So if youve gotten into the habit of running your media through a converter like HandBrake (Windows, Mac) to make it compatible with your software, you can do away with that step. For every kind of file (movies, multi-part movies, TV shows that have multiple seasons and episodes, etc. Using a VPN is just good practice on the internet these days. If you already know what you want to watch, the Plex Universal Search feature will now show you which streaming services have the content youre looking for. If you're the one running the server, it can start to eat up your computer's resources or become a chore to manage. You should see your movies, music, and any other media you added during setup beginning to populate, along with their respective poster or album art. Your media is stored on and streamed to devices you control, and traffic is encrypted along the way. Therefore, we recommend Plex for those of you who want to organize and retrieve your media. He watches way too many movies and definitely has one to recommend that you haven't seen. Both will scan and organize your media for you, download covers and descriptions, and present it in an eye-catching manner. He's invested in the Apple ecosystem, with experience covering Macs, iPhones, and iPads for publications like Zapier and MakeUseOf. If youd rather stream from a single local server to numerous local or remote devices, Plex is the better choice. Settings related to the current Agent may also be exposed here. Depending on what device you are using, selecting a streaming service will open the app or website directly, so you can start watching it right away. and our Those with Dolby Atmos home theater systems may want to read our how to know if youre getting Dolby Atmos sound guide, as it contains some considerations for Plex users who want to ensure they get Dolby Atmos support. Kodi vs. Plex: Which is Best For You? - How-To Geek Let's face it: No one likes paying for cable. Privacy Policy. Google's Music Services Explained, How to Use Discord to Stream Jackbox Games With Your Friends. Support documents from Plex(Opens in a new window) recommend using a folder system like this: You can further divide your library folders however you prefer, such as adding a new folder for each movie or show. Plex provides numerous perks and minimal restrictions to help you manage and centralize your media library. Highlight a Row Using Conditional Formatting, Hide or Password Protect a Folder in Windows, Access Your Router If You Forget the Password, Access Your Linux Partitions From Windows, How to Connect to Localhost Within a Docker Container, How to Run Your Own DNS Server on Your Local Network. {{navSearchSanitizedItem( item, 'title' )}}. PLEX - Add a movie collection to the home screen for yourself and/or You can find all the movies and shows saved in your Watchlist by navigating to the Plex home page and selecting Watchlist at the top of the screen. PCMag supports Group Black and its mission to increase greater diversity in media voices and media ownerships. When you set up the Plex server and app, you'll be prompted to select from a big list of streaming services, including the major ones you're likely subscribed to, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Hulu, HBO Max, and more. If youre a frequent downloader of new media, you can set it so that Plex automatically updates its library any time it detects a new file has been added. Adding a new Plex library to favorites - Apple TV - Firecore Plex is a powerful media application that lets you stream the movies and TV shows you have on your computer to any of your devices and even share your library with friends. We've all experienced the problem of content overload, when you have an idea of what you want to watch but you just can't quite narrow it down with so many options available. Use the original titles for all items, regardless of the library language. By submitting your email, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Name the library and choose the language to use for information gathered from the internet. Reorder the Playlist source from your Plex Media Server to be at the top of the sidebar. Though Kodi doesnt use a separate server and client structure, you can still stream your library around the house by enabling DLNA/UPnP streaming within your Kodi settings. If you do the above correctly, scanning your media with Plex should automatically result in a well-organized library of accurate metadata. Thank you for helping us improve our articles. Doing so has two big advantages: First, Plex can automatically transcode any music files that Sonos cant play like hi-res FLAC files so you can enjoy your full music library. To solve this, Plex recently announced a new feature to help you find any content on all your streaming services in one place. When that happens, there are things you can do to make sure your library looks clean. Both are compatible with a huge range of devices, and both are capable ofmaximizing compatibility via DLNA/UPnP streaming. It might sound tedious, but it's a habit that will pay off in the long run. While this feature makes streams faster, it can also fill up the storage on your computer at home more quickly, so pick which movies to optimize carefully. Access that using the Edit option in the sidebar. Step 1: First, you'll need to configure your modem to send remote access requests to your router if they are not the same device. The library will keep track of what youve watched and organize content by season. On the left side bar, ensure that your new Plex Server is selected and select on Remote Access under the Settings section. As you browse the music on your server, Plex automatically finds matches from Tidal to show you tracks or albums you might be missing and related artists and genres. Depending on the file type youre playing and the formats supported by your client, this can take a lot of power on the servers side. Installing the server software on a PC