Plex is one of the most important streaming services, even if it's not one of the most well-known offerings. While the best streaming services often place large libraries of shows and movies at your reach for on-demand viewing, Plex lets you become the master of your own domain.
If you have a collection of media (or know someone else with one), Plex enables you to stream all that stuff from a computer or server onto your TV. And while you can pay for Plex, a lot of its best features are actually free — as are the movies and TV shows and channels it airs. And one of its latest features makes Plex one of the best streaming apps, is actually all about working with some of the top streaming services around.
And not only are Plex apps available on the best streaming devices, but a mastery of Plex will complement the best Netflix shows and the best Hulu movies.
Whether you’re a video hoarder with hundreds of movies just begging for a media server, or a casual streamer looking for a different approach, Plex is well worth at least a few hours of your time. Read on to find out exactly what it is, and how you can make it work for you.
Plex TV explained
You can refer to Plex as a streaming service, because that is technically true. Originally, Plex was a way to utilize videos stored in a remote location, so you could streams them on a device. So, by default, Plex was a media server. This means that many see Plex as a way to provide their own content instead of relying on a big company’s library, which usually changes from month to month.
Then, Plex got more dynamic, adding an ad-supported streaming service that offers free TV and movies, and it also connects to other free streaming services.
Plex also wants to help you learn about what you're watching with Discover Credits, which looks like its own IMDb. To find it, go to the cast section of a movie or show's page, or just look at the "People" options when you search. There, you'll find a bio and social media links, that actor's most famous roles and their filmography — which will include where you can watch those shows, in both libraries and services accessible to you.