One of the worst things that’s happened due to the modern streaming wars, and with so many services, is that, as an active subscriber to many of these platforms, you have to bounce around between the different apps to browse content or watch it. It’s a highly fragmented experience that can be frustrating, especially when you don’t know what you want to watch in the first place. You might start with Netflix, browsing movies and shows available, then hop over to Hulu or something else when you can’t find anything interesting. Wouldn’t it be so much better if a one-stop-shop or hub put you in control of a single, unified library? Something like this already exists, and it’s called Plex.
If you’ve never heard of it before, or if you have heard of it and just never had the chance to use it, listen up because Plex is an absolute media powerhouse that everyone should try, at the very least. It will put you in full control of your media and completely transform your modern entertainment experience. You won’t have to hop between watchlists on various platforms like Prime Video, Paramount+, or Max. Instead, it’s all accessed through Plex, and then you can browse from a central platform. Even better, once you add your streaming apps through Plex, it will allow you to create a universal watchlist regardless of where the titles are available and provide recommendations across your preferred streaming apps — essentially doing all of the legwork for you. It’s a fantastic way to discover new content that’s tailored to your interests. But there’s so much more to Plex, making it a powerful entertainment tool. You can find and interact with your friends on Plex, and discover and watch new content together. You’ll get film, actor, and behind-the-scenes facts for every piece of content. You can even bring your own custom media, but we’ll get to that.
Unlimited power: What can Plex do?
Generally, a streaming service or platform offers you one form of media. For instance, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and Prime Video offer movies, TV shows, and sometimes live content. Spotify, Pandora, and Prime Music allow you to listen to music in the cloud. They’re tailored for one activity or form of media. You have to bounce around if you want to do something different, and sometimes, you still have to bounce around to find different movies, shows, or content.
Plex, on the other hand, has it all. Movies, TV shows, live content, and music. It’s all here.
Alongside tapping into all of your favorite streaming services, allowing you to see what’s available in one big unified watchlist, you can also access your own content via a Plex media server that you set up and host, and that includes movies, shows, and music. All of your media is accompanied by relevant details, including cover art, movie posters, actor and actress descriptions, links to other related media, trailers, and so much more. The Plex database essentially auto-matches all of your media to a particular set of info, so you can review and read everything there is to know about that movie, show, artist, or album. That content further enhances your exploration by revealing other forms of media you might like, such as another show your favorite actor or actress starred in or a similar artist that has created content you might enjoy.
Don’t worry if you’re not bringing your own media to the table, Plex still has plenty to watch. You can access live TV with over 200 channels or stream movies and shows with a few commercial breaks in between. Moreover, Plex is available across a ton of different devices, from mobile and tablets to smart TVs, game consoles, and beyond. Your watchlist, progress, and preferences all carry over, so you can start watching at home on your TV and throw it on a phone or tablet if you have to go somewhere but haven’t had the chance to finish.
You can also access the Discover Together Beta — though you’ll need a Plex Pass. It adds a social element to Plex, enrolling friends and family that you can interact with through the platform. Think of it as a social profile for each person’s media experience. You can see what they’ve watched, how much they’ve watched, how they like or dislike certain content, and so on. You can even watch content together remotely.
Ditch free and go Pro for the best experience
While you can sign up for free and use almost everything that Plex offers, the real benefits unlock with a Plex Pass. It unlocks a host of exclusive features for your personal media server across movies, TV shows, and music. For example, you can skip the intro and the credits in movies and shows. You also have the power to download anything from your personal collection so you can watch offline. Additional features include ultimate DVR support and HDR tone mapping or media, viewing timed lyrics for your favorite tracks, and a Tidal plan discount with your Plex Pass.
Additionally, the Plex Pass is available as a monthly subscription or a lifetime, one-time purchase of $120. And for a limited time, Plex is offering 20% off the Lifetime Plex Pass subscription, providing an all-access pass to Plex’s many features and capabilities. Until Monday, 9/25, at 11:59 P.M. PDT, you can use promo code ITSPROTIME to get your discount. Hurry, though. It won’t be available for long, and it’s the best way to get lifetime access to Plex’s features for one low price.
You should know that Plex Pass doesn’t remove ads from the free content that’s available, and it also doesn’t unlock any additional content. However, it does enhance your platform experience with many of the features we’ve discussed.
At this point, you can see why Plex is such a powerhouse for entertainment users everywhere. Whether you’re setting up your own personal Plex Media Server via a home computer or NAS, or you’re just browsing the free content and combining your streaming watchlists, it’s the best place to be. You can manage all of your movies, shows, music, free content, and even streaming access from one unified platform. It doesn’t take a genius to see just how convenient that is, especially these days with so many apps and services to browse.