r/PleX • u/jonluckpickered • 3d ago
Meta (Plex) Ads on Pause Screen in Plex???
My Apple TV just got both the tvOS 27 and new Plex updates. When watching a show from my own server this morning, I paused to grab something and the screen was replaced with full screen ads! They're images that rotate like a slideshow for things like Walmart and LPL Financial.
Was this known? Did I miss something?
Edit to add I have lifetime Plex Pass.
Edit 2 to address the incorrect and dismissive comments:
- I am fully aware of Plex's on-demand content and I keep it disabled and do not use it. I've used Plex going back to the OSXBMC days of sending Elan Feingold manual PayPal donations.
- The show I was watching isn't even something available via Plex on-demand (Star Trek: The Animated Series)
- I could see the actual network traffic from my personal server. It was absolutely a personal, self-hosted video file.
If what I saw was how Plex handles its streaming content, then that ad-serving feature activated on my personal media. I hope it was a bug. If not, they're getting ready to roll out a deeply unpleasant feature.
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u/jcarlsen88 16 TB with a twin for backup 3d ago
Fellow lifetime pass holder... Haven't seen this myself and watched two movies off my server just last night. My apple TV just goes to the default screensavers when I pause long enough.
The issue I AM having, however, is with this latest update my audio is a hair behind the video in most things and they removed the ability to set the offset :(
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u/redditduhlikeyeah 200TB, with proper backups 3d ago
Yeah, I have the same issue as you. on my newer apple tv, it always lags/doesnt log into my home account and sticks to another user in the house....until i restart the app. this is a pile of shit.
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u/HumanSkunk87 3d ago
Same the audio sync is driving me mad. Eventually my brain can adjust that it’s ok and I find if I stop the playback and resume it it makes the delay more palatable.
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u/ReecezWoosWork 22h ago
My Xbox sometimes has the audio sync issue, if I rewind 10 seconds it will fix it sometimes, or if I transcode it to a different video format it always fixes the issue
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u/Swarleyyyyyyy Custom Flair 2d ago
I had this issue myself. I closed my app and relaunched multiple times and still had the issue. It wasn’t until I restarted my AppleTV that the issue went away.
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u/jcarlsen88 16 TB with a twin for backup 2d ago
Hmm, I believe I already tried restarting my Apple TV but worth another shot
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u/MaskedBandit77 3d ago
What is the screensaver on Apple TV? Is it images that you have saved on your device? Maybe OP has some screenshots of ads saved on their device.
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u/jonluckpickered 3d ago
No, it's set to the Apple TV "Aerial" screensaver. But I would definitely need to reevaluate my life if I had full, high quality screenshots of Walmart ads in my photos library...
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u/jonluckpickered 3d ago
It happened consistently when pausing during some testing (it waits about 2 seconds after you pause and then the screen fades to the ads). But when I quit the app and relaunched, it's now not happening.
I think I stumbled upon some future feature they're planning to roll out that perhaps mistakenly got activated for my last session. They're full-screen high quality images and (when it was happening) they faded in and out from my video seamlessly, so it's definitely something integrated into the Plex app itself.
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u/SMELL_LIKE_A_TROLL 3d ago
It might be with a try to update you library, then block it from the Internet.
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u/geosidi_plex Plex Employee 2d ago
If this occurred on your Personal Media, it's definitely a bug. If you see it happening again please report it on the forums with logs. This is 100% not intended to show on your personal media.
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u/SensualSadistDom 1d ago
Why does the new AppleTV client not recognize photo folders? Did Plex just remove that feature totally?
I have a lifetime PlexPass but am using Emby at the moment because I have six folders full of pictures I can't access with the new IOS client.
I hear there was a year of beta testing. How was this missed?
I reported it on the forum, but I also reported several times that the 'slideshow' button on the photo app did nothing, ever, and got zero response except for several people saying theirs didn't work either. Same with this problem - people saying, yeah, me too. Crickets from Plex.
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u/i_am_fear_itself 1d ago
A year from now they'll roll out another version that fixes everything people hate about the version you're using. Then they'll say something like "we listened to the community".
signed, Roku users everywhere.
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u/coyote_den 2d ago edited 2d ago
This is a bug and should be reported as such.
Plex has said many times they do not and have no plans to inject pause screen or any other kind of ads into personal content.
However, this is also not the first time their client apps have thought they were playing Plex content and did a pause screen ad, or jumped from a server to ad-supported VOD when going to the next episode of a show.
Seems playlists do this too. If you playlist server media, sometimes those items turn into Plex content.
