I tried testing a movie from my home server in plex through firefox and repeatedly got this message, even after reloading.

I knew that they had paywalled the apps on mobile and streaming from outside the network but now they have also blocked watching your own movies through your own hardware.

I do get the point that making software should be able to sustain people but I dont see the move of plex as a fair thing to do. Yes, they have made great software but taking your home server hostage feels like the wrong move.

Even a pop up that says “we need you to donate please” would have been fine. make it pop up before every movie, play donation ads before any movie but straight up disabling the app is kinda cruel.

Anyway, i have switched to jellyfin and it is insanely good. please give it a try. you can run it alongside plex with not issues (at least i had none) and compare the two.

In any case, good luck. Let me know if you need help.

  • AtariDump@lemmy.world
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    17 hours ago

    In this thread:

    1. An OP that doesn’t understand how their network is working
    2. People rushing to suggest a solution that they fawn over because it’s open source. I have yet to see anyone recommend Emby.
    3. “Tailscale will solve all your problems!” Great - how do I make that work on an LG TV that’s 100 miles away?
    • kieron115@startrek.website
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      2 hours ago

      Seriously. I hate when people assume default settings are the only option. You don’t even need a Plex account to set up Plex. It will just be less seamless and user friendly. Never adopt the server, configure these via localhost (ssh tunnel works) and then set up your networking. Don’t even need to update it, it will run for as long as the database stays stable. Which should be years or more.

    • smiletolerantly@awful.systems
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      2 hours ago

      Actual answer for 3:

      • put jellyfin behind a proper reverse proxy. Ideally on a separate host / hardware firewall, but nginx on the same host works fine as well.
      • create subdomain, let’s say sub.yourdomain.com
      • forward traffic, for that subdomain ONLY, to jellyfin in your reverse proxy config
      • tell your relatives to put sub.yourdomain.com into their jellyfin app

      All the fear-mongering about exposing jellyfin to the internet I have seen on here boils down to either

      • “port forwarding is a bad idea!!”, which yes, don’t do that. The above is not that. Or
      • “people / bots who know your IP can get jellyfin to work as a 1-bit oracle, telling you if a specific media file exists on your disk” which is a) not an indication for something illegal, and b) prevented by the described reverse proxy setup insofar as the bot needs to know the exact subdomain (and any worthwhile domain-provider will not let bots walk your DNS zone).

      (Not saying YOU say that; just preempting the usual folklore typically commented whenever someone suggests hosting jellyfin publicly accessible)

      • AtariDump@lemmy.world
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        5 hours ago

        Where do I find Wireguard for my LG TV?

        You can’t expect my relatives living 100+ miles away to start monkeying around with their router. That be like asking you to set the spark plug timing correctly using a timing gun.

        • HiTekRedNek@lemmy.world
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          3 hours ago

          Did you even read the link? You don’t need it on every device. It’s not really that difficult to understand.

          I AM A 48 YEAR OLD FORMER FUCKING TRUCK DRIVER FOR FUCKS SAKE, and yet, I still managed to set up tailscale on my phone and a computer, and then access my stuff that ISNT running tailscale in any way, shape or form, from my phone, simply because I decided to figure it the fuck out.

          Stop being so damned lazy.

          I am so fucking tired of this “cater to the lowest common denominator” bullshit.

          • AtariDump@lemmy.world
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            23 minutes ago

            Stop being so dam lazy and do all the things you pay someone else to do.

            Mow the lawn. Fix the plumbing. Run new electrical. Neuter the cat. Clean your teeth. Do your taxes.

      • AtariDump@lemmy.world
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        5 hours ago

        Thanks.

        One of my pet peeves is when people immediately jump to whatever their fanboy program of choice is regardless of if it’s actually the right program to run in the situation given.

        • spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works
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          It’s not a cake walk, but I’ve something similar for a friend who can barely turn on his PC.

          The OpenWRT router was fully configured before shipping it to him and the existing router’s needed Wireguard port was opened by me using the Comcast Android app. All he had to do was connect his TV to a new wifi network. That wasn’t easy, but he ultimately succeeded.

