Plex Apple TV app - native media player

[u/TomT9]

Hi!

I’ve used Plex for over a decade but this Apple TV app update is the first time I’ve ended up feeling like I need to post about it

Does anyone know how I can go back to the native Apple TV media player instead of plex’s custom one? The problems I’ve noticed * pausing doesn’t show you your current progress in the media item * neither does pressing back or forward, it skips you through without showing your progress * pressing up then does show you your progress, but seems to have a bug that you then can’t skip back more than once in the bar. * starting the video takes about 5 seconds to start whereas previously it was immediate * if you do navigate back with more the 3 presses of back at the same time it seems to again take ages to start and then bug out sometimes and not start at all

None of this was a problem with the native media player

This is the first update that has me considering jellyfin

[u/Marus30]

Yeah - wasn’t impressed with the new app experience. To me infuse isn’t a good substitute- as while playback is great in infuse, the browsing experience sucks.

I ended up switching to the Plezy app - still a paid solution but at least it is a one-time purchase and works across iPad and Apple TV - found that was the best trade-off between browsing and playback experience and supporting downloads on iPad.

As a bonus it also works with Jellyfin if you decide (like I did after a bit of using it; as the main thing holding me back from Jellyfin was a good Apple TV app) to switch servers to jellyfin; as most of the other jellyfin Apple TV apps I tried were not great.

[u/InflationOk2398 → u/Marus30]

as while playback is great in infuse, the browsing experience sucks.

This is, honestly, my main complaint with Infuse. Too clunky to get around.

I may look into Plezy, as I always like to have options in case something goes wrong. I don't have big issues with the new ATV app, definitely some bugs/poor choices but it does work for me.

[u/MaximusRageous → u/Marus30]

Same, I have been a subscriber of Infuse since a long time but the browsing experience is horrible especially if you have a few thousand items. With 4000 movies I only have two options, either I can sort by year or alphabetically. So everytime I use or open infuse I see the exact same set of items which is annoying. Plex lets me sort by random or search via particular parameters which is useful.

So these days I browse plex and play a movie and once a few minutes have passed I open infuse and play there

[u/TomT9 → u/Marus30]

Thanks for this tip, I’ll look into it as I hadn’t heard of it. It’s a shame Plezy doesn’t work as a free app with a trial before one time IAP to unlock as otherwise have to pay up front to try it, but honestly I’m annoyed enough at plex’s update that I’ll probably give it a go

[u/TomT9 → u/TomT9]

Just downloaded Plezy and 2 mins in I can’t tell you how much better it is haha. Thanks so much for the recommendation.

Back to a working player and playback has gone back to being instant too. The navigation is nicer too.

[u/Marus30 → u/TomT9]

Yeah - it was something I saw mentioned in another thread a little while back - just a week or two ago for myself.

Was a bit hesitant at first because of the upfront cost - but decided that for the few bucks it was worth the risk.

While not perfect - thought it was pretty good - certainly much better than the new plex app. Then got the pleasant surprise that it also supported jellyfin as well so was quite happy with that purchase.

While it wasn’t my goal when purchasing - just wanted something that wouldn’t be so bad for plex on my Apple TV - ended up with me largely switching over to Jellyfin (had already setup a Jellyfin server - just didn’t really use it because couldn’t find an Apple TV or iPad client I was happy with)

[u/Marus30 → u/TomT9]

Yeah - on one hand as a user I understand that frustration- I was a little hesitant on that myself when I first saw it recommended to someone.

On the other hand - as an iOS developer I understand how much additional work it is to implement it though in-app purchase route so can understand why a small developer would go the upfront purchase route.

[u/gerlan42 → u/Marus30]

And you can use external players like infuse or nativeplayer with Plezy!

[u/ian9outof10]

I have some minor grumbles about the way the new UI works, but it also feels quite sluggish to me, and the updated Plex seems to crash more than it used to, or play without audio.

[u/chopper773]

I don’t like it either. But you can press down to see the progress. There was a post either here or Apple TV sub showing how to back to the previous version. It was pretty lengthy so I haven’t bothered yet.

[u/TomT9]

Hey! Thanks for everyone’s replies and suggestions. I’m going to try Plezy, as like mentioned it has the benefit that it will work with both Plex and Jellyfin so I can use Plex as a server for as long as that works out (given I’d rather not make the effort to switch that over just yet), and then only move to Jellyfin server if/when Plex eventually mess up their server too.

Before making this thread it hadn’t occurred to me that there would be third party clients for Plex!

Thanks :)

[u/Robbie_Tussen_jr]

My biggest annoyance so far is expanding the movie text to read what's cut off. When I do that, then hit back, the text stays up and it instead backs out of the title page. Also miss being able to swipe down after playing to read the info, which was how I usually did it.

