Are you fed up with Plex's lack of functionality to wakeup your computer to record a show? C'mon, even a VCR from the '80s could do that.
Plex DVR Waker is a simple command-line tool for waking the computer before the next scheduled recording. It works by creating a Windows Task Scheduler task that can sync with and/or monitor the Plex library database and then schedule another task to wakeup the computer before the next scheduled recording.
DISCLAIMER:
I reverse engineered the Plex library and EPG databases in order to piece together enough functionality to be able to recognize scheduled recordings and previously recorded TV shows and movies (so that it doesn't wake the computer for no reason). I just used whatever data that I could find and interpret in the databases to identify TV shows and movies. So, while this tools works fairly well, it clearly does not support all the advanced features built-in to Plex.
- Syncs with and/or monitors the Plex library database and schedules a wakeup task
- Wakes up the computer before the next scheduled recording or Plex maintenance time
- Supports custom wake actions to run when the computer wakes up
- Recording start time offset is taken into account
- Recognizes previously recorded TV shows and movies (as best as possible) so that it doesn't inadvertently wake the computer for something you already have recorded.
- Prints out upcoming scheduled recordings and Plex maintenance time
- Support for custom Plex application data path
NOTE: At this time, it does not support any other Plex "advanced record options" (ie: Prefer HD, Replace lower resolution items, etc). If you think there is something it should support, please let me know and I can try to investigate it.
- Plex Media Server for Windows (download from Plex)
- Windows 7/8/10/11
- Windows Task Scheduler
- Windows .NET Runtime 6.0 (download from Microsoft)
- You only need the ".NET Core Runtime" installer (not the "SDK", "ASP.NET Core Runtime", or "Desktop Runtime").
- Windows Power Plan/Profile - The setting for "Allow wake timers" must be "Enabled"
- This is necessary for the computer to respond to the waker timers that Windows Task Scheduler will send (otherwise the tasks will fail to wake the computer).
- For Windows 10/11, this can be found under "Settings > System > Power & sleep > Additional power settings > Change plan settings (for your current plan) > Change advanced power settings > Sleep > Allow wake timers"
- For Windows 7/8/10/11, this can be found under "Control Panel > System and Security > Power Options > Change plan settings (for your current plan) > Change advanced power settings > Sleep > Allow wake timers"
- "Run as administrator" rights
- Administrator rights are needed in order to create the sync and/or monitor tasks so that they run hidden without popping up a console window every time the task is triggered. This is a Windows Task Scheduler limitation for console applications.
- Download and install the latest Windows .NET Runtime 6.0
- Download from Microsoft
- You only need the ".NET Core Runtime" installer (not the "SDK", "ASP.NET Core Runtime", or "Desktop Runtime").
- Download the latest version of Plex DVR Waker
- Download Plex DVR Waker
- Unzip the contents to a folder.
If you are upgrading from a previous version of Plex DVR Waker, please follow these steps.
- If you are using the
monitortask, then you must first stop it before you can delete/overwrite thePlexDvrWaker.exefile.- Open the Windows Task Scheduler.
- Go to the "Plex DVR Waker" folder.
- Right-click on the "DVR monitor" task, and click "End".
- Delete the folder containing your previous version of Plex DVR Waker.
- Unzip the contents of the new version.
- If you are upgrading to a newer major version (ie: 1.x.x -> 2.x.x), then you may need to open an "Administrator" Command Prompt and rerun the
add-taskcommands that you are using. Doing this will update the existing tasks in Windows Task Scheduler with any potential breaking changes for the new Plex DVR Waker version.
If you want a quick way to get started, simply run the following sync and/or monitor commands from an "Administrator" Command Prompt. The sync command will create a Windows Task Scheduler task that will synchronize with the Plex library database every 15 minutes by default. The monitor command will watch the Plex library database for changes. Both will create/update a different Windows Task Scheduler task to wakeup the computer before your next scheduled recording or Plex maintenance time. See below for more information and pros/cons of each command.
