The Service That Lets You Build Your Own Streaming Library Just Announced a Wild Price Increase
www.ign.com
The price of Lifetime Plex Pass plans will be increasing to $749.99 on July 1.

Plex has announced a massive price increase on the service’s Lifetime Plex Pass. On July 1, the lifetime subscription option will go from $249.99 to $749.99, an increase of 200%. The price hike will only apply to new subscribers, with no changes to monthly or annual subscription pricing.

  • Lonewolfmcquade@lemmy.worldEnglish
    573·
    2 months ago

    I don’t know why anyone would pay that instead of using Jellyfin. I’ve had my server up for years now and it works great.

    • |IlI|lIIl|IlIll|Il|IllI|@lemmy.worldEnglish
      194·
      2 months ago

      I haven’t checked in on Jellyfin for a while now, but don’t they still have issues with hardware transcoding support?

      Not to mention the lack of software clients on other platforms for just playback that Plex has been established on for years and even multiple device generations like with PlayStation, Roku, Fire Stick, etc.?

      Also you have to configure your own reverse proxy / Tailscale set up to securely access a content library remotely, right - as opposed Plex’s relatively simpler remote access configuration?

      • warm@kbin.earth
        285·
        2 months ago

        Surprise, surprise, a paid product with salaried developers has more features than a volunteer project!

        More people using Jellyfin, more people who will contribute, through code or donations. It’s worth a downside to swap over.

        • Babalugats@feddit.ukEnglish
          71·
          2 months ago

          Especially given the new “lifetime” price. More people will switch to Jellyfin. Plex lifetime might be shorter.

        • BakedCatboy@lemmy.mlEnglish
          4·
          2 months ago

          Hopefully that gets better - I run both side by side pointed at the same folders so the exact same media is available in both. I offer all my friends the choice and list every alternate app I know of, inevitably they all prefer Plex.

          • Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
            1·
            2 months ago

            Because default settings arent always ideal…
            Some goes for the TV they use and whatever codec they can digest.

            • BakedCatboy@lemmy.mlEnglish
              2·
              2 months ago

              What defaults are you talking about? If you meant to reply to my other comment, I’m talking about hardware transcoding codec support settings on the server, it has nothing to do with what codec is chosen for a client - that decision is made separately. Once the codec the client needs is chosen, the hardware transcoding setting only changes whether they codec is decoded using CPU or GPU/quicksync by the server - it has no effect on codec selection. The only reason you would disable hardware transcoding for a codec that your server is capable of hardware transcoding is if your hardware is faulty or produces undesirable output for that codec when using hardware transcoding - most people don’t do this, it’s a fairly uncommon edge case. And disabling it won’t stop clients from accessing that codec, it just means that your server will CPU transcode it if requested instead of using hardware acceleration - so again it has nothing to do with client support or TVs because all it does is switch your server between hardware and software encoding / decoding. The only sane default for that setting is to hardware accelerate codecs that your PC is capable of hardware accelerating if hardware acceleration is enabled. There’s no reason not to automatically detect hardware capabilities like Plex does, instead of the current “default” where you enable hardware transcoding and then have to figure out what your hardware supports to be hardware accelerated.

              Like even if they copy pasted the quicksync codec support table from Wikipedia into the server hardware acceleration settings that would be miles better because then you wouldn’t have to look up that information separately. Or, hear me out, just show next to each option which ones your computer is capable of hardware decoding vs CPU decoding.

        • W98BSoD@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          11·
          2 months ago

          More people using Jellyfin, more people who will contribute, through code or donations.

          Doubt.

          What about Emby? Why is that never mentioned?

          • Jyek@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            51·
            2 months ago

            Because Emby is a closed source application and Lemmy is an open source platform with community member who prefer open source solutions to closed source. Your out here screaming at Linux bros “why not choose apple??”

            • W98BSoD@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
              15·
              2 months ago

              Ok. And sometimes closed source applications work better.

              I guarantee that you’re using closed source software So let’s not throw stones.

              • Jyek@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
                6·
                2 months ago

                I didn’t suggest I wasn’t using closed source software or even that one was better than the other. I said you are in a community of open source enthusiasts scratching your head as to why nobody recommends a paid closed source application that has a history of turning it’s back on the FOSS community. I’m trying to give you a hint and you’re trying to die on a very strange hill.

      • TeamAssimilation@infosec.pubEnglish
        7·
        2 months ago

        Especially on non-GPU systems, Jellyfin is slower at transcoding than Plex. I don’t know the internals, but I have both running in the sam machine, and Plex is always noticeably more responsive. Not by a huge margin, but still it is.

        • takeda@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          2·
          2 months ago

          I have zero experience with those two products but when it comes to transcoding there are various toggles that affect the quality and speed.

          It looks also like commercial products generally optimize for speed while open source tends to be more concerned about quality.

          Of course this could be completely wrong in this case but that’s the general tendency I noticed. Do they allow to change settings?

          • TeamAssimilation@infosec.pubEnglish
            1·
            2 months ago

            They do, and I experimented with both, but wasn’t able to get better performance from Jellyfin compared to Plex. Always running on the same hardware. Still run both though, just in case.

      • Lonewolfmcquade@lemmy.worldEnglish
        72·
        2 months ago

        I have not personally experienced any issues with hardware transcoding. My server is an old Dell Optiplex and I use clients on Linux, Android, Roku and Shield.

