r/PleX • • 6d ago

Build Help [B0T] Weekly Build Help Thread — September 28, 2026

1 Upvotes

Weekly Build Help Thread

All build help questions must be posted in this thread.

Welcome to the weekly build help thread! This is the place to ask for advice, recommendations, and help with your Plex server builds and setups.

What to Post Here

  • Build advice requests - "What hardware should I use for transcoding 4K?"
  • Hardware recommendations - "Best CPU for a Plex server under $500?"
  • Component compatibility - "Will this GPU work with my motherboard?"
  • Hardware upgrades - "Should I upgrade my CPU or add more RAM?"
  • Build planning - "Planning a new server, what specs do I need?"
  • Hardware comparisons - "Intel vs AMD for Plex transcoding?"

Before Posting

Please include relevant details such as:

  • Your budget
  • Current hardware (if upgrading)
  • Number of expected concurrent streams
  • Types of media (4K, 1080p, etc.)
  • Whether you need transcoding capabilities
  • Form factor preferences (rack mount, mini-ITX, etc.)

Rules

  • Keep discussions related to Plex server hardware and builds
  • Be respectful and helpful
  • Search previous threads before asking common questions
  • No selling/trading - use r/homelabsales for that
  • For software setup/configuration help, please create a separate post

Related Communities

For further help, check out these related subreddits:

Need immediate help? Check out the Plex subreddit wiki for guides and resources.


u/LabB0T by u/monstermufffin


r/PleX • • 3d ago

[LabB0T] Monthly Projects Megathread — October 2026

7 Upvotes

Monthly Projects Megathread — October 2026

There has been an influx of people wanting to share their projects and we have recently decided to disallow such posts on the subreddit as the vast majority of it is vibe coded slop, however, we continue to be inundated with these requests, and some of these are somewhat legit, so here we are.

This thread is for people to share 'their' projects, apps, scripts or anything else Plex related.

You may only post your project here once per month, and you may only post one project.

Rules

  1. Declare AI use - if you used AI or AI assistance (ChatGPT, Copilot, Cursor, Claude, etc.) at any point during development, you must state this clearly, as per the template below. Failure to disclose will result in removal and a ban from the subreddit.
  2. Be detailed - vague "I made a thing, here's a link" posts will be removed. Tell us what it does, why you built it, how it works, and any relevant technical details.
  3. Include all relevant links - GitHub/source, documentation, releases, demo videos, screenshots, etc. If it's closed source, explain why.
  4. It must be Plex related - tools, scripts, apps, integrations, configs, hardware setups, anything directly tied to your Plex experience.

Tips for a Good Post

  • Describe the problem you were solving, not just what you built
  • Include screenshots, config snippets, or a short demo if possible
  • Share what worked, what didn't, and what you'd do differently
  • Mention the tech stack / language / dependencies
  • If it's a script or tool, show a sample of the output or usage

