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BOOM! Plex 9 drops for OS X and iOS

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Plex just released the next generation of their HTPC software for OS X, along with a new version for iOS. For those unfamiliar with it, it's based on XBMC and focused solely on enhancing it for OS X. I've been using it for some time now, and while it's the best there is for OS X, overall I've been underwhelmed by the overall experience. This new version has been majorly overhauled and promises to be the cat's meow.

What was REALLY unexpected was an iOS version. If Apple is indeed releasing a new iOS-based Apple TV, Plex will be a must-have. I'll sell my Mac mini for one in a heartbeat.

Plex - A Complete Media Solution
 
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I've been looking forward to the new version.

I don't know if you tried out the executable that offered hardware decoding (only works on Macs with 9400 or the 320 nvidia chips) but it REALLY improved playback - I was able to easily use 30-40mbps mkv 1080p files with no dropped frames which was a huge improvement over the software decoding (on my Mac mini I could top out at about 25mbps, and even at that I'd drop frames)

I'm really excited for this new version - especially if it offers the new menu entries and easy interface to multiple libraries as demonstrated in one of the vlogs on the 9 release.

I didn't know about them releasing it for iOS, I'll have to check that out too!
 
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I've been looking forward to the new version.

I don't know if you tried out the executable that offered hardware decoding (only works on Macs with 9400 or the 320 nvidia chips) but it REALLY improved playback - I was able to easily use 30-40mbps mkv 1080p files with no dropped frames which was a huge improvement over the software decoding (on my Mac mini I could top out at about 25mbps, and even at that I'd drop frames)

I'm really excited for this new version - especially if it offers the new menu entries and easy interface to multiple libraries as demonstrated in one of the vlogs on the 9 release.

I didn't know about them releasing it for iOS, I'll have to check that out too!

I had tried that executable, and really I still had trouble with a rip of my LotR Blu-Ray. I'll have to try it again to see if Plex 9 does better.

What really is aggravating me is that Plex (and XBMC for that matter) doesn't read the Pixel Aspect Ratio information off DVD rips. It assumes a PAR of 1:1, when properly made DVD rips that preserve anamorphic information are actually 8:9 (iirc). I can't stand stretchy pictures, even these modestly stretched ones. And manually adjusting the PAR is a real nuisance.
 
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I had tried that executable, and really I still had trouble with a rip of my LotR Blu-Ray. I'll have to try it again to see if Plex 9 does better.

What really is aggravating me is that Plex (and XBMC for that matter) doesn't read the Pixel Aspect Ratio information off DVD rips. It assumes a PAR of 1:1, when properly made DVD rips that preserve anamorphic information are actually 8:9 (iirc). I can't stand stretchy pictures, even these modestly stretched ones. And manually adjusting the PAR is a real nuisance.

Interesting - I rarely do DVD rips any more, so I guess I never noticed that issue. Now in terms of LotR - I don't have the bluray of that one yet, my largest HD bluray MKV file (bitrate+length) is probably Avatar and it plays beautifully.
 
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Interesting - I rarely do DVD rips any more, so I guess I never noticed that issue. Now in terms of LotR - I don't have the bluray of that one yet, my largest HD bluray MKV file (bitrate+length) is probably Avatar and it plays beautifully.

I hadn't noticed it till one day it didn't look right, so I started comparing it on my desktop with the same video running in VLC and it didn't match up. I busted out an on-screen pixel ruler, and the numbers were off. I scratched my head for a bit and "tried" to get help on the Plex forums, but unsurprisingly was mostly ignored. A couple people tried to chime in, but they didn't understand what I was getting at.

Basically what I was able to conclude was this: XBMC (and thus Plex) simply doesn't read the Pixel Aspect Ratio information. It assumes "normal" is a 1.0 ratio, when that is only true for HD sources. DVDs have a PAR of 8:9 because they came along in the day of analog TV, and analog TVs don't have square pixels. Since DVDs have square pixels (being a digital medium), those pixels are, by the nature of analog TV, compressed on playback by the TV. For playback on digital TV/monitors, the software has to know the PAR to digitally compress the video to display in the correct proportions.

Anywho… I guarantee you that your DVD (not BD) rips are all playing back slightly wide in Plex. If they were ripped maintaining anamorphic information, that is. If you use Handbrake and set anamorphic to "None", then those vids probably don't display wrong, though in my tests of using that option, the results look really bad.

LotR may have played back badly for me since those are encoded with VC1, not x264, iirc. But then Avatar played badly for me too. I'll just have to check it out again when I get a chance.
 
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Interesting - I rarely do DVD rips any more, so I guess I never noticed that issue. Now in terms of LotR - I don't have the bluray of that one yet, my largest HD bluray MKV file (bitrate+length) is probably Avatar and it plays beautifully.

I just re-tried my Avatar rip and it plays pretty darned nice in the new Plex. Very impressive. I'll have to re-rip LotR and re-try it, though I'm a bit skeptical since it's using VC1.

BTW… I sprung for the iOS version of Plex. There are some problems with it playing DVD rips much as I mentioned with the desktop version, but widescreen rips are much worse… they are flattened out really bad.
 
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In my opinion this software is worth alot, and they give it away for free! Except the iphone application though.

Plex is the best HTPC solution I have put my hands on, period. This is how media should be presented on a big screen TV!
 

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