Today's deals Desktop

HomeLifestyle & HobbyPlex Media Server

Plex Media Server
1.21.1.3876
1.21.1.3876
See all Versions

Name: Plex Media Server
Rating: 3.5938 (22 reviews)

06 January 2021

Seamlessly connect your Plex clients with your local media.

Follow this app Developer website

Overview

Plex Media Server seamlessly connects your Plex clients with all of your local and online media. The combination of centralized library management, streaming of online content, and powerful transcoding functionality provides an unrivaled level of flexibility and ease of use.

Plex Media Server runs on your Mac, PC, or compatible NAS device and serves your media to all of your Plex clients, including Plex-enabled mobile devices and 2011 LG Smart TVs.

Features:

Effortlessly organize your media into a versatile library
Native Cocoa and web-based versions provide local and network access to management features
Automatically retrieve metadata from the Internet
Complete customization of your library with a few clicks
Automatic updates when new local content is added

What's new in Plex Media Server

Version 1.21.1.3876:

New:

Transcoder - Add support for the Intel Compute Runtime OpenCL driver versions 20.36 and later for newer integrated GPU models on Linux
Hubs - Seasonal and Event based hubs (Generated locally. Can be toggled in Library settings)
Web - Updated to 4.47.3

Fixes:

DVR - Require postal code during setup for Poland, Russia, and Switzerland.
Library - Studio would be listed twice in custom filters
Pivots - Only display playlist pivot if it is non-empty
Scanner - New movies would have incomplete metadata if the scan was invoked from the command line
Scanner - Rare crashes when scanning in duplicates
Hubs - Seasonal hubs could cause text overlap in Plex Web

Plex Media Server for Mac Old Versions

Join over 500,000 subscribers.

Subscribe for our newsletter with best Mac offers from MacUpdate.

58 Reviews of Plex Media Server

Used to have recurrent issues with database. No more. To me by far the best. My movie/music/ podcast hub.

(1)

Used to have recurrent issues with database. No more. To me by far the best. My movie/music/ podcast hub.

(1)

Great with an internet connection - but frustrating no end if your internet is out for a stretch of days - Can't play any of my library without internet

(0)

Show comment (1)

After a wave of very negative responses by their users, they went back on their decision to no longer support TV mode setups for Macs and PCs. I'm very glad they listened.

(2)

They just announced they are killing off support for having your Mac directly connected to your TV, which is the most powerful and feature rich setup you can have. From January 2020 on, it will be streaming-only. :/

(0)

RodgerW6021

09 May 2019

Version: 1.15.4.994

Version 1.15.4.994 New (DVR) Ability to give Home Users DVR access. (#8794) (Playback) Assume unknown audio to be foreign if the preferred audio language is not english (#6126) (Streaming Brain) Preference to allow automatically terminating playbacks which have been paused for an hour (#9700) (Subtitles) Auto select forced subtitles when not listening to foreign audio (#6126) (Web) Updated to 3.95.2 When transcoding for supported clients, automatically select media based on supported resolution and dynamic range (#9490) Fixes (Analysis) Chapters were not being imported for new media (#9843) (Dashboard) Respect user preferences for local / remote bandwidth (#9562) (Dashboard) Respect user preferences when showing streams as local / remote (#9562) (Metadata) Asking to refresh metadata still used cache for movies and TV shows (#1566) (Metadata) Related collections were not paginated (#9844)

(0)

RodgerW6021

24 April 2019

Version: 1.15.4.993

Version 1.15.4.993 New (DVR) Ability to give Home Users DVR access. (#8794) (Playback) Assume unknown audio to be foreign if the preferred audio language is not english (#6126) (Streaming Brain) Preference to allow automatically terminating playbacks which have been paused for an hour (#9700) (Subtitles) Auto select forced subtitles when not listening to foreign audio (#6126) (Web) Updated to 3.95.2 When transcoding for supported clients, automatically select media based on supported resolution and dynamic range (#9490) Fixes (Analysis) Chapters were not being imported for new media (#9843) (Dashboard) Respect user preferences for local / remote bandwidth (#9562) (Dashboard) Respect user preferences when showing streams as local / remote (#9562) (Metadata) Asking to refresh metadata still used cache for movies and TV shows (#1566) (Metadata) Related collections were not paginated (#9844)

