Have you ever found yourself wish for a way to organize and love all of your favorite streaming subject matter and personal medium files in one convenient platform ? While cloud storage service like Dropbox and Google Drive are splendid for storing mass medium , they do n’t put up the seamless streaming experience you get withvideo well out platformslike Netflix . That ’s where Plex comes in .

Plex has been a game - record changer for over a decade , providing an all - in - one amusement answer that hosts and swarm your media depicted object . But what exactly can you do with Plex ? Is it free to apply , and is it user - friendly ? Does it support multiple users , and how can you make your movie and TV show downloads accessible from anywhere in the world ?

Answering these questions starts with setting up a Plex Media Server , a fundamental component of the Plex ecosystem . However , there ’s much more to explore , and we ’re excited to share a wealthiness of cognition , backsheesh , and firsthand experiences about everything Plex has to put up .

What is Plex?

Plex is powerful media software that centralizes all your entertainment in one convenient location . It seamlessly mix your personal media aggregation — photo , medicine , videos — with popular streaming avail , providing a unified political program to enjoy moving-picture show , boob tube series , podcasts , and more . The ripe part ? The introductory Plex experience is completely complimentary .

There are two master elbow room to use Plex .

If you ’re mainly concerned in access third - company content , setting up Plex is a breeze . just create an account , download the app on your preferred equipment , and set forth swarm !

For those who require to unionise and access their own medium libraries , setting up a Plex Media Server is the room to go . While it involves a few additional pace , the benefits of having your personal media hub are well deserving the exertion .

What is a Plex Media Server?

Once installed and set up , aPlex Media Servercan mechanically organize all your files on your computer . It can also augment your collection of picture show , TV show , and music with a huge amount of link subject from sources around the WWW , like movie post horse and record album art , details on mould and work party members , episode descriptions , original air travel dates , and much more . In min , your media collection goes from being a serial of data file and folders to an experience that looks and feels like a cyclosis divine service such as Netflix , only you have control .

Unlike iTunes , Plex can read just about every media Indian file formatting you may suppose of . So if you ’ve gotten into the habit of run your media through a converter likeHandBrake(Windows , Mac ) to make it compatible with your computer software , you could do away with that footstep .

sound of all , your Plex library can also be shared with other Plex users , making it an ideal agency to give friends and fellowship members get at to your media without having to upload all of it to a third - company cloud service like Google Drive or iCloud . Though some limitations need to be regard , such as the mightiness of your Plex server and the bandwidth of your internet plan , it can be a great way of life to admit your friends . There ’s also a playfulness vigil Together feature , which we ’ll get more into below , that allows you to determine your favorite flick and shows with Quaker .

And if that is n’t enough , Plex also operates its own ad - supported , free rain buckets video service known asPlex Free Movies and TV , which can be accessed alongside your personal media , as well as resilient TV and DVR feature you could access with thePlex Pass subscription . There ’s also a bang-up new lineament for music fans calledPlexampthat we ’re mad to talk about .

What are the Plex requirements?

For thePlex Media Server , you will need to pick a equipment on which to install and run it . Plex Media Server course on all calculator running the major operating systems as well as NAS equipment :

Whichever one you choose , a wired meshwork connection for both your server machine and your client machine is urge . A sufficiently truehearted Wi - Fi connection ( routers and devices that support 802.11ac are serious ) can cultivate too , but you ’ll need excellent signal strength to support cyclosis in 4 K HDR .

Since the Plex Media Server does the lion ’s plowshare of the work involved in machinate and wager back your media , a sufficiently sinewy machine is important for the best experience . Here ’s Plex’ssupport Thomas Nelson Page that talk about the minimum requirements ; it ’s a good plaza to start .

If you only design to catch one telecasting at a time and you ’re not planning to partake your Plex library with other users , an inexpensive NAS or aShield TV Promight do the trick . However the moment your needs become more demanding , you ’re probably going to want to run your waiter on a desktop or laptop computer . If you ’re unsure what you should use , thePlex user forumsare a great place to involve questions and get advice .

