Emby Theater 3.0.20 hang on Splash Screan

[softworkz 5066]

1 hour ago, Thomas6525 said:

Has anyone gotten the theater mode to work? Just tried installing on 2 different machines and hangs on both. Incredibly frustrating.

 

Which app did you install: The new one from the MS Store?

And do you mean Display Mode: TV ?

At which state does it hang?

 

Edit: If you installed Emby Theater Desktop, then please see the message from @Lukebelow.

Edited June 9, 2025 by softworkz

[softworkz 5066]

37 minutes ago, maxxcool7421 said:

I am canceling my sub .. i 1000% hate the 'store app' it does not navigate with my remote and the desktop version seems to no longer work after some kind of update.  Kodi is a PITA but it still works fine with my media remote unlike this new store-app-emby and i 10000% hate the new UI for the store app.

I have spent at least 6 hours trying to fix this ... im done.  

I am sorry to hear this.

Could you please go to 

Settings >> Display 

and set Display Mode to TV

Then navigate Home and your remote will work as usual with the old ET Desktop.

[Luke 42077]

1 hour ago, Thomas6525 said:

Has anyone gotten the theater mode to work? Just tried installing on 2 different machines and hangs on both. Incredibly frustrating.

Hi, apologies for the disruption. It should be resolved now. Thanks.

[Thomas6525 1]

On 5/17/2025 at 12:23 AM, Riezel said:

i'll try again in 30m ~ 1h, since just now trying to connect to local ip still same result (this including same error msg after playback, with separate client that i already made connection via session bait earlier, the SS i attached is another standalone for debugging purpose)

Edit : 2nd attempt unfortunately still fail (same result), after 30 minutes from 1st attempt @Luke

Using Emby Theater currently. Used the fix from this thread and replaced the Electron version, but now having the exact same issue. And I also just installed that Windows update and that's when everything quit working. Rolled back the Windows update, but despite efforts, still cannot connect to my server.

[Thomas6525 1]

1 hour ago, maxxcool7421 said:

I am canceling my sub .. i 1000% hate the 'store app' it does not navigate with my remote and the desktop version seems to no longer work after some kind of update.  Kodi is a PITA but it still works fine with my media remote unlike this new store-app-emby and i 10000% hate the new UI for the store app.

I have spent at least 6 hours trying to fix this ... im done.  

I had this exact same issue. I found this following below as a fix, and it no longer hangs, but now it won't connect to my server.

 

if you still want to use emby theater albeit with limited functionality (manage server)

do this
1. go complete remove existing emby-theater (including removing all emby-theater folder if there is residue in %appdata% (Roaming folder))
2. download this https://github.com/electron/electron/releases grab with the correct architecture you use (for windows, should be electron-v36.2.1-win32-x64.zip )
3. backup the current electron in emby theater (just simply rename the electron folder to something else)
4. then extract the latest electron, and put it in electron folder
5. and run the emby-theater again, it should be discover your local server and already in sign in form (atleast on my end is like that) login, and bam, you can still use it to play, but not manage your server

[softworkz 5066]

Please Note

There's no advantage in using the old Emby Theater Desktop.

What is confusing for some is that ET Desktop had Display Mode set to TV by default.

In case of the new Emby app from the Windows Store, you need to enable TV mode first under Settings > Display
then you will get the exact same experience like you've been used to.

[softworkz 5066]

28 minutes ago, Thomas6525 said:

do this
1. go complete remove existing emby-theater (including removing all emby-theater folder if there is residue in %appdata% (Roaming folder))
2. download this https://github.com/electron/electron/releases grab with the correct architecture you use (for windows, should be electron-v36.2.1-win32-x64.zip )
3. backup the current electron in emby theater (just simply rename the electron folder to something else)
4. then extract the latest electron, and put it in electron folder
5. and run the emby-theater again, it should be discover your local server and already in sign in form (atleast on my end is like that) login, and bam, you can still use it to play, but not manage your server

@Thomas6525

While this may work for seeing the UI.

This does NOT allow media playbackl!

It cannot work.

You might see some trailers playing via internal YouTube player or similar. Maybe controlled remote playback. But no playback of normal content. 

 

[Thomas6525 1]

30 minutes ago, softworkz said:

Please Note

There's no advantage in using the old Emby Theater Desktop.

What is confusing for some is that ET Desktop had Display Mode set to TV by default.

In case of the new Emby app from the Windows Store, you need to enable TV mode first under Settings > Display
then you will get the exact same experience like you've been used to.

The Windows Store app allows for external players? I had no idea that had been implemented. That's the only reason I had still been using ET.

[softworkz 5066]

8 minutes ago, Thomas6525 said:

he Windows Store app allows for external players?

Not yet. Planned for the next major update

8 minutes ago, Thomas6525 said:

. That's the only reason I had still been using ET.

Right - External Player control works as well that way. But not the built-in player. That's one of the primary reasons why we couldn't continue with Electron: Chromium has removed support for native plugins, and that's how the player was integrated.

[Thomas6525 1]

14 minutes ago, softworkz said:

Not yet. Planned for the next major update

Right - External Player control works as well that way. But not the built-in player. That's one of the primary reasons why we couldn't continue with Electron: Chromium has removed support for native plugins, and that's how the player was integrated.

Right, that's kind of what I was getting at, it's not quite the exact same experience. I'm okay with the limited functionality of ET as long as the external player still works. And I'd be more than thrilled with the upgraded experience of the Windows Store app if/when that comes to fruition. Been a long time Premiere subscriber, just a little frustrated.  I blame Microsoft, everything was fine until their latest Windows update. 

[softworkz 5066]

2 minutes ago, Thomas6525 said:

Been a long time Premiere subscriber, just a little frustrated.  I blame Microsoft, everything was fine until their latest Windows update. 

The problem is that the Electron version several years old and essentially a honeypot for any kinds of attacks - namely all that have been discovered over the past years and fixed in current browsers - but we couldn't update Electron without loosing playback
I'm not sure what that update was and what it did, but - tbh - I'm not unhappy about it, when it's now enforcing what we should have done already: shutdown that old app as it's really not a good idea to use it these days.

Latest Electron makes it safe again, but 

• No playback (via normal built-in player)
• Emby Server must have SSL (you might be able to log in, but you don't see most of the images)

 

[Thomas6525 1]

On 6/8/2025 at 10:40 PM, Luke said:

Hi, apologies for the disruption. It should be resolved now. Thanks.

@LukeIs there something we need to do so that it works again? Version with old electron still hangs, new version won't connect to my server...

[Thomas6525 1]

Ahh, never mind, it connected!

[Riezel 33]

1 hour ago, Thomas6525 said:

Ahh, never mind, it connected!

AFAIK, if you get stuck in old ET app splash screen (while trying to connect to the local server), it's mostly caused by some server related (either prime check or else) the only proper way to fix it is, wait for @Luketo fix it, and wait a few minutes ~ hours after it's fixed, and you can login back again (happens twice on my end sofar this past few years, same problem, same solution i think)