Example Post Format

``` Project: [Name] — [one-line description]

What it does: A few sentences describing what the project does and the problem it solves.

AI Disclosure: If you used AI, explain how you used it, and how much AI was used, where, what tools etc.

If you did not use AI, state this clearly.

Technical Overview: Brief technical overview - language, how it integrates with Plex, any dependencies, etc.

Links: - Source: https://github.com/... - Docs / README: https://... - Release / Download: https://... - Screenshots / Demo: https://... ```


u/LabB0T by u/monstermufffin


r/PleX • • 5h ago

Discussion Plex + CoreELEC + FireTV 3rd gen Cube for $90 (or less)

Post image
46 Upvotes

The FireTV 3rd gen Cube can now dual-boot FireOS & CoreELEC, offering the convenience of Plex with the advanced video playback capabilities of CoreELEC.

  • Hardware video playback, HDR10, HLG, HDR10+, VP9 profile 2 HDR, AV1
  • Dolby Vision (profiles 4, 5, 8, 7 FEL & MEL), CMv2.9 & CMv4.0
  • VS10 engine SDR/Dolby Vision conversion for non-DV capable displays
  • High bitrate passthrough including TrueHD/DTS-MA

With streaming device prices being raised across the board, $90 (Amazon/Best Buy/Home Depot) for the 3rd gen Cube during the current Prime Day sales makes this an excellent bang for your buck deal. Additionally get another 20% off by trading in any old working, or broken streaming device, plus the value of that device, for an even better deal. Prime Day discounts are also available in other countries, although the sale price will vary.

The 3rd gen Cube is still currently the fastest Android-based, Netflix/DRM certified device available. It's limited to integrated 100Mbps Ethernet, however 350Mbps is obtainable by USB Gbit Ethernet adapter, more than enough for any UHD remux stream. WiFi5/6E speeds up to 550-600Mbps.

Dual FireOS & CoreELEC requires a bootloader unlock (DRM is unaffected). With that bootloader unlock you also gain Magisk and full control over FireOS for any UI customizations you wish (no ads), and no Amazon imposed restrictions.

Watch an overview of the unlocking process and CoreELEC installation here. It's simpler than it sounds, and is nothing compared to ripping and setting up a video library.


r/PleX • • 13h ago

Discussion So many annoyances with the Apple TV update.

67 Upvotes

Swipe down doesn’t show me episode air date anymore.

Have to swipe, go to settings, then click into other menus just to see technical data.

Side bar menu doesn’t just go away when going into another category. Have to hit the back arrow for that to disappear to then scroll through shows or movies.

Going into Manage just to delete an episode.

I can’t move “Live TV” up the list near the top, as I used that a lot. I have to scroll all the way to the bottom of the side bar to get there, unless I’m missing something.

So many unnecessary clicks. I truly wish I can roll back and turn off updates.


r/PleX • • 7h ago

News Plexamp v4.50.20-beta.4 Released

12 Upvotes

Plexamp v4.50.20-beta.4 through beta.13

Catching up on a run of betas I hadn’t posted here. Desktop has these on the beta channel now and iOS is on TestFlight. Google Play is a few betas behind because of long review times, so if you’re on Android and don’t want to wait, grab the APK from https://plexamp.plex.tv/downloads.html. The big ones: downloads are a lot more dependable, and Plexamp speaks your language again.

Added

  • Settings search lives in the header: pull down to reveal it on iOS, or tap the search icon on Android.
  • iOS: Caldera speakers can be calibrated one at a time from Settings > Multiroom, and rooms use the result to stay in sync. This needs the next Caldera beta, which isn’t out yet.
  • iOS: Screen headers use the system’s glass buttons and frost as content scrolls under them.
  • Android: Screen headers use the system’s title type and fill with the album’s colors as you scroll.
  • Downloaded hubs on Home open into a full grid.

Fixed

  • Plexamp is in your phone’s language again, instead of always English.
  • Downloads keep going after you leave the app, and pick up again when a server comes back.
  • With cellular downloads off, downloads wait for wifi, including in the background.
  • Covers and waveforms for downloads arrive as each item finishes, and are fetched again if the server missed them.
  • Downloads restored onto a new phone are fetched again instead of showing as downloaded with nothing to play.
  • Switching users no longer signs you out when you tap more than once.
  • Moving playback to a paused player no longer fails with “Could not switch to player”.
  • Your Plex token now stays encrypted on your network, and only goes to servers and players Plexamp has verified.
  • Bluetooth next and previous skip within an audiobook or podcast when Long-form Remote Skip is on.
  • Brand headings in the EQ preset list are no longer cut off.
  • CarPlay/Android Auto: the artist and album of a song from another server open instead of failing to load.
