The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. All Rights Reserved. For questions and comments about the Plex Media Server. You can customize which databases Plex pulls from, but the default settings should work for most people. This means you can watch your locally stored movies, music, and everything in between directly on your Roku just like you watch movies on Netflix without using any connecting cables. Determine whether or not the Cinema Trailers feature will be available and active for this library. In fact, you can even add unreleased movies to your Watchlist. Keep an eye on your inbox! Access and search all your streaming services with Plex Discover, How to enable remote access and library sharing. But not everyone wants to keep a powerful PC running continuously. To change the Scanner, click the dropdown and select the one you want to use. You can log in to your Plex account and stream your media over the internet from anywhere. Cookie Notice Move her approved movies to a folder, make a library from that folder, and then add the new folder to your existing library for you to use. If you have an existing account but haven't logged in recently, when you next log in, you will be required to update your password. Youll first need to set some general information for the library. This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. As long as you have the right client apps available, youll get the fully-featured Plex experience on any device. Reorder the Playlist source from your Plex Media Server to be at the top of the sidebar. Plex is simple-to-use software that brings together all your different types of media, and it also is pretty easy to install. Step 5: To quickly check that everything is as it should be, click the Home button in the web app interface. If so, a Plex Media Server might be just what you need. Can Power Companies Remotely Adjust Your Smart Thermostat? 3. A sufficiently fast Wi-Fi network (routers and devices that support 802.11ac are best) can work too, but youll need excellent signal strength to support streaming in 4K/HDR. The default Scanner is automatically selected when you create the library but you can change it if necessary. Click, Once youve added all the source folders for this library, click, Enable the main setting under Settings > Server > Library. Gather data from Last.fm about which tracks for particular artists are most popular. Thank you for helping us improve our articles! In layman's terms, that means it will convert any media in your libraries into a format that's compatible with the client device. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. For more information, please see our As far as the Plex Client Player goes, you can run the client app on just about any device thats out there, so the odds are good that you already own a compatible one from web browsers to Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, or various smart TVs. Related Page: Cinema Trailers, Extras, & Related Albums. If you are considering installing Kodi, we recommend looking over our Kodi explainer to learn how to safeguard against cyberattacks or any other potential problem that might occur with third-party add-ons. You can use Settings > Manage > Libraries to add a row of library specific playlists to the homepage. 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. Heres Plexs support page that discusses the minimum requirements; its a good place to start. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. For Plex Media Server: PC, Mac, Linux, FreeBSD computer, Nvidia Shield/Shield TV, Netgear Nighthawk router, or supported NAS, For Plex Client Player: Any supported streaming device. 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. Open ports on Plex with PureVPN's Port forwarding Add-on This feature allows you to create "optimized" versions of your media in a lower quality or a different format that can quickly be streamed over limited connections. All Rights Reserved. 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If a librarys language is set to French, for example, the French plot summary, etc., will be downloaded when available. Each library has a language that controls the information gathered from the internet. Many of Plexs best features are available for free, but there are some premium features that you can only access if you have a Plex Pass subscription. Albert Bush 414 subscribers Subscribe 251 views 5 months ago Learn how to feature any. Unfortunately, that includes a big collection of unofficial add-ons that can cause you all sorts of problems, including unknowingly accessing copyrighted material. Your media is stored on and streamed to devices you control, and traffic is encrypted along the way. PCMag, PCMag.com and PC Magazine are among the federally registered trademarks of Ziff Davis and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission. That means you will have to set up each Kodi device as though it were the first time. window.videoEmbeds = window.videoEmbeds || []; 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? 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. Plex is the ideal choice if remote streaming is important to you. Step 3: A Watch Together session will now appear on the top of your app's home screen. But there are some important differences that you can use to guide your decision. Since Kodi is a self-contained solution, youll need to put in a bit of extra work to sync your library across different instances. 