Set up Direct Paths

• Media needs to be accessible
• Easy: let PKC substitute paths (works 90% of the time)
  • Set-up of the Shares
  • Configure PKC
• Complicated: substitute paths on the PMS (works 100% of the time)

Media needs to be accessible

Your movies and TV shows need to be directly accessible to Kodi to use direct paths.

1. Setup directories shared over SMB on the server where your media lies (this might not be where your Plex Media Server is):
   • See here for Windows,
   • here for Mac
   • and here for Linux
2. Check that your media is indeed accessible to Kodi:
   • In Kodi, start adding a Video source following this guide from step 1 to 6 only - NOT to the end!
   • If you manage to navigate to your media, it is indeed accessible to Kodi
   • Hit Cancel in step 6

If above number 2 doesn't work for you, direct paths won't work for you.

Substitute Paths using PKC

Setup of the Shares

This will work for about 90% of the users. If your media is accessible as follows, then this should work for you:

• Local path to the media on your server (where the media lies):
  • Linux/Mac: /volume/.../<movies, tv shows, music>
  • Windows: C:\...\<movies, tv shows, music>
• SMB path for the same folders to make media accessible via LAN:
  • Linux/Mac: smb://myNAS/.../<movies, tv shows, music>
  • Windows: \\myNAS\...\<movies, tv shows, music>

One working example setup:

• Linux/Mac:
  • Plex movie categories: /volume3/users/Patrick/media/movies and /volume3/data/media/kids
    • /volume3/users/Patrick/mediais shared as ``smb://myNAS/plex-movies. Thus these are both accessible under smb://myNAS/plex-movies/movies` and `smb://myNAS/plex-movies/kids`
  • Plex tv shows categories: /volume3/data/TV shows
    • Directly shared as smb://myNAS/shows
  • Plex music categories: /volume3/users/Patrick/My-Cool-Music/music
    • Directly shared as smb://myNAS/music
• Windows:
  • Plex movie categories: C:\users\Patrick\media\movies and C:\users\Patrick\media\kids
    • C:\users\Patrick\media is shared. Thus these are accessible under \\myNAS\plex-movies\movies and \\myNAS\plex-movies\kids
  • Plex tv shows categories: E:\data\TV shows
    • Directly shared as \\myNAS\shows
  • Plex music categories: E:\My-Cool-Music\music
    • Directly shared as \\myNAS\music

Configure PKC

Substitute Paths on the PMS

• You need to change your Plex Media Server setup and "re-link" your Plex items from an old local path like C:\Users\Dude\Documents\Movies\MyMovie.mkv to the smb path that you just set-up. Follow this Guide by Plex to the letter and you won't have problems.

• On Windows, you will end up with shares like \\myNas\movies. No worries, tick Replace Plex UNC paths \\myNas with smb://myNas in the PKC Settings under Customize Paths. PKC will then replace all the backslashes with slashes and add the smb piece.

Paths used by Plex on Windows
\\myNas\movies
\\myNas\movies\Kids
\\myNas\movies\Kids\Cartoons

PKC paths after toggling Replace Plex UNC paths
smb://myNas/movies
smb://myNas/movies/Kids
smb://myNas/movies/Kids/Cartoons

• If you have a more complicated setup, you can choose to even Replace Plex paths with custom SMB paths in the PKC Settings under Customize Paths. You can do this for movies, tv shows and music separately. PKC will then search for your original path in order to replace it with the path you specified. It will also replace any backslashes with slashes automatically. You could also use this option to skip moving your Plex library to another folder.

This is how it looks like on a Linux system:

Paths used by Plex
/volume1/myData/media/movies
/volume1/myData/media/movies/Kids
/volume1/myData/media/movies/Kids/Cartoons

PKC Settings
Original Plex Movie path to replace: /volume1/myData/media/movies
Replace Plex Movie with: smb://myNas/movie

PKC paths after replacement
smb://myNas/movie
smb://myNas/movie/Kids
smb://myNas/movie/Kids/Cartoons

On Windows, it would look very similar:

Paths used by Plex
C:\Users\Dude\myData\media\movies
C:\Users\Dude\myData\media\movies\Kids
C:\Users\Dude\myData\media\movies\Cartoons

PKC Settings
Original Plex Movie path to replace: C:\Users\Dude\myData\media\movies
Replace Plex Movie with: smb://myNas/movie

PKC paths after replacement
smb://myNas/movie
smb://myNas/movie/Kids
smb://myNas/movie/Kids/Cartoons

• If you have several e.g. movie libraries, move them to the same smb path. E.g.

smb://myNas/movies/Kids
smb://myNas/movies/Action
smb://myNas/movies/Cartoons

• You will probably need credentials to connect to your network share, a username and password. Go to Connection in the PKC settings, then Enter network credentials. Beware:

  • Mind that everything is case sensitive.
  • Use only your server's hostname or IP without any paths, so e.g. MyNas and not MyNas/movies
  • Alternatively, use Kodi to navigate directly to your new smb share. Kodi will automatically ask you for credentials and you will see immediately whether you can connect.

• Once your Plex libraries point to smb paths, choose Native (direct paths) as playback method in the settings under Sync Options

• You will need to do a full resync by going to Advanced - Partial or full reset of Database and PKC in the settings.

  • Choose Yes if asked to reset the database
  • Choose Yes if asked to delete the cached artwork
  • Choose No if asked whether you want to completely reset the PKC plugin.