With Dropbox I can put files into a “receiving” folder which Hazel watches on the server. Then, using a combination of Dropbox, Otomatic, Transmission, and Hazel, I was able to automate adding media into Plex. The apps let you watch your media from anywhere with an internet connection and with the Plex Pass service you can easily sync to an iPhone or iPad for offline viewing. So, the server works, the web interface isn’t bad, the Apple TV app itself is great, and the iOS apps are impressive as well. This means I can easily add more storage later through external drives.

Setting up the server software is easy and I love the idea of being able to point it at specific folders full of movies, TV shows, and home videos. This way I could run the entire thing headless in the closet and set it up for one purpose only: serving Plex. I had an older Mac Mini that I repurposed as my new media server. Not only is the native Apple TV app one of the better apps I’ve seen on the device, it, like Apple Music, is only going to get better (Siri search, universal search, etc.). So, after hearing basically everyone gush about Plex over the past few weeks, and reading the reviews about the new native app for the new Apple TV (which I really love), I decided it was worth giving it another look. However, recently I felt like I was spending more time managing and organizing the files while troubleshooting weird network issues (like stuff not showing up if the computer had been asleep too long). I used iFlicks 2 for adding metadata to any extra media I had in my collection, and, all-in-all it worked pretty well.

Instead, for the past few years, I’ve been using the old Apple TV with Home Sharing through iTunes. I liked the basic idea but this was before the wave of little pucks attached to TVs really took off and it was cumbersome to get it to work right. I had tried Plex about six or so years ago and it didn’t seem for me. And with Apple TV’s new top shelf, you can see your featured Plex content right on your Apple TV home screen. Now, finding what you want is easier and more simple than ever before. The new Apple TV interface, married with our own design touches, gives you the slickest navigation and search experience yet, showcasing all of your media in an elegant and intuitively organized way.

Apple tv plex app