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. When enabled, trailers and extras will automatically be retrieved for your movies when available. Though Plex is free to download, some features require Plex Pass or a one-time fee. Plex has two choices for setup. By changing the sort title, you can put them in the proper order without changing their names to something like Pirates of the Caribbean 1, 2, and so on. When available, it can be displayed on the artists page. Step 3: Then, configure your Plex Media Server to respond to those remote access requests. Open app.plex.tv and click the "Activity" button in the top right corner of the interfaceif an update is available, it will tell you so. While our apps try to give you a great default Home screen, everyones needs can be differentand can even vary from device to device for the same person. Alternatively, you can run some combination of the two since theres an official Plex add-on available for Kodi. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Metadata refers to any data relevant to a movie or TV show besides the video itself. You should now be familiar with how to use Plex. Since the Plex Media Server does the lions share of the work involved in organizing and playing back your media, a sufficiently powerful device is important for the best experience. But every once in a while a movie will be missing a poster, or a TV show will get split up. However, it can get in the way of your Plex server working correctly. A custom app for remote server monitoring. Click "Add Content." The Add Library window appears. After you have done that, press the Add Library button and select Movies and press Next. However, if you're already using a VPN for other purposes, this can help you make Plex play nicely with it. 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 The streaming service conveniently allows users to search by general categories, but if you want to get even more specific, there's a trick to help you out. Cookie Notice Though if you have Plex Web settings sync enabled in any instance it will save that to new browsers signed into your account. Theyre both a great way of putting an old computer youre no longer using to good use. {{navSearchSanitizedItem( item, 'title' )}}. First, while it's not strictly necessary, it's often best to create nested folders for every show, season, and possibly episode, if the episode is broken up into multiple files. Playing that track in a supported app will then resume from where you left off. This way, you can search for something to watch without switching back and forth between different apps. These short descriptions can give you an idea of what a movie or episode is about. Use the Edit option in the sidebar to allow you to pin and unpin (or reorder) the sources. Tip! Do not use the root of your drive as a folder location. Keep in mind, playing a movie this way wont necessarily show you what it will look like on a device like an Apple TV or Roku. One of the most powerful features of Plex is the ability to configure the Plex server for remote access. Editing a film or series title will change the name of the movie as it's displayed in your library. Intro PLEX - Add a movie collection to the home screen for yourself and/or your users for the Hoildays. ID3 tags for MP3 files.). 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. Best of all, your Plex library can also be shared with other Plex users, making it an ideal way to give friends and family members access to your media without having to upload all of it to a third-party cloud service like Google Drive or iCloud. Both Plex and Kodi broadly support the same types of media, enjoying excellent compatibility with most major video and audio formats. Choose the Scanner to use with your library. Once installed and set up, a Plex Media Server can automatically organize all your files on your computer. Plex comes with its own transcoder. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. Let's face it: No one likes paying for cable. Clicking a title brings up all kinds of info on it, including the services it's available on, as well as the ability to add it to your watchlist. Step 4: Any user in the session can pause, start, fast forward, or reward the content. 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. He has written for Ozy.com, Mobilesyrup, Driving.ca, and VentureBeat, and appeared as a guest tech expert on international TV and radio programs, including BBC Radio, CTV News Channel, and CBC Radio. For Apple TV, for instance, its in the App Store. But is there really any alternative? Plex Media Library. However, since this feature is still in beta, it might not be available on your device yet. How to watch local channels on your Roku device, How to use Netflixs secret category codes to find what you want to watch, Plex Arcade brings classic Atari console titles to your TV for $5 per month. Unfortunately, many of the most popular titles for these consoles, like Pac Man, Space Invaders, Joust, and Donkey Kong are not among the available games at launch. You need to already be friends to invite someone, but you can simply send them a friend request on Plex. You candownload and install Plex Media Serveron a large number of devices, including desktop computers (Windows, macOS, Linux, and FreeBSD) andnetwork-attached storage drives. The library will keep track of what youve watched and organize content by season. If youre not a fan of maintaining a highly connected, centrally managed media library that clients stream from, then Kodi is for you. You could, for example, use Steams Big Picture Mode to play games in your living room (run them natively or connect your gaming PC using Steam Link) or use an app like Playnite to bring launchers like the Epic Game Store and GOG together under one TV-friendly interface. The philosophy behind this redesign focuses on a reimagining of the way the Plex apps are structured. But in the past few years, Plex has also added a massive library of over 50,000 paid and free movies, over 250 free Live TV channels, and additional features that set it apart from most other streaming services. Unlike iTunes, Plex can read just about