(1)

I been using plex for 2 years and yesterday my plex account got removed, so i contact support and they told me they can not tell me that type of information when i asked why i got removed, so i created a new account and not even 1 day i got removed again, what is funny the new account had only myself on it sharing the plex server and on facebook i still get no help, in the terms it says you can share it with the whole family but also plex can remove your account at any time for any reason. I was just sharing my desktop that had plex with family members and plex still today will not give me a answer........ I switch to emby and it does work better with playback then plex i would give emby a try forget about plex

(0)

Excellente application pour visionner vos films et téléséries sur vos différents appareils connectés grâce au lecteur Plex Media Player qui y est associé. Configuration très aisée en explorant votre réseau et en sélectionnant les différents fichiers de vos vidéos.

(0)

Kobalt

11 June 2018

Version: 1.13.0.5023

New version 1.13.2.5154 available now: https://downloads.plex.tv/plex-media-server/1.13.2.5154-fd05be322/PlexMediaServer-1.13.2.5154-fd05be322-OSX.zip

(0)

Don't know why I waited so long to try Plex, i've only been using less than a year. I have the server running on a Late 2009 MacMini (core 2 duo) and it works fine, you don't need latest hardware or fastest CPU. It can handle 1920x1080 H264 in original quality with no transcoding. And this is reading off an external drive connected via Firewire 800. I've tried 4K and H265 but that's just a little too much for the ol' gal, but hey what a great use for a 10 year old Mac. Stream to iPads, iPhones, other Macs, Roku Stick, Roku 2. The Lifetime pass might seem expensive, but I recommend it. It's one time. If only streaming to Macs or Roku, you don't even need the pass.

(2)

This is great software. Been using it for years to stream my vast video library from my Early 2009 iMac to my Roku 2 and iPhone 8 Plus.

(0)

Attention: Plex prentends their apps work on many smart TVs. This is a lie. A lot of their smart TV apps haven't been updated in a while. LG's Plex client is more than a year old now, and can't reach their Cloud service due to insecure connexion. I would recommend strongly you don't waste your time with Plex if you plan to use with a smart TV.

(1)

Show comments (2)

Mcr

14 June 2017

Version: 1.5.6

For the life of me I can NOT get Plex to work on my home network to my Roku boxes (plural). I am not a noob; I understand about firewalls and subnets and so on. I've searched the forums and tried all the suggestions, etc. I"ve tried Plex server on macOS, Windows and Linux, and can not get my Roku boxes to connect. Windows Media Server works FINE, instantly recognized by Roku, but I'd rather run my media server from a second-hand MacMini under either macOS or Linux. This is my personal experience, YMMV. Roku says no client license is needed, everything I need is built in to the roku box and it SHOULD work.

(1)

Show comments (2)

Krabbe

28 June 2016

Version: 1.0.0.2261

What I loved about Plex, was it running under 10.6 Snow Leopard - because home media server is a common job for senior computer hardware.

(2)

Show comment (1)

Miner

11 October 2015

Version: 0.9.12.13

What I absolutely love about Plex, apart from the excellent functionality, is that it still runs under Snow Leopard, and that allows me to repurpose an old Mac Mini as a Media Centre. And free, too!

(7)

gvantass

13 September 2015

Version: 0.9.12.8

The server is free, but if you want to stream to any other devices, you gotta pay for each platform Windows? $5 for the full app. iOS? $5 for the full app. Android? I am guessing $5 for the full app, too. Or, you can get monthly access to the apps with a $5/mo subscription ($40 yearly or $150 lifetime) The server is an easy setup, easy to browse, and looks good, but the nickel and dime is a pain in the ass.

(1)

Show comments (8)

To call this "free" is a big piece of crap, especially in regards to the claim that it "seamlessly connects your Plex clients with all of your local and online media."

If you want to use this as a server from which you for example want to stream video files from your Mac to your (non-Apple TV) streaming box, you need to buy a $5 per month or $150 one-time subscription. For $150 I can also buy the new Apple TV and have this feature and much more included.

I guess this could be a four of five star application if Plex Inc. would be straight and forthcoming about the pricing but at it is it does not deserve more than one star.

