Plex, Free Multimedia Center to Play Movies, Music and More

During our leisure time nothing better than enjoying the best multimedia content either on our computer or other devices. In them we can play all kinds of videos such as movies or series, play music, watch news or listen to podcasts. For this we surely know applications such as Kodi or Stremio, as well as others that offer streaming content. All of them have come up with a tough competitor with Plex that offers a free content catalog, which we will talk about below.

Plex is a multimedia center that is responsible for grouping all the multimedia content that interests us, from our own personal collection to all kinds of streaming content such as watching live television, movies and programs, web series, reading news and listening to podcasts. In this way we can enjoy all our favorite multimedia files in a single application and on any device.

Plex

Differences between Plex Client and Plex Server

This multimedia center is divided into two parts. On the one hand, it has an application that acts as a client and another as a server. Both have their own and differential functions that complement each other.

Plex server

This application is responsible for creating a complete multimedia server, through which we can play our audio and video files that we have stored on our computer on other devices such as Smart TV, mobile, tablet, PlayStation, etc. We can access all the content from anywhere we have an Internet connection. By installing the Plex Server, we can add all our movies, series and it will be in charge of providing them with covers, synopses and all kinds of information about our content.

Plex Client

Through the Plex Client application we can reproduce all the multimedia content that we have added to the server in almost any place. In addition, Plex has its own service for movies, series, music, etc., which we can view comfortably from our computer legally and free of charge. With this streaming service we can access a catalog of more than 1000 films, documentaries and series.

Movies, series, music and more for free in streaming

Once we run the application, its main menu appears with an attractive interface that reminds us of other similar programs. On the left there is a column from where you can have access to all its functions such as Live TV, Movies and Programs, Web series, News, Podcasts, Music, Your media and Downloads.

Plex inicio

In the central panel on the right, it shows us recommendations within the products that it offers us. In this way we can see channels that may be of interest to us, movies or series. In them the title and sometimes the duration appear, but it does not show any previous synopsis, but if we click on them directly the reproduction of the content.

Live TV

In this section we find all the channels that we can view live and streaming. In total there are 58 channels , which we can only filter by all or only those that broadcast in HD . Along with the channels, the content of each one appears according to its broadcast schedule. Of these channels, say that they are practically unknown, at least in Spain, since most seem to be aimed at the Anglo-Saxon market.

Plex TV en directo

Movies and shows

Next, we can see all the content of the platform related to movies and series. It will show them organized by recommendations, most popular, recently added, etc. It also allows us to filter the content by categories among which we find: Action and Adventure, Comedy, Animation, Crime, Documentary, Drama, Horror, Music, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller and Western.

The content catalog is quite extensive, however, the quantity cannot be said to go hand in hand with the quality of the titles. The vast majority of its catalog is made up of films that are little or nothing known , and that a priori do not stand out for their quality. We have a hard time finding movies that can attract our attention.

Plex películas y programas

Web Series

In this section we find a more proprietary content related to documentaries and series, which we can organize both by recommendations of the platform and by showing all the content through the All programs tab. As with television and movie channels, the content of series is extensive, but also, a priori, it hardly has an attractive catalog in terms of titles. It also has the My programs section, for which it will be necessary to register on the platform to access this section. By clicking on each chosen option we can see the number of chapters, as well as their duration.

Plex serie web

Rest of functions that we find

Among the rest of the functions that this platform offers us, we can find the News section that is organized by recommendations, categories and channels. It is striking that we can find channels like AS, which when clicking on them are empty with no content. As in the rest of the section, the content sins of being little known, so it will be necessary to investigate blindly to see if it is worth it. We also find a section dedicated to Podcasts that we can also view by recommendations and categories.

Plex Podcasts

The Music section counts on its main screen we will have access to new playlists, new albums and Plex recommendations. In addition, it has a TIDAL collaboration that allows us to preview 60 million streaming tracks, thousands of music videos and more. If we access the MY TIDAL section, it will ask us to register with a free account to continue, with the possibility of having an app for any device, saving in favorites and parental controls.

Plex música

Free Download Plex

Plex is a multimedia center that we can download for free from its website. It is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux computers, as well as other devices such as Android, iOS, SmartTV, Chromecast, and PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Its installation is simple and fast. We only have to bear in mind that for its installation it is necessary that we have at least 270 MB available on our hard drive.

Differences between the Free and Premium version

Plex offers a large amount of content for free, but in the same way it also has a Premium version for those looking for additional functions with which to complete the free options.

  • Free : with the free version of Plex it allows us to access a catalog of more than 1000 films, documentaries and series in a completely legal way. This is something you achieve by placing ads before and during the content display, thanks to which you face the costs of the service.
  • Premium : this paid version allows us to synchronize our movies, series, music and photos on all our mobile devices. It also gives us the ability to set restrictions on sharing and allow other users to access premium features. Another interesting option that it incorporates is to download content and stream videos in HD or 4K on several devices at the same time. Its price is 4.99 euros per month, 39.99 euros per year or 119.99 euros for life.

Is it advisable to pay for the Premium version?

When it comes to enjoying Plex content, it is something that we can do perfectly from your free account. By having access to its catalog of live TV, programs, series, etc., through the display of advertising, we are really “paying” for it, since each pause amounts to two or three advertisements.

We should only consider paying for the Premium version if we are going to use the platform very intensively, download content or increase the quality of the viewing. Even so, it does not have a high quality catalog with which to amortize the Premium investment, so we must assess each one if it is really worth it.

Alternatives to Plex

If we are looking for an application with which to enjoy the best multimedia content, we propose some alternatives to Plex.

Kodi

It is the most popular multimedia center being used by millions of people around the world. We can play videos, music and images from any medium that we have stored. But if Kodi stands out for something, it is for its large number of add-ons developed by third parties available with which it is possible to considerably increase all its content. We can download it for free from their website .

Stremio

We are facing a multimedia center in which we can view a wide variety of movies, television programs, channels, web, sports, listen to podcasts and much more. It does not have ads, banners or any type of advertising. It is compatible with Chromecast and makes use of addons or add-ons with which to access a wide variety of audiovisual content. We can download it for free from its website.

Netflix

Undoubtedly the best known and most popular streaming content application, specialized especially in series, although it also contains a wide catalog of films and documentaries. It is possible to enjoy them up to 4K quality. It has attractive content and some of them are self-produced. Although it does not have a free version, since to enjoy its catalog it will be necessary to pay a monthly subscription. We can download it from the Microsoft Store.

Developer: Netflix, Inc.