Which do you think is better plex or emby

[Hitsville 37]

@

Welcome. There are many of us that I would consider Plex power users that have just made the switch.(for many of the reasons already mentioned in this thread)

I'm sure we will be more than happy to help with any teething issues you may have.

[Chyron 221]

Plex tended to be a bit more stable running

 

I don't know about then, but that certainly is not the case now. Plex's Android app has long since been unstable, with app crashes, sync malfunctions/breaks, UI lag, and remote content buffering issues. I haven't updated Plex past v6 since Plex for Android v7 (the new UX) was released, both because of how bafflingly unintuitive the new UX/UI is and because of how buggy it was, but v6 still has crazy lots of problems--with at least one I'm aware of being a server-side issue that to this day has not been fixed even though I reported it in June.

 

Having said all that, I still used it. I made the long-term decision to move to Emby after I heard that the Plex for Roku beta uses the new UI. No. I'm not having that.

 

Lo and behold, the Emby apps all around are (much more) stable; have features that Plex does not (like making server-side changes from within the mobile app, or a time-of-day setting in parental controls); and content loads much faster, especially while remote, on Emby than it does on Plex. While listening to music on Plex, it will take 10 seconds (or more) to load a music track or audiobook chapter if that track is remote, and that's after it already took time loading the UI. I got to where I basically synced everything I wanted to access on mobile because remote just took far too long to buffer (on top of being unstable). With Emby, the time it takes to buffer remote content is not even worth measuring because happens so quickly. I found myself not bothering to sync content anymore on Emby, and that says a lot.

 

Emby is just so much better. True, it doesn't feel as polished in places (which I've already addressed elsewhere), but aside from the rough edges it really is no contest between the two. And I feel that Emby will buff those rough edges right out if given time. They're even currently working on audiobook support, which from my perspective I've been bugging them off and on about for about a year; when many had been bugging Plex for that since 2012 and Plex only ever got track-level resume implemented two years ago and that was it. That was all she wrote. macr0dev's Audible-scraping plugin doesn't count. Meanwhile, Emby is straight up discussing book covers vs. album covers, renaming metadata fields, and more. And this discussion is with an actual employee. It just really is a night and day experience with the support.

Edited November 15, 2018 by chyron8472

[BillOatman 500]

Having said all that, I still used it. I made the long-term decision to move to Emby after I heard that the Plex for Roku beta uses the new UI. No. I'm not having that.

 

 

I'm pretty sure the emby client already does.  From what I read, Roku is turning off the "old UI" stuff early next year.

[Chyron 221]

I'm pretty sure the emby client already does.  From what I read, Roku is turning off the "old UI" stuff early next year.

 

You mean Plex client, correct?

 

I'm not referring to the current Plex for Roku UI being new as opposed to the "old UI" that is Plex for Roku Classic.

 

By "new UI" I mean the "content-centric" new UI. The new UI that throws away the "Server -> Library -> Content" model in favor of "Content -> Category -> Library (username)" where all accessible servers are forcibly consolidated, and all libraries are grouped by content type (ie. by "category"). Meaning audiobooks are grouped with music; Let's Plays are grouped with TV shows; and desired server is buried deeper in the UI, in the list with all the libraries one can access of a given category.

 

The every-platform-is-getting-it-despite-horrible-backlash-from-users new UI. I use the Web App, the Android app, and the Roku app. The Web App hasn't been hit yet, and I can downgrade the Android app to stay at v6. But when the Roku app changes and I can't change it back---no sir, not having it.

 

So I've been making the long-term switch to Emby while preparing for that particular shoe to drop.

Edited November 15, 2018 by chyron8472

[BillOatman 500]

You mean Plex client, correct?

 

I'm not referring to the current Plex for Roku UI being new as opposed to the "old UI" that is Plex for Roku Classic.

 

By "new UI" I mean the "content-centric" new UI. The new UI that throws away the "Server -> Library -> Content" model in favor of "Content -> Category -> Library (username)" where all accessible servers are forcibly consolidated, and all libraries are grouped by content type (ie. by "category"). Meaning audiobooks are grouped with music; Let's Plays are grouped with TV shows; and desired server is buried deeper in the UI, in the list with all the libraries one can access of a given category.

 

The every-platform-is-getting-it-despite-horrible-backlash-from-users new UI. I use the Web App, the Android app, and the Roku app. The Web App hasn't been hit yet, and I can downgrade the Android app to stay at v6. But when the Roku app changes and I can't change it back---no sir, not having it.

 

So I've been making the long-term switch to Emby while preparing for that particular shoe to drop.

 

Oh, my mistake. I was talking about the "libraries" that app writers like emby and plex use to create roku apps.  Not the design of the app itself.  

[Luke 37058]

There aren't really any. We work with the Roku SDK directly and that's it.

