Lack of PlexPass features for non-Plex server users

General Discussions
1

Something interesting came up. My friend ask if he should buy a PlexPass to get features.
I laughed and was like WTF!? You don’t have a server. You get no features(well, you get 1…now 2).

So, there is no real benefit for non-server users.
Plex really has no PlexPass features for non-Plex server users. Nothing to entice them.
I find in REAL hard to encourage my friends to buy a subscription and discourage them when they ask about it.

Automatic Photo-tagging New
Server users only.

Live TV New
Server users only.

Plex Cloud New
Server users only.

Plex DVR New
Server users only.

Mobile Sync
Server users only.

Cloud Sync
Server users only.

Audio Fingerprinting
Server users only.

Lyrics
Server users only.

Mood Mix
Server users only.

Plex Mix
Server users only.

Premium Music
Server users only.

Multiple Users
Server users only.

Parental Controls
Server users only.

Trailers and Extras
Server users only.

Camera Upload
Server users only.

Plex Pass Perks New
Ha, this one is new and supports non-Plex server users

Early Access and Free Apps
The only one that supports non-Plex server users.

That’s it. Nothing for the client users.

If I had to give any one feature to a non-server user it would be Multiple Users (Managed Users).
I believe all PlexPass users should benefit from this feature.

Trailers and Extras is another one.
I mean, I don’t have all the specifics but trailers should be available to all people with a subscription since its not being played from the server(except for custom trailers) and the option should be for the user(client) not the owner(server).

What you all think?

2

@NewPlaza said:

If I had to give any one feature to a non-server user it would be Multiple Users (Managed Users).
I believe all PlexPass users should benefit from this feature.
The only reason I can see for a non-server owner to create managed users is so that he can share content that was shared to him to others.

Trouble is, most Plex members who have expressed an opinion are dead set against allowing their content to be re-shared by the people they chose to share with, without their knowledge or consent. If you, as the recipient of shared content, want others to access the same content, the right thing to do is to ask the server owner to share to your friend(s).

3

@beckfield said:

@NewPlaza said:

If I had to give any one feature to a non-server user it would be Multiple Users (Managed Users).
I believe all PlexPass users should benefit from this feature.
The only reason I can see for a non-server owner to create managed users is so that he can share content that was shared to him to others.

Trouble is, most Plex members who have expressed an opinion are dead set against allowing their content to be re-shared by the people they chose to share with, without their knowledge or consent. If you, as the recipient of shared content, want others to access the same content, the right thing to do is to ask the server owner to share to your friend(s).

I understand your concern but I was thinking in the lines of… When you give someone access to your server, you are really giving it to their household. At least I know this every time. I share multiple libraries to each friend and a lot of them are concern about their kids watching something that they SHOULD NOT. I cannot control that and all my friends like damn, gotta lock away the Roku when at work.

4

Also, to allow someone to your managed users require you to give out your username/password from the admin account and my friend know that is a NO, NO!
So, no one outside your friends network will have access to their admin and managed users.
And this is for local managed users. They cannot tie the managed user to a plex member

5

You don’t need a server for Plex Cloud. It is the server. But if you don’t plan on having a server at all, then yeah this doesn’t help you either.

Plex Pass is designed to provide additional features to your server, so without a server, there isn’t a need to have a Plex Pass. Unless you want to support Plex. :smile:

6

@MovieFan.Plex said:
Plex Pass is designed to provide additional features to your server, so without a server, there isn’t a need to have a Plex Pass. Unless you want to support Plex. :smile:

Therein lies the issue. No features for non-server members.

Or, another way of saying it. Punish the Plex Pass server users, lol.

7

Here is an advantage (albeit it depends largely on your particular circumstances whether this is actually usefule or not):
Plex Pass holders get Relay connections at 2mbps bitrate
whereas Free users only get 1 mbps.

8

I have that disabled.
Anyway, who takes advantage of this, the PP-ServerOwner or all the FreeClientOwner connecting to a PP-ServerOwner?

9

Both, if they want to stream outside the house and the server is not accessible directly.

Like mine is, atm. One only learns to appreciate this feature when you’re