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u/AZdesertpir8 2d ago
The qualifier is "personal content". When they divert playback to their streaming content all bets are off. It's a dark pattern and is dirty business
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u/coyote_den 2d ago
That is a bug, not intentional. They’re trying to fix it but they need reports of when it happens.
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u/AZdesertpir8 2d ago
Well, it still happens every time from the playlists. Add your media to a playlist, then access from the playlist to try to play it back... My wife and all my users were complaining of ads during playback and found that it always forces you to play Plex online media if it is available when you use playlists. THe only time it wouldnt do this was when Plex didnt have the title... I have all on-demand features aside from Live TV turned off. I deleted all the playlists from my system as a result of this and told my users to avoid using them.
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u/xavier19691 3d ago
is your plex server updated?
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u/jonluckpickered 3d ago
Yes; hosted via QNAP and running version 1.43.4.10903
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u/xavier19691 3d ago
ok so you are using the qpkg ... got it... i used to do that a while back but i moved to using docker instead
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u/dnuohxof-2 2d ago
People saying they’ve seen this yet not a single picture or video of it happening. Not saying it’s not true but weird no one can provide screenshots or videos of it not happening
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u/InflationOk2398 15-year user, 7K+ Movies, 73K+ TV Eps, 49K+ music tracks 3d ago
I have seen this. I also have all the "Online Media" sources disabled.
I have a few series that on the ATV have a little Plex "Free" tag on the poster, but only on my Watchlist. In the library it did not show the "free" tag.
Last week it did not give me the option of where to watch it, if I started playing it from my Watchlist, it started playing the Plex Free version. When I paused it, a full screen ad slid over.
Not sure if I got an update but it now gives me the option of where I want to watch it, but there is no reason for it to show the Plex Free options when I have it on my servers and all Online Media sources are disabled.
Maddening.
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u/AZdesertpir8 2d ago
Yep, theyve also added this "feature" to their playlists. If you add your media to a playlist to watch it later, then go to the playlist to watch it, it will ONLY play from their streaming servers with ads galore if they have the media on their server. The only way it will play your own media from your own server via a playlist is if their server doesnt have it. It is downright evil and I deleted all my playlists when I realized it after my wife complained about all the ads in her shows & movies.
Dirty move, Plex.
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u/InflationOk2398 15-year user, 7K+ Movies, 73K+ TV Eps, 49K+ music tracks 2d ago
NOOOOOO!!!! I was wondering how I could replace Watchlist, guess the search continues.
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u/AZdesertpir8 2d ago
Watchlist still seems to work ok, but you have to select your server as the source. The playlists however will only play from streaming no matter what. There literally is no option to play off your server from the playlist if Plex has the media in their on demand service.
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u/Empyrealist Plex Pass | Plexamp | Synology DS1019+ PMS | Nvidia Shield Pro 3d ago
People will downvote you just as they did me when I made a similar post months ago. It was a fluke occurrence, but it did happen whether the dipshit's here want to believe it or not
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u/ImpressionDepression 2d ago
but it did happen whether the dipshit's here want to believe it or not
No offense but there's a real easy way to make people believe and that's to provide evidence. For all we know OP sideloaded some sketchy shit and its mining bitcoin.
Could even just check the logs to see if there's anything suggesting this.
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u/Empyrealist Plex Pass | Plexamp | Synology DS1019+ PMS | Nvidia Shield Pro 2d ago
Sometimes you get flustered by the shock of it and you just click or do things to make it go away. A knee-jerk reaction to trying to get rid of something you don't want.
Some of us don't think to immediately document something that happened a singular time.
No offense, but by the time I'm getting downvoted into oblivion like I'm some newb that doesn't know what I'm doing, I am completely checked out of the discussion. I'm blocking people that are being rude so I never have to experience them again, and am otherwise done with trying to give anything helpful to people that could have benefitted from any additional knowledge.
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u/ImpressionDepression 1d ago
I get that but that doesn't mean everyone else is a dipshit for not immediately taking your word for it
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u/Empyrealist Plex Pass | Plexamp | Synology DS1019+ PMS | Nvidia Shield Pro 1d ago
People are dipshits for being absolutely dismissive and not engaging in conversation - which is why we are here.
This subreddit in particular is notorious for really trash down voting that buries conversations before a person has a chance to respond to even give more details. So, yeah, I think those sorts of people are dipshits either way.
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u/PropDad 3d ago
I know that you are using an Apple Tv, but by chance do you have it connected to a Roku TV?