[shpankey 7]

New user recently switched over from Plex now also. I've been on Plex forever, but always paid monthly, so at least my switch will have an impact on them for the negative and Emby for the positive (Premiere). So far, I'm really impressed with Emby and planning on switching all users over this weekend and turning off my Plex server and soon after uninstalling it altogether. That's how frustrated I am with their insanely bad leadership.

This decision is multifold.. the Plex devs ignoring the users top 10 requests, saying basically they will do what they want instead and don't really care about the users wants, two, having to rely on that damnable Plex authenticator via their own website, and their subsequent outages that took my server down, and three, as I said, the absolute lack of any care in the world for their users. Extremely poor leadership, extremely poor product directionality, extremely poor (utterly absent) support. Add onto that their continually adding half baked features that have nothing to do with our library's. Nobody even wants these features AT ALL and they are poorly implemented at that. It's clear to me now that Plex is at a point of no return and in the long run, they will be a footnote in history as more and more people continue over to the next best program, and right now, that's Emby.

 

Emby is so very, very close to surpassing Plex on all fronts already, and their deep involvement with their community and a laser sharp focus on improving what's important, that Emby will no doubt in my mind be the de-facto #1 go-to program and users, especially power users, are leaving en-mass already... where the power users go, is where the masses will follow.

Really only a few things Emby needs to surpass Plex entirely on all fronts, which I'll eventually post about, but very, very happy with Emby so far!

 

It's sad for me to say this, but at this point, I'm actually rooting for a Plex implosion. I would like to see them have a "Netflix moment" where they realize this style of running a company will bring you to ruin. I do not want this methodology to be successful as it is maddening as a user to be told you are ignored, then backing that statement up. They need to be an example for all-time of how NOT to run a business. They had their chance and they decided they were Apple, but of course, they are not even close to being Apple, so it's laughable they conduct themselves this way.

 

On the polar opposite of the spectrum is this company, showing how to do it right. Highly involved with their community, listening and acting on those discussions. This kind of behavior needs to be rewarded! But little did I know Emby was already surpassing Plex on many of the most important fronts, and closing in on the others fast. I really believe Emby will surpass Plex in every single way within this next year, and from there, just completely distance themselves from them to the point Plex becomes irrelevant. It will be an interesting year to see this happen and the fallout.

Edited November 17, 2018 by shpankey

[shpankey 7]

fixed typos above

Edited November 17, 2018 by shpankey

[Tegenarian 0]

I use both - Plex and Emby for two weeks now (just as Media-Server for my movies/series on PC/NAS; Player are PS4 Pro and BD-J7500 yet): 

 

Pro: Plex

- No stuttering in my Top-Gear-Video-Files

- Out of the box on the first sight it is nice

- No Problem to play ts-Files with hsbs

- Own App for playstation and my old Samsung BD-J7500 BluRay-Player

 

Con: Plex

- Current Playstation 4 Pro App absolutely broken; ton of bugs; slow

 

Pro: Emby

- imho: more beautiful

- Less trouble to connect via LAN

- Together with Autobox-plugin very good Database

 

Con: Emby

- No direct App for PS4 and BD-J7500

- Stuttering (with or without Transforming) of some movies

 

At the moment, when Emby can stream 3D-mvc mkv direct through PS4/BD-J7500/Android TV to my Beamer I would pay a lifetime pass. 

[Luke 37058]

Hi, welcome! If you want to open a topic in the Android TV section we're happy to help with that.

[Tegenarian 0]

Stuttering or Android TV with 3d-mvc MKV support?

[Luke 37058]

Either or both.

[KarlDag 25]

like making server-side changes from within the mobile app

THIS definitely is icing on the cake. I do most things on mobile now, and Plex's server app doesn't scale on mobile, really annoying.

[Hitsville 37]

THIS definitely is icing on the cake. I do most things on mobile now.

 

I'm with you on that. 

[Malock 20]

Hello all, first post here....

 

To give you a small background on me. I am a Microsoft MCSE / MCSD from Windows 2000 to present. I work in a Computer security firm in Montreal.

 

I decided to reply to this post as my first one because over the last years I have been using PMS as media server and since the initial installation, on a regular basis updates where breaking functionality that where never fixed since   Many of these problems where never solved and I ended up at some point having only the web server part working... The last "Update" I received nailed it for good. I was unable to play any content on all clients at all... I was done with Plex.

 

So I started googling around to find a new software that would be able to "do it". I found a site with a "Top ten best Media Server" list on it and tried every server on the list except Plex of course, with great deception upon trial ... Then reading the comments on the bottom of the page I read someone saying "Emby is as good as them all, why is it not on the list ?" Sooooooo I downloaded and installed Emby....