PlexDvrWaker.exe add-task --sync
and/or
PlexDvrWaker.exe add-task --monitor
- Display help
- Create scheduled tasks
- Display upcoming scheduled recordings
- Monitor Plex library database (interactive mode)
- Check for new version
- Custom Plex Installations
NOTE: The documentation below contains command line "usage" syntax that describes the available options for each command. Items in [ ] indicate optional arguments, and items separated by | indicate the available options for that argument.
The main help screen displays the top-level help for the available commands. You can also view specific detailed help for each command by using the syntax: PlexDvrWaker.exe help <command_name> or PlexDvrWaker.exe <command_name> --help.
Usage:
PlexDvrWaker.exe help [add-task|list|monitor|version-check]
or
PlexDvrWaker.exe [add-task|list|monitor|version-check] --help
Example output:
add-task Add/update Windows Task Scheduler tasks for waking the computer for the next scheduled
recording or Plex maintenance time, syncing the next wakeup, monitoring the Plex
library database for changes, or checking for a newer version of this application.
list Prints upcoming scheduled recordings to standard output.
monitor Monitors the Plex library database for changes and updates the 'wakeup' task based
on the next scheduled recording time or Plex maintenance time.
version-check Checks for a newer version of this application.
help Display more information on a specific command.
version Display version information.
Plex DVR Waker works primarily by using Windows Task Scheduler tasks to keep up-to-date with the Plex library database and keep a wakeup task scheduled for your next recording time or Plex maintenance time. You can use either the sync or monitor task, or both at the same time - the choice is yours based on your needs.
The wakeup task will wakeup the computer from sleep the specified number of seconds (default 15 seconds, use the --offset=SECONDS option to adjust) before the next scheduled recording time or Plex maintenance time. You can add/run this task manually, but typically you would let either the sync or monitor task create/update the wakeup task for you.
The sync task will poll the Plex library database at a specified interval (default every 15 minutes) and create/update the wakeup task for you automatically. This is a nice lightweight solution, however it could theoretically miss something if, for example, you schedule a recording to start in 8 minutes and then immediately put the computer to sleep before the next sync task can run. You can also use the --offset=SECONDS option to adjust how long before the next recording that you want the computer to wakeup.
The monitor task will watch the Plex library database files for changes and also create/update the wakeup task for you automatically. Plex can sometimes cause a lot of changes to its library database files in a short period of time which will cause the wakeup task to be updated frequently. It is a fairly quick process to update the wakeup task, but just note that it may run a good bit more often. You can use the --debouce=SECONDS option to adjust the frequency of runs. The plus side is that your wakeup task will almost** always be set appropriately. You can also use the --offset=SECONDS option to adjust how long before the next recording that you want the computer to wakeup.
** For some reason, Plex does not always update the database files (I'm not sure why) and thus the file watcher that I use cannot detect the change immediately. For this reason, if you frequently add/update/remove items from your recording schedule AND your computer is set to sleep before the next scheduled recording time, then it is best to also use the
synctask along with themonitortask to better ensure that the recording schedule changes will be picked up properly.
The version-check task will check for a newer version of Plex DVR Waker every so many days (default every 30 days) and notify you if a newer version is available for download. If you currently have the latest version, then you will not see any notifications (except for the console window popping up and closing real quick when it runs the check). The scheduled task will only run when you are logged in and a network connection is available. If the scheduled time is missed, then the task will run as soon as possible afterwards. The version numbers respect the Semantic Versioning 2.0.0 specification.
Usage:
PlexDvrWaker.exe add-task --wakeup [--offset=SECONDS] [--actions=FILE1;FILE2] [--database=FILE] [--verbose]
PlexDvrWaker.exe add-task --sync [--sync-interval=MINUTES] [--offset=SECONDS] [--actions=FILE1;FILE2] [--database=FILE] [--verbose]
PlexDvrWaker.exe add-task --monitor [--monitor-debounce=SECONDS] [--offset=SECONDS] [--actions=FILE1;FILE2] [--database=FILE] [--verbose]
PlexDvrWaker.exe add-task --version-check [--version-check-interval=DAYS] [--verbose]
Arguments:
--wakeup Creates or updates a Windows Task Scheduler 'wakeup' task that will wakeup the
computer before the next scheduled recording time or Plex maintenance time.