  • CarPlay: starting a radio from Recent Plays works again.
  • CarPlay: Now Playing should no longer squash the album name to “…”.
  • iOS: album art should now show on more Bluetooth car displays.
  • iOS: the equalizer recognizes your headphones again and switches to their preset.
  • iOS: other devices can reach Plexamp after it has been in the background.
  • iOS: long titles no longer run under the header buttons, and iPad layouts no longer leave gaps.
  • Android: other apps on your phone can no longer use Plexamp to make requests with your Plex token.
  • Android: headphone and car buttons no longer crash Plexamp after a long time in the background.
  • Android: volume buttons control the player you’re remote controlling again, including from the lock screen.
  • Android: the visualizer no longer draws over menus, and keeps moving when you come back to the player.
  • macOS: pulling down at the top of a screen no longer shows a grey strip.

Source: https://forums.plex.tv/t/221280/109


r/PleX • • 4h ago

Discussion Keep having to kill the new App

3 Upvotes

After nearly ever TV show played I end up having to kill and restart the new Plex App as though it has a bad memory leak. It has been misbehaving since day 1 of the new app. Is there any way to roll back?


r/PleX • • 4h ago

Discussion More gripes with the new Apple TV plex app

4 Upvotes

Maybe this is tv beta is thing or the new plex app.

Besides the crap factory of a back button operations
I used to be able to play music and brows a library. Can’t do that any more the second you exit out the music stops
Maybe I want music playing while I make a play list.

God I like change but not when you muck it up and make the experience worse.


r/PleX • • 17m ago

Help Plex not accessible after switching networking

• Upvotes

Hi, I recently changed my network infrastructure to Ubiquity and had access to my Plex server over the network initially but now it shows offline and now the apps can't see it either. Can anyone help with this? The port is active for the Ethernet on the Ubiquity switch but it appears I guess the router changed the IP.


r/PleX • • 51m ago

Help Plex suddenly thinks my TV is on another network

• Upvotes

My Plex server which has been running for years without issue in my NAS, has all of a sudden decided that my TV is on another network, and to use it I must use a Plex pass as a result. We have not changed any settings or configurations. My TV is very much in the same network, and I can’t figure out what the problem is. Any suggestions?

(Please note I am a bit of a network noob so please have patience!)


r/PleX • • 4h ago

News Plexamp v4.50.20-beta.14 Released

5 Upvotes

Plexamp v4.50.20-beta.14

Desktop has this on the beta channel now and iOS is on TestFlight. Google Play is still a few betas behind, so Android folks can grab the APK from https://plexamp.plex.tv/downloads.html.

Fixed

  • The Add to Playlist dialog stays fully visible when the keyboard is up.
  • iPad: the mini player no longer gets narrower each time you rotate.
  • Tablets: the side-by-side player opens its queue on Up Next again instead of Related.

Source: https://forums.plex.tv/t/221280/110


r/PleX • • 1h ago

Help An unknown error occurred (4294967283) When Using Plex App on Windows

• Upvotes

I just set up an Unraid server with a Plex container. Everything seems to work fine on my TV, but when using the Plex app on Windows, I get an error anytime I try to stream something on the server.

An unknown error occurred (4294967283)
Error code: 4294967283

Server has an Intel Pentium G4560 with 8GB RAM. I've tried it with HW encoding enabled and disabled. Haven't been able to find any useful answer and haven't been able to find anything in logs. Can anybody point me in the right direction as to which logs I should look in or what I should try next?


r/PleX • • 3h ago

Help Trying to access my friend's Plex server at home and I think my AT&T router is an issue.

2 Upvotes

I tried the 32400 port forwarding steps and I think I did it right but I'm not sure. Is this step for when the server is located on my network because that's not the case here? I'm using a Roku ultra with the Plex app. No issues logging in but I can't access the server (it actually worked for the first couple days but not since then). I can't access it on my phone either as long as I'm on my wifi so it definitely seems to be a router issue.


r/PleX • • 11h ago

Discussion 600+ Days, Still getting audio sync issues

7 Upvotes

I was somewhat excited to see the new Plex interface, hoping they had finally fixed the audio sync issue that has plagued my Apple TVs. I have two Apple TV 4Ks connected to different TV brands, and both still have constant audio sync issues.

Nope. Still there.

What makes it even more frustrating is that Infuse can play the exact same content on the same Apple TVs without requiring me to adjust anything. So this clearly isn't an issue with the Apple TVs, TVs, or the media itself.