        Yes you are correct about remote access and if that was a priority for me, I would happily learn that part instead of paying for Plex.

          • AbidanYre@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            2 months ago

            I have an ~80GB movie that I can watch on a TV that can’t even handle the data rate for that file, nevermind the codecs.

            But if the couple minutes to click “this client can’t handle anything over 60Mbps x264” is too much work, then by all means keep paying for Plex. Or “hypothetically” find a smaller copy of that movie.

            I’m always amazed by the number of people who absolutely can’t leave Plex because they’ve got 14 grandparents streaming 8k rips all day every day.

    • brygphilomena@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      162·
      2 months ago

      Last I looked, jellyfin auth and public facing security were less than ideal.

      How far has that come in the last few years? I have plenty of people using my Plex and it’s been secure. I had heard a public facing Jellyfin wasn’t super secure.

      Honestly, 95% of the reason I use Plex is so I don’t have to manage user passwords and troubleshoot issues for my friends and family. I just grant access.

      • 9tr6gyp3@lemmy.worldEnglish
        51·
        2 months ago

        I moved from the default jellyfin login method to using Authentik as the identity provider. Now its part of my homelab setup where all services have SSO, and I don’t have to create/manage an account for each person for each service.

        • 4am@lemmy.zipEnglish
          6·
          2 months ago

          Does that break Jellyfin apps on smart TVs or media devices?

          A lot of people seem to have concerns with how Jellyfin handles access control and some have stated that the developers marked some major issues as “won’t fix”. Is there somewhere I can catch up on that?

      • Matty Roses@lemmy.todayEnglish
        3·
        2 months ago

        This. I run a Kubernetes cluster and self host tons of shit . . . but I do NOT want to be dealing with client issues for Boomer relatives and worrying about securing servers that a Samsung TV needs to auth with

      • Lonewolfmcquade@lemmy.worldEnglish
        43·
        2 months ago

        I only need my server to work locally so I haven’t messed with that part personally. But I’ve read that setting up tailscale is straightforward and works fine. There are many other solutions to the problem. I would definitely invest a lot of effort before paying for Plex.

          • helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.worldEnglish
            62·
            2 months ago

            Unfortunately, that’s probably not gonna happen without some new hardware.

            You could setup a wire guard at the router (can you setup tail scale on a router? idk). If she’s renting the ISP router, replacing that could save a 100+ a year, depending on how much the isp is scamming her for it.

            or you could repurpose a minipc/nuc from bay and set up a jellyfin streaming box with tailscale.

            If you have the extra hardware, you could also setup a local server with her jellyfin and use wiregaurd/tailscale to remotely connect to it and run backup/sync during off-hours.

            • W98BSoD@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
              46·
              2 months ago

              So, no answer because I can’t. I’m not replicating buying hardware for all of the people who are on my plex account to move them to some free software because all y’all who shout “Jellyfin” do so because you do t want to pay for anything.

              Why doesn’t anyone ever mention Emby? Oh, right, because you have to support the project and no one wants to do that.

              Plex isn’t in the right here, but yelling Jellyfin ever. Single. Time. Is like using a hammer to tighten a screw; it’s not always the right tool for the job and tall look like morons for just blindly parroting what others say.

              • Lonewolfmcquade@lemmy.worldEnglish
                51·
                2 months ago

                Are you OK? I didn’t realize my comment was so inflammatory. I just love Jellyfin and don’t appreciate Plex’s actions over the years. You love Emby. That’s cool! Use what works for you.

              • Jyek@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
                51·
                2 months ago

                Bro, if you want to use Emby, nobody is stopping you. Jellyfin is the popular solution because it is open source. Emby isn’t a project, it’s a product just like plex is a product. Both Emby and Plex started as free methods to host your media and converted to a paid closed source solution. Jellyfin is a fork of Emby from before they moved to closed source and remains free and open to this day.

          • Jyek@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            12·
            2 months ago

            https://www.gl-inet.com/products/gl-ar300m/

            Configure one of these to sit between the TV and your mother’s network and pass all the tv traffic through an exit node on your jellyfin network.

            Most smart TVs have a tailscale app you can install directly on device. Roku is an exception to that.

            • MML@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
              1·
              2 months ago

              I love their routers but that one doesn’t have tailscale support, even if you did manage to install it (I did so on a mango) I think it would run extremely poorly

              • Jyek@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
                2·
                2 months ago

                Funny enough I actually meant to link this one, which is specifically for this purpose. https://www.gl-inet.com/products/gl-mt5000/

                That’s okay though because the guy I was replying to didn’t actually want the help. He just wanted to complain that people aren’t recommending his preferred software.

                • MML@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
                  1·
                  2 months ago

                  That’s a better choice, got one myself the other day, haven’t actually had a chance to try it but their support has literally sent me firmware ahead of release (for mango), they fix their stuff.

            • W98BSoD@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
              44·
              2 months ago

              Nope. How do I do it on the TV directly?

              I bring this up every time someone parrots off the Lemmy line of “Jellyfin” because that’s all you all know. Not what’s best for the use case, just ram Jellyfin in there shortcoming and all.

    • jumponboard@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      2 months ago

      How much do you donate to jellyfin? If I sum up my 20 bucks per year for the next 50 years, I end up with 1000 bucks. If I wanted to pay today, I’d donate even more to jellyfin. (Neglecting inflation)