--sync Creates or updates a Windows Task Scheduler 'sync' task to run at the specified
interval and sync the 'wakeup' task with the next scheduled recording time or
Plex maintenance time.
--sync-interval=MINUTES (Default: 15) The number of minutes between syncing the 'wakeup' task with the
next scheduled recording time or Plex maintenance time.
--monitor Creates or updates a Windows Task Scheduler 'monitor' task to run in the
background when the computer starts up that will monitor the Plex library
database file for changes and update the 'wakeup' task based on the next
scheduled recording time or Plex maintenance time.
--monitor-debounce=SECONDS (Default: 5) Since the Plex library database can change multiple times within a
short time, upon the first change it will wait the specified number of seconds
before it updates the Task Scheduler 'wakeup' task with the next scheduled
recordingtime or Plex maintenance time.
--version-check Creates or updates a Windows Task Scheduler 'version-check' task to run at the
specified interval and check for a newer version of this application.
--version-check-interval=DAYS (Default: 30) The number of days between checking for a newer version of this
application.
--offset=SECONDS (Default: 15) The number of seconds to wakeup the computer before the next scheduled
recording time or Plex maintenance time. Applies to the 'wakeup', 'sync', and
'monitor' tasks.
--actions=FILE1;FILE2 A list of actions separated by ';' to run when the 'wakeup' task is triggered. This
can be a path to any file(s) that Windows Task Scheduler can execute (ie: .bat, .exe,
etc).
--database=FILE (Default: <Plex local application data path or %LOCALAPPDATA%>\Plex Media Server
\Plug-in Support\Databases\com.plexapp.plugins.library.db) The Plex library
database file to use for custom Plex installations.
--verbose Prints all messages to standard output.
Example output (--wakeup):
Wakeup task scheduled for 9/14/2019 12:59:45 PM
Example output (--sync):
DVR sync task scheduled for every 15 minutes
Example output (--monitor):
DVR monitor task scheduled to run at startup
DVR monitor task has been started
Example output (--version-check):
Version check task scheduled for every 30 days
You can display the upcoming scheduled recordings and Plex maintenance that is recognized by Plex DVR Waker. This is useful to compare to your actual recording schedule in Plex. In theory, the two schedules should match (see disclaimer above). The start/end times displayed here will include any offsets configured in Plex.
Usage:
PlexDvrWaker.exe list [--maintenance] [--database=FILE] [--verbose]
Arguments:
--maintenance Prints the next Plex maintenance time to standard output.
--database=FILE (Default: <Plex local application data path or %LOCALAPPDATA%>\Plex Media Server\Plug-in
Support\Databases\com.plexapp.plugins.library.db) The Plex library database file to use for
custom Plex installations.
--verbose Prints all messages to standard output.
Example output (--maintenance):
Start Time End Time Title
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------------------------------------
9/14/2019 1:00:00 PM 9/14/2019 2:00:00 PM MacGyver (2016) - S01E22 - The Assassin
9/16/2019 6:30:00 PM 9/16/2019 7:00:00 PM The Big Bang Theory - S09E22 - The Fermentation Bifurcation
9/16/2019 7:00:00 PM 9/16/2019 7:30:00 PM The Big Bang Theory - S04E16 - The Cohabitation Formulation
Plex maintenance is 2am to 3am every day
Next scheduled maintenance time is 9/15/2019 2:00:00 AM to 9/15/2019 3:00:00 AM
You can also monitor the Plex library database for changes and automatically refresh the next wakeup time. This is what is run hidden in the background when you run the add-task --monitor command. If you want to, you can also run it in a foreground/interactive console window. When run with the --verbose option, this allows you to see how frequently your Plex library database is changing. Based on the frequency, you may want to adjust the --debouce setting accordingly.