or NAS can turn your home or office into a connected hub that can stream all kinds of. And if that isn't enough, Plex also operates its own ad-supported, free streaming video service known as Plex Free Movies and TV, which can be accessed alongside your personal media, as well as live TV and DVR features you can access with the Plex Pass subscription. However, it's still good practice to keep every library in its own. Once the media server is fully installed, it will open a new browser window, which contains the Plex web app. Settings to control actual playback are available in the Plex apps themselves. PCMag supports Group Black and its mission to increase greater diversity in media voices and media ownerships. How to use Plex Media Server to watch all of your media In minutes, your media collection goes from being a series of files and folders to a Netflix-like experience that you control. Plex has relatively low system requirementsfor servers, though performance will be impacted by the speed of your network and your decision to use wireless networking or not. You can sign up for a free account, or just use a guest account and start streaming now. Use Code EEROINSTALL, The best streaming services to replace your cable, the best streaming devices for any budget, Disney Plus Day Announced with Special Deals and New IMAX Mode, YouTube TV Now Supports 4K, Offline Downloads, and More, Low-Cost Ways To Save Money on Your Electricity Bills, How to Make Your Ring Video Doorbell Battery Last Longer, The Best Free Apps for Your Fire TV Stick. seinman 5 mo. For example. Eric Ravenscraft is a freelance writer and tech nerd working out of the geek capital of the world, Atlanta, Georgia. It's worth pointing out that you don't need to use a VPN exclusively for Plex traffic. Once you set it up to include all the streaming services you subscribe to, as well as a ton of other free and smaller niche services, you'll be able to see what's streaming across them all in one place. Click on the Settings icon in top-right corner of the Plex web interface. Since Kodi must be installed on a device thats plugged directly into your TV, youll be able to use this device for different things. Unfortunately, that includes a big collection of unofficial add-ons that can cause you all sorts of problems, including unknowingly accessing copyrighted material. Just like Plex, Kodi can scrape the web and build a detailed library of content including cover images, descriptions, ratings, and more. Watch Together is supported on the following devices: Step 1: To start Watch Together, select a movie or show you want to watch in your Plex app, and then select the Three dots / more button, followed by Watch Together. Sometimes editing the title here is enough to get Plex to automatically find the correct info, but if not you can copy it from IMDb or manually add it yourself. Plex Now Lets You Add All Your Streaming Services In One Place If you know that you will mostly want to play your files on a single TV at home, buying a more powerful client device that can handle lots of file types on its own without needing the server to transcode is a great alternative to a more expensive server machine. Here are seven steps to get Plex up and running in the platform of your choice. Plex is a different kind of streaming service. Read on to discover how to unlock your favorite local streams. Plex comes with its own transcoder. And while the selection is nothing like what youd find on a paid service like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, there are some great B-movies, Hollywood classics, and hidden gems to be discovered. The options available will vary depending on the type of library you selected. {{navSearchSanitizedItem( item, 'title' )}}. You can organize your own personal media files, such as pictures, music, and videos, as well as streaming services to watch movies, TV series, podcasts, and other online content. Plex is a media server solution that is hosted on a single machine, somewhere on your local network. When that fails, you can manually edit your library's info. Plex pulls multiple versions of each that you can choose from, or you can upload your own if you don't like any of them. You can use Settings > Manage > Libraries to add a row of library specific playlists to the homepage. If you cant access the new Plex features, check out our list of the best streaming devices for any budget. This way, you can search for something to watch without switching back and forth between different apps. Simple guide to making (and sharing) a Plex streaming movie library You've already provided feedback for this article, thank you for helping us improve our articles. There's also a fun Watch Together feature, which we'll get more into below, that allows you to watch your favorite movies and shows with friends. Best shows on Netflix Though if you have Plex Web settings sync enabled in any instance it will save that to new browsers signed into your account. Its next to the compass icon. Pin individual playlists to home screen? : r/PleX - Reddit You can download and run Kodi on Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, Raspberry Pi, and with a bit of work closed Apple devices like the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. We'll take it from here. When you find a movie or TV show that you want to stream, just select one of your streaming services from the list under Watch from these locations. The Nvidia Shield TV and Shield TV Pro can play virtually every media file type, effectively eliminating the need for the Plex server to perform transcoding. If you have a data cap, as an increasing number of home internet users do(Opens in a new window), you could hit that limit quickly. Once you select it, you will see the new Add to Watchlist button or just a bookmark icon below the title and description. If you only want to see titles that are available, you can filter your list using the Available to stream filter. It will ask you to create a new Plex account and then take you through a setup wizard that mostly involves helping the server track down your media files. