# PLEX Binding
This binding can read information from multiple PLEX players connected to a PLEX server.
It can be used for multiple scenarios:
* Drive light changes based on player status. For instances turn off the lights when movie starts playing and turn them back on when movie is stopped/paused
* Create a page that displays currently played media of one or more player connected to the server.
* Send social media messages when player plays new media
* Inform what the end time of the currently played media is
The binding can also control `PLAY/PAUSE/NEXT/PREVIOUS` the players which can be used for:
* Start playing some music when someone enters a room
* Pause the movie when motion is detected
## Supported Things
This binding supports 2 things.
- `server`: The PLEX server will act as a bridge to read out the information from all connected players
- `player`: A PLEX client of any type / os connected to the server.
## Discovery
For the auto discovery to work correctly you first need to configure and add the `PLEX Server` Thing.
Next step is to *PLAY* something on the desired player. Only when media is played on the player it will show up in the auto discovery!
## Thing Configuration
The PLEX Server needs to be configured first. The hostname of the PLEX server is mandatory and the either the PLEX token (recommended) or the username/password of the PLEX server (not recommended).
Then find the PLEX token please follow the instructions from the PLEX support forum:
1. Sign in to your Plex account in Plex Web App
2. Browse to a library item and view the XML for it
3. Look in the URL and find the token as the X-Plex-Token value
### `PLEX Server` Thing Configuration
| Name | Type | Description | Default | Required | Advanced |
|-------------|---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|----------|---------|
| host | text | PLEX host name or IP address | N/A | yes | no |
| portNumber | integer | Port Number (leave blank if PLEX installed on default port) | 32400 | no | no |
| refreshRate | integer | Interval in seconds at which PLEX server status is polled | 5 | no | no |
| username | text | If you're using Plex Home you need to supply the username and password of your Plex account here. If you don't want to enter your credentials you can also directly set your account token below instead. | N/A | no | no |
| password | text | If you're using Plex Home you need to supply the username and password of your Plex account here. If you don't want to enter your credentials you can also directly set your account token below instead. | N/A | no | no |
| token | text | The authentication token when username/password is left blank | N/A | no | no |
### `PLEX Player` Thing Configuration
You can add multiple PLEX players. You can choose to find the player by autodiscovery or add them manually.
#### Autodiscovery
Turn on the player you want to add and *play* some media on it. Navigate to `/settings/things/add/plex` and start the auto discover.
The player will be found and you can add it.
#### Manual adding a player Thing
When you want to add them manually go to the following url [https://plex.tv/devices.xml] and login when needed.
It will display the following XML file.
```xml
<MediaContainer publicAddress="XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX">
<Device name="iPhone" publicAddress="XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX" product="Plex for iOS" productVersion="8.4" platform="iOS" platformVersion="15.5" device="iPhone" model="14,5" vendor="Apple" provides="client,controller,sync-target,player,pubsub-player,provider-playback" clientIdentifier="B03466F7-BEEB-405F-A315-C7BBAA2D3FAE" version="8.4" id="547394701" token="XXX" createdAt="1633194400" lastSeenAt="1655715607" screenResolution="1170x2532" screenDensity="3">
<SyncList itemsCompleteCount="0" totalSize="0" version="2"/>
<Connection uri="http://192.168.1.194:32500"/>
</Device>
<Device name="Chrome" publicAddress="XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX" product="Plex Web" productVersion="4.83.2" platform="Chrome" platformVersion="102.0" device="Linux" model="hosted" vendor="" provides="" clientIdentifier="e29nk766fd48skpm8uuu1x9l" version="4.83.2" id="660497510" token="XXX" createdAt="1655714525" lastSeenAt="1655714526" screenResolution="1920x975,1920x1080" screenDensity=""> </Device>
<Device name="MY PLEX SERVER" publicAddress="XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX" product="Plex Media Server" productVersion="1.27.0.5897-3940636f2" platform="Linux" platformVersion="20.04.4 LTS (Focal Fossa)" device="PC" model="x86_64" vendor="Ubuntu" provides="server" clientIdentifier="906a992fc4c5722595f36732838bcc330700b2af" version="1.27.0.5897-3940636f2" id="282416069" token="XXX" createdAt="1560609688" lastSeenAt="1655709241" screenResolution="" screenDensity="">
<Connection uri="http://[2001:1c05:380f:5700:642:1aff:fe08:1c22]:32400"/>
<Connection uri="http://192.168.1.2:32400"/>
</Device>
<Device name="BRAVIA 4K UR2" publicAddress="XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX" product="Plex for Android (TV)" productVersion="8.26.2.29389" platform="Android" platformVersion="9" device="BRAVIA 4K UR2" model="BRAVIA_UR2_4K" vendor="Sony" provides="player,pubsub-player,controller" clientIdentifier="97d2510bd3942159-com-plexapp-android" version="8.26.2.29389" id="403947762" token="XXX" createdAt="1601489892" lastSeenAt="1655701261" screenResolution="1920x1080" screenDensity="320">
<Connection uri="http://192.168.1.19:32500"/>
</Device>