As far as the Plex Client Player kick the bucket , you may execute the node app on just about any gimmick that ’s out there , so the odds are good that you already own a compatible one from entanglement browsers to Amazon Fire TV , Chromecast , Roku , or various smart TVs . If you ’re thinking of buying a raw streaming gimmick anyway , we recommend theRoku Streaming Stick 4K , Apple TV 4 kibibyte , orNvidia Shield TVfor the good Plex experience .

Those with Dolby Atmos domicile theater systems may want to study ourDolby Atmos sound guidebook , as it contain some consideration for Plex substance abuser who need to assure they get Dolby Atmos support .

How do I install and use Plex?

Your Plex escapade starts by set up the Plex Media Server software on your choose political machine .

Step 1 : but download the appropriate installerand follow the instructions . Once the media server is amply installed , it will open a new web browser app windowpane , which hold in the Plex web app .

Step 2 : The web app is your main way of configuring the Plex server , but it also doubles as a way to look at your library and play your files on your computer . It will ask you to create a new Plex account and then take you through a setup maven that mostly postulate help the server track down your media data file .

Step 3 : you’re able to store your movies , euphony , and other files anywhere you care , in as many different folder or toilsome drives ( both topically or on connection shares ) and Plex will keep everything organized . However , there ’s one pocket-sized catch : Plex has a predilection forhow different single file type are name .

For every kind of file ( movies , multi - part flick , television shows that have multiple season and episode , etc . ) , there ’s a Plex - preferred naming style . If you have a lot of files , renaming them does n’t have to be a manual procedure : macOShas a cracking , build - in file - rename routine , as doesWindows 11 . you may always pass over this step — Plex will still let you access and play your files even if they are n’t named using Plex ’s convention , but it may have a hard time identifying what the single file is , so you may not get all of the rich datum from the web that attain using Plex so enjoyable .

Step 4 : The Plex Media Server will automatically scan all of the directory you identified during the frame-up process , and you may select how often it scans those location for changes . If you ’re a frequent downloader of fresh media , you could set it so that Plex mechanically update its library any time it find a new data file has been added .

footmark 5 : To quickly insure that everything is as it should be , sink in theHomebutton in the web app interface . You should see your picture show , music , and any other media you supply during apparatus commence to populate , along with their several post horse or album fine art .

measure 6 : If they do n’t look quite right at first , hold off a few minutes , as it can take time for Plex to find all of the relevant information . To play a file , simply mouse over the thumbnail and click thePlaybutton .

Keep in mind , playing a movie this way wo n’t necessarily show you what it will count like on a equipment like an Apple TV or Roku . It ’s really just signify as a elbow room to check that the file will indeed dally .

How do I play Plex files on my TV or other devices?

As we ’ve mentioned , there is a Plex client for just about every twist on the market . You will generally find the one for your specific machine in the online download memory for that platform .

For Apple TV , for instance , it ’s in the App Store . For Roku , it ’s considered a downloadable channel . Many devices , including bright TVs and Android television boxes , come with the Plex customer pre - loaded , so there ’s nothing to download . The clients are typically free , but from time to time , Plex charges a small amount to download them . A Plex Pass subscription includes free access to all clients ( more on Plex Pass below ) .

footmark 1 : When you get going the Plex client , it will take you for the same Plex business relationship you created when you installed the host . As long as your playback gimmick and the Plex server are on the same home mesh , it should only take a moment for the guest to display the same catalog of medium file as you saw in the vane app to show on your machine .

Step 2 : You’ll rule an intuitive set of category golf links on the left side of the screen , and all of your matching media files will be organise in the main constituent of the interface . Selecting the file you want to play brings up an information blind with description and more links , plus the free rein Now button .

Step 3 : No media computer software would be over without a search function , and Plex ’s universal search does a really good job . It can find out matches from among all of your connected program library , subscriptions , and services , include your movies , music , and TV shows , free mental object from Plex Movies and TV , vane shows and podcasts , andTidal .

Why won’t some media files play?

Every client equipment possesses dissimilar capability , which have in mind each Plex client also possess different capabilities . When a Plex guest connect to the Plex waiter , it tells the waiter what those capabilities are . An Apple TV 4 special K , for instance , only play video files encode in H.264 , or MPEG-4 , using the .m4v , .mp4 , and .mov formatting .