    • tabular@lemmy.world
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      10 hours ago
      1. Open source has high immunity to devs making changes at the expense of user for their benefit because anti-features can be removed. Recommending another proprietary alternative here would be like saying they aught to leave an abusive partner but then recommend someone with the same red flags they had.
      • mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        15 hours ago
        1. It’s also the most complex to set up, and for many people the threshold is “walking your tech-illiterate mother-in-law through side loading it over the phone, because she lives 100 miles away… She’s afraid to touch her computer for anything except email and Facebook. And then resetting her password every 30 days, because she keeps locking herself out of it.” Suddenly the “just fucking sign into Plex and it automatically discovers your server” option becomes a lot more appealing.
        • loutr@sh.itjust.works
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          6 hours ago

          My tech-illiterate mom uses my Jellyfin instance with no issues. I sent her a link to the app store, her credentials, my server’s hostname and that was it. And once it’s set up, Jellyfin is much more straightforward to use than Plex.

          Sure Jellyfin has issues and doesn’t support as many types of devices, but Plex is far from perfect. I use it like twice a year, and the UI gets more and more confusing with each update IMO.

        • AtariDump@lemmy.world
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          15 hours ago

          Jellyfin is the most complex to set up, right? (Just making sure I’m reading this correctly)

          • mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            14 hours ago

            To set it up “correctly”, yes. It’ll require owning your own domain, being able to configure it properly (with either a static IP, or DDNS to point to your server at home), knowing how to automate https certificate refreshes, and a few other things. Plex just requires forwarding a port in your router.

              • mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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                7 hours ago

                Lots of those issues have been blown out of proportion, and would never be a real concern for the “just a dude running a server in his closet for his friends” setups. Which, to be clear, is the vast majority of setups.

                For instance, virtually all of the worst issues require that the attacker already has a valid login token. So unless they stole your buddy’s credentials, the only one to truly worry about would be your buddy directly. But yes, Jellyfin has some gaping holes, and letting it touch the WAN at all is always a risk. You’re giving attackers a new potential vector of attack that didn’t exist before, so that’s worth noting.

            • RaccoonBall@lemm.ee
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              13 hours ago

              I thought self hosting was about learning networking basics like DNS and setting up let’s encrypt.

              So much whining in here about the most simple stuff being too complex.

              • mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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                9 hours ago

                I disagree; Self-hosting is for a variety of things, and plenty of people (in fact, I’d say probably the majority of Plex users) just want to be able to pirate Netflix without a ton of setup.

                Is learning some networking inevitable? Yeah, probably. But I also think this xkcd is apt. The reality is that what may be simple for you and me actually requires a lot of studying for a complete novice. Plenty of people will need to google what a port is, let alone how to forward one. And that’s assuming they even know the word “port” to google. Plenty of people won’t even know where to start.

                And true novices are hopefully going to be extremely wary of any info they find online. It’s easy to fuck something up without even realizing it, and leave your entire system exposed; especially when the braindead “lol just forward your Jellyfin port and use your public IP” advice is posted somewhere in every single advice thread.

            • AtariDump@lemmy.world
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              14 hours ago

              Right.

              Even though I could do those things, I just want something that works.

              Plex (or even Emby) fits that request.

              Plus they both have an AppleTV app for fee that doesn’t suck.

      • AtariDump@lemmy.world
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        5 hours ago

        Welcome to “People rushing to suggest a solution that they fawn over because it’s open source.”

        How do you personally 100% beyond a shadow of a doubt know that Jellyfin is the right solution? Why not a VPN, shared folder, and VLC? What about running a DNLA server?

        Edit: All of you downvoting don’t know; and it makes you salty.

          • AtariDump@lemmy.world
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            5 hours ago

            How do I load and configure Tailscale on my TCL Roku TV?

            This is an answer im looking for.

            • surewhynotlem@lemmy.world
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              4 hours ago

              Natively, you can’t. Hackishly, you could put a small VPN capable router in front of it that would manage the connection.