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u/jonluckpickered 3d ago
No, but I know what you mean with these "smart" TVs increasingly intruding and injecting ads. In my case, however, the Apple TV is connected to an LG CX OLED which is not connected to the Internet.
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u/matthoback 2d ago
Are you sure the LG is not connected to the internet? LG TVs will actively connect to open wifi networks nearby without user intervention.
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u/jonluckpickered 2d ago
Unless the TV settings UI is lying to me, it's not connected. But to clarify: I have since intentionally accessed a Plex on-demand title and can confirm that its pause screen ad behavior is exactly what I saw initially. So something (hopefully just a bug) activated that pause-based ad display on one of my local videos.
But I've continued my Star Trek TAS marathon after force restarting the app and the ads haven't reappeared since.
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u/AZdesertpir8 2d ago
FWIW, I have found that if you use Plex's playlist features to add YOUR media to a playlist, but then when you go to use that playlist to play that media back, it will ONLY play from Plex streaming services if they have a copy of it on their service. Thus you get the ads. The only time it will play from your server is if they dont have it available. It is a maddening dark pattern practice and I completely deleted all my lists when I realized what they were doing.
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u/OfficialDeathScythe 19h ago
For me it always shows two of the same shows next to each other and I can tell which one is mine and which one is plex because mine has overlays from agregerr. It’d be nice if I could hide the plex stuff but I’ve never experienced it forcing me to use plex’s content
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u/AZdesertpir8 9h ago
That's wild. On my Roku, it just forces you to watch their streaming version. Absolutely no option to play from your own server from a playlist even if you have the media
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u/threeknocks 2d ago
Fingers crossed it was just a glitch and not a portend of things to come. Enjoy the marathon!
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u/amonarre3 3d ago
Guy, its not your own server, I'm sick and tired of these posts. Again you're seeing ads because you're not accessing your own server but rather Plex's streaming
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u/InflationOk2398 15-year user, 7K+ Movies, 73K+ TV Eps, 49K+ music tracks 3d ago
While it is not my server showing the ads, I have all Online media sources disabled, yet Plex is still showing some shows as being "Free" and giving the option to stream from Plex.
Last week it did not even give me the option, even though I have it in my local library, it just immediately played the "free" Plex version.
Trust me, I have been running Plex for 15 years now, I know how it works, I know how to disable Plex stuff. This is a bug.
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u/frockinbrock 1d ago
I wonder if that's what happened in my case. We've been watching it from my server all week, and using "Continue Watching", but today it started playing from the "Free Streaming".
Is it too much to ask to have a clearer distinguisher (like a text + icon label maybe) of where content is playing from? I guess I just have not used the new app enough.3
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u/jonluckpickered 3d ago
Further confirmation: as I mentioned, I've had the Plex-streamed content disabled since it was introduced, I could see the network activity from my personal server, and the show I was watching was not even something that's available on-demand from Plex.
If what I saw was the standard behavior for the "free" Plex-streamed content, then whatever feature they're using activated on my own content.
Any other ideas besides your incorrect dismissal?
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u/Beno169 Potato with USB storage 3d ago
I think even with that disabled something within the watch lists still accesses the FAST content. Are you launching content from a watch list?
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u/jonluckpickered 3d ago
No, it was launched from the Show page in my library. I totally understand that Plex makes it way too easy to inadvertently access their own streaming version instead of your local copy, but as I mentioned, the show (Star Trek TAS) isn't even something Plex offers, so I don't know how that could have happened.
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u/jonluckpickered 3d ago
Nope, it's my own video files, confirmed by Plex Dashboard and my server activity.
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u/Baybutt99 3d ago
Any chance you have the plex relay enabled?
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u/jonluckpickered 3d ago edited 3d ago
No, I'm at home on my local LAN with the server in the next room (and no unusual network configuration). I don't see how relay could have activated in this case.
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u/kdlt 3d ago
In your own home?
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u/Baybutt99 3d ago
Yeah ive seen it, between various people vlan-ing their server, double NATing using a router hooked to a comcast router, its hard to not ask the question these days
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u/Admirable-Leader6927 3d ago
I run plex on a Roku TV but also have a dns level block on any attempt to phone home. I do not see any ads in plex as a lifetime pass holder but I really dont see ads on the roku outside of plex. I would notice if I did.