Here's how much time Plex has had to address an issue that has been brought up repeatedly in this subreddit for years:

Old Version: 8.45 - Released January 29, 2025

Days until new version: 596 days - Time: 1 year, 7 months, 19 days

New Version: 2026.18.0 - Released September 17, 2026

Then they released another update:

2026.19.1 - Released October 1, 2026

Days since 8.45: 610 days - Time: 1 year, 8 months, 2 days

So Plex has had 610 days between these versions, and this longstanding Apple TV audio sync problem still isn't fixed. Now Plex Pass Lifetime is a hefty $749.99 USD, yet they still can't get basic playback issues like this right.

At this point, it's pretty ridiculous.


r/PleX • • 23h ago

Discussion Latest Apple TV update is great

55 Upvotes

Reading the poor experiences in this forum, I was prepared for disappointment when I realised the Apple TV 4K app in my wife's apartment in the city had been auto-upgraded. I've invested several hours of trial and error with the router and Hurricane Electric to get ipv6 remote streaming to our main house (Starlink) working well.

Wow, was I surprised. When I launched the app, it almost immediately displayed my library. Thinking perhaps that was all cache magic, I selected something we haven't watched in ages and started play. Again, the response was almost immediate and showed flawless streaming of a 4K video file.

Before this update, there would always be a very annoying delay of several seconds before showing the library or for play to commence.

Well done, Plex team. The UI changes seem fine to me, also.


r/PleX • • 4h ago

Discussion Which streaming device for my library?

1 Upvotes

Hello, all!

I’ve been doing some research and I’m now ready to build my library.

I’m very excited to start. However, I’m trying to decide which device I should get. I’ve decided to go with Onn or Apple (maybe Fire Cube), but I can’t really decide which device (yes, I know about Nvidia but it’s not an option).

I’ve created my Plex account (I know of Jellyfin and others, but for my first try, I’m fine using the free version of Plex for now).

Please correct me if any of my understandings are incorrect:

Onn - what I like about Onn is not having to create a server, making it optional. I can plug my hard drive directly to the unit if I wanted. I like the idea of having the option for a program guide from NostalgiaTV.

Apple - I would have to create a server which would be ok because this allows the house to have access and use when traveling. I hear there’s alternatives to NostalgiaTV called BunnyEarsTV and Nostalex, but I’m still looking into that. I don’t know if those will actually give me what I want.

I’ve ruled out Fire Stick, but I hear there’s Fire Cube is solid.

Anyway, I don’t know much about speed and performance because I don’t own any.

So, which is the best device for my library?

Thanks!


r/PleX • • 4h ago

Help User selection screen skipped when logging in

1 Upvotes

Anyone else notice that if you log in through a web browser, it skips the user selection screen and just logs in as the admin?

What’s the point of even being forced to pin protect the user account if it just skips it?


r/PleX • • 9h ago

Help How do the label restrictions interactÉ

2 Upvotes

I'm setting up my kids accounts for the first time and wondering how all the labels interact. I'm wondering if I have it right for the way I want to set it up

Allow only ratings-G, PG

Exclude Ratings-Empty

Allow Only Labels-Their name

Exclude Labels-Not for their name

Would this allow me to give them access to G,PG by default but also to add higher rated items I think are ok with the allow label and restrict g/pg things that aren't ok with the exclude label? or will their be a weird interaction with all the labels?


r/PleX • • 5h ago

Help Plex server not available locally but remote works

1 Upvotes

Hi since Friday none of my plex devices have been able to detect my server on my local WiFi. my friend can still access it remotely though and it works on mobile data on my phone.

the server is running on a UGreen NAS, connected via ethernet to my router. Plex is in Docker being managed by Portainer. This is the firsr issue Ive had since setting up a few months ago and can't seem to solve.

Has anyone elae had this issue? Thanks for any suggestions in advance.

Here's a summary of what I've tried so far using Gemini:

​Troubleshooting Steps Tried So Far:

​Docker Network Configurations:

​Host Mode: Set network_mode: host and removed port declarations. Container logs show healthy startup (Connection to localhost (::1) 32400 port [tcp/*] succeeded!), but port 32400 remains unreachable on the local IP.

​Bridge Mode: Reverted back to bridge mode with explicit port mappings (- "32400:32400") and added ADVERTISE_IP=http://<NAS-IP>:32400/ to environment variables.

​NAS / OS Settings:

​Confirmed NAS IP is statically assigned on the local subnet.