 

In less than an hour my libraries where back on line and securing the server with SSL was a breeze. I was even able to install my own cert authority in all my apple devices and deploy self signed certificate... The first media server I tried that worked right out the box. .

 

Now THAT IS something. The learning curve of Emby server is practically nonexistent and all function are intuitively sound and clear. The software works like a lucky charm on all my platforms and has very little caveats. The way you can customize it with CSS is simple and amazing.

 

Emby. You are a Bloody Outstanding TEAM !!!!!!!! :)

[Luke 37058]

Hi, welcome, and thanks for the feedback !

[Carlo 4330]

It's really cool to see so many familiar usernames popping up in the Emby forums.

[chacawaca 106]

the only 2 things i miss from plex :

 

-plexamp

-ability to see remote queue list from mobile app or web app. (cant really do a headless emby hifi without that)

[legallink 187]

the only 2 things i miss from plex :

 

-plexamp

-ability to see remote queue list from mobile app or web app. (cant really do a headless emby hifi without that)

 

I'm interested in what this remote queue list is that you are talking about (as someone that runs emby headless and listens to what I consider hifi).  Are you saying you want to be able to see the queue that another device is playing?  Aka see on your phone what your apple tv/nvidia shield/etc. is playing?

[mypanasonic 8]

I thought id have a refresher on plex to see how things have come along 

 

One main thing i noticed that is missing on Emby and present in Plex is the ability to merge servers / content. 

 

By this i mean i can have my [local server] with music and iptv/dvr combined with my [remote server share] for my movies / boxsets.

all in one place with out any hassle.

 

in emby if i need at access my remote server i need to log out of my local server and log in to my remote server and vice versa.

[ebr 14910]

I thought id have a refresher on plex to see how things have come along 

 

One main thing i noticed that is missing on Emby and present in Plex is the ability to merge servers / content. 

 

By this i mean i can have my [local server] with music and iptv/dvr combined with my [remote server share] for my movies / boxsets.

all in one place with out any hassle.

 

in emby if i need at access my remote server i need to log out of my local server and log in to my remote server and vice versa.

 

We'd like to provide that in the future but within your control - as opposed to how it appears the other guys are now doing it and automatically merging everything.

[chacawaca 106]

I'm interested in what this remote queue list is that you are talking about (as someone that runs emby headless and listens to what I consider hifi).  Are you saying you want to be able to see the queue that another device is playing?  Aka see on your phone what your apple tv/nvidia shield/etc. is playing?

yes, you see queue in plex, That let you start a queue on your pc, then go on your phone or ipad and see it. I prefer that over airplay from my ipad. Kid can listen movie on ipad when i listen music on my hifi. At this moment, with emby i use ipad to airplay on my raspberry pi.

Edited December 18, 2018 by chacawaca

[adamstewiegreen 147]

Elan (The CTO of Plex) just admitted on their forums that they pushed out a client release that wasn't finished (he's referring to just the UI - in this context).  With their client being terribly buggy and lacking a decent UI, this admission has dug Plex's grave (for me at least).

 

 

RIP Plex

[nonyhaha 3]

Hello everybody! 

 

I did not know where to post this, I have read a bunch of posts here and there on the forum, but here goes. 

 

I am a new Emby user. I have been using Plex for a few years, even plex pass for one year. I used this for the transcoding feature. I love the users' settings in Emby, amd I like that the server can be used without web redirects. 

 

These days, after a server upgrade, I am looking for options to Plex server. I installed Emby and was pleasantly surprised by the speed of the android app and by the clean interface. I did this because I wanted a free option to hardware transcoding. 

 

I analyzed the options of watching my files free of charge, and have tested the following: 

 

1. Android app on the phone + screen mirroring - pretty good, but I want an interface on the TV, that I can surf through with the tv's remote. (FREE)

2. Emby Theater on Raspberry PI 3B - I was disappointed to see that this interface is very slow and choppy while moving through the libraries and menu. Rasplex is a lot faster. Also, it might be that I am not yet used to the interface, but it looked a little bit counter intuitive compared to the other one...  (PAID)

3. Emby for android -> Android 7/9 (LineageOS) -> Raspberry PI 3B - This worked, it looked the same as the app on my phone, it is free, but it just does not look as good as Emby Theater or Rasplex. (FREE)

 

I do not know how other client apps look on other devices, but I think the Linux client should be a little snappier on lower specked hardware. Also, I see that Emby server uses about 150 mB of ram compared to Plex's 50mB while Idling. 

 

I just want an option to watch my media on my in-house non smart tv's while transcoding, without paying. For this moment I do not have the finance to do this monthly. If I will have requests for streaming, it will be a different story. 

[Luke 37058]

Hi, and welcome. Just so you're aware, you can't really compare the ram usage because emby server is all one process, but that other server you mentioned runs multiple processes. So if you're going to compare you need to add up all of the usage for all of the processes.