Photo credit: arstechnica.com
Plex, known for its unique approach to media streaming, is undergoing some notable changes as it announces its first price hike for the Plex Pass subscription in over a decade. Despite its roots connected to the Xbox Media Center project, Plex has evolved into a service that offers more than conventional streaming. With the new pricing adjustments, Plex is tasked with clarifying what these changes mean for existing and potential users.
Effective April 29, the price for a Plex Pass subscription will increase: the monthly fee will be raised from $5 to $7, the annual subscription will jump from $40 to $70, and the lifetime subscription will see a significant rise to $250 from $120. In an official blog update, Plex cited increasing operational costs and reaffirmed its goal to remain an independent platform that champions “personal media.”
“Our commitment to the continued success of Plex Pass and personal media remains unwavering,” the post emphasized. “This adjustment in pricing will help ensure we can continually invest resources into developing new features while also supporting your favorites.” The roadmap for Plex’s future includes exciting enhancements such as a collaboration with Common Sense Media, a new customized server management application tailored for user administration, and the introduction of an openly documented API for server integration, including the ability to create custom metadata agents.
New Requirements for Streaming Personal Media
One of the most significant updates from Plex involves changes to how users can access their personal media. Starting April 29, streaming of personal media—meaning video files, rather than audio, photos, or the free content from Plex’s ad-supported library—will no longer be fully accessible without a Plex Pass subscription. It’s essential to note that while a server owner must have this subscription, friends accessing the server can still do so at no cost—assuming the server owner is a Plex Pass subscriber.
For users relying on the convenience of hosting their own Plex server or those who depend on friends’ servers for media access, it will now be essential for them or their server-owning friends to secure a Plex Pass subscription as of late April.
On the other hand, viewers who do not operate a Plex server have the option to purchase a more affordable Remote Watch Pass for $2 monthly or $20 annually. However, this option does not encompass standard Plex Pass features such as offline downloads, the ability to bypass show intros, or credits. Nonetheless, it allows continued access to “personal media” hosted by others.
Source
arstechnica.com