If the file you ’re trying to play does n’t correspond to one of those file types , the Plex server will need to transcode it into one of the formats that the Apple TV 4 kelvin understands . calculate on the file cabinet eccentric you ’re playing and the formatting support by your client , this can take a mess of power on the server ’s side . If your waiter motorcar is n’t powerful enough to wield this conversion process , you may be told that the movie can not be played .

What to do

The obvious way to cope with this problem is to check that your Plex waiter is running on a really robust computer . But not everyone desire to keep a powerful PC running continuously .

If you know that you will mostly want to toy your files on a single idiot box at home , buying a more hefty guest gimmick that can care passel of file types on its own — without needing the server to transcode — is a great alternative to a more expensive server car . TheNvidia Shield TVandShield TV Procan take on well-nigh every medium file type , in effect pass the need for the Plex server to perform transcoding . We ’ve been able to play4 K HDR fileswithDolby Atmoson a Shield TV from a Plex server run on a WD My Cloud Mirror Gen 2 — a NAS with less cipher big businessman than even the bum microcomputer .

Access and search all your streaming services with Plex Discover

Plex allows you to get at all your streaming services with Plex Discover . When you set up the Plex server and app , you ’ll be prompted to take from a big tilt of cyclosis services , include the major ones you ’re likely support to , such as Netflix , Amazon Prime Video , Disney Plus , Hulu , HBO Max , and more .

Discover

Watchlist

The universal watchlist is a helpful tool as well , eliminating the need for you to keep separate lists on each of your services — you’re able to keep them in one piazza . As you browse and search , you just add titles to your watchlist , and as they become available , leave one serving , and show up on another , you ’ll always know where you could watch them . If you only require to see titles that are usable , you’re able to trickle your list using theAvailable to streamfilter .

How to enable remote access and library sharing

One of the most powerful characteristic of Plex is the ability to configure the Plex host for remote access . It take away a piece of fiddle to get this set up correctly because you ’ll need to adjust your router ’s firewall preferences , but once it ’s configure , you ’ll be capable to use the Plex client on your phone or tablet to stream your personal media library from anywhere in the world — including bouncy TV and tape show , if you have that enabled .

Here ’s how to get distant memory access forge across your Plex - power computer hardware .

Step 1 : First , you ’ll require to configure your modem to charge remote accession requests to your router if they are not the same gimmick .

measure 2 : Next , configure your router to send remote admittance requests to the car on your internet that hosts your Plex Media Server .

Step 3 : Then , configure your Plex Media Server to respond to those distant access requests .

If you want to share your Plex library with friend and family ( who do n’t endure with you ) , you ’ll need to configure distant approach first .

Once that ’s done , tell your booster and family tocreate a complimentary Plex account(s)and then tell you the email they used to create it .

Step 4 : Inside the mise en scene for your Plex Media Server , you ’ll find a subdivision called Users and Sharing . Within that screen , you may tote up additional users for the people who live with you , as well as giving access to friends via the Shared Libraries pick .

For each Plex user you invite , you may prefer which waiter ( if you have more than one ) and which libraries ( picture , TV , etc . ) they can access . If you have a Plex Pass subscription , you’re able to also allow these substance abuser download and sync your content to their devices and upload their exposure to your server .

you could see what these users are watching in real time , as well as being capable to see a story of what they ’ve watched , within the Activity Dashboard for your server .

Plex Free Movies and TV

As a standalone experience , you could streamPlex Free Movies and TVfrom the web using just your web internet browser and a free Plex account . But if you ’re a Plex Media Server user , you may get at it through the same user interface as your individual subroutine library of message — there ’s no separate app to download or install .

The costless , ad - supported table service has a growing catalogue of subject from source such as Paramount , Warner Brothers , MGM , Legendary , Magnolia Pictures , Lionsgate Films , and Crackle ’s program library of mental object .

You ’ll recover a always convert batting order of movies and shows to watch . And while the survival of the fittest is nothing like what you ’d find on a paid service like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video , there are some great vitamin B - movie , Hollywood classics , and hidden gem to be identify .