every media file format you can think of. However, it doesn't always get it right. Plex is a media server solution that is hosted on a single machine, somewhere on your local network. : While these settings are exposed for the library, the selected values will take effect for all libraries using that agent. With the free app, you can build your own personal media server and stream any videos from your computer to your TV or smartphone, no matter where you are. seinman 5 mo. Both Plex and Kodi are available to download and try out for free. Step 2: Once the Watch Together session is going, you can then select the friends you wish to join you. When you purchase through our links we may earn a commission. You can always skip this step Plex will still let you access and play your files even if they arent named using Plexs conventions, but it may have a hard time identifying what the file is, so you may not get all of the rich data from the web that makes using Plex so enjoyable. Step 1: When you start the Plex client, it will ask you for the same Plex account you created when you installed the server. Plex Media Server runs on all computers running the major operating systems as well as NAS devices: Whichever one you choose, a wired network connection for both your server machine and your client device is recommended. 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. There is no way for you to synchronize settings from one device to another easily. 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. Join 425,000 subscribers and get a daily digest of news, geek trivia, and our feature articles. You can also choose theMoreentry to view additional items or to pin them to the sidebar. Enjoy Deep Control of Rows from Personal Libraries For folks who run their own Plex Media Server, you can have even more control over which rows will appear on an app home screen for a particular pinned personal media library. Maybe you move it toward the bottom of the sidebar. Keep an eye on your inbox! data: {"slug":"63nwkYZAn5","url":"https:\/\/vdist.aws.mashable.com\/cms\/2019\/8\/6668d220-bce1-feb6\/mp4\/1080.mp4","transcoded_urls":["https:\/\/vdist.aws.mashable.com\/cms\/2019\/8\/6668d220-bce1-feb6\/hls.m3u8","https:\/\/vdist.aws.mashable.com\/cms\/2019\/8\/6668d220-bce1-feb6\/dash.mpd","https:\/\/vdist.aws.mashable.com\/cms\/2019\/8\/6668d220-bce1-feb6\/mp4\/1080.mp4","https:\/\/vdist.aws.mashable.com\/cms\/2019\/8\/6668d220-bce1-feb6\/mp4\/720.mp4","https:\/\/vdist.aws.mashable.com\/cms\/2019\/8\/6668d220-bce1-feb6\/mp4\/480.mp4"],"title":"Video Streaming Services: What You Should Know","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/blueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/video_uploaders\/distribution_thumb\/image\/92250\/aa1ed1c3-4355-4d9e-9ada-50eb321c353c.jpg"} 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, What to Do When Your Apple TV Remote Stops Working, 20 Things You Didn't Know Your Google Chromecast Could Do, The Best Media Streaming Devices for 2023, 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? Downloads for Windows, macOS, Linux Desktop, Direct Play, Direct Stream, Transcoding Overview, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information / Opt-out of Targeted Advertising. recommend using a folder system like this: The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003).mkv. You can see what these users are watching in real time, as well as being able to see a history of what theyve watched, within the Activity Dashboard for your server. support page that discusses the minimum requirements, how to know if youre getting Dolby Atmos sound guide, Simply download the appropriate installer, How to watch Amazon Prime Video on your Chromecast, How to build the ultimate Zoom setup for all your Thanksgiving video calls, Plex adds a new artwork-centric option to its visual experience, Plex now lets you skip the credits on movies and TV shows, The best places to watch free movies online, Locast shutters operations heres how to keep watching your local channels, You can now watch Peacock on all Fire TV devices, ahead of Tokyo Games, How to connect Alexa to your home speakers. Plex says the new Discover section and other features will be available on Roku, Apple TV+, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, iOS and Android mobile devices, smart TVs, game consoles, and at www.plex.tv. When you stream a movie from your computer at home to your phone, it eats up data. 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. PCMag supports Group Black and its mission to increase greater diversity in media voices and media ownerships. Tim Brookes is a technology writer with more than a decade of experience. Note: Recently, Plex had a data breach. Kodi is free forever, while Plex has a generous free plan. The obvious way to deal with this problem is to make sure your Plex server is running on a really robust computer. Both are compatible with a huge range of devices, and both are capable ofmaximizing compatibility via DLNA/UPnP streaming. Content in the folders must prepared like the exampleslinked on the Add folders tab. 2 yr. ago. 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. Plex has more features in terms of streaming from a single, networked library but many of these (like streaming to mobile apps) arent necessarily free to use. You will generally find the one for your specific device in the online download store for that platform. The critical difference is that it goes about the actions differently. It might sound tedious, but it's a habit that will pay off in the long run. 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. We will do a deep dive into Plex's many great features and offer a. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Plex covers all the major players, like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and many of the smaller, niche services, too, so you should have no problem adding your favorites. As in, all artists showing. You can adjust the order of pinned content while editing the sidebar. Create, organize, and store your collections. Further reading, New on Netflix It will also prioritize streaming services that you are subscribed to, with free options listed before any paid or rental options. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology. Select Libraries under the Manage section of the settings menu. The first option on this page . https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-organize-your-plex-media-library. to the Plex. Plex is simple-to-use software that brings together all your different types of media, and it also is pretty easy to install. Therefore, we recommend Plex for those of you who want to organize and retrieve your media. Most of the time, however, you'll want to format movie files with their name first and release year in parentheses. Kodi is free forever, while Plex has a generous . When this option is enabled, genre information from Last.fm will be used instead of embedded metadata. You've already provided feedback for this article, thank you. Whats the Difference Between a DOS and DDoS Attack? Upcoming concert information can be gathered from Last.fm. Step 4: Inside the settings for your Plex Media Server, youll find a section called Users and Sharing. Sort Title: This is an invisible title you can tweak to change how files are sorted. Scan this QR code to download the app now. When available, those popular tracks are displayed on the artists page. The Plex server uses a process called transcoding to make all of your media playable on any device. Kodi is a powerful media center software interface that does many of the same things as Plex. 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. Click this and a small window will pop up with boxes you can edit. Update Your Plex Media Server: It's easy to fall behind on Plex updates and bug fixes. 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. For more information, please see our Step 1: Simply download the appropriate installer and follow the instructions. Your options are: Movies, TV Shows, Music, Photos, or Other Videos. In the Remote Access section of Plex's settingsthe same place where you found the upload speed limitsclick Show Advanced and you can find your public facing IP address, which you can use to configure outside access. You will see the new Discover section in the menu on the left side of the Plex home . He's been writing technology explainers and how-tos since 2020, but he's tinkering with computers and other tech since childhood. Repeat for the TV Shows library and folder. ago. What is SSH Agent Forwarding and How Do You Use It? Plus, without a central server managing your media collection, each instance of Kodi is its own world. Adding content from other servers. I cannot seem to get my library on the Home screen. Premium music and photo libraries: Get extra info added to your music (like lyrics that you can use for karaoke) or photos (location data) for a richer experience. Additionally, there isnt a customer support option, so if you run into any issues, theres nobody to help with troubleshooting, so you have to figure it out on your own. This option requires that iTunes be installed in the default location on the computer running Plex Media Server. Create, organize, and store your collections. Looks like you already left that comment. Many popular NAS devices, such as QNAP, Synology, Netgear, Drobo, and. Click Next, add the folders with the media files. For example. Use the Browse for Media Folders button to open a dialog where you can browse to the location or enter the path. Beyond that, there are several useful tricks and tools you can find buried in the server application's settings that can help you keep things organized, make sure your computer runs well while it's in use, and even protect you from anyone who might try to peek into your stream. How-To Geek is where you turn when you want experts to explain technology. 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. 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. You will see the new Discover section in the menu on the left side of the Plex home screen. Note: The Scanner and Agent settings are not available when using a Premium type music library. Cinema Trailers, Extras, & Related Albums, Direct Play, Direct Stream, Transcoding Overview, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information / Opt-out of Targeted Advertising, Ensure that the correct Plex Media Server is selected within the settings menu, Select Libraries under the Manage section of the settings menu, Choose the library type from the selection, Name the library and choose the language to use for information gathered from the internet. In the main Plex screen (Home icon on the top left), click "+" next to "LIBRARIES". If you have a lot of files, renaming them doesnt have to be a manual process: macOS has a great, built-in file-renaming function, as does Windows 10. Privacy Policy. Intel CPUs Might Give up the i After 14 Years, Windows 11 Has More Widgets Improvements on the Way, WordTsar Is Reviving the 80s WordStar Writing Experience, 2023 LifeSavvy Media. You can also manually specify a public port if you need to enable port forwarding. These include ad-supported and public domain content, plus a large number of streaming live TV channels. There are several useful tricks and tools buried in the Plex server application's settings that can help you keep things organized and the content flowing. Without a Plex Pass, all server transcoding is handled by the Plex software, but this option lets you use your PCs additional hardware power to assist in that task, making it much smoother.