Plex can be set up on any hard drive, ideally a NAS (network-attached storage device), but since my PC is on pretty much 24/7 I had no problem making my main machine the host for my own Plex server. Setting up your Plex server is a largely automated process, and getting a stream set up on the other end is usually as simple as downloading the free app for your chosen platform, be it a smart TV, web browser, XBox One, PlayStation, or Apple TV. Remote access is ready out of the box and does not require any port forwarding or additional setup. One of the first things you’ll notice about Plex is that its menus are beautiful on every platform. The menus are fast and easy to navigate, though I do run into some hiccups trying to browse my stupidly large music collection. If you have multiple terabytes of media content with metadata, cover art, etc., it will only populate this information as fast as your connection permits.Īside from this folder-specific issue, the menus are beautiful, fast, and easy to navigate from every platform I have tested. Plex transforms your library into a visual menu, adding metadata like cover art and IMDB results to enhance your viewing experience. Like other options, Plex also transcodes on the fly and automatically adjusts its performance and quality for available bandwidth. During my testing, I had no trouble with streaming wirelessly over my gigabit router and mid-tier Internet service, nor did I encounter any codec errors from playing an incompatible file. While the bulk of Plex’s features can be enjoyed for free, you do have to upgrade to a Plex Pass if you want to enjoy some nicer features. #Free server software for home media upgrade# These include access to some nice features of the otherwise free Plex mobile apps, the ability to sync a cloud storage system, and much more. The Plex Pass has a couple of payment options, the most economical for a serious user being the lifetime pass for $149.99. The remaining question will no doubt be: is a Plex Pass worth the price? And for many, the answer will be definitely. Plex makes hosting your own media server incredibly easy, and the extra visual enhancements to your media collection piece together an experience that will surpass the quality of most streaming services, provided you’ve collected the content to populate it. What Are the Best Streaming Devices to Play Plex Content? An all-around solid choice, Plex is a top contender for your media storage solutions. Smart TVs (LG, Roku TV, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, Vizio).PlayStation 5/ Sony PlayStation 4 Pro/PlayStation 3.Sign up for Plex or find more information here. Can provide cover art, music videos, trailers, and more.Kodi is an open-source media center that has been around almost as long as HTPCs (home theater PCs) have been a thing. It is not the most user-friendly home media software out there but it supports an absolutely insane amount of add-ons, making it one of the best options for those who want to host downloaded content alongside their favorite paid streaming services. You will find (unofficial) add-ons to support streaming services like YouTube, Spotify, Disney Plus, Netflix, and more. Kodi can even be used to side-load any of the other media streaming services we recommended. Plex’s channel count pales in comparison so when it comes to variety of sources, Kodi really takes the cake. Kodi is easy to install on any Windows, Linux, MacOS, Android, or iOS device. You can also install Kodi on pretty much any other playback device but this typically requires the use of unofficial methods. This may sound intimidating but you can find step-by-step instructions for pretty much any device on the Kodi Wiki. It is somewhat ironic that you have to take these extra steps, though, as the Kodi UI is definitely optimized for a streaming boxĭon’t get me wrong. The keyboard and mouse interface for Kodi isn’t terrible but its menu layout is definitely designed to be controller-friendly. (It was, after all, originally called Xbox Media Player). Regardless of how you navigate Kodi, it will automatically organize your content to give it a more polished look. ![]() You can set it to scrape metadata from your choice of sources to deliver synopses, reviews, movie posters, titles, and genre classification for your downloaded media. #Free server software for home media movie# You can also install custom skins to give your media library its own unique feel. #Free server software for home media install# The software is lightweight and snappy and loads fairly quickly. #Free server software for home media software# It can handle almost all popular audio and video formats around. #Free server software for home media Pc#.#Free server software for home media software#.#Free server software for home media upgrade#.#Free server software for home media install#.#Free server software for home media movie#.
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