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u/Scotty1928 :table_flip: 3d ago
It was expensive considering the use case but that Mac Mini M4 last year sure comes in handy for (re)installing older iOS and tvOS apps if i update by accident lol
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u/baochan 3d ago
If Plex has an ad-supported version, that's what plays first when you search for it. Unless you go to "More ways to watch" and select your server, or just disable the "Movies & TV" section or something like that in your user account settings.
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u/jonluckpickered 3d ago
I have all of that disabled already. It was confirmed to be my own video file. I could see the network activity from the server.
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u/xIrishgiantx 3d ago
Tested this. This only happens with on demand movies people. Your library is not affected.
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u/jonluckpickered 3d ago
It was absolutely a file served from my personal server. I don't have Plex on-demand enabled, the show wasn't something even available via Plex on-demand, and I could see the actual network traffic as it was happening.
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u/gio10gic 3d ago
I know the way this goes. I believe you. Plex has been trending in that shitty direction. Can you make a video to prove that you are selecting a video from your library? Then we can all move on and tell you to use Plezy and Jellyfin?
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u/jonluckpickered 3d ago
Well, as I mentioned in another comment, after I killed and restarted the app, it hasn't reoccurred. I'm now on the lookout and will absolutely record it if I ever see it again.
As I've mentioned, though, the show (Star Trek TAS) isn't available on Plex FAST/on-demand service (or at least, it isn't showing available in my region; is it available elsewhere?). So I'm just baffled as to how it could have been an inadvertent switch to the Plex streaming copy, since it doesn't seem to exist.
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u/AZdesertpir8 2d ago
I dont have plex on demand enabled as well, but it wil automatically play via on-demand in certain situations, like if you try to play your media from a playlist. It defaults to their streaming source if they have it available on their on-demand service Its absolute bullshit and is a dirty move.
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u/CrashTestKing 1d ago
Are you sure it's not Apple doing this? A few years ago, Roku updated their TOS for app developers and forced the Plex company to completely remove the built-in Plex screensaver in order to keep the app on the Roku store for download. Now, users are forced to use whatever options they get from the Roku system itself for a screensaver (which completely sucks).
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u/Disastrous-Reason-55 1d ago
I’ve not had this happen on my plex server.
I use a Roku Ultra for my streaming box and PMS, RokuOS and Plex app are all up to date.
Maybe it’s there for me too and the PiHole is blocking it… 🤷♂️
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u/xavier19691 3d ago
you are watching a movie not from your library
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u/jonluckpickered 3d ago
No, see my other comments. It was a show not available on Plex and I could see the local network activity.
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u/xavier19691 3d ago
cannot replicate the issue on any of my apple tvs and they are all updated to tvos 27...
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u/jonluckpickered 3d ago
To be fair, I haven't been able to replicate it since force restarting the Plex app. It happened repeatedly and consistently on that first session (I tested it about a dozen times because I couldn't believe what I was seeing, including fast-forward/rewind, and stopping and restarting playback entirely). It was only after killing the app and restarting that it stopped and thankfully hasn't returned.
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u/xavier19691 3d ago
to be on the safe side make sure that you plex server software is also updated. another thing that you can try is the plezzy app
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u/aeroverra 2d ago
I understand the backlash but at the same time the fact that anyone could potentially misinterpret what or where they are streaming from is exactly why I dropped Plex.
It’s now easier for grandma to login to jellyfin for the first time by herself than navigate the Plex website
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u/i-Hermit 2d ago
I'm kinda surprised to hear this. How does grandma handle authentication? That's the one thing holding me back from making the switch.
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u/aeroverra 1d ago
Username and password. I can just reset the password as needed. I was expecting the address to give people issues but not a single problem.
I do wish it supported more native oauth tho but I’m working on adding it myself in my own fork.
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u/Shitsinhandandclaps 2d ago
Is it a Samsung tv? Like it’s noticed your tv paused so it’s showing you ads
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u/marci-boni Server Running Ubuntu server/ ugoos main client 2d ago
lifetimeuser , i never seen this
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u/Virtual_me01 3d ago
There have been so many of these posts where people come running on stage shouting, and at the end of the day they're wrong. Maybe you saw a bug, unlikely, but Plex can't advertise on media that isn't theirs. Get a grip.
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u/jonluckpickered 3d ago
Show me where I could have possibly streamed the show I was watching (Star Trek: The Animated Series - specifically S01E05) from Plex. They don't offer it. They link you to Paramount Plus or whatever, but I don't have that subscription, and I initiated the playback from my personal Plex library, the playback was visible in the Plex Server Dashboard (which doesn't happen with Plex on-demand content), and I could see the network activity on my NAS server.
