What Is Plex? A Beginner’s Guide

Not as popular as Netflix or as specific as Crunchyroll, Plex is a not-so-well-known but versatile entertainment platform that serves many core functions. It’s a cross-platform media streaming service you can use to watch live TV, find titles, stream music, and broadcast your own media on a server.

Plex might be a little difficult to navigate as a new user, but we’ve got you covered. Keep reading to learn how to use Plex’s core features to work and understand its pricing plans.

What Is Plex?

On the surface, Plex looks like another Netflix alternative, but don’t be deceived. While it’s a streaming platform, most of the titles you’ll find here to stream are old or low-budget films and TV shows. But they’re all free.

You could also find newer titles that aren’t available for streaming on Plex. After finding them, add them to your Watchlist, and see where you can currently stream them in its Watch from these locations section in the film description. If you have a Plex Media Server with the movie in its catalog, you’ll find the server with the movie listed as a source.

You can also stream music from Plex by clicking Music on the side menu. However, you will need a Tidal subscription since all the music on Plex is from Tidal.

However, most people commonly use Plex for its media server. With a Plex Media Server, you can create a server that will source videos, photos, and music from the host device and broadcast it online for all other devices using your account.

Plex Also Has Live TV Channels

Similar to cable TV, Plex has “channels” you can connect to and watch. These channels number over a hundred in various niches, categories, and languages. This is the only way you can watch certain shows like The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross; it’s not in the Free On Demand category—you’ll only find it only on the Bob Ross Channel.

The Live TV section is in the left-side menu. After you select it, you can use the tabs to choose what categories you would like, such as Entertainment, Movies, Reality, News, Kids, etc. Learn more in our dedicated guide on how to watch free live TV channels on Plex.

Much like traditional cable TV, you can’t rewind or pause Plex’s Live TV channels. They also have break times and airing times, so you might not be able to watch your favorite channel every time you’d like.

Most Plex veterans use it primarily for its server function. You can download a Plex Media Server on your laptop, choose what folders you would like it to access, and all your devices will be able to access it.

Here’s a quick way to get started:

1. Download a Plex Media Server from Plex’s website, install it, and launch it.
2. Open Settings in the Plex app by clicking the wrench in the top-right.
3. Scroll to the Manage section and click Libraries.
4. Select Add Library, choose your category of media, click Next, and select Add Library.

Anytime you want to watch something from your media server, click More in the side menu to see your linked device’s media.

But this is only a rudimentary way to turn a computer into a Plex server; there’s a way to convert an old computer to a dedicated Plex Media Server.

Plex helps organize your media after it scans them and adds them to your collection. Based on the available metadata, it will add artwork, descriptions, and song lyrics. It’s a pretty good way to organize your media.

You can also connect a tuner or antenna to your Plex Media Server to tap into over-the-air signals in your location.

How Much Does Plex Cost?

Plex takes pride in the fact that most of its core features are completely free—no subscriptions required. That said, it has a Plex Pass, which could cost you $4.99/month, $39.99/year, or a lifetime cost of $119.99.

But we’re sure you’re wondering why you would ever have to pay for a Plex Pass. Here are some of the more interesting features you get when your pay for Plex:

• Better playback through hardware acceleration and transcoding for media on your server with a Plex Pass. That means you could have more devices streaming from your Plex Media Server without compromising your video quality.
• Plex also restricts your media playback and watermarks photos on the Android and iOS apps, but getting a Plex Pass removes all such restrictions (this doesn’t apply to TV apps or the web app).
• The song lyrics feature we discussed earlier is locked behind Plex’s paywall.
• You get to skip credits and intros in movies in your library with a Plex Pass.
• Get extra content for movies in your libraries, such as interviews and behind-the-scenes.

The people who stand to gain the most from the Plex Pass are those with multiple devices and users who would like to stay connected to the Plex Media Server without compromising too much. However, more casual users who plan to mostly use this individually might not see any need for investing in a Plex Pass.

What Devices Can You Use to Stream Plex?

As you may have guessed, Plex has a versatile cross-platform ecosystem. Here are all the places you can access Plex:

• Browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari) via the web app.
• Laptops and desktops running macOS, Windows, or Linux.
• Android phones and tablets.
• iPhones and iPads.
• Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Hisense, Vizio, etc.).
• Android TVs.
• Apple TVs.
• Chromecast.
• Roku.
• Sonos.
• Amazon Alexa.
• PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox X|S.

However, some of these might require you to have a Plex Pass. If you don’t want that, you may have to pay a one-time $5 fee to activate the device to have full access to your Plex Media Server.

Use Plex to Watch Anything Anywhere

If you have most of your favorite movies, songs, and films on a PC somewhere, and you’re tired of lugging a hard drive around, it’s time to invest in Plex. You could bite the bullet and buy a lifetime Plex subscription or use its free version, but you can now set up a media server to connect to wherever you are.