Plex Review 2024: Media Streaming Unleashed

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Plex promises boundless on-demand streaming for media hoarders cramming hard drives with personal libraries. In 2023, an avid media collector discovers and deploys media server software. Creating a custom streaming hub to access a decade’s worth of shows, movies, music, podcasts, and photos, we spotlight Plex’s capabilities and limitations in 2024. From channel plugins to hardware transcoding support, we showcase how Plex liberates vast personal media troves for streaming anywhere, on nearly any device—no upload required. For those curious, if Plex can handle its storage stockpiles, this piece offers an inside look.

What is Plex? Your All-in-One Platform for Media Streaming

Plex_Inc.  platform embarked on its journey as a free software project in the last quarter of 2007. This became a reality when Elan Feingold, a developer, moved a media player Kodi( formerly known as XBMC) to his Mac OS X. Coincidentally, within the same period, two software executives of Scott Oleshowski and Cayce Ullman were aiming to achieve the same feat when they observed on XBMC platform that Elan had made significant progress on that field which spurred them to meet with him and offered to fund his works. This led to a three-person team in 2008. 

The trio eventually launched an early version of the media center called OSXBMC to integrate the software into the Mac OS X ecosystem. The team continued to work on the project until the second quarter of 2008. Because the three developers had different areas of interest within the same field of study, they split the code into three and gave birth to the Plex, which they subsequently published on GitHub.  

In the last quarter of 2009. Plex Inc. was established with Cayce Ullman, who became the CEO, and Elan Feingold as the chief technology officer. The platform, as of then, had 130 apps at its disposal. By 2016, Plex had 65 persons on its payroll. Three years later, the platform had about 100 employees in August 2019.

Plex Across the Globe: Which Countries Have Access to the Platform?

Plex Content – Diverse Universe of Streaming and Personal Media

The Plex platform is not restricted only to local media from the subscriber. The platform also has an on-demand library known as Mediaverse, with movies and TV shows accessible to the user. The size and variety of contents within this library(14,000 films and television shows) were made possible by the partnership with platforms such as household names like Warner Bros, Legendary, MGM, Lions Gate, Crackle, and Tidal.

Movies

Plex’s enormous library content has a relatively good quality, thanks to the partnership with Crackle, a streaming platform that is also free. The partnership came with popular movie content like;

• Wonderboys, starring Michael Douglas and Robert Downey Jr
• Captain Philips by Tom Hanks
• Whiskey Tango Foxtrot(Tina Fey)
• Patriot Games by Harrison Ford
• The Illusionist, starring Edward Norton
• White House Down by Jamie
• Channing Tatum

The partnership with Crackle came with TV shows such as Snatch, Being Human, and Hell’s Kitchen. The alliance with this platform grants users unbridled access to the original contents of Crackle, including indigenous TV shows like a documentary on the life of an Alabama rapper, Yelawolf, titled “Yelawolf: A Slum American Life.

We have other popular movies on the Plex platform that didn’t come with the Crackle partnership, like The Ghost Writer by Pierce Brosnan and Ewan McGregor, All Things Good by Kirsten Dunst and Ryan Goslin, The King of NewYork with arrays of celebrities such as Wesley Snipes, Laurens Fishburne, and Christopher Walkden. Another interesting partnership the Plex streaming service sealed was with Tidal. The alliance provided over 60 million audio files of exceptional quality, according to a report by TV Guide.

Podcasts 

The Plex streaming platform offers over a thousand podcast services subscribers can listen to. We have podcast services on entertaining categories such as science/technology and comedy shows. It would interest you to know that political shows like the Ben Shapiro series that command many viewers are among the contents found on the Plex library. The podcast boasts of other popular shows, including:

• The Dave Ramsey Show(advice on finances)
• Serial(investigative)
• Stuff You Should Know(investigative)
• Ted Talks Daily(thought-inspiring show)

UI and App Design – Navigating Your Media with Intuitive Simplicity

In 2019, the platform launched an app design that synchronized all its other apps into one UI. The platform has a customizable sidebar on which the app is centered. What is so special about this sidebar? With the sidebar feature, a subscriber will be able to pin whatever content they want to have easy access to be able to hide the library they don’t intend to use, giving a cleaner and less-clogged interface. What makes this interface so smooth is that you can connect the library contents shared by friends and family into one interface, with your various options available at a glance. 

According to a report by TechRadar, the interface came with a feature known as RECOMMENDED TABS, where contents similar to the ones you seek are made available to you. This gives you an alternative to the same genre of media. The interface also offers a section dedicated to media files you watched halfway, allowing you to continue from where you stopped. A “recently added “media feature is on the interface with options for a genre of movies, for instance, “Top Sci-fi movies.”