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology. 3. https://www.pcmag.com/news/the-experts-guide-to-managing-your-plex-server, How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad, How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill, How to Convert YouTube Videos to MP3 Files, How to Record the Screen on Your Windows PC or Mac, an increasing number of home internet users do, how Plex prefers you name your files here, Plex Asks All Users to Change Their Passwords Due to a Data Breach, Netflix's Crackdown on Password Sharing Is Confusing Subscribers, Cast Away: How to Connect Your Android Phone to Your TV, How to Prepare Your Digital Life for Your Death, YouTube Music or Google Play Music? Choose the basic type of media this library represents. He's invested in the Apple ecosystem, with experience covering Macs, iPhones, and iPads for publications like Zapier and MakeUseOf. You can also manually specify a public port if you need to enable port forwarding. Summary: These short descriptions can give you an idea of what a movie or episode is about. Once you update Plex to the latest version, you will be presented with a list of streaming services that you can add. Once youve selected the library type, youll be able to change the name and language. Adding content from other servers. Step 1: Run the Plex Media Server on your computer, or compatible NAS device, or others. Basic Plex has no cost. What about Kodi versus Plex? There is no way for you to synchronize settings from one device to another easily. To vote if this article was helpful, please sign in with your plex account. Not all TV shows fit neatly into the above format, so Plex has naming conventions for other formats(Opens in a new window), like miniseries, specials, or date-based late night talk shows. To add a movie or TV show to your Watchlist, select a magnifying glass icon in the top-left corner of Plex and search for it. Customizing Plex Web | Plex Support The simplest solution is an automatic feature known as Relay(Opens in a new window). Use the Browse for Media Folders button to open a dialog where you can browse to the location or enter the path. Plex Pass currently costs $4.99 per month, $39.99 per year, or $119.99 for a lifetime subscription. Bestmovies on Netflix. This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Including, but not limited to: Title: Editing a film or series title will change the name of the movie as it's displayed in your library. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Step 4: Any user in the session can pause, start, fast forward, or reward the content. If you skip this screen, you can also add them later by going to Settings > Streaming Services on any device. All Rights Reserved. You will see the new Discover section in the menu on the left side of the Plex home . From a music-discovery point of view, its a powerful system because its based on the music you love after all, you already own it. Jebusfreek666 1 yr. ago Read more Jordan Gloor is Technical Editor at How-To Geek. If you specify multiple locations, content will all be consolidated together for your library. But every once in a while a movie will be missing a poster, or a TV show will get split up. For instance, you might have your own library of photos as well one to which a friend or family member has granted you access, or maybe you have multiple TV libraries of your own. Albert Bush 414 subscribers Subscribe 251 views 5 months ago Learn how to feature any. You may or may not want to pin libraries to which a friend has granted you access. Creating Libraries | Plex Support If you have a Tidal subscription, you can add it to Plex. Plex is simple-to-use software that brings together all your different types of media, and it also is pretty easy to install. Eric Ravenscraft is a freelance writer and tech nerd working out of the geek capital of the world, Atlanta, Georgia. Do you subscribe to a number of streaming services? Many of these web shows and podcasts can be found on other services, like YouTube, but having them accessible within Plex is a little more convenient. Mobile sync: A must-have for commuters, this feature lets you wirelessly keep copies of your favorite media on your phone for offline playback. Choose whether or not video preview thumbnails will be generated for this particular library if the main setting is enabled for the Plex Media Server. You can log in to your Plex account and stream your media over the internet from anywhere. Heres everything you need to know about the new Plex Discover, Universal Search, and Expanded Watchlist features, and how you can add your favorite streaming services to Plex now. Thank you for helping us improve our articles. Could I use that instead? If you want to share your Plex library with friends and family (who dont live with you), youll need to configure remote access first. If you have a device that lacks a dedicated client app Plex includes DLNA/UPnP streaming which expands streaming capabilities to a huge number of devices that support the standard (particularly older smart TVs). Hardware-accelerated streaming: This is a big one for those who want the best transcoding performance. When you purchase through our links we may earn a commission. There are two ways to go about this and both can be found in the Plex web app's settings section under Remote Access: Tell Plex your home internet's upload speed. 10 Best Plex Plugins That Are Worth Using in 2023 - PUREVPN To change the Scanner, click the dropdown and select the one you want to use. To create a library, launch the Plex Web App then: Click to open the settings menu Ensure that the correct Plex Media Server is selected within the settings menu Select Libraries under the Manage section of the settings menu Click Add Library Choose the library type from the selection