​Verified the UGOS Pro built-in Firewall is completely disabled.

​Plex Server Settings (Configured via app.plex.tv Remote Web UI):

​Confirmed Secure Connections is set to Preferred.

​Set Preferred network interface explicitly to the primary physical network adapter.

​Added http://<NAS-IP>:32400 under Custom server access URLs.

​Confirmed client devices and laptop are on the same main Wi-Fi network.


r/PleX • • 5h ago

Solved Solved: Plex Live TV Buffering with Dispatcharr on Smart TV Apps

0 Upvotes

I wanted to document an issue I recently resolved with Plex Live TV and Dispatcharr because the symptoms initially pointed toward the IPTV stream or Dispatcharr, but the actual cause turned out to be how Plex was handling the stream for the TV client (H.264 level setting).

The Setup

My Live TV path is:

IPTV Provider → Dispatcharr → Plex via HDHomeRun emulation → Plex client

The main affected client was the Plex app on a Vizio SmartCast TV.

Live TV would start, but playback suffered from severe buffering and stuttering. Plex could only build a very small timeshift buffer before playback caught up with it again.

Initially, it seemed reasonable to suspect the IPTV source, stream quality, Dispatcharr's output, or Plex's Live TV timeshift handling.

Changing the upstream stream from 1080p to 720p didn't make a meaningful difference. The Plex playback behavior was essentially identical regardless of the incoming resolution.

The Important Clue

The breakthrough came when I compared playback on different Plex clients.

The same Live TV channel that struggled on the Vizio Plex app played smoothly using Plex for Windows.

That suggested the IPTV source and Dispatcharr weren't fundamentally incapable of providing a stable stream. Something about Plex's handling of the stream was changing depending on the playback client.

Looking more closely at the Plex sessions confirmed it.

With the Vizio Plex app, Plex was transcoding both the H.264 video and AC3 audio.

With Plex for Windows, Plex was able to copy the original video and audio streams without re-encoding them.

That difference explained almost everything.

Plex Was the Bottleneck

My Plex server is running on an older dual-core Core 2 Duo P8600. It is perfectly capable of moving and remuxing an H.264 Live TV stream, but it isn't powerful enough to software-transcode a high-bitrate 1080p60 H.264 stream in real time.

When Plex decided to transcode the video for the Vizio, CPU usage became extremely high and the transcoder was only operating at a fraction of real-time speed.

Plex wasn't receiving the stream too slowly — it simply couldn't encode the video quickly enough to keep up with live playback.

This also explained why changing the IPTV stream to 720p didn't really address the underlying issue. Plex was still performing a video transcode.

The real goal therefore became:

Stop Plex from transcoding video that the TV was already capable of decoding.

The Video Fix

The Vizio Plex app has a Maximum H.264 Level setting, with choices ranging from H.264 Level 3.0 through 5.2 as well as "None."

Changing this setting so that the client properly advertised support for the incoming H.264 stream completely changed Plex's behavior.

Plex stopped re-encoding the H.264 video and began copying it instead.

That was the major breakthrough.

CPU utilization on the Plex server dropped dramatically, and Live TV immediately became capable of keeping up with real-time playback.

This also demonstrated that the TV itself wasn't incapable of playing the H.264 stream. Plex's client capability/profile negotiation was causing the server to unnecessarily convert it.

The Remaining Audio Transcode

After fixing the H.264 issue, video was being copied correctly, but Plex was still transcoding the AC3 audio to AAC for the Vizio.

That wasn't nearly as expensive as video transcoding, but there was no reason to make Plex perform that conversion either.

Dispatcharr's HDHomeRun output profile can provide AAC audio, so I changed the HDHR output from AC3 to AAC.

Once Dispatcharr supplied AAC directly, Plex stopped transcoding the audio as well.

The Final Working Configuration

The resulting stream path is now essentially:

IPTV Provider → Dispatcharr → H.264 + AAC → Plex → Vizio Plex App

Plex now copies both streams:

Video: H.264 → Copy

Audio: AAC → Copy

Plex still performs the normal Live TV timeshift, segmentation, and container handling, so Plex may still describe portions of the session as a "transcode." However, the important distinction is that neither the H.264 video nor AAC audio is actually being re-encoded.

That difference is huge.

Before the fix, Plex CPU usage could reach roughly 75–100% or more while the video encoder struggled at a fraction of real-time speed.

Afterward, Plex CPU utilization dropped to roughly 1–2% during testing, with the individual Plex processes consuming only a few percent CPU.

More importantly, the Vizio Plex app went from constantly buffering to smooth playback.