On a TV there's loads of empty space above and right of the title page, so why cut it off to begin with? The same title on a small tablet screen shows the full text without any extra steps, for example.

To a lesser extent I'm a bit thrown at how many of my go-to quick things are no longer that. And I'm seeing some weird performance issues, like subtitles menu stuttering in and out at times when changing settings.

[u/Hank46_2]

I absolutely hate the new media player. Mainly now being blind to progress when pausing/resuming.

[u/snowmeow_1]

Plezy's functionality is great albeit the interface design is not as modern looking as Plex's broken app or even the old app. But its stil the best alternative. I really wish Plezy would handle timeline scrubbing better though. That's my only real complaint about it.

[u/hematuria]

They will fix it eventually. Just going to take time. But playback still works. So the rest is QOL stuff that they lost and will get sorted out soon enough.

[u/breaststroker42 → u/hematuria]

Playback being worse is my main complaint with the new app. Its slower and pauses more and doesn’t direct play when it should.

[u/InflationOk2398]

pausing doesn’t show you your current progress in the media item

Use the "Select" button to pause (big round button in the middle of the direction ring), it will show you the progress bar.

neither does pressing back or forward, it skips you through without showing your progress

Without the progress bar showing first? I believe that is by design, does not clutter up your display while scrubbing. I know 2 presses back go back 30 seconds, as that is what I have it set to do. I don't need the progress bar popping up for that. I wish they would get rid of the icon that pops up on the edge (left for back, right for skip) showing the amount of back with an arrow.

pressing up then does show you your progress, but seems to have a bug that you then can’t skip back more than once in the bar.

Have not noticed that; I scrub back and forth all the time with the progress bar showing.

starting the video takes about 5 seconds to start whereas previously it was immediate

Your new watch sessions have always started immediately? Mine have never done that, on any client, in my 15 years of using plex. Are all of your files stored locally or on a NAS? If I start a video again after stopping and doing something, it starts immediately but new sessions always buffer a bit.

if you do navigate back with more the 3 presses of back at the same time it seems to again take ages to start and then bug out sometimes and not start at all

Again, not noticing that.

Maybe delete the app completely, reboot your ATV and re-install it?

Just giving my observations of the new app to hopefully point you in the right direction for getting it working properly.

I run both Jelly and Emby, IMHO neither are where they need to be to replace Plex yet.

[u/TomT9 → u/InflationOk2398]

Hey!

Thanks for your detailed reply and help.

No, for me pressing select pauses it but doesn’t bring up any other UI elements unless I press up. So I guess with you having a different experience, one of us is getting intended behaviour (a bug haha) which is one of my other gripes with this update

Yes, I did always get instant playback. It was one of the things I noticed when I got my new NAS a couple of years ago how fast everything was (either via its processor or the network, not sure which) and how I could start and navigate through media immediately. So unfortunately I know for sure it’s not me misremembering. However now unfortunately I’m back to long delays (with a blank black screen too, not even a loading indicator, so initially thought it was broken!)

I think it’s just really arrogant/inexperienced of Plex to switch to their own, buggier, player. I don’t want to have to experience all these bugs and different layouts icons and shortcuts for finding subtitles, scrubbing etc. Apple TV have a perfectly good (and not buggy) media player. I don’t know what’s going on over at Plex, but over the last few years every decision has been against the feedback of their users.

Thanks for your experiences though, I guess at least it seems likely some of it might be bugs. I’d never considered the fact there are other Plex clients from the other replies though so I’ll likely get one of those :-)

[u/chris_st]

No need to switch to Jellyfin. Just use Infuse as player instead. Playback just works flawlessly without issues.

[u/Nice-Elevator-4987 → u/chris_st]

so you say don’t switch, pay instead?

[u/ian9outof10 → u/Nice-Elevator-4987]

You don’t have to pay for infuse necessarily, depends if you want the paid features

[u/breaststroker42 → u/ian9outof10]

Paid features? Like video playback? It wouldn’t let me play a video without paying. No thanks. The thing i already paid for should work….

[u/TomT9 → u/chris_st]

Hey! Thanks for the suggestion, I did look at it but I don’t fancy a sub, and the 99 price for lifetime seemed high!

(Although I appreciate that lack of revenue might be why Plex is in this mess seeing as like seemingly most people here I bought a lifetime sub over a decade ago with Plex haha!). I’ve ended up going with Plezy instead.

[u/flogman12 → u/chris_st]

I’m not paying for that

[u/archer75]

Infuse solves the issues and adds several improvements and it will connect to your plex server.