(2)

Show comments (3)

Libertyforall1776

16 October 2014

Version: 0.9.9.14

0.9.11.1 is out and required for Plex for Vizio HDTVs which is finally out! https://blog.plex.tv/2014/10/15/plex-vizio/

(0)

After a couple year battle (mostly with myself BTW lol), Plex has won out over XBMC (for now anyway). The look of Plex and its functions like the Channels (plugins) work, unlike XBMC's plugins being largely non-functioning. The only problem is Plex' meta data keeps filling my small SSD drive pretty quickly. After installing Plex it's data quickly ate up a few GB's of space right away...normally not a big deal but I'm quickly running out of space. Other than that I'm very pleased with Plex. Does it also play DVD's as XBMC will?

(0)

Show comments (2)

Jazzyguy

18 March 2014

Version: 0.9.9.7

GREAT SOFTWARE!

(1)

Jazzyguy

14 March 2014

Version: 0.9.9.7

SOMEONE doesn't like my rating of Plex Media Server. I'll just put it back!

(2)

The best way to watch lectures, documentaries, movies or anything else from online sources. Using with Roku. A bit of learning curve for getting some of preference settings correct. The best source of information is the Plex forums. Now, if only there was an easy solution for for controlling that highly variable loudness in movies...

(1)

Using it with nPlayer on iOS to stream from my Mac. This allows me to have ultimate control over video, audio, etc. streaming to iOS, such as variable playback speed! Simple to setup. I did get a kernel panic from this server. Hopefully this update fixes whatever caused that issue.

(2)

Show comments (2)

I use this about every day with my Roku. A match made in heaven. Thanks! It's a got a bit of a learning curve , especially if you want to get deeper into the thing and use non-listed channels and such. Channels break sometimes. But, they're community made and that's to be expected. Overall it's amazing.

(2)

This is great software. Between Plex and my Roku/Netflix, I got rid of my monthly cable bill! :) This seamlessly streams video content from my Mac to my Roku, and also allows me to watch on my iPhone sitting on my deck, or to my Mac. The Media Manager is very handy. Every now and then it gets mixed up, but that has to do more with how the files were named and it's not hard to fix.

(2)

This is a nice server, easy to get running for my needs - streaming content from my mac to my PS3. Only annoying bug I've come across so far is when you pause a movie and resume it will stop completely. It seems the transcoding task (I was playing an mkv file to my PS3) will stop completely after a certain (short) time and the PS3 can't resume a now dead stream.

(1)

Show comment (1)

Subscriptions are billed in advance on a monthly or yearly basis, depending on the plan you choose. Subscriptions are renewed automatically. The charges are non-refundable. If you cancel your subscription, you will not be charged again, and your subscription will last until the end of the billing period.

(2)

Show comment (1)

But is it really free?

(1)

Show comment (1)

Great media DLNA server for my LG Smart TV and it's free! The only one thing I couldn't figure out, is automatic subtitle download from opensubtitles.org. For some reason it's not working.

(0)

Plex is a beautiful thing! And now with myplex, I can even watch movies on my home media server while on the road. Myplex configures and updates my dynamic host IP, and finds the media server automatically. Coming across Plex is like discovering Plutonium by accident. Awesome!

(2)

Holypoly

02 April 2013

Version: 0.9.7.21

Correct download link for 0.9.7.21 is here: http://plex.r.worldssl.net/PlexMediaServer/0.9.7.21.505-b453cbb/PlexMediaServer-0.9.7.21.505-b453cbb-OSX.dmg

(0)

Show comments (10)

mistacabbage

01 April 2013

Version: 0.9.7.19

The skip 30 seconds/skip 10 minutes buttons working on iOS yet? They've been broken for months. You're killin' me!

(0)

It works real good and it works consistently to bring my media together.It deserves 5 Stars!

(3)

Show comment (1)

Libertyforall1776

31 January 2013

Version: 0.9.7.12

So which version of XBMC is this based-on?

(1)

n9yty

15 January 2013

Version: 0.9.7.11

It would be awesome if they could implement some kind of option or filter to take 3D SBS content and stream it to 2D devices. ;) I understand you used to be able to do this with 3D SBS video files using VLC and a comb filter (?), but that would allow me to rip and store my 3D content for the TV (which can play it in either 3D or 2D) and use that same content on an iPad or other connected 2D device. Oh well, don't know how it would work, but here is hoping.