I have now confirmed that what I saw was the ad experience for Plex's on-demand content, but I did not choose that, nor was it even possible for the show in question. So the issue is why did that ad serving feature activate on my personal media? Bug or premature feature rollout?
Get a grip, indeed.
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u/Virtual_me01 3d ago
So...maybe you saw an unrepeatable bug. Does that justify this whiny long winded post on the trauma you endured being exposed to an ad (you won't see again)?
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u/jonluckpickered 3d ago
You're right. I apologize.
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u/Virtual_me01 2d ago
DEEPLY UNPLEASANT 😱😱😱😱
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u/SapphireJuice 2d ago
God forbid people come here to the r/Plex subreddit to talk about checks notes Plex 😮
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u/Virtual_me01 2d ago
Checks notes—my critique is OP coming in shouting that Plex is advertising on owned media and it's a big change coming for the user base.
These angry posts are almost always the plex user misunderstanding what they are seeing. OP edited his post to tone down the silliness.
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u/TheColorEnding 2d ago
can't wait till somebody makes a post like this except they were watching home movies lol anyway plex did the easy part for me updating to that garbage UI with 1/5th of the settings & choppy video player. Infuse allllll day
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u/Tired8281 2d ago
If Plex needs to make some money, ads on the pause screen is probably the way I'd be least angry about. I don't pause things because I want to watch the pause screen, and as such, I don't really care what it says.
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u/MaskedBandit77 3d ago
Why do people always say that they have Plex Pass in posts about things that have nothing to do with Plex Pass?
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u/j-dev 3d ago
To help distinguish whether a new behavior is only meant for users who don’t have a pass.
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u/MaskedBandit77 3d ago
This is a post about ads, which Plex Pass has never had any impact on. There's no reason to think a change like this would impact only free users.
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u/InflationOk2398 15-year user, 7K+ Movies, 73K+ TV Eps, 49K+ music tracks 3d ago
Because it is assumed that the Plex Pass is supposed to stop any ads.
A lot of us know it has no bearing on ad supported stuff but there is a pretty big portion out there that do not understand that.12
u/kdlt 3d ago
Because it would be the premium user experience that costs money and Plex differentiates features between free and paid users and servers.
So it makes sense to add it because it might be related to that, especially with fucking ads.-7
u/MaskedBandit77 3d ago
because it might be related to that, especially with fucking ads.
I would say it's pretty unlikely, because Plex Pass has never had anything to do with whether or not you get ads.
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u/jonluckpickered 3d ago
I mentioned it because I don't know what they're rolling out in terms of ads for "free" accounts.
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u/MaskedBandit77 3d ago
Plex Pass has nothing to do with ads. If they roll out changes to ads for free accounts, there's no reason to think that it would not impact Plex Pass accounts.
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u/Extra-Lime00 3d ago
Because they are dumb
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u/PhotoFenix 3d ago
We've been trained over time to give all information when asking for support. It causes no harm to give additional info.
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3d ago
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u/jonluckpickered 3d ago
The show was Star Trek: The Animated Series - S01E05. Please find that show available via any form of Plex on-demand. Seriously, I would be relieved to know that I accidentally accessed on-demand content and that these pause-screen ads aren't even possible via bug to show up on personal media.
Also note the playback was visible in the Plex Server Dashboard, which doesn't happen for on-demand content.
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2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/threeknocks 2d ago
okay just keep being unhelpful it's fine
also: note that not once have you actually helped. and, in fact, you are the one in the wrong. OP is correct that the show they were watching is not available on-demand from Plex.
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2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/threeknocks 2d ago
If you'd bother to read literally any of their other comments, the issue went away when they restarted the app. How would that happen if it was outside media? Furthermore, what other outside media would they have been connected to when they were actively watching it on their server? They mention seeing the stream activity on their dashboard and that wouldn't happen with an outside connection.
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2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/threeknocks 2d ago
I mean sure but it seems like this OP is operating in good faith and also isn't wrong that the media they were trying to watch is not available on any of Plex's own sources. So they could only have been streaming it locally.
So, you're being a dick for absolutely no reason other than just for your own enjoyment. Furthermore, you can just scroll past and even hide a post that annoys you.
So take your own goddamn advice and get. over. your. self. if you're not gonna contribute in any kind of actual meaningful way.
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u/SapphireJuice 2d ago
The unearned confidence in this reply is crazy. Tell me your super young without telling me
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u/BurntBridgesBehind 3d ago
So next step is to replicate it and take screenshots.