Yesterday, Roku owners who utilize the awesome Plex Media Center/Server software as their home media center hub got a little gift of awesomeness from the devs over at Plex. The team released a new Plex channel which among other things supports the terrific remote sharing myPlex service. In addition to now easily sharing your media with other Roku owners through the simple myPlex login, addition features updated include:
- Audio and Photo support – All of your sections (and channels) work now! This includes the hundreds of Plex channel plugins available through Plex Online.
- Revamped UI – Using Netflix- (and PlexGrid-) style grids on a lot of screens now, and using a darker, more Plex-like theme throughout. Opening screen is the familiar iOS/Android screen.
- Direct Play – If Roku can handle it, it’ll try to direct play media instead of transcoding. Note that the Roku doesn’t actually support a lot of video formats, so this basically means mp4/h264.
- 100′s of other little tweaks and fixes.
While still a beta, Roku owners can head to https://owner.roku.com/add/PlexBeta and install the new channel (and then enter and exit the channel store to force your Roku to refresh).
New Plex Channel on Roku Homescreen
New PlexBeta Channel Homescreen, iOS look
Movies Library Section Homescreen
Channel (Let Me Watch) Homescreen (and channels work!)
I’ve been testing the channel quite a bit since its release last night and its a terrific improvement on prior releases, and further confirms Plex’s commitment to extending the reach of users media to anywhere the internet is available. You can also follow the channel’s progress by visiting the Plex Forum thread here.
My wife and I cut the cable cord a few months ago using two Roku’s and Plex Media Server… now we can watch movies over Netflix (preferred), HuluPlus (not so much), other media services and personal media via Plex – though it does have some problems, it still works nicely enough for us to no longer pay over $100 a month on Cable. We spend around $16 and everyone is happy so far – including the kids.
Congrats and thanks for the read! Couple questions:
1. Why use Hulu when either ShowRSS + Transmission or Sick Potato is out there ( i personally think Hulu is bunk
2. what are the ‘other problems’.
Curious can i use plex with at roku and SiliconDust HDHomeRun PRIME to show my channes on other tv’s ?
I am looking at a combination of that or can i view recorded shows from the prime via the roku.
not for live tv, but if you use something to record shows using your HDHomeRun, like eyetv, Plex can of course pick those up and play them…for live TV, nowhereman has Roku channel that can, via EyeTV, pick up local channels and play them through Roku, however, its mobile quality.
Plex works great on my PC but as soon as I try to use it on roku there is nothing but problems. Youtube seems to be the only site that always work along with some techie sites like cnet. For instance, CBS never works. I get error messages that it is unable to play at this time or the video may not be available or in the wrong format. I know the videos are available because I can play them on line. When I seach for answers I usually find many people have the same problems and sometimes some technical stuff which I can not get.
It’s true that plex channels on roku is spotty, especially when PMS is running windows. Best to use native roku channels for Internet content, unfortunately YouTube doesn’t have a channel.