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Plex is now enforcing remote play restrictions on TVs (www.howtogeek.com)

submitted 1 day ago by cm0002@toast.ooo to c/piracy@lemmy.dbzer0.com

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Plex has confirmed that it will require a Remote Watch Pass or Plex Pass for remote streaming on its TV apps. The change is going into effect for the Roku app first, followed by all other TV apps and third-party clients in 2026.

Earlier this year, Plex increased its pricing for Plex Pass and stopped supporting all options for free remote streaming in the Plex apps, such as adding a custom server connection in the app settings. The company said at the time, "The reality is that we need more resources to continue putting forth the best personal media experience, and as a result, we will no longer offer remote playback as a free feature." That's also when Plex introduced the Remote Watch Pass as a less expensive way to enable remote streaming again.

Plex is now rolling out the remote watch changes to its Roku TV app. If you have Plex Pass, or the owner of the server you're streaming from has Plex Pass, you don't need to do anything. Otherwise, if you are streaming on a different network from the server's home network, you need Plex Pass or Remote Watch Pass.

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[-] PhAzE@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 day ago

I'm sticking with plex personally. I have a lifetime plex pass already so no one else needs a pass to stream from my server. Aka, this changes nothing for me or my users.

[-] AllHailTheSheep@sh.itjust.works 19 points 1 day ago

for now. I feel like it's only a matter of time before they say those lifetime passes are expired, or that the product has changes so much it's not valid, etc. they've proven they don't really care about the user base anymore, it's all about the money for them now unfortunately.

[-] Auli@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago

They care about their users but who those users are has shifted. They make more money off of FASS so that is who they care about.

[-] brax@sh.itjust.works 9 points 23 hours ago

This is total "fuck you, got mine" energy. You're part of the problem. As somebody else who owns a Plex pass, I'm done with their bullshit. I downloaded Plex as a way to serve my content to my devices. These morons lost their way a while ago and became a dump, and clearly it's not getting any better.

Hopefully this latest big-brain move of theirs drives more users off their shit platform to one that's better.

But you have a Plex pass, so I'm sure it won't affect you when the money disappears and the company folds lol.

[-] rabidhamster@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago)

I mean, if you already have a lifetime pass, it's not like you're giving them anymore money or supporting them from here on out. Not sure how that's "fuck you, got mine." Who exactly is being fucked here? It would make more sense if Plex had a limited number of passes that people hoarded early on like boomers with property. In this case the financial side of things is already a done deal, and doesn't somehow deprive others of a resource.

[-] brax@sh.itjust.works 0 points 22 hours ago

You're saying you bought a pass, fuck all the people that didn't buy a pass. Sure other people could buy a pass, but why would you want to encourage them to do that and incentivize the further enshitifcaiton of Plex?

[-] rabidhamster@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 20 hours ago

I don't think OP said literally any of that, so I'm confused. OP already has a lifetime Plex pass, so OP is sticking with plex, since as the server owner, a plex pass covers everyone streaming from their server.

I'm still not sure who's being fucked in the context of what OP wrote. Either way, nothing OP is doing is financially supporting Plex, because that ship already sailed back when they bought a lifetime pass.

[-] brax@sh.itjust.works 0 points 19 hours ago

I've been using Plex form 2009-2010 and have watched it slowly enshitify. The purpose of the software was to allow people to host their own media server and making it accessible anywhere. The pass was a nice way to thank the devs and get some small perks. Now it seems like they are yet again stripping features from basic users.

The op's stance of "I have a pass so it doesn't affect me" is further supporting and encouraging the enshitifcaiton of what used to be a good service for anybody. Jellyfin seems to be the way to go now.

[-] rabidhamster@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

What would you like OP to do? Nothing they're doing is helping or hurting Plex. Nor is it helping or hurting anyone else.

Plex is enshittifying. I'm not sure how much they care about the opinions of Lifetime Pass users, or particularly care whether those people continue to use the service, at least when it comes to streaming personal media libraries.

For example, Windows is thoroughly enshittified, but I'm not going to tell users of Win 10 that they need to switch away right now, or that they're bad people for continuing to use an old product they previously paid for. Just that they should jump ship whenever they're ready to move on from Win 10.

[-] brax@sh.itjust.works 2 points 4 hours ago

It is heping Plex by adding to their number of users and further justifying their enshitifcaiton.

The correct move is to uninstall it and use an alternative.

Accepting enshitifcaiton and the downward trend of the status quo is why we have enshitifcaiton and the downward trend of the status quo.

Companies know users will just accept shit rather than be mildly inconvenienced or uncomfortable for a bit while they learn something new, even if it's a million times better.

[-] PhAzE@lemmy.ca 0 points 21 hours ago

See, I don't understand that at all from you. How have they lost their way exactly? Th9jga that you can turn off in settings piss9ng you off? Are you unable to stream your content with your plex pass that you already own? Can others not stream from you? Does your content Metadata not scrape properly? Explain you comment because it seems like you're part of the problem hating them for the sake of hating them. Getting "on the train" of hate as it were.

[-] brax@sh.itjust.works 0 points 19 hours ago

I don't care about my Plex pass, I care about the basic service getting shit on. The pass was never meant to give me a premium product, it was meant to support the devs and give me a few minor feature perks.

I've used Plex since 2009-2010. I've watched it change into the trash it is becoming. People should trash it and move to Jellyfin.

[-] PhAzE@lemmy.ca 1 points 18 hours ago

Again, what do you find trash? Every core feature i need works perfectly fine with plex.

[-] brax@sh.itjust.works 3 points 4 hours ago

The entire side service they're they've been pushing where they want to inject their own streaming crap into the media server. The whole point of Plex used to be for you to host your own media collection, and was relatively hands-off. But sure, continue to support them by using the software and inflating their numbers. Don't cry to me when better options crumble and all you're left with is a completely enshitifed app, what do I know? Lmao

[-] PhAzE@lemmy.ca 0 points 4 hours ago

Do you mean the stuff you can literally turn off in settings? Discover, other streaming services, live channels, friend activity... all that can be turned right off.

Did you dump plex after paying for it because you couldn't turn off settings??