Plex Tightens Restrictions, Impacting Free Remote โStreaming – Starting with โคRoku Users
Plex, the popular โขmedia server software, is beginning to enforce new restrictions onโ free remote access, initially impacting users ofโ rokuโข devices.this marks a critically important shift forโฃ the โขplatform,โ moving โtowards a โฃmore revenue-focused model after years of accommodating free users.
The changes stem from updates to Plex’s policies announced in March,and are now actively rolling out. Previously, users with free Plex accounts could often stream media hosted on other free accounts โremotely, especially through devices like Roku that hadn’t yet โupdatedโ to the latestโ app version. Now, โRoku TV apps are blocking remote streaming unlessโข either the server owner or the viewer subscribes to a paid โPlex service.
Specifically, โขif both the Plex server โขowner and the viewer are using free accounts and are not on โthe same local network (typically meaning in the same household), โฃremote access will be disabled once the Roku app updates.Users who primarily stream from their home network โare unlikely to notice a change. However, those relying on friends or family to share their media libraries remotely willโข find their access curtailed.
plex offers two paid options to restore remote access: Plex Pass, โwhich provides benefits to the server owner including free access for shared, remote users, and โaโ new “remote Watch Pass” costing $2 per month or โ$20 per year, specifically for viewers seeking remote access.
Currently,the restrictions are limited to โRoku devices. Users on other platforms like Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and otherโ smart TV operating systems with older app โversions stillโฃ retain free remote access. however, as Plex rolls out updated TV apps throughout 2024โ and beyond, more users are expected to encounter these limitations.
Asโฃ noted โby The New York Times, Plex’s path โto profitability has always been unclear โgiven its originsโ as โคa free media-organizing app with โฃa dedicatedโ fanbase. Theโ current changes suggest that a shift towards monetization wasโ ultimatelyโ unavoidable.