Plex Media Server
Contents7
| Basic Information | |
|---|---|
| Release Year | 2007 |
| Product Type | Server, Client |
| In Production | Yes |
| Official Website | https://plex.tv/ |
Plex Media Server is media server software, with associated clients, allowing users to host their own media server on their own hardware, in a Netflix-style interface. Originally forked from XBMC in 2007, the software allows users to specify their own existing media as source, such as movies, music, and photos. Plex is easily accessible on various clients across multiple platforms, including a web client that works on regular computers.
Consumer impact summary
For much of its existence, Plex has offered both a free and paid service. The paid service allowed for multiple users on the server, whereas the free service was only limited to one user. Up until April of 2025, both the paid and free tier of the server software allowed for users to access their media remotely (i.e. on a different network than their local/home one) on any client, assuming that the technical aspects had been configured correctly. However, many users were disappointed to find out that Plex revoked free access to the remote streaming function and then tried selling it back to them.
Incidents
This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the Plex Media Server category.
Revocation of free remote access (April 2025)
In April 2025, an announcement was made[1] noting various changes. Of note, remote access would no longer be a free feature, and would require a Remote Watch Pass subscription. In addition, prices of the existing Plex Pass were increased.
The change also affected users who had previously paid the one-time Android or iOS in-app activation fee. Rather than grandfathering those users into continued remote playback, Plex stated that they would only receive an extended trial of the new Remote Watch Pass subscription.[2][3] Plex's support articles for the legacy Android and iOS one-time activations also state that these in-app purchases cannot be refunded.[4][5]
Banning media servers hosted on Hetzner (September 2023)
- Main article: Plex banning servers hosted on Hetzner
In September 2023, Plex sent out an email to all customers on Hetzner IP addresses, stating that "the IP address associated with a Plex Media Server on your account appears to come from a service provider that hosts a significant number of Plex Media Servers that violate our Terms of Service."[6] In this email, they announced that they were blocking Hetzner IP ranges, starting from October 12th.
Consumer friendly alternatives
See also
References
- ↑ "Important 2025 Plex Updates". 19 Mar 2025. Archived from the original on 18 Feb 2026. Retrieved 15 Aug 2025.
- ↑ "Important 2025 Plex Updates". 19 Mar 2025. Archived from the original on 18 Feb 2026. Retrieved 8 Mar 2026.
- ↑ "Extended Trial Availability for Remote Watch Pass". 29 Apr 2025. Archived from the original on 2026-03-24. Retrieved 8 Mar 2026.
- ↑ "Unlocking or Activating Plex for Android". 6 May 2025. Archived from the original on 2026-04-07. Retrieved 8 Mar 2026.
- ↑ "Unlocking or Activating Plex for iOS". 6 May 2025. Archived from the original on 2026-04-02. Retrieved 8 Mar 2026.
- ↑ "Anyone else get this Plex notice? : r/Plex". Reddit. 2023-09-14. Archived from the original on 4 May 2025. Retrieved 2025-08-15.