SkiparrLunarWerx *arr crew · for Plex for Windows
Your phone is the remote for Plex on your PC.
Skiparr puts play, seek, volume and your whole library on your phone, and it can skip, mute, black out or blur the parts you'd rather not see.
- Pair by QR code
- Works on your Wi-Fi or from anywhere
- Pre-release: early access on Discord
What is Skiparr?
Skiparr is a phone remote for Plex for Windows, with skip filters built in. A small tray app on your PC lets your phone play, pause, seek, set the volume and browse and start your Plex library. A plain text cue file per video can also make Plex skip, mute, black out, blur or pause parts of it. The phone app is Couch Buddy. Skiparr is made by LunarWerx and is in pre-release.
Part one
The remote
The phone app is Couch Buddy. It controls Plex for Windows on your PC from the sofa, with two views: Playing and Browse.
Playing view
The title and where you are, with a bar you drag or tap to jump. Play and pause, back 10 seconds, forward 30 seconds.
Volume and mute
A volume slider from 0 to 100, and its speaker icon mutes.
Previous and next episode
Beside the controls while an episode plays, using Plex's own skip previous and skip next.
Mark a moment
One tap writes the current time into a marks file, ready to paste into a cue file.
Browse and search
Search, then strips for Continue watching, your Plex Watchlist, New episodes and New movies, and a row of every movie and TV library.
Libraries, shows and seasons
A library opens as an A to Z grid that loads more as you scroll. A show offers a Play button for its next episode and its seasons; a season lists its episodes.
Tap it and it plays on the PC
Tap a movie or episode and Plex for Windows opens it full size, from its saved spot. The first time, Skiparr asks for one Plex restart so it can open shows for you.
Pair by QR code, reach it anywhere
Show the QR code from the tray icon and scan it with your phone. It works on your Wi-Fi, or from anywhere through a Cloudflare tunnel or by signing in with Connections.
Your Plex token stays home
Posters and lists come through the tray app on your PC, so the token never reaches the phone.
One small tray app
A single Windows file with the phone page built in. It needs only Plex for Windows.
Part two
Skip filters
The other thing Skiparr does: skip, mute, black out, blur or pause parts of whatever Plex is playing, driven by a plain text cue file per video (or per version of a video). They run inside Plex's own player, so no outside program is needed.
Skip
Jump over an intro, a recap or a scene, including when you resume or seek into it.
Mute
Sound off for one word or a whole stretch, then back to how it was.
Black out
Black the whole picture or just a box, oval or any outline, with the sound still playing.
Blur that follows a shape
Keyframes move a blurred shape across the picture so it stays on a face or object. The blur runs on the GPU.
Pause
Pause once at an exact moment, and again if you go back before it.
Drafts from subtitles
Draft swear-word cues from subtitles, or by listening when there are none, and nudity cues from the picture. They are drafts for a person to review.
Carry cues to another release
Match two releases' soundtracks and Skiparr writes the cue file for the other version, allowing for a different start time, speed or cut.
Community filter import
Convert MovieContentFilter (.mcf) and VideoSkip (.skp) files into cue files, by strength level or category.
Bake a clean copy
For Roku, TVs and phones that can't run the script, write a copy of the video with the cues built in.
Good for families who want a word muted or a scene blurred, and for anyone who skips intros, recaps or scenes. Filters work in Plex's desktop players: Plex for Windows and Plex HTPC.
The Skipper's Log
A cue file is just text: a few lines saying which video it is for, then one line per cue. This one is the example from Skiparr's own documentation.
name = Dark Matter (2024) - S01E02 - Trip of a Lifetime guid = plex://episode/63a55827802a9d7e9bef0e5f size = 668806441 duration = 0:53:30.207 # action start end note skip 0:00:00 0:01:01.478 intro mute 0:15:02.300 0:15:03.100 one word blank 0:20:00 0:20:30 picture off, sound stays on pause 0:30:00 pauses once when playback gets here
skipjumps to the end of the range, even if you resume or seek into it.muteturns the sound off inside the range;blankblacks the picture out;blurblurs it.pausepauses once when playback reaches it.- Shapes:
rect(),oval()andpoly(), with@timekeyframes so a blur follows something moving. - Save the file and Skiparr re-reads it within 2 seconds, even mid-video.
How it works
Plex for Windows plays video with a built-in mpv player and lets scripts extend it. Skiparr works through that player.
Install the tray app on your PC
It is one small Windows app that needs only Plex for Windows. Plex then loads Skiparr every time it starts.
Pair your phone
Show the QR code from the tray icon and scan it. Use it on your Wi-Fi, or from anywhere.
Add filters if you want them
Write a cue file, draft one from subtitles for a person to review, or import a community filter file. Skiparr matches it to the playing video.
Questions
The short answers first.
Is Skiparr a remote or a filter?
Both, but mostly a remote. Skiparr is a phone remote for Plex for Windows, and one of its features is skip filters: plain text cue files that make Plex skip, mute, black out, blur or pause parts of a video.
What is Skiparr?
Skiparr is a phone remote for Plex for Windows, with skip filters built in. A small tray app on your PC lets your phone play, pause, seek, set the volume and browse and start your Plex library. It is made by LunarWerx and is in pre-release.
Is Skiparr available yet?
Not publicly. Skiparr is pre-release, and early access is handled through the LunarWerx Discord.
What is Couch Buddy?
Couch Buddy is the phone app for Skiparr's remote. Its page is at couchbuddy.lunarwerx.com.
Does the remote work away from my home Wi-Fi?
Yes. It works on your Wi-Fi, or from anywhere through a Cloudflare tunnel, or by signing the tray app in with Connections. Your Plex token never reaches the phone: posters and lists come through the tray app on your PC.
What do I need on my PC?
One small Windows tray app and Plex for Windows. It is a single file with the phone page built in, and it needs only Plex for Windows. Phones on your Wi-Fi need a Windows firewall rule, which the tray menu adds through an admin prompt.
Which Plex apps do the skip filters work with?
Plex for Windows, and Plex HTPC, which uses the same mechanism. Plex's TV, phone and browser apps can't load the script, so for those Skiparr can write a clean copy of the video with the cues built in.
Can it find swear words and nudity by itself?
It can draft them for a person to review: swear words from a video's subtitles, or by listening when there are none, and nudity from the picture. They are drafts, not guarantees. The nudity detector sees exposed skin rather than what a scene is about, so a film can still get a false skip or miss a scene.
Can I import filter files other people made?
Yes. Skiparr converts MovieContentFilter (.mcf) and VideoSkip (.skp) files into cue files. Their times are for the release the file was made on, so you may need to shift them, and you should check the community's terms before passing a converted file on.
Ready to take the helm?
Skiparr is pre-release. Join the LunarWerx Discord to get early access.
Get early access