I repeat: I’ll take the current system over the old any day of the week.
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Moderators: Bakhtosh, EvilHomer3k
That's the hard one for me to get to. I haven't purchased any new music since the last time I've been a live show in order to put money directly in the pocket of the musicians while having memento of the evening, similar to how I used to purchase TShirts. Movies and TV shows? LotRs was the last I bought. Video games are harder. I want to be able to revisit old games so not owning them is a hurdle I just haven't been able jump. I get annoyed when I have a key to digital game from service that is long dead an my ownership of the game is worthless. That's where Steam got my loyalty. If they ever lose it, I could see that being strength I need to move to subscription library gaming.
Heh, because more complication is just what I want for TV.Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Sun Mar 17, 2024 10:49 pm FWIW, I'd encourage anyone frustrated with the enshittification of streaming services to put serious consideration towards setting up your own home media server.
FTFY. Again, it really isn't that complicated; all the more so for those of us here, familiar with PC gaming and the like.Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Mar 17, 2024 11:59 pmHeh, because more complication is just what I want for TV.Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Sun Mar 17, 2024 10:49 pm FWIW, I'd encourage anyone frustrated with the enshittification of streaming services to put serious consideration towards setting up your own home media server. Because setting up and utilizing a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device as a home media server is a breeze nowadays.![]()
I'm still only grudgingly comfortable with TV being in color.Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 12:20 amFTFY. Again, it really isn't that complicated; all the more so for those of us here, familiar with PC gaming and the like.Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Mar 17, 2024 11:59 pmHeh, because more complication is just what I want for TV.Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Sun Mar 17, 2024 10:49 pm FWIW, I'd encourage anyone frustrated with the enshittification of streaming services to put serious consideration towards setting up your own home media server. Because setting up and utilizing a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device as a home media server is a breeze nowadays.![]()
Maybe I'm just being dense, but I’m not sure I understand what you’re doing here. I have used Plex for years. While they suggest setting up a series of shows with a specific folder structure, I haven’t actually done that for years. I just toss all tv shows into a folder called tv and all movies into a folder called movies. Plex is smart enough to display them correctly 99 percent of the time in its UI.Blackhawk wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 12:13 am I have been using Plex for a few years, but have come to despise it lately. In order to actually display content (like shows) correctly, you're required to use a very specific folder structure and naming system. I don't use that particular system, and don't want to - it works for Plex, but makes finding anything by other means a huge pain in the ass. I use(d) Plex to allow me to watch shows that are on my media PC from the TV in the bedroom. Every other way I access the media is via PC - I simply navigate to the shared "Shows" folder and double click the show I want to watch. If I'm watching on Android, I just use a network file browser and do the same.
I think that's the key, it needs to know whether it's a movie or a TV show when it scrapes metadata, so it needs those 2 separate top directories. Beyond that, it also helps to include the year in the folder name - so like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)" - and then have subfolders named "Season 1", "Season 2", etc.
If you have a PC that's on all the time, you don't even need a NAS.Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Sun Mar 17, 2024 10:49 pm Because setting up and utilizing a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device as a home media server is a breeze nowadays.
Granted, but that's why I suggested using a variety of apps such as Jellyfin, Plex, and Kodi etc. Each have their uses, and pros and cons. For example, there are Kodi addons that provide easy access to various legitimate services you subscribe to, like Amazon VOD, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount+ etc. Or you can use something like PlayOn.tv to record and download content from legitimate services you subscribe to as MP4 files, which can then be archived and watched from any device you prefer through your own home media server.
Usually, relevant Kodi addons offer access to the same profile(s) and content as the official apps, all within the Kodi app, e.g. here are some screenshots of the Hulu Kodi Addon:
But it's also an issue in the way they designed the particular app. They've purposefully obfuscated signing in with an existing account over the creation of a new one. It's all over in the language used, ie sign-up vs sign-in. First time I've come across that. The only way I figured out how to login via a different email and password was a total crapshoot, was by pressing cancel instead of continue, which is not intuitive at at all. And it's not limited to the app, but trickles down to their website as well. It defaults to emailing a login link, and you have to physically select email and password from a dropdown menu. The design language is just awful.
