Plex Cloud Means Saying Goodbye To the Always-On PC (theverge.com)

Finally, you don't need an always-on PC or any other network-attached storage device if you want to use Plex's media player. The company has announced that it now allows you to stream TV shows and movies from your own collection via a new online option called Plex Cloud. From a report on The Verge: Plex is giving the world another reason to subscribe to Plex Pass subscriptions today with the launch of Plex Cloud. As the name suggests, Plex Cloud eliminates the need to run the Plex Media Server on a computer or Networked Attached Storage (NAS) in your house. It does, however, require a subscription to Amazon Drive ($59.99 per year for unlimited storage) and the aforementioned Plex Pass ($4.99 per month or $39.99 per year). Plex Cloud functions just like a regular Plex Media Server giving you access to your media -- no matter how you acquire it -- from an incredibly broad range of devices. Most, but not all Plex features are available in today's beta.

Comments

So - $100/yr for...

[Penguinisto]

...something I could do at home with a low-end shoebox computer (or better yet, an old cast-off box with a little SSD and a big platter drive stuffed into it) that would be incredibly cheaper over time, electricity included.

And wait - who said I had to have the damned thing on 24/7 at home? I boot it when I turn the TV on - takes less time to start up than the TV does these days thanks to SSD *shrug*.

Seriously - if I subscribed to this service, I'd be damned embarrassed to say that I did and claim that I'm a geek at the same time...

Re:Pretty cool

[epyT-R]

So in other words, instead of just paying for electricity and hardware I have control over, I can pay for plex cloud. I'm sure I can expect other interested parties having access to my data through an NSL and my ISP to stick me for insane bw usage. Yay! What a deal!

Local Content Only For Now

[WoodburyMan]

I've been a avid Plex user for almost 2 years now. A bit over a year ago I bought a storage array NAS just for dedicated Plex storage, and built a i5 media center system that acts as Plex server and a few other things so I don't have to leave a power hungry gaming desktop on all the time. Previous to that I only kept some content on disk, and backed up media to CD's, then DVD, then Bluray. Combined, I have somewhere north of 2.5TB of content. Charter in my area offers only 60mbit/4mbit service, with 150mbit/5mbit service as a $50 upgrade. That's over 150hours to upload A week straight. Then content, when I add it, has to be uploaded. It makes no sense to download content, only to upload it, to stream/download it again. With GoPro 4K 60dps footage I have taking up SEVERAL gigs, it's just way too much to upload to Amazon, let alone upload the small trimmed down clips I want to YouTube sometimes. Maybe in the future, if ISP's in my area decide to offer actual upload speeds. As it stands if I download at 60mbit, 50-75% of my upload bandwidth is spent in just TCP acknowledgements and overhead. And symmetrical business speed is offered via Fiber only here at costs of $500+/mo.

This is why I don't use Plex.

[dugancent]

I don't want a computer running full time and using electricity. I also don't want to pay per month for the cloud.

I use Infuse with an Apple TV in one room and a Fire TV in another, connected to a shared hard drive plugged into my router. Works great and needs virtually no computing power on the sharing end.

Re:Pretty cool

[PRMan]

This is so true. I'm a cord-cutter and my internet went down on Saturday and I watched a show on Plex specifically BECAUSE it's over my network.