(0)

Show comment (1)

Easy to use. Lots of plugins (But, I NEED a good one for Ustream, somebody... please!). Works perfectly with my LG Smart TV! And the Price is right!!!!

(0)

Show comments (2)

Plex Media Server along with the Plex client on my Roku makes me a very happy boy! It works so well, I can hardly believe it.

(2)

Show comment (1)

Libertyforall1776

13 January 2013

Version: 0.9.7.9

0.9.7.10 is out...

(2)

THIS IS THE NEW VERSION AND IT IS GREAT!

(3)

Show comments (4)

Excellent Software and Free. This software is convenient to use and very reliable. I use it every day and love it.

(3)

I really like this software. It's got the best interface of all the "media server" software out there. I use media server software primarily to stream movies to my PS3, which means this software has one glaring drawback for me... no 5.1 audio. I know that by "default" the PS3 only accepts 5.1 audio from disc media, so the fact that this software converts the stream to 2 channel stereo makes sense. BUT, and this is a big BUT, "PS3 Media Server" software has found away around this and streams MKVs with full 5.1/7.1 audio to my PS3 beautifully. Knowing this is now possible, all other media servers (who claim compatibility with the PS3) need to immediately jump on the bandwagon here. This is obviously a well crafted piece of software, but I simply can't use it because of this one failure. I'm not that keen on running 2 media servers at the same time, and since I primarily use it for streaming movies, PS3 Media Server currently serves my needs better. I will be keeping a close eye on this software hoping they get up to speed on streaming digital audio to the PS3, because as soon as they do, this will become my preferred software.

(1)

I installed this to stream video from my iMac to my Roku XS. It works great for that. The Roku has a USB slot for flash drives, but doesn't play back AVI or flash files. Plex transcodes them and streams it to the the Roku via ethernet. The cool part about this software is it recognizes movies and TV shows and names them and gives them artwork. It does make mistakes, but they are easy to fix. I have episodes of Murphy Brown (which are not on DVD) captured via TiVo which I downloaded from YouTube, and Plex named the episodes, gave a synopsis of each and put them together with artwork for the series. It also has built in channels like TED Talks, etc. between this and Netflix on my Roku, I have a lot of options for media! I haven't tried the music streaming part since my iMac is connected to good studio monitors, and my TV is not.

(1)

Macinman

20 July 2012

Version: 0.9.6.5

Just a Quick question, has anyone used plex media server with a sony blu-ray player via DLNA? I tried it earlier today with a BDP-S590, with no issues except 1, The server didn't seem to show up under the photos menu on the cross media bar, other dlna servers do, but plex didn't. I added a photos section to the media library, but it still didn't show up in the player's photos section. Is this a known issue/feature? or did i maybe miss something. I tried everything i could think of. If anyone has any feedback let me know. Thanks

(0)

Show comment (1)

Stormchild

23 June 2012

Version: 0.9.6.4

Easily the best media library & player for the Mac, but the Plex Media Server still suffers from a problem that has persisted through every version — it constantly wastes 10-20% CPU all the time, even when Plex isn't even running, and no scanning is taking place. It gets worse when using iTunes too. For this reason, I just can't leave it running, so I'm stuck starting and stopping it every time I want to use Plex. To make matters worse, it insists on asking me if I'm sure I want to quit, every single time, and there's no apparent way to turn that useless message off. Wish they'd get this sorted out once and for all.

(1)

Show comment (1)

The most user-friendly media center solution I've ever used. I never tire of stopping mid-show in the living room and picking up right where I left off on the kitchen iPad. Brilliant!

(0)

Snowlprd

11 June 2012

Version: 0.9.6.3

Latest release can always be found at: http://www.plexapp.com/download/mac-download-new.php

(1)

Holypoly

11 June 2012

Version: 0.9.6.3

The listed download link seems to be dead, here's a working alternative: http://plex-downloads.s3.amazonaws.com/0.9.6.3/Releases/MacOSX-SL/PlexMediaServer-0.9.6.3.140-9c9f5ce-OSX.dmg

(0)

Show comment (1)