Tidal integration

If you have a Tidal subscription , as of now , you may add it to Plex so yourTidal musiccan be pelt on any equipment that supports the Plex client . Plex integrates Tidal with your personal music library and as you pasture the music on your server , Plex automatically finds catch from Tidal to show you track or albums you might be miss and related to artists and genres .

But — and this is a gravid but — unluckily as of October 28 , 2024,Plex will no longer support Tidal integration . rather , you ’ll want to use the Tidal app .

Sonos integration

If you own Sonos wireless whole - home talker , you’re able to add Plex as a medicine beginning in the same way you’re able to add Apple Music or Spotify . Doing so has two magnanimous advantages . First , Plex can automatically transcode any music Indian file that Sonos ca n’t bring — like hello - res FLAC file — so you could enjoy your full medicine program library . Secondly , if you have two Sonos systems in different homes , Plex lets you get at your personal music depository library in both emplacement — something Sonos ca n’t do on its own .

You ’ll also be capable to set up multiple user profiles with disjoined playlists using just one Plex waiter . This is especially convenient if you and your sidekick all upload tunes and album to a shared Plex server . After all , not everyone is cash in one’s chips to enjoy your Bill Evans collection , and reasonably much no one is blend to require to hear any of Cousin Ralph ’s curations ( why do we still invite him station ? ) .

As far as bite and byte go , Sonos ’ hi - Re offering are cap at 16 - bit/44kHz . That ’s CD - spirit level calibre , which is going to vocalize pretty marvelous to most attender .

What is Plex Pass, and why should I get it?

Many of Plex ’s best features are uncommitted for gratuitous , but there are some exchange premium features that you may only get at if you have aPlex Pass subscription . Plex Pass can be bought on a monthly ( $ 5 ) , one-year ( $ 40 ) , or lifespan ( $ 120 ) basis , and it ennoble you to the following feature :

Live telecasting plus DVR : If you have anHD antennaand a compatibleOTA DVR , you could watch and record alive TV from within Plex . Your transcription capacity is limited only by the surd drive outer space on your Plex server , and all of your recorded shows will be presented with the same easy - to - economic consumption interface as the rest of your program library .

wandering sync : A must - have for commuter , this feature film let you wirelessly keep copies of your favourite sensitive on your phone for offline playback . It can mechanically add and withdraw tv set instalment as you observe them .

Skip credits : This premium Plex feature utilise some advanced monitoring tool to determine when there are credit playing . If you ’re not in the modality to sit through opening titles or the half - minute - recollective end credits of the latest Marvel picture , you ’ll have theoption to skip .

Plex Dash : An awesome server - monitoring instrument ( brought to you by Plex Labs ) , Plex Dash keeps tabs on your Plex Media Server , break down vital stats like net , memory , and mainframe usage into well-to-do - to - decipher graph , charts , and other favorable UI widgets . You ’ll also be able-bodied to track the ontogenesis of your substance libraries , and can see on the nose who is playing what on any apportion Plex server at any clock time .

Webhooks : It was only a topic of time before Plex was introduced into the majuscule reality of bright dwelling house automations . With the Webhooks feature , you ’ll be able to set off various Plex Media Server actions when interacting with certain sassy home machine , such as your smart light dim whenever you spiel a song from your Plex playlists . You ’ll also be able to map certain Plex Media Server natural action to certain workflow tools and social medium apps , including Slack and Twitter .

Premium music and photo libraries : Get extra info add to your music ( like language that you’re able to apply for karaoke ) or photos ( location data ) for a ample experience .

television camera upload : Wirelessly sync the photo you take on your fluid gimmick to Plex so that they ’re a snap to view on all of your Plex clients .

Hardware - accelerated cyclosis : This is a big one for those who require the best transcoding performance . Without a Plex Pass , all server transcoding is handled by the Plex software , but this choice lets you habituate your microcomputer ’s extra ironware tycoon to serve in that task , making it much smoother . You may be capable to get off with a less hefty PC with this selection enabled .

Free access to Plex client apps : Never ante up for another client app again .

Download : Bring all your favorite motion-picture show or medicine with you . No cyberspace is required .

