- cross-posted to:
- selfhosted@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- selfhosted@lemmy.world
I was just forwarded this someone in my household who watches our server. That’s it folks. I’ve been a hold out for a long time, but this is honestly it.
They want me to pay to stream content that I bought from my hardware transcoded also on my hardware.
I’ll say it. As of today, I say Plex is dead. Luckily I’ve been setting up Jellyfin, I guess it’s time to make it production ready.
Edit I have a Plex Pass. More comments saying “Just buy a plex pass” are seriously not getting it. I have a Plex Pass and my users are still getting this.
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I have a Plex Pass and my users are still getting this.
To be crystal clear to anyone getting this email: if the server admin has a Plex Pass, users need to do nothing to continue as normal. The streaming pass is only for users who aren’t connecting to a server that has a Plex Pass.
What I find shitty about this is that it’s being indiscriminately sent to every Plex account. There’s bound to be lots of people who don’t understand what this means who will be tricked into buying a streaming pass they don’t need at all. I’ve been getting messages from my users all day asking wtf is going on, and I’m getting tired of trying to convince them to just ignore the email.
That’s where my head was. If anything, it threw all of my users into a panic, thinking that they had to suddenly start paying. I had a couple immediately uninstall the apps. I don’t blame them, the way it was worded it was pretty much pushing them that they had to. Plex undid years worth of trust right there with them.
What gets me is that they didn’t message plex pass holders about this first. I would have gladly let my users know that they need to do nothing. Instead I’m fielding all kinds of panicked messages.
Same. Their wording was obviously meant to push them into just buying the membership. They chose language that sounded like you have to buy it ~or talk to your server admin~.
It should have been “Talk with your server owner, <<Server owner name>> to see if you need to purchase a subscription or not”. Language like that would be very clear - but they chose not to do that.
Or even better. <<ServerName>>, which is ran by <<ServerOwner>> already has a plex pass subscription, you can continue watching without a subscription! Gee, how nice that would have been.
WAIT
WHAT?
They can just adjust their pricing like that without a warning before hand? Who do they think they are?
Sad to see Plex becoming another target of enshittification.
enjoy intro pricing on a Remote Watch Pass
why would someone enjoy paying for what was free?!
Right? Absolutely ludicrous. I can’t get over how they can be so arrogant to think they deserve money for that. It’s core functionality that existed before they forked off of emby. They didn’t even write that code. Then they have no infrastructure for it, because it transcodes and streams from my server over my network. Any infrastructure they have in that process is nothing I wanted (looking at the auth that for some reason needs to phone home).
No, this is too far, I’m officially leaving Plex.
And Jellyfin shall welcome you with open sourcey arms.
add some wireguard leases so that you can share access to it with your friends, and presto :)
What do you mean for wireguard? Can’t they just access it directly?
I mean if you want to open up your network to the outside, sure. but a VPN would be a bit more safer, right?
Ah okay, yes I have another thread open elsewhere talking about that exact thing.
Guess how you would get around Plex’s remote streaming fees. Guess what service would be appropriate for tricking two devices into thinking they’re on the same local network.
Incorrect.
They are not charging for local streaming on your network. They are just charging for remote streaming, something that wasn’t part of emby, does use their servers and network bandwidth, and chews up a huge amount of development time.
For comparison, do let us all know which media server youre jumping to that supports secure and seamless remote streaming across a wide variety of devices and ecosystems
Just buy a lifetime Plex Pass and pay for the software you use. If you had years ago this wouldn’t be a problem and you literally would not notice that money being gone at this point.
$150 to perpetually operate a media server with free software updates is a ridiculous deal.
They are not charging for local streaming on your network. They are just charging for remote streaming, something that wasn’t part of emby, does use their servers and network bandwidth, and chews up a huge amount of development time.
I’m sorry, what? How does me hosting my content on my server connected to the Internet with a connection I pay for, to a remote client that I own and also connected to the Internet that I pay for, “use their servers and network bandwidth”? How is basic remote streaming functionality that existed for the entire time I’ve used it “chew up a huge amount of development time”?
Their development time - the things they’re bleeding self-hosted users to fund through this change - is entirely focused on their AVOD-hosting, SVOD-hub garbage that every other streaming startup is doing.
OP HAS a plex pass
No they don’t. If they did their users wouldn’t get this message.
So you’re calling OP a liar?
Yeah, or that they misconfigured something or didn’t sign into their account, or that it’s a random bug.