Supported Devices – Where Can You Enjoy Seamless Media Streaming?

To enjoy the services offered by the Plex streaming platform, knowing the devices that support this platform is of utmost importance. Here is the list of compatible devices;

Supported File Formats and Specs – Tailoring Your Media for Seamless Streaming

The Plex streaming platform supports the following media formats;

Plans and Pricing – Cost of Unlocking Your Personalized Media Experience

Free version

The free version will be ideal if you aren’t obsessed with high-quality streaming. Despite being standard, the free version grants the subscriber support for many media files within its library, being able to cast to other devices, streaming abilities, standard organization of media files, sharing your server with other users, using voice control for playbacks, and support for 4k!

Monthly Subscription

Plex’s monthly subscription offers flexibility with a pay-as-you-go model, providing access to premium features monthly. Enjoy the full Plex experience with regular updates and improvements, perfect for users seeking short-term commitment and convenience. It costs $4.99/month.

Annual Subscription

Opting for Plex’s annual subscription brings cost savings, bundling a year’s worth of premium features at a discounted rate compared to monthly payments. Experience the convenience of an uninterrupted Plex experience for an entire year, along with exclusive perks and enhancements. It costs 39.99 annually.

Lifetime Subscription

The lifetime subscription to Plex is a one-time payment, granting unlimited access to premium features for the duration of your account’s existence. Make a one-time investment for a lifetime of entertainment, updates, and Plex advancements, providing the ultimate value for long-term users. It costs $119.99 for a lifetime.

Features – Transforming Your Media Streaming

Streaming Quality 

Streaming quality on this platform depends on the strength of the internet connection and the subscription plan. On average, internet connection speeds range from 192 kbps to 20 Mbps. For the video streaming quality, the subscriber will have to upgrade from the free version to a Plex Pass subscription to enjoy pixel quality of up to 4k.

Parental Control

With a large library with numerous contents, parents interested in the platform could be concerned about the content their kids could consume and parental controls. Not to worry. Plex streaming service came with preset profiles to ensure kids are not exposed to media that could hurt them. The preset profiles are;

• None Profile: This profile grants access to all the programs available on the platform with the option of creating an advanced customized restriction allowing only preferred movie genres. 
• Teen Profile: The teen profile allows access to programs with ratings of PG 13 or TV 13, which implies that kids 13 years old or below can watch the content. 
• Older Kid Profile: It grants access to programs with PG ratings or those of lower profiles.
• Younger Kids Profile: Such a profile does not give access to shows or programs rated TV-G, TV-Y, G, or other similar ratings.

Plex Traffic by Websites – Managing Streaming Across Platforms

Certain websites have access to the Plex streaming service and command traffic because of this link on their platform. Let’s have a look:

• Iprofessional.com(9.4 million visits)
• Denofgeek.com(10.2 million visits)
• Pcmag.com(24.8 million visits)
• Looper.com(11.6 million visits)
• Plex tv(24.4 million visits)
• Cinemanblend.com(11.8 million visits)
• Entrepreneur.com(12.9 million visits)

Plex and VPN – Enhancing Security for Streaming Anywhere

Plex, a widely used streaming service, allows users to access their media content from almost anywhere. However, geographical restrictions can sometimes limit content availability based on the user’s location. To overcome these restrictions, users often turn to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) such as ExpressVPN, which can provide a solution by masking the user’s IP address and allowing them to appear to be accessing the service from a different location. It’s important to note that while using a VPN can offer enhanced access to content, users should be aware of and comply with the terms of service of both Plex and the chosen VPN provider to ensure a legal and respectful streaming experience.

Plex Comparison With Other Competitors

Plex Alternatives – Exploring Other Platforms

Discover a world of entertainment beyond Plex! Explore new streaming horizons with our curated selection of services, offering diverse content and unique features. Check out our reviews for an insightful guide to elevate your entertainment experience.

• How to Watch Showtime outside the US in 2023
• How to Access Starz outside the US in 2023
• How to Watch MGM+ from Anywhere with a VPN in 2023
• How to Watch Disney Plus from Anywhere in 2023
• How to Access Crunchyroll outside the US in 2023

The verdict: Is Plex Worth Giving a Shot?

Despite coming short in some areas compared to other alternatives, the Plex media server holds its own with easy setup, convenience of use, and various programs. These are available in its vast library, which can be downloaded and stored, increasing the local content. No matter the device you are streaming from, the Plex app is intuitive, and the general user experience is relatively good. It may not be perfect, but it’s worth a shot.

Frequently Asked Questions