              That’s according to Dr Internet, so I haven’t tried it, but it seems very likely to be accurate.

    • Psythik@lemm.ee
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      16 hours ago

      I’ll add to #2 (IDK if it’s open source, though):

      Give Stremio a try. Once you set it up (basically just add the Torrentio plug-in then whatever content catalogs you want), the workflow is much better and simpler than Plex.

      You just browse it like Netflix: see something you want to watch, select it with your remote, then stream it immediately. No server to run, you don’t have to build libraries, you don’t even have download the content beforehand. Just select and watch. Could not be easier.

      • Decq@lemmy.world
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        I always see people advocate for Stremio. But my experience was always very mixed. Half the time it would just buffer all the time. I guess it’s s my own fault for having little interest in the latest Marvel/Hollywood movies, but alas. I way more prefer my jellyfin/jellyseer/arr stack. Once it’s available I’m (99%) sure it works from everywhere in the world.

      • neomachino@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        12 hours ago

        Is Streamio considered safe/private? I remember looking into it a while back and saw something about needing an account on their servers or something.

        I used Kodi with addons for ages but switched to jellyfin because kodi felt too clunky and slow for my wife.

        • Psythik@lemm.ee
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          12 hours ago

          I’m not the person to ask this kind of question to. I use DNS-level tracking protection in my router (via NextDNS), but I’m not a privacy expert.

          If you’re living in a country where censorship is a thing and/or privacy is of upmost importance, then you should still use a VPN in addition to a Debrid service with Stremio. Or you can nix the Debrid and just use a VPN if you don’t mind more buffering and all the downsides that come with torrents. (VPNs can be setup to run on a TV through DNS settings either on your router or TV itself, though this may not be 100% secure. Again, I’m not an expert.)

      • AtariDump@lemmy.world
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        15 hours ago

        Is it torrenting in the background? Because, if it is, then you need a VPN and I don’t know how to set one up on my LG TV. Would you happen to have a guide?

        • Psythik@lemm.ee
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          12 hours ago

          If you live in an area where you need a VPN to keep your ISP off your ass, well you’re in luck because the Torrentio plug-in is compatible with Debrid services (Real-Debrid is a good one). They’re cheaper than a VPN (less than €3/mo) and get you direct downloads which ISPs don’t care about since you’re not distributing files like you would with a torrent client. What’s nice is that they work with any torrent—not just video—so you can download wherever you want at 1gbps speeds so long as the torrent has at least one seed. Since you’re not actually interacting with the torrents themselves, there’s no need for a VPN.

          Setup is easy. The only thing you need to do is install the Stremio app on your TV, then open it and install the Torrentio plug-in. From there you configure your preferences like preferred resolution, language, etc, enter your Debrid service credentials if you have them; after that you install additional plug-ins for the kind of content you want. I’d recommend starting off with the Streaming Catalogs (lists popular content from Netflix, Amazon, Disney HBO, etc.)and Trakt.tv plug-ins (recommends content based on your viewing habits). There’s also plug-ins for anime if that’s your thing. Once you install the plug-ins you like, the only thing left to do is pick something to watch and enjoy. :)

          You can also download the Stremio app to your phone and configure everything from there if you don’t want to fumble with doing all of this with the TV remote. I’d recommend doing it this way so that all you have to do on the TV is fire up the Stremio app and enjoy.

          • Rikudou_Sage@lemmings.world
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            8 hours ago

            If you live in an area where you need a VPN to keep your ISP off your ass

            Uploading copyrightes material is illegal pretty much everywhere I know of.

            • Chewy@discuss.tchncs.de
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              8 hours ago

              Many places don’t enforce those laws for simply torrenting.

              Some countries (US) ask the ISP to send warning letters and might disable the internet. In other countries law firms get personal details from the ISP and send a costly letter of a thousand Euro for a single infraction like in Germany.

              • Rikudou_Sage@lemmings.world
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                8 hours ago

                That’s true, but ISPs have logs. And if something happens that makes the police change their mind about enforcing the law, you might be fucked, retroactively.