Plex gets serious: Remote streaming soon only with subscription
To access a media library on the go with Plex, a subscription has been necessary for months – theoretically. Now Plex wants to implement the rule.
(Image: Plex)
Plex is getting serious: Starting this week, a subscription will be required to stream content from your own media library to the Roku app when you are outside your home network. This is according to a Plex employee in a forum post. In the coming year, the new remote streaming regulations are to be enforced on other TV operating systems as well.
The company behind the media server had already announced the change in early spring: To access your own media library remotely, i.e., from a network other than the media server's home network, a Plex subscription is necessary. This primarily affects users who obtain their content from a friend's or acquaintance's server. Previously, they could stream for free, but soon a subscription will be required.
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But users who only use their Plex library for themselves are also affected – for example, when they want to stream their content to their mobile phone or via a TV stick to the TV in a hotel room. "The reality is that we need more resources to continue to provide the best personal media experience. Therefore, we will no longer offer remote playback as a free feature," Plex justified the change when announcing it in March.
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Two subscription options
To enable remote access to your media library content, there are two options:
- The Remote Watch Pass for 2 Euros per month allows the subscriber to access content without restriction, even outside the home network. This option can be booked by both the owner and individual co-users of a library.
- The Plex Pass for 6 Euros per month allows all users of a library to access their content without restriction, even outside the home network. This option can only be booked by the owner of the library.
Another alternative: switch to another service provider. Tools like Jellyfin and Emby allow remote streaming at no cost.
(dahe)
