That same computer can also run Plex Media Player, as can any other devices you connect to your server.”Ĭomplete easy-to-follow instructions for setting up and running Plex on a Mac here. “You only need one computer running Plex Media Server. Most apps are free iOS apps cost $5 unless you’re a Plex Pass subscriber,” Alderman writes. “You can play Plex media through your web browser or native apps for Mac OS, AppleTV, and iOS, among many many other devices. Plex’s Media Player apps provide the front end, playing all that media for your enjoyment.” Plex Media Server handles the back end, working behind the scenes on your server of choice to keep track of your media, convert it on the fly to streaming-friendly formats, and pipe it to you over your home network or the Internet. “With the right tuner and a Plex Pass subscription, Plex can also play live TV - even remotely over the Internet – and work like a DVR,” Alderman writes.

And that’s just the stuff you can do for free.” Better yet, you can share all that media with your Plex-using friends, and enjoy streaming theirs in return. “With a Plex media server and apps on your computers, iOS devices, and Apple TV, you can store and stream your collection of non-DRM movies, TV, music, and more to any device, anywhere. “Think of Plex as ‘iTunes, but for everything you didn’t buy from Apple,'” Nathan Alderman writes for iMore.

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