I actually organize my files.hepcat wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 7:54 amMaybe I'm just being dense, but I’m not sure I understand what you’re doing here. I have used Plex for years. While they suggest setting up a series of shows with a specific folder structure, I haven’t actually done that for years. I just toss all tv shows into a folder called tv and all movies into a folder called movies. Plex is smart enough to display them correctly 99 percent of the time in its UI.Blackhawk wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 12:13 am I have been using Plex for a few years, but have come to despise it lately. In order to actually display content (like shows) correctly, you're required to use a very specific folder structure and naming system. I don't use that particular system, and don't want to - it works for Plex, but makes finding anything by other means a huge pain in the ass. I use(d) Plex to allow me to watch shows that are on my media PC from the TV in the bedroom. Every other way I access the media is via PC - I simply navigate to the shared "Shows" folder and double click the show I want to watch. If I'm watching on Android, I just use a network file browser and do the same.
Because 1. I like to be able to browse organized files, not just a clump of shows by name, and 2, I'd say this is more like getting all of your games from GoG, then installing a third-party app that you have to play them in. Why would I fiddle with Plex's client when I can just double-click the episode I want to watch like I would any image or document file?As for searching for shows directly from the folders, why aren’t you using the Plex client or accessing your media through the client interface via any web browser. I can easily and quickly find whatever I want to watch in seconds using the Plex client UI. What you’re doing sounds like someone installing steam, downloading all their games, and then opening those games by searching for the executables in the steam apps folder every time they want to play a game. Why wouldn’t you just open it from steam?
The main naming convention that all major media servers look for are SxxExx in the file name. It has no idea what "Episode 1" is, but it knows S01E01. That's probably where the crux of your issue is. Genre subfolder is questionable, not sure if that's causing issues or not (but it shouldn't).
When Plex doesn't bother to tell you that specific naming conventions are required, then scrambles your media as a result, it's a Plex problem.
I'll see yourThere are tons of network file browser clients you could use instead of steam....I mean plex.
Leaving aside the fact that Plex does have a page on their site detailing suggested naming conventions and also alerts you to what not to use on that page, I’ve never seen Plex actually mess with the files. It may not display them correctly in the UI (which appears to be 5 percent of your use), but it shouldn’t actually be changing anything at the file level.When Plex doesn't bother to tell you that specific naming conventions are required, then scrambles your media as a result, it's a Plex problem
Which would be helpful if they directed you to that page during download and/or installation. That page is only helpful once you've had a problem and go looking for the answer.
It isn't. It just isn't smart enough to know that a file in folder A/B/C/D isn't the same as a file in folder A/E/F/G. Again, the problem was that I'd try to open a file from one show, only to have it open a completely different file. Googling it found me a multitude of people with the same problem.I’ve never seen Plex actually mess with the files. It may not display them correctly in the UI (which appears to be 5 percent of your use), but it shouldn’t actually be changing anything at the file level.
That's not entirely accurate. It's not that I want to keep doing things my way (although I do), it's that when I asked around for a way to access the files on my PC from my TV, the answer I was given (Plex) was a poor one. Plex (or, apparently, any media server software) is built around dedicated your entire setup to their system, from the filenames on down. That wasn't what I'd asked for, and that fact wasn't conveyed with the answer.But since you want to keep doing things your way, and you don’t really want a UI at all, a file server sounds like your best bet. No need to use steam…er….plex!
Then case closed, it seems. Ditch Plex and just use a file server.
Not necessarily; there's a mighty useful free tool you can use that greatly simplifies tasks like this, which is the aptly named Bulk Rename Utility. The User Interface can initially seem overwhelming, so it's worth reading the manual and checking out the support forum. But if you're more of a visual learner, here are some tutorial videos that walk you through most of the basics on how it works:
I didn't rip, but I've got several large disk binders full of DVDs. I don't have major qualms about pirating copies of those things I own. I have also downloaded copies of things that I had access to via streaming when the streaming itself (app, or silly restrictions) were such that the downloaded copy gave a better experience.
Speilberg? He's welcome to the pie.