[RckStr]

Plex 9 is buggy but their ideas are great and the functionality is awesome. Android and windows support has been announced and Plex will even be implemented in LG TVs and blurays from 2011. No more need for a PC nor am mac in your livingroom anymore.

I jumped ship from Plex to xbmc when the current xbmc released. The new features of Plex makes it tempting to jump back. Still, Confluence, and the better support forum xbmc has, makes me wanna stick around. But every now and then, Im certainly gonna hassle the devs here to steal some Plex ideas. I certainly want a PMS for xbmc.

[Geeba]

I completely agree that it's dissapointing that turning a wonderful open source project like XBMC into an (at least partially) closed source platform is dissapointing and plain bad.

I whole heartily agree with this... but I'm in the processes of trying to move from Xbox... an appliance which was designed to be connected to a TV/amp with uniform hardware and a working remote - to an ION system... I work in IT and have done for 15+ years I also have a Home Automation company.... thing is... its far from straight forward... Remotes, resolution and Audio are all a shag to get right. so it annoys me to say it but after reading the Plex/LG thing it looks kinda good.. the thing I find most annoying is the fact that its XBMC code proping it up.... I'm gonna leave now before Spiff and JM are back!

[tropic10]

If all the XBMC devs dropped off the face of the Earth, someone could still go ahead and pick up right where they left off. That's the beauty of open source. If Plex the company ceases to exist one day, the same thing isn't possible with their closed source media server, their upcoming LG cloud service, and their iOS app.

[migueld]

Oh man I like where Plex is going, but it's buggy as hell, and the plugins are near unusable, I wonder how LG is gonna deal with that. All in all, this is huge for Elan and co, incredible mainstream exposure and cashflow potential. I wish xbmc would get the more credit that it much deserves *.*

[Keane16]

@ Geeba - a bit more to whet your appetite, a quick, early preview of how Plex will run on the LG sets - http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/09/03/ifa...YK21w5gDBo

LG make decent televisions, having XBMC/Plex built into the TV without needing a separate HTPC is very cool. I wonder what kind of playback ability it has though.

@ migueld - I agree, still some kinks in the system. However it's referred to as Plex/Nine, it's still only version 0.9 i.e. still a beta. So we'll see how it goes.


I'm looking forward to seeing Plex's Windows based offerings and how they measure up to the already rock solid XBMC on that platform. Last I knew they only have a handful of devs. So will be interesting to see how they cope - I guess doing it full time instead of in their spare time will help quite a bit.

[Jeroen]

I whole heartily agree with this... but I'm in the processes of trying to move from Xbox... an appliance which was designed to be connected to a TV/amp with uniform hardware and a working remote - to an ION system... I work in IT and have done for 15+ years I also have a Home Automation company.... thing is... its far from straight forward... Remotes, resolution and Audio are all a shag to get right. so it annoys me to say it but after reading the Plex/LG thing it looks kinda good.. the thing I find most annoying is the fact that its XBMC code proping it up.... I'm gonna leave now before Spiff and JM are back!

Judging from that video Keane16 posted I'm not that impressed really. Sure it's nice that it's running directly on the TV, but coupling it with specific hardware also poses a lot of restrictions.
Sure, I'm what you could call a power user who likes to tweak the crap out of anything I get my hands on, which means I'm hardly part of the targeted audience.

To me, creating a good platform is about finding that sweet spot between configurability and being "idiot-proof".
Taking your example of configuring remotes, when I got my DiNovo mini it's default setup was just fine for anyone just wanting to get around. I can then take it and configure it specifically to my liking. A "normal" consumer wouldn't do that, but probably would not feel any need for it either. The default setup would be sufficient.

Boxee comes closer to that sweet spot IMO. If one is not able to connect a Boxee box to a TV, one shouldn't be allowed near any electronic device really. Connect a few cables and you're done. And the remote for that is looking to be fantastic. For me personally Boxee is not configurable enough, and I don't care about the social network stuff, but I might just get a Boxee box and put XBMC on it. I am able to do that, because it respects where it's coming from IMO.

Anyway, I have no problems with XBMC (or parts of it) ending up in commercial products like this. Nor does Team-XBMC I think. I just like to see credit given where credit is due, and respecting the open source nature of the codebase, and closing this down is disregarding that.

[pecinko]

I just like to see credit given where credit is due, and respecting the open source nature of the codebase, and closing this down is disregarding that.

Just for the sake of facts:

Plex server is closed. This code is NOT fork of XBMC.
Plex client is open. This IS fork of XBMC. Plex is not denying this they just don't advertise it. Their forums are full of this info. I'm not sure but most probably every skin available for Plex is ported from XBMC (reFocus included) with due credits.
Plex iOS app is remote + client. It is playing STREAMED content form Plex server.
Plex client in LG TVs will be open. We'll have to wait and see if it will be skin customizable. EDIT: Plex LG client was written by LG. Probably not open.

It would be great if you could stream XBMC content to Android & iOS based telephones and pads/slates.

[Jeroen]

Just for the sake of facts:

Plex server is closed. This code is NOT fork of XBMC.
Plex client is open. This IS fork of XBMC.

Strictly speaking you are right. However there's no denying that Plex server would not be here without the Plex client. I see them as one project, regardless of where each piece of code came from. Can you even properly use Plex without PMS (...) ?
I don't see why PMS has to be closed source, instead of continuing in the spirit of the project it emerged from.

I'm not sure but most probably every skin available for Plex is ported from XBMC (reFocus included) with due credits.

What does that have to do with it? I'm only talking about Plex and it's products. Skins are made by what I consider third parties, and yes from what I have seen all original authors are credited. I have no issues with the Plex community or the addons they provide for Plex.

It would be great if you could stream XBMC content to Android & iOS based telephones and pads/slates.

I have no need for it, but I guess some people would want it. I feel interoperability between dedicated systems in the house is way more important though.
Plus, It's not like there aren't any alternatives for streaming content to your mobile devices.

[pecinko]

Can you even properly use Plex without PMS (...) ?

I don't know. I'm using XBMC.

I don't see why PMS has to be closed source, instead of continuing in the spirit of the project it emerged from.

Probably because that way it can't be ported to XBMC. Maybe that was LGs request.

What does that have to do with it? I'm only talking about Plex and it's products.

Nothing. That was just for just clarification what is theirs, what comes from XBMC, what's closed and what opened.

I have no need for it, but I guess some people would want it. I feel interoperability between dedicated systems in the house is way more important though.
Plus, It's not like there aren't any alternatives for streaming content to your mobile devices.

Everybody has it's own preferences, but one central distribution point for managing your content and feeding clients under TVs or in your hand is my idea of this.