Because if you have a Plex pass your users don’t have to pay anything for remote streaming. And OP is apparently unaware of the well publicized change so I’m thinking they’re the unreliable narrator.
Define remote streaming, because they all support it unless there’s some term I don’t know about. Jellyfin allows me to remote stream out of the box - just like Plex used to.
The only thing I can think of that you’re referring to is the proxied streaming thing, which I don’t care about anyway. Jellyfin connects directly to my new server
Streaming outside your local network. And no jellyfin does not.
Uh it absolutely does. Bare minimum to do it is the exact same effort as plex. Forward a port.
Lol, if you expose a Jellyfin server to the open internet you deserve what happens to your devices.
It most definitely does.
Jellyfin doesnt give a shit about where the server is in the slightest.
Alright then stop removed about Plex and go use jellyfin if it’s so easy.
I do.
And I wasn’t removed about Plex. This was my first comment in this thread.
That said, I’m also a lifetime Plex Pass subscriber, since waaaayyyyy back. And I’ll add that this is clearly a shitty money grab, and Plex deserves the complaints.
In case people aren’t clear on what’s happening, here is a graphic that illustrates what’s happening.
I have never used plex, and never will because I like my privacy, but that 20 usd a year does not sound much. thats less than 2 usd a month
I bought a lifetime plex pass for like $80 in 2016… is Plex getting more annoying? Yes. But is this a huge affront? No.
People are angry because everyone’s spent too much time on social media and are used to assuming the worst and flying off the handle.
I’m all for switching to FOSS alternatives but this is like complaining that video game companies charge you for playing games on your own computer. Maybe they’re just struggling financially.
More like complaining if a game company comes back to make your game worse after you paid.
“Yea I know you were enjoying Elden Ring and paid for it and host the multiplayer server yourself, but for reasons, all endgame content is going to require players to login and verify a subscription status to play online. Also greatsword have been depreciated and will be relaunched as a separate client: Elden Sword.”
Just buy a Plex Pass, damn. If you really like the software and it does everything you want, but you just want all the features for free then move to Emby or Jellyfin or whatever. I do hear Emby and Jellyfin have some good qualities but I haven’t tried them myself.
Personally, the lifetime Plex Pass was one of my best purchases ever, but if you’re against paying for it, then you do you.
I have a plex pass.
So then all the users of your server are fine, as the email states.
EDIT: Downvote if you want but that’s literally the fourth paragraph of the email you posted.
Even if I wasn’t a Plex pass holder, they’re removing functionality. How do you not see that that is unacceptable? If they need income they can add new functionality that’s paid but this is something that was free before, and is now no longer free. Worse yet, it’s my server, I don’t know how they need 7 dollars a month for any infrastructure they have to support it when I do the heavy compute and streaming myself.
It’s absolutely just greedy. They could have charged for that new UI they released. Or any new feature. They’re charging for things that either cost them pennies, or worse yet probably nothing.
And we’re not even talking about how with my Plex pass they’re still getting emails pushing them to join and how scummy that is
It’s all great until they eventually revoke your lifetime pass too and make it a subscription. If you think corporations won’t do something scummy like that I have a bridge to sell to you.
Call me when it happens. Until then, that’s just speculation masquerading as a justification.
My lifetime pass from 2017 for $100 still works just the same as the day I bought it. I’m almost down to $1 per month for my overall costs. It’s ludicrously cheap compared to other entertainment options.
The thing is, a the length of a lifetime license isn’t defined by law.
So? How does that change my perceived value of the product I’m using today?
“They could change your license tomorrow!!!111!1”.
Ok. And then at that point I look for alternatives. I guess I don’t understand the rage at whatever future possibility you are sure is going to happen any second now.
Then your so called lifetime license of 150 bucks is worthless, all your efforts you will no longer be able to enjoy.
You are enabling this enshitification!
“My concert ticket from last night is worthless!”
Because the concert was canceled just as you were queuing up.
“Yes they are your files on your hardware in your home using your internet bandwitdh. But uh… fuck you.”
Been using Jellyfin since plex started to annoy me for using it without an account.
My god people.
If you setup Wireguard to use Jellyfin remotely, that would also get around Plex’s fees for remote streaming.
Am i reading this wrong?
If you use Jellyfin you no longer need plex. You can both host it on your own domain or do the vpn method.
If you really want to keep using plex then the vpn method will bypass the new restriction but i recommend not staying with software that limits what you can do with it when alternatives exist.
“Alternatives” https://github.com/jellyfin/jellyfin/issues/5415
