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Someone might have suggested you to use Plex if you have plenty of locally saved media on your PC. This software is similar to Kodi but is much more beginner-friendly. It supports all major OS and media streaming devices, which is probably why you are here wondering if you really need its subscription.
I was exploring Spectrum cable packages when my roommate insisted we should get Plex Pass. I was in the favour of not subscribing and I have pretty good reasons to back it up. Read more to find out.
A little Something About Plex Pass
Plex Pass is a paid subscription that promises a pleasant Plex experience. The pass will give you free access to the Plex Android and iOS app. with these apps, you should be able to watch and record over the air broadcasts by using a digital antenna and a tuner.
The basic app is free, regardless of the platform. Other than that Plex Pass is available in 3 price tiers. Pay $5 a month, $40 a year, or $120 for a lifetime – whatever you find convenient.
Do You Really Need a Plex Pass?
In my opinion, the free version has so much available that you shouldn’t really have to pay for the Plex Pass. There is a group of people who believes Plex Pass is necessary to use it to its full capacity. No doubt, premium features are great but most of them are totally unnecessary.
Let’s have a look:
1: Stream From Anywhere In The World
A great feature of Plex Pass is remote streaming. This allows you to view your media regardless of your location. You could be anywhere in the world, really. As long as you have the Plex app, you can watch content from wherever you like.
It’s great for keeping your kids entertained when you are away from home or if you are looking for content that matches your mood and taste. After all, the TV may not have everything you are interested in watching in one moment. You don’t need a Plex Pass for watching content removed. In fact, all users can watch remotely if the server is configured correctly. This is how it’s done:
- Go to settings
- Remote access
- Hit enable remote access
Plex Pass is only useful if you are going to be in a place without internet
2: The Plex App Is Featured-Packed Without Subscription
The Plex app is free but it comes with some restrictions. The music and video files are limited to one minute of playback only. Plus, the photos added will have a watermark. You would be asked to pay a $4.99 fee (which is one-time) for removing the restrictions.
Isn’t it better to pay this fee and watch the content you like rather than paying on a monthly or annually basis? Once you pay this fee, you should be able to access the Plex server by using your mobile’s web browser. You don’t even need the app for this!
There is no doubt setting Plex on different devices can waste a lot of time. It’s hard to keep everyone updated (if you share Plex with friends or family). Who has got the time to manually add new content to each computer, right?
With Plex, it’s possible to share your library with others, even if you are not on the same network. For this, no Plex Pass is required. Other users need to have a free Plex account though. To share your library, follow these steps:
- Open the Plex Server app
- Go to the settings of your account
- Hit username
- Users and sharing
- Add the credentials of the Plex user
- Click and continue
It’s up to you what type of content you want to share and what not.
4: It’s Possible to Download Content
I am sure you have the wrong idea about how downloading works on mobile. You do need a Plex pass for downloading content on your device or remote viewing. But, if you have shared your server with someone, they don’t need a Plex Pass (provided that you have a Plex Pass).
If the user is registered against your account, they can easily download content for remote viewing. However, there is one catch. This other user has to pay a $4.99 one-time fee, which is bearable.
Follow these steps to enable downloading:
- Open the Plex server
- Go to settings
- Hit user name
- Choose users and sharing
- Enter the username
- Hit the checkbox that says “allow download”
You are now done!