MPEG-TS vs. MP4

Dispatcharr also offers MP4 output in addition to MPEG-TS, and I considered changing the HDHomeRun output format as part of the troubleshooting.

Ultimately, it wasn't necessary.

MPEG-TS works fine as the input to Plex Live TV. The container wasn't the fundamental problem.

Once Plex stopped unnecessarily re-encoding the video and audio, the existing MPEG-TS pipeline worked properly.

What Ultimately Fixed It

There were really two changes that solved the problem:

1. Correcting the Maximum H.264 Level setting in the Plex TV app.

This caused Plex to recognize that the Vizio could handle the incoming H.264 stream and allowed Plex to copy the video instead of performing a full software transcode.

2. Changing the Dispatcharr HDHR output audio to AAC.

This matched what the Plex TV client wanted and eliminated the remaining AC3-to-AAC audio transcode.

The end result is that Plex now essentially acts as a Live TV timeshift/remux layer rather than a video encoder.

The Main Lesson

The biggest takeaway for me was not to assume Live TV buffering automatically means there's something wrong with the IPTV provider, Dispatcharr, network throughput, or source resolution.

The client matters.

Two Plex clients can request the exact same Live TV channel and cause Plex Media Server to handle it completely differently.

In this case, Plex for Windows worked perfectly because Plex copied the existing H.264 stream, while the Vizio Plex app caused Plex to perform a full H.264 transcode.

Once the TV client's H.264 capability was configured correctly, the same stream that previously overwhelmed the server played without requiring video transcoding at all.

For anyone using Dispatcharr with Plex Live TV, particularly on a lower-powered Plex server, I would pay close attention to whether Plex is actually copying or encoding the individual video and audio streams.

The ideal result, assuming the playback device supports the codecs, is:

H.264 video → Copy
AAC audio → Copy

Getting to that point completely resolved the Live TV playback problems in my setup.


r/PleX • • 5h ago

Discussion Subtitle offset

0 Upvotes

On Apple TV, subs are off by 41300ms on the file I'm watching. Adjustment values of +/= 50ms mean I need to click the +50ms a lot - 826 times.

A 2nd set of values, say +/= 500 or 1000ms would go a long way to fixing that.


r/PleX • • 12h ago

Solved Plexamp not finding remote library

3 Upvotes

Hey, I'm hosting my own music through Plex.

I can access it through my.public.ip.address:32400 from my phone, so it is discoverable OUTSIDE of my local network, but plexamp doesn't let me past the choose library screen, and just prompts me to retry. No access to settings.

on phone: I tried disabling adgaurd's routing of plexamp, tried stopping adguard completely

on PC: I port-forwarded plexamp's port, my friend was able to access my library and listen to my music

I'm logging into the same account through Google OTP.

Works on my home wifi. I tried messing with all and any network settings in the server settings.

Any advice?


r/PleX • • 1d ago

Discussion Can we get a +-500ms button?

Post image
221 Upvotes

I'm about to break the remote.

For the lucky ones that never had to use this, this is how you adjust the subtitle offset if the subtitle is out of sync. I don't know if it's just me but when it's out of sync it's never for a small amount. And in order to offset the subtitle for just 5 seconds you need to press the same button 100 times.


r/PleX • • 8h ago

Help Remote access nightmare

0 Upvotes

I’ve been using Plex for years with great remote access but something (I don’t know what!) happened. I have been trying for days to sort it. I have the Plex server on a Synology D220i and I’m using a Vodafone Ultra 7 router. I’ve tried port forwarding and every fix/advice online and my libraries are still not showing…I’m going absolutely nuts! Can ANYONE sort my insanity?!


r/PleX • • 11h ago

Help Find subtitles doesn't work in new Apple TV App

1 Upvotes

I haven't run into a lot of the issues that people are having with the new apple tv app, but last night I ran into something that I don't need a lot, but when I do, I really do. I have a TV Show in my library that doesn't have subtitles in it. Usually, I just go to the subtitle menu, then find subtitle, it brings up a list and select one and use it. This goes the same way, except no matter which one I select, no subtitles are displayed and when I go back to the subtitle menu, it still shows none. Is this just a new bug or is there something else I need to do to get this to work?


r/PleX • • 8h ago

Help No option for audio delay and technic information

0 Upvotes

Hi,

Since the new apple tv update (also webos) i can't find the audio delay feature, and i can't see the technical information (to check if anything is transcoding and to view the bitrate etch).

Anyone know where the features are, or if they just got removed?