Plex is one of those things that could solve a lot of problems for you, but you have just passed it over thinking it either useless to you, or too hard for you to understand how to use it. Neither of these things are true, as the media server Plex offers amazing functionality that you can use in your everyday life, and it is very easy to understand and use, once you get some very basic things out of the way. We will get some of these cleared up in this article, and learn how to use Plex for maximum effect.
What is Plex? Quite simply, it is a media server that puts all your media in one place. What this means is that all your files, including photos and videos and other things that you may have on your computer will be accessible using mobile devices, through the web as well, incredibly, through some smart TVs and set top boxes.
Setting Plex up
To set it up, the first step is to set up the home server, which is just saying that you need to download the application on your computer/PC. The software is available for Mac, Linux and Windows, as well in a form designed for NAS drives, that makes it workable on all kinds of OS. Once the downloading and installation process is done, setting up is a simple thing to follow the instructions on the web client and all the plexing is done through inside the web browser. Then You can choose where to check for the media content. You will host all the content so you will have to have the content on the PC at all times if you want to stream it while you are travelling. This means that you storing it on a laptop that you keep with you all times is no longer required.
The best thing to do is to host it on an old PC that you no longer use but can keep on and connected to the internet at all times. Well in case if you support NAS drive then your PC or computer will work properly.
Plex Media Server works on the Netgear X10 router, which though expensive, is an extremely fast Wi-Fi router. If you install the Plex Media Server build on the router, you will be able to run the very same system as if you had it on the PC. You can attach it to a network-connected drive and you won’t be needing the PC running at all.
While telling Plex where to find the media that will be hosted on your computer, you will have to take care to name the files in a way that the software understands. Make sure that they are stored as a folder hierarchy in case of TV shows. There are some great guides on how to store and name your media for use in Plex. Well If you buy an NVIDIA Shield TV, you can download easily the Plex Media Server on your box.
Channels – Beyond Your Own Content
Plex allows you to access not just your own content, but also some built-in channels that carry content that can be accessed across all platforms. For example, BBC iPlayer has a great stand alone app for Android but in Plex, you can access the channel from all your devices and from anywhere. Be warned though that the channels are region dependent, though you can get a great selection from global channel providers such as TWiT network, 5by5, and Revision 3.
Plex Pass
Plex Pass lets you get a lot more of the features of Plex to users, including early access to new features on Plex, access to preview versions of Plex Media Server and Plex apps before they are released, the latest Plex and Roku apps for free, free access to Plex features such as Plex Sync, Cloud Sync and Camera Upload, as well as privileges on the Plex forum. The Plex Pass is also an excellent way for the users to show their support. With new features of the Plex server accessed through Plex Pass, you can watch live TV on the Plex apps. Nvidia Shield TV was the first to offer this feature, but there is an Android mobile version of Plex is following suit.
Plex Apps
One of the best qualities of the Plex server is that it is supported on multiple platforms – on PCs, mobile devices, Xbox One and Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, various smart TVs and set-top boxes such as Roku and NVIDIA Shield along with Android, iOS, and Windows 10. Plex has now diversified into Kodi support and if you want to create a home theater PC as well as a media server, there is Plex Media App for just that available on their homepage, and it works on Windows, Mac, Linux as well Raspberry Pis. Plex makes it possible to enjoy your media on all kinds of platform, and seeks to eliminate that hindrance almost entirely.