ive been using kodi (xbmc was better moniker) since google killed sagetv. i recall attempting plex, but it seemed to lack some open/extensibility (its been awhile).
i have a side project i want to make as a modular plugin generating a cable layout with original air orders and networks/channels... kodi seems most optimal, but ill admit its been a long while since i looked at plex.
I mean… emby or jellyfin would be a better replacement for Plex.
But why not those? I bought a lifetime Plex Pass for $30 or something ages ago when the competition was garbage, so I already have a smoothly working setup for Plex. No reason to force my kids, their grandparents, etc, to a new interface for very little upside. Plex just works. I have tried the others and they’re okay, but nothing compelling enough to force the change.
Every time I tried Kodi, I could make it work, but it was slower, uglier and less reliable than alternatives.
But I don’t do Plex, I use Jellyfin. Plex feels like one of these games where you pay full price and it keeps bothering you to pay even more for extra stuff.
I use Plex and have the ‘lifetime’ licence.
There have been bugs that don’t get fixed for years, while a bunch of new features I dont use keep getting released.
These are incredibly infuriating; downloads, server not connecting until app reset, library browsing glitches that only get worse each year…
I have not switched to Jellyfin yet due to my specific setup, but it will happen, or I’ll go mad, whichever comes first.
I use Kodi with the Titan Bingie Mod v2 installed as the front end skin. It looks and controls exactly like Netflix, which isn’t a great streaming service anymore, but their UI is probably the best and most familiar. Only trouble I have is that I can’t connect to my server via VPN, only a rawdog connection, but it’s my home network so I’m not super worried.
Because I paid for a lifetime sub like a decade ago and my parents and a few friends connect to my instance. I can’t be arsed to move myself and everybody else to a new system when this shit just works.
My gripe with Jellyfin is that there isn’t a functional app for my shitbox Toshiba Amazon TV. I’m open to alternatives but that’s a must for me. Plex is also fairly user friendly which is important for sharing my library with my relatives.
Oh I can download and install apks through the shitty browser on the tv. If there’s a functional app that has an equivalent UX to the Plex TV app I’d be open to trying it.
A new shield is quite expensive… The Onn Google TV device from Walmart is $30 and does substantially the same things for most users. Or a Roku (whatever they call the cheap version) is pretty adequate if you’re not into the Google TV/android thing.
I hate the shield, I mean I still use it but the shit with no ads and then getting riddled with ads pissed me off. Sure the CCWGTV whatever its cheap but the price I paid for my shields, it was not ok.
Jellyfin app is bad on android TV and being in bed with media conglomerates doesn’t get in the way on plex imo. Open up my plex and there are no ads and the only two categories are TV and movies which I put there. I WILL switch to jelly, when their TV app gets more features.
My issue with Kodi is that each client had to scan the library and generate thumbnails etc. That should be the server’s job which is why I chose Jellyfin. Nicer UI too and more responsive with apps in stores so I don’t have to load it manually to fire sticks
Much easier to set up and share with others. Kodi takes a lot of back end work to make it usable and I’m having a hell of a time getting consistent results to different devices from my NAS.
Plex took far less effort to do the same results but their paywall certainly justifies their ease of use
Strange. Kodi for me was a breeze to set up. Set up a file source, set the client to update library on start up, tweak your thumbnails and skin preferences, done.
My difficulty lies in consistency across multiple devices, it’s a process that i haven’t been able to overcome easily and though i learned SQL my NAS is a bit closed though so I may upgrade that soon
Question. How can I access my library with this but not the main plex app? I’ve never been able to get video remotely with my VPN. And even on the main app music isn’t available. But it works in plexamp.
Ya Plex vs Kodi is really more an apples and oranges comparison. Should be Plex vs Jellyfin.
That said though, I did start off with Kodi as my own media center on a Raspberry Pi, but eventually discovered Jellyfin and have really enjoyed it. Kodi is great too, but I think Jellyfin is the more refined modern streaming equivalent akin to Netflix that’s fully open source unlike Plex.
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