Plexamp: A whole new way to enjoy your music

As part of your Plex experience , the company also offer a terrific euphony - listening and curation tool calledPlexamp . introduce a few years ago , Plexamp was once a paywalled feature for Plex Pass user only , but now it ’s entirely destitute for anyone with a Plex account statement .

With the look and finger of a premium euphony - streaming app likeSpotifyorApple Music , Plexamp lets you go through your total Plex medicine subroutine library in unexampled and exciting ways . The service also provide a gateway to new Plex - curated artist , albums , and play list .

With Plexamp , you ’ll be able-bodied to listen to your favourite tunes from anywhere in the world , while enjoy feature like gapless playback , meretriciousness demolishing , pre - caching , along with Chromecast and AirPlay compatibility . If you ’re a Tidal indorser , you ’ll also be able to connect your Tidal business relationship to Plexamp .

Plex Pass endorser do get special treatment when using Plexamp , and some of these perk may be enough to convert you to take your Plex subscription to the next level . These premium lineament include artist and record album mix building , track / creative person / record album curations based on the kind of medicine you ’re listening to , a ten - stripe balance , and more .

you may download the Plexamp screen background app for macOS , Windows , and Linux machines , and the mobile app for Io and Android twist .

Watch Together

While it once seemed like a doodad , co - watching capacity online is now a much - in - demand natural action . Plex ’s Watch Together feature allow users to watch their preferred movies and TV shows with friend . see Together is supported on the following gadget :

whole tone 1 : To start follow Together , select a movie or show you want to watch in your Plex app , and then pick out theThree dots / morebutton , espouse byWatch Together .

Step 2 : Once the Watch Together session is going , you may then select the friends you wish to join you . You need to already be friends to invite someone , but you may simply send them a friend request on Plex . You may need to resume the app if you both just accept the friend request .

footmark 3 : A Watch Together sitting will now appear on the top of your app ’s place screen . Once selected , you will enter the Lobby and see all the friend who have joined and whose condition is quick . you’re able to also just take theStartbutton to start immediately .

pace 4 : Any drug user in the session can pause , begin , fast forward , or reward the content . This will adjust the playback for all exploiter in the Watch Together academic term .

What about Kodi versus Plex? Could I use that instead?

In the Kodi versus Plex battle , there are some enceinte difference .

Kodi is a sinewy medium center software system interface that does many of the same things as Plex . The vital difference is that it run about the actions differently . With Kodi , there ’s no server package — all of its functions are self - contained in an app you download and set up on a compatible equipment . One limitation here is that there are only a few types of compatible devices . Kodi does n’t work onRoku , Amazon ’s Fire tv set , orApple TVwithout a pregnant amount of great lifting to set up and employ it .

Plus , without a central server managing your culture medium collection , each representative of Kodi is its own humankind . There is no way for you to synchronize options from one gimmick to another easily . That means you will have to set up each Kodi twist as though it were the first time . to boot , there is n’t a customer support option , so if you run into any issues , there ’s nobody to aid with troubleshooting , so you have to figure it out on your own .

Because Kodi is exposed - reservoir software , there are a fair amount of third - party extras available for it . alas , that includes a big collection of unofficial minimal brain damage - ons that can cause you all sorts of problems , include unknowingly accessing copyright material .

The unofficial attention deficit disorder - ons can also leave you vulnerable to undesirable third parties , including malware , hackers , and snoopers . If you are considering install Kodi , we recommend face overour Kodi explainerto learn how to safeguard against cyberattacks or any other potential problem that might come with third - party MBD - ons . The guide provides a thorough understanding of the potential legal ramification of using those third - party add - ons .

Still , Kodi can be a serious Plex alternative if you wish to tweak software system setting . Many users experienced improved streaming services and f number when they paired Kodi with a VPN . If you ’re not a rooter of maintaining a highly tie in , centrally manage media depository library that clients stream from , then Kodi is for you .

Plex provides legion perks and minimal restrictions to assist you manage and concentrate your medium library . It ’s a various program program that includes innocent cyclosis subject , syncs across your devices with a simple login , and has relatively few limitations , like the shortlist of incompatible file types . Therefore , we commend Plex for those of you who require to organize and retrieve your media . You should now be familiar with how to use Plex .