house, and tinker with Kodi
> inside the house.  Kodi lacks on comm skipping, or I would use it full time
> with low power devices / Android devices.
>
> Plex DVR sucks a$$ though.  The decisions they make for the user makes me
> think they are all ex apple engineers who want to make it so easy for the
> end user, they just figured "no one ever needs more options than this"..
> etc..  They support a lot of capture cards nowadays, but their guide makes
> me want to go get a monkey from the zoo to throw feces at the TV.
>
> I smlink mythtv recordings into my plex directory with readable names and
> plex adds and plays them well though.
>
> Like another user just posted, there is also Emby.  It does not transcode
> nearly as well as Plex (not even close actually).  Plex will take a raw
> bit/s number and make sure that when it transcodes, even the places who
> need higher bit rate to remain smooth will get pre-buffered in their
> client.  The yspent a lot of time on that part of their solution and got it
> right.  No other software out there does this - none that I know of.
>
> The only drawback to Plex is if you run it natively on TVs, etc..  You are
> up to the TV manufacturer to update their app.  I have a high end Samsung,
> and once the initial year was over, it no longer receives updates.  I can
> buy a Smart replacement module every year for a couple hundred dollars, but
> I never use the native TV apps after I learned they were all dipshits who
> have no business putting products on an IP network.  You would think the
> smartphone arms of all of these companies would be supplying the TV people
> with IP interfaces to use, but nah - it is just easier to sell really
> expensive TVs that can be easily hacked :)
>
> Just my .02
>
> -Greg
>
>
Have to agree about the Plex DVR. Probably great for people who don't want
to play with options, useless for this audience.   I use MythTV to record,
allow it to mark commercials, then I review and run a script that
transcodes to MP4 and puts it in the Plex directories with the names Plex
likes.   I stole and heavily modified someone else's script, happy to share
if anyone is interested and promises not to snicker at my scripting style.

I transcode both because I want it to cut commercials and because my Plex
server isn't the beefiest box and it works better if I get it out of the
MPEG format.

I stick to Rokus (and one Roku TV), they tend to keep the Plex app up to
date and it works nicely.  Now, if I could get them to make the Roku
Playstation Vue app usable in any sense.....

I wish TV Manufacturers would keep making "dumb" tvs for us that like to
connect them to cheap and easily replaceable content devourers.....
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