Usage:
PlexDvrWaker.exe monitor [--offset=SECONDS] [--debounce=SECONDS] [--actions=FILE1;FILE2] [--database=FILE] [--verbose]
Arguments:
--offset=SECONDS (Default: 15) The number of seconds to wakeup the computer before the next scheduled recording
time or Plex maintenance time.
--debounce=SECONDS (Default: 5) Since the database can change multiple times within a short time, upon the first
change it will wait the specified number of seconds before it updates the Task Scheduler
'wakeup' task with the next scheduled recording time or Plex maintenance time. (Minimum: 1
second)
--actions=FILE1;FILE2 A list of actions separated by ';' to run when the 'wakeup' task is triggered. This can be a
path to any file(s) that Windows Task Scheduler can execute (ie: .bat, .exe, etc).
--database=FILE (Default: <Plex local application data path or %LOCALAPPDATA%>\Plex Media Server\Plug-in
Support\Databases\com.plexapp.plugins.library.db) The Plex library database file to use for
custom Plex installations.
--verbose Prints all messages to standard output.
Example output:
Started monitoring the Plex library database
Press any key to stop monitoring
You can check if a newer version of Plex DVR Waker is available for download. See the upgrades section for how to successfully upgrade the application. The version numbers respect the Semantic Versioning 2.0.0 specification.
Usage:
PlexDvrWaker.exe version-check [--verbose]
Arguments:
--verbose Prints all messages to standard output.
Example output:
You already have the latest version.
or
Current version: 1.1.9
Latest version: 2.0.0
A newer version of Plex DVR Waker is available for download from:
https://github.com/kmahon37/plex-dvr-waker/releases/latest
If you have a custom Plex installation, such as if you installed Plex under a different user/service account, then you may need to specify the --database option when running commands. With this option, you will need to specify the full path and file name to your database file in the custom location (ie: --database="C:\My Custom Folder\custom2\com.plexapp.plugins.library.db").
By default, Plex DVR Waker tries to load Plex's local application data storage path from the registry (Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Plex, Inc.\Plex Media Server\LocalAppDataPath) if it exists (Note: This is controlled via an Advanced setting in Plex under "Settings > General"). Otherwise, Plex DVR Waker will fallback onto Plex's default local application data storage path (%LOCALAPPDATA% which usually corresponds to C:\Users\<USER_NAME>\AppData\Local\). Once the storage path is identified, it then tries to find the Plex library database file under that folder (...\Plex Media Server\Plug-in Support\Databases\com.plexapp.plugins.library.db).
Plex DVR Waker works simply by using scheduled tasks in the Windows built-in Task Scheduler program. To see the scheduled tasks, open the Task Scheduler and go to the "Plex DVR Waker" folder. You should see up to 4 tasks named: DVR monitor, DVR sync, DVR wakeup, Version check. You may edit/delete these tasks, but your changes may be lost if you run any of the add-task commands as they will overwrite/recreate these tasks. The 'wakeup' task gets overwritten/recreated every time it is triggered.
If you are having issues, you can check the Plex DVR Waker log files located in the same directory. There are up to 4 rolling log files that can reach 1MB each. If needed, these files can safely be deleted, but they will regenerate over time.
PlexDvrWaker.log
PlexDvrWaker.0.log
PlexDvrWaker.1.log
PlexDvrWaker.2.log
If you wish to stop using Plex DVR Waker and uninstall it, just follow these steps:
- Delete any Windows Task Scheduler tasks created by Plex DVR Waker.
- Open Windows Task Scheduler and find the "Plex DVR Waker" folder.
- Delete all tasks in the folder.
- Delete the "Plex DVR Waker" folder.
- Delete the folder where you unzipped Plex DVR Waker.
- If you installed the .NET Core Runtime, then you may optionally choose to uninstall it also (assuming nothing else is using it).