[REL] PleXBMC

Over and around the corner, I've posted two forms of PleXBMC, which gives XBMC access to your Plex PMS metadata.

PleXBMC

PleXBMC
Convert XBMC into a dedicated Plex client for Windows, Linux, Raspberry Pi, OSX and more....

What is it?
PleXBMC is a number of addons that enable Plex Media Server (PMS) functionality from within XBMC. It consists of:

• PleXBMC - Main interface addon
• PleXBMC Helper - Plex remote control interface addon
• PleXBMC Skins - Modified skins which direct integrate Plex access for a seemless experiance.
  

Where to get it!
Updated: 20th March 2013

For XBMC 12/Frodo users, there is a Repository available which includes all software.

• PleXBMC Repository - Version 2.0.2
  

PleXBMC
A seperate addon exists for each version of XBMC available Be sure to use the version that matches your installed version.

• PleXBMC V3.1.5 for XBMC 12.0/Frodo Latest Version
• PleXBMC V2.1 for XBMC 11.0/Eden
• PleXBMC V1.9.6.3 for XBMC 10.1/Dharma legacy
  

PleXBMC Helper (XBMC 12/Frodo only)

• PleXBMC Helper V3.1.3 Latest Version
  

PleXBMC modified skins
These are currently the only supported skins:

• Quartz V3 PleXBMC 0.7.5 ( XBMC 12/FRODO only )
  Activate by selecting "Go Plex" on the home screen
• Quartz for PleXBMC XBMC 11/Eden
  Activate by enabling "Plexbmc integration" in the skin settings
  

Features

PleXBMC Addon

PleXBMC supports all the standard functions that an official Plex client offers. Such as:

• Browse, play and resume media in Plex Media Server sections.
• Display all intermediate filter menus (selectable by user)
• Search within library sections
• Displays full metadata, thumbs, fanart, media flags for all items
• Track and display the watched status for all items (start on one device and resume on another)
• Automatic subtitle and audio stream support including external subtitle files (such as .srt)
• Manually start a rescan of media sections
• Delete media from Plex Media Server (where enabled by the media server)
• Browse and play Plex Channels (support is currently limited)
• myPlex support to allow authenticated access to remote Media Servers.
• Support for Plex Online - install, modify or delete Plex Plugins
• Wake On LAN - prod those sleeping servers
• Transcode media with quality selector (good for remote playback)
• Transcoding support for AC3 and DTS audio
• Bonjour/zeroconf support
  

PleXBMC Helper

If you also install the PleXBMC Helper, you will get the following:

• Integration with plex iOS (and presumably android and Windows) apps
• Displays as a selectable screen/client within app
• Utilise the remote to send commands (excluding keyboard support, as this is removed from current XBMC implementations)
• Initiate playback of media on the remote app
  

PleXBMC Skins

In addition, if a PleXBMC specific skin is used:

• Display all section on the main home screen (movies, tv, channels)
• Display all partial watched flags
• Display of recently added items (Quartz skins only)
  

Screencast

• PleXBMC: Install and basic usage (using stock confluence skin)
• PleXBMC: Quartz3 and advanced usage
• PleXBMC: Remote playback via Plex/Web
• PleXBMC: On the Raspberry Pi
  

Basic installation and configuration

If you need more configuration help, check out the xbmc.wiki entry!

• Ensure your Plex Media Server is up and running
• Install addon directly via zip file
• Configure the addon with either Bonjour discovery or with the IP address of the Plex Media Server
• Use the addon via Video -> Addons -> PleXBMC
  

Addon Configuration Options

Media Sources
Location for Plex Msdia Servers

• Use Bonjour local Discovery - Automatically locate other Plex Media Server instances in local network (Default: Off)
• Plex Media Server hostname - IP address or DNS name of PMS instance (Default: 127.0.0.1)
• Port Number - port to talk to Plex Media Server on (default: 32400)
• MyPlex User - username to log into myplex service
• MyPlex password - and the corresponding password
  

Playback

• Stream from PMS - Decide how to play PMS media on XBMC (Default: auto)
• Audio and subtitile selector - determine what audio stream and subtitles to display
• Force DVD playback - Try to play the DVD as a single image, requires the use of SMB to read whole DVD structure
• Override SMB location - use the following data to force the source to come from a seperate NAS device:
• NAS IP Address - Seperate location of NAS source
• NAS Username - username to log into NAS SMB Share
• NAS Password - and corresponding password
• NAS Root folder - The base folder with the NAS for the media file location
• Select master server - select a plex media server to act as the transcoder master for myplex
• Current master server - automatically populated item showing the current master server defined.
  

Trancoding
Used to set the transcoding settings used for media playback. These settings will also be used to playback any flash channels from the Plex Media Server (e.g. Pitchfork.tv, tvcatchup.com)

• Quality - Select the quality, the higher the better, but will take longer and use more processing power on the Media Server.
• Select Audio Output:
• Always transcode - turn it on or off. If selected ALL media is transcoded regardless..
• Subtitle size - select the sizing of any transcoded subtitles
• Audio boost - try to increase the volume during transcoding for smaller devices.
  

Skins
I've also modified some well known XBMC skins to fully integrate PleXBMC into XBMC - so you get easier access to your media and a better Plex-like experience. I would recommend using a PleXBMC modified skin for best results.

Source
If you want to look at the code it's here - http://github.com/hippojay

It would be nice to post it to http://passion-xbmc.org/addons/ and eventually to official one. Or do you have your one repo that we could add and download from?

I'd like to have my own repo once I figure out how. It seems rather involved. As for it being in the official repo, the devs have stated that it won't be allowed.

I'm not aware of it being discussed internally. I can't see any obvious reason as to why the plugin wouldn't be accepted, subject to the normal review process.

Cheers,
Jonathan

IMO having addons being next to zero configuration is a big thing and having to do the nfo exporting seems rather convoluted? I thought plex had normal API which you may use? That being said having a plex PMS addon would be nice, given it passes normal review as said.

I'd love to have it hosted on the official repo. Davilla just seemed dead set against it, and I thought the sentiment might be shared by others on the team also. The nfo export thing was really just a way to back up plex xml's while they nail down meta overwriting issues. Plus it wasn't extremely difficult since I had completed the nfo Importer.

The xbmc add-on does use the pms API. And while I have the ear of a couple of devs, are there any plans on incorporating cElementtree?

cElementTree (and most of the other pylibs in the repo) comes with python 2.6 and higher, so will automatically be there in the future (Eden) once we official switch to external python.

Cheers,
Jonathan

Just to second what Harley said, having this plugin on the official repo would be great.
However, after reading this post by Davilla we decided that we would only look to host unofficially.

That said, if you guys are willing to review it, then once we are happy and have a stable release - we can submit and follow the process. At least then we'll get a definitive answer, whatever that may be.

hippojay Wrote:Just to second what Harley said, having this plugin on the official repo would be great.
However, after reading this post by Davilla we decided that we would only look to host unofficially.

That said, if you guys are willing to review it, then once we are happy and have a stable release - we can submit and follow the process. At least then we'll get a definitive answer, whatever that may be.

His post says that he wouldn't be happy with it being in core xbmc and it should be done as an addon. Completely different from it not being in the xbmc repo. As others have mentioned, no reason for it not to be in the repo providing there are no issues with it.