<Device name="SHIELD Android TV" publicAddress="XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX" product="Plex for Android (TV)" productVersion="8.26.2.29389" platform="Android" platformVersion="11" device="SHIELD Android TV" model="mdarcy" vendor="NVIDIA" provides="player,pubsub-player,controller" clientIdentifier="2c098c67afd0ca79-com-plexapp-android" version="8.26.2.29389" id="508114660" token="XXX" createdAt="1625317867" lastSeenAt="1655693424" screenResolution="1920x1080" screenDensity="320">
<Connection uri="http://192.168.1.6:32500"/>
</Device>
<Device name="iPad" publicAddress="XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX" product="Plex for iOS" productVersion="8.0" platform="iOS" platformVersion="14.7.1" device="iPad" model="5,3" vendor="Apple" provides="client,controller,sync-target,player,pubsub-player,provider-playback" clientIdentifier="D9629798-4B91-4375-8844-C62400573E42" version="8.0" id="617442968" token="XXX" createdAt="1646760020" lastSeenAt="1647973844" screenResolution="2048x1536" screenDensity="2">
<SyncList itemsCompleteCount="0" totalSize="0" version="2"/>
<Connection uri="http://192.168.1.220:32500"/>
</Device>
<Device name="MacBook-Pro.local" publicAddress="XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX" product="Plex for Mac" productVersion="1.41.0.2876-e960c9ca" platform="osx" platformVersion="12.2" device="" model="standalone" vendor="" provides="client,player,pubsub-player" clientIdentifier="5ehipgz2ca60ikqnv9jrgojx" version="1.41.0.2876-e960c9ca" id="507110703" token="XXX" createdAt="1625081186" lastSeenAt="1647973509" screenResolution="1680x1050,1680x1050" screenDensity=""> </Device>
</MediaContainer>
```
Find the `Device` block of the player you want to add and fill in the `clientIdentifier` as `playerID`
| Name | Type | Description | Default | Required | Advanced |
|-------------|---------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|----------|---------|
| playerID | text | The unique identifier of the player. `clientIdentifier` from [https://plex.tv/devices.xml] | N/A | yes | no |
## Channels
The PLEX Player supports the following channels:
| Channel | Type | Read/Write | Description |
|----------------------|----------|------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| currentPlayers | Number | RO | The number of players currently configured to watch on PLEX |
| currentPlayersActive | Number | RO | The number of players currently being used on PLEX |
| state | String | RO | The current state of the Player (BUFFERING, PLAYING, PAUSED, STOPPED) |
| power | Switch | RO | The power status of the player |
| title | String | RO | The title of media that is playing |
| type | String | RO | The current type of playing media |
| endtime | DateTime | RO | Time at which the media that is playing will end |
| progress | Dimmer | RO | The current progress of playing media |
| art | String | RO | The URL of the background art for currently playing media |
| thumb | String | RO | The URL of the cover art for currently playing media |
| player | Player | RW | The control channel for the player `PLAY/PAUSE/NEXT/PREVIOUS` |
## Full Example
`.things` file:
```java
Bridge plex:server:plexrServer "Bridge Plex : Plex" [host="IP.Address.Or.Hostname", token="SadhjsajjA3AG", refreshRate=5]
{
Thing plex:player:MyViewerName01 "My Viewer Name 01" [playerID="ClientIdentifierFromDevices.XML1"]
Thing plex:player:MyViewerName02 "My Viewer Name 02" [playerID="ClientIdentifierFromDevices.XML2"]
}
```
`.items` file
```java
String BridgePlexCurrent "Current players" {channel="plex:server:plexrServer:currentPlayers"}
String BridgePlexCurrentActive "Current players active" {channel="plex:server:plexrServer:currentPlayersActive"}
Switch PlexTVPower01 "Power" {channel="plex:player:MyViewerName01:power"}
String PlexTVStatus01 "Status [%s]" {channel="plex:player:MyViewerName01:state"}
String PlexTVTitle01 "Title [%s]" {channel="plex:player:MyViewerName01:title"}
String PlexTVType01 "Type [%s]" {channel="plex:player:MyViewerName01:type"}
String PlexTVEndTime01 "End time" {channel="plex:player:MyViewerName01:endtime"}
Dimmer PlexTVProgress01 "Progress [%.1f%%]" {channel="plex:player:MyViewerName01:progress"}
String PlexTVCover1 "Cover" {channel="plex:player:MyViewerName01:thumb"}
String ShellArt01 "Background art" {channel="plex:player:MyViewerName01:art"}
Switch PlexTVPower02 "Power" {channel="plex:player:MyViewerName02:power"}
String PlexTVStatus02 "Status [%s]" {channel="plex:player:MyViewerName02:state"}
String PlexTVTitle02 "Title [%s]" {channel="plex:player:MyViewerName02:title"}
String PlexTVType02 "Type [%s]" {channel="plex:player:MyViewerName02:type"}
String PlexTVEndTime02 "End time" {channel="plex:player:MyViewerName02:endtime"}
Dimmer PlexTVProgress02 "Progress [%.1f%%]" {channel="plex:player:MyViewerName02:progress"}
String PlexTVCover2 "Cover" {channel="plex:player:MyViewerName02:thumb"}
String ShellArt02 "Background art" {channel="plex:player:MyViewerName02:art"}
```
`.rules` file
```java
rule "Send telegram with title for My Viewer Name 01"
when
Item PlexTVTitle01 changed
then
val telegramActionPlexBot = getActions("telegram","telegram:telegramBot:PlexBot")
telegramActionPlexBot.sendTelegram("Bedroom Roku is watching %s", PlexTVTitle01.state.toString)
end
rule "Send telegram with title for My Viewer Name 02"
when
Item PlexTVTitle02 changed
then
val telegramActionPlexBot = getActions("telegram","telegram:telegramBot:PlexBot")
telegramActionPlexBot.sendTelegram("Bedroom Roku is watching %s", PlexTVTitle02.state.toString)
end
```