Contributor
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157 Messages
Plex - No personal media server access
I was scrolling through the apps on my X1 box today and was surprised to see the Plex app. I logged in and my excitement quickly turned to disappointment:
"Looking for your personal media? Don't worry, it hasn't been abducted! It's safe and sound on your Plex Media Server, but our Xfinity app doesn't support personal media access."
I would guess that 99.9% of the people asking for Plex on X1 wanted it for their personal media server. I have my entire DVD / Blu Ray collection along with tons of family videos on mine. Without access to my media server, Plex is just another pointless and useless free movie app.
Is this a copyright issue that Xfinity doesn't want to deal with?
XfinityGabriel
Official Employee
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1.7K Messages
2 years ago
Hi, @kjakubowsk! Thanks for knocking on XFINITY's virtual door over our forums page. I am sorry to learn that wehn you logged in to the Plex app on the XFINITY platform, your excitement quickly turned to disappointment. This is definately not how we ever want our valued customers to feel. I love the Plex for my personal media server too so I can understand the inconvenience that this can cause. You've reached the perfect place for assistance.
While reviewieng this further, I discovered that the Plex player app on the Xfinity X1 platform was made available for accessing their free, streaming content. This player app is designed specifically for accessing the free streaming content that Plex provides. For more details, here is a link from Plex's support page.
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user_9e8ac4
Visitor
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1 Message
2 years ago
Why would you do this Xfinity? Another free tv service is not what we asked for. We want our own media files. Let down again by this X1 service. Create a different player app for us Plex users that want a all in one device that can play all tv and movie services. This Plex app is garbage that you guys have on here. I mean TV’s, Phones, Computers, Tablets, Roku, Firestick, Nvidia Shield, Chromecast all have apps that play Plex and let us access our own media. Guess that’s why I never use this X1 service anymore. Better off just using my smart tv.
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Daveybarra
Visitor
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1 Message
2 years ago
Totally agree. I only wanted PLEX on Comcast X1 for the personal media player. We don't need another movie streaming service. Whats the problem? Why can't you simply open that category. That was $$$ wasted
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BigBlueCeiling
Visitor
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3 Messages
2 years ago
Agreed, 100% - and to make it even weirder, it's literally the only place I've ever seen a "PlexTV only" Plex app. My Roku TVs have full-featured Plex. My Samsung TV has full-featured Plex. My Amazon Firestick devices have full-featured Plex.
I'm guessing there was somebody at Comcast that thought, "Man, people have been begging for us to add Plex. Ok, let's get a Plex app on there." and somehow managed to convince themselves that this would do the trick.
I'm generally pleased with the quality of the Arris Xi6 but the TV that I hooked it up to is going back to one of my Firesticks. I don't know what's gonna happen to the X1 - but I can't think of a place where I want to put it if I'm going to need to switch to a different device if I want to watch or listen to something on my Plex server.
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Jbrad99
Visitor
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1 Message
2 years ago
Yep useless waste of $$$ for development and app integration, I guess the cable company is just trying to force us off cable boxes even more..., Back to my fire stick/tv, and Nvidia shield l, and Roku Tv. Thanks for nothing Comcast Xfinity.
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michaelNlittlerock
Visitor
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1 Message
2 years ago
Iv never seen a striped down version of Plex??? Is that even legal to change that? This is crazy as not being able to view my camera feeds with an address. Only way to view your feeds and recorded events is one camera at a time on the mobile app, one camera at a time on flex device, and one camera at a time thru your cable box if you have the TV package with xfinity. No where can you view all your feeds simultaneously!
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wodaji
New Poster
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3 Messages
2 years ago
Disappointed to say the least!
Putting x1 back in the box and dropping it off at your store in the morning.
Well, maybe not. It's free and my wife loves the packaging; she has an idea which involves decoupage or something.
A shame your packaging is more impressive than this Plex app.
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BigBlueCeiling
Visitor
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3 Messages
2 years ago
Oh hey! Looks like they solved the problem! I haven't been using the device they sent - it's just been sitting on an unused input on a TV in my office - but I decided to check if they'd updated the app.
The Plex app appears to have been removed or disabled. It attempts to launch if I use voice input "Open Plex" (it gives me a message about "loading a third party app" and displays a black screen), searching for it says No results found for "PLEX" - but under "All Results" there's a blank cell that I can click over to that says "Plex App". Clicking that gives me the same third party message and black screen.
It's unfortunate that PLEX seems to be such a sticking point. It's on literally every other device I have.
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user_5516ce
Visitor
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1 Message
2 years ago
Try logging in to Plex on your phone and then AirPlay it to your tv (if you have that ability) I know it’s not a permanent fix but at least you can access your personal server.
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Macrographics
Visitor
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1 Message
2 years ago
I might be missing the point here, but my Plex apps including the Xfinity app plays my own nas files as long as they are connected to my same network. My disappointment in Xfinity/Comcast comes from the fact that my parents can’t watch one of my own family videos due to the fact Xfinity blocks Plex streaming from another network. It would appear to me this is synonymous with the Netflix lawsuit where Comcast wants to block or throttle services they don’t control.
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Rustyben
Expert
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24.6K Messages
2 years ago
plex doesn't block viewing from another network. you can access and provide a user with access at any time to your entire or partial library. you have to do some port forwarding to have direct streaming but indirect streaming is also possible (like you streaming on your phone from your plex library while you are away from home.
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