Ashwin Lewis
Plex Media Server is smart software that makes playing movies, TV shows, and other media on your computer simple. However, it can be frustrating when your PC will not sleep when Plex is running. This paragraph aims to discuss the issue of Plex preventing system sleep and provide solutions to control power settings without disrupting Plex functionality.
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What You'll Learn
- Plex Media Server is smart software that makes playing media content simple
- Plex can prevent your computer from sleeping by simulating a keypress
- A temporary solution is to restart Plex, but this is not a long-term fix
- To save power, make sure your processor clocks down when not in use
- Plex is resource-intensive, so consider using it alongside CCleaner
Plex Media Server is smart software that makes playing media content simple
Plex Media Server is a smart software solution that simplifies the process of playing media content. It allows users to stream their media libraries to multiple devices and share content with others. With Plex, you can say goodbye to the frustration of hunting for your favourite shows and movies across different streaming platforms.
To get started with Plex, the first step is to create a Plex account. This account will serve as the central hub for managing and sharing your content library. Once your account is set up, you can install the Plex Media Server software on your computer or compatible NAS device. The Plex Media Server runs seamlessly on all major operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and FreeBSD. It even supports popular NAS manufacturers like Synology, Seagate, and Netgear.
The Plex Media Server is designed to run in the background, quietly supporting content streaming without requiring direct interaction. This means you won't be interacting with the server software itself, but rather accessing your media library through the Plex app or the plex.tv website. The Plex app is incredibly versatile and can be installed on a wide range of devices, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, streaming devices, game consoles, and desktops.
One of the standout features of Plex is its ability to automatically organize and enhance your media collections. As you set up your libraries, Plex identifies and matches your content, adding movie poster artwork, cast information, TV episode descriptions, and more. It ensures that your collections are not only functional but also visually appealing. Plex is compatible with various media types, including movies, TV shows, music, photos, and home videos.
Additionally, Plex offers the convenience of simultaneous viewing. Multiple people can enjoy content at the same time, although this may require a more powerful server to handle the increased demand. Plex also transcodes content on-the-fly, allowing you to watch your favourite shows and movies on any device, regardless of file size.
In summary, Plex Media Server is a smart software solution that transforms the way you access and enjoy your media content. It streamlines the streaming process, provides automatic organization and enhancement of your media collections, and offers the flexibility of multi-device and simultaneous viewing. With Plex, managing and sharing your media library has never been easier.
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Plex can prevent your computer from sleeping by simulating a keypress
Plex Media Server can prevent your computer from sleeping by simulating a keypress. This can be achieved by monitoring the number of active streams and running a script or .net application in a loop every 10 minutes. If there are active streams, the script can input a keypress, such as F13, to prevent the computer from sleeping.
Here's an example of the logic for the script:
If stream_count > 0:
Input "F13"
The Plex API provides the number of active streams through the "get_activity" command. Here's an example of the API call:
Https://plexhostname/api/v2?apikey=YOUR-API-KEY-HERE&cmd=get_activity
It's important to note that the idle timer on computers typically runs off keyboard and mouse events, as well as CPU activity. Therefore, simulating a keypress can effectively prevent the computer from sleeping.
Additionally, you can use tools like Wake-on-Lan to wake up your computer remotely and run the script to simulate a keypress. This allows you to access your Plex library even when your computer is set to sleep after a period of inactivity.
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A temporary solution is to restart Plex, but this is not a long-term fix
If you want your system to sleep when Plex Media Server is running, a temporary solution is to restart Plex. However, this is not a long-term fix and will not work as a reliable solution. For instance, if you have to restart Plex in the middle of the night to shut down PMS, it can be very inconvenient.
To restart Plex, you can try the following steps:
- Check Plex "Support Away Mode" setting.
- If it's off, restart Plex, open cmd.exe as an administrator and type powercfg /requests.
- There should only be "None" entries.
- If there's a PlexMediaServer entry and nothing is being played, check the SSL settings.
- Choose either "required" or "disabled".
If the above steps do not work, you can try the following:
- Disable DNLA in Plex settings.
- Run Services from the Start menu as an administrator.
- Find Plex Update Service, stop it, and set it to disabled.
Now, your PC will go to sleep and stay that way. However, you will have to manually update Plex from time to time if needed. This issue seems to be connected to the update service for some reason.
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To save power, make sure your processor clocks down when not in use
To save power, it is recommended to ensure that your processor clocks down when not in use. This can be achieved by checking the settings of your CPU brand and adjusting the relevant options. Additionally, you can set your screen to turn off automatically after a period of inactivity.
For those using Plex Media Server, there have been reports of the software preventing the system from entering sleep mode. This can be addressed by exploring the Support Away Mode setting in Plex and adjusting the SSL settings if needed. Disabling DNLA in Plex settings and manually updating Plex is another potential solution.
If you wish to monitor the number of active streams and keep the system awake accordingly, you can utilize a script or .net application. This solution involves running a loop every 10 minutes to check the stream count and inputting a specific command when the stream count is greater than zero.
Another approach is to use the powercfg /requests command, which will display the applications preventing the system from sleeping. By running this command in an elevated command prompt, you can identify any locks that need to be addressed to enable sleep mode.
It is worth noting that some users have reported Plex Media Server as resource-intensive, which may contribute to power consumption concerns. However, others have suggested that the server shouldn't consume significant resources when idle.
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Plex is resource-intensive, so consider using it alongside CCleaner
Plex Media Server is a processor-intensive application. Some of the most common reasons for high CPU usage include enabling the Plex Media Server to generate video preview thumbnails, detecting "intros" and "credits" in episodes and movies, and voice activity detection. Content transcoding, which is necessary to ensure compatibility with Plex, is also very CPU-intensive.
To improve the processing performance of large media collections, you can use a utility called PlexCleaner. This tool optimises media files for Direct Play in Plex, improving processing speed and performance. PlexCleaner achieves this by caching the media file attributes and processing state in sidecar files, allowing for faster re-processing. It also provides options for parallel processing to maximise CPU resource utilisation.
Additionally, PlexCleaner offers features such as closed caption detection and removal, interlacing and telecine detection, and quick scan options to improve performance at the potential cost of accuracy. It is recommended to keep third-party tools used by PlexCleaner up to date to ensure optimal performance.
By using PlexCleaner alongside Plex, you can optimise your media files for Direct Play, reducing the processing load on your system. This can help improve the overall performance of Plex and your computer.
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Frequently asked questions
Plex Media Server is smart software that makes playing movies, TV shows, and other media on your computer simple. However, it prevents your computer from going to sleep.
One solution is to disable DNLA in Plex settings, and then run Services from the start menu as an admin, find Plex Update Service, stop it, and set it to disabled. Another solution is to run powercfg /requests from an elevated (admin) command prompt to show what applications are preventing Windows from sleeping.
Yes, Plex Media Server can be set to automatically launch at a pre-set time. This can be done using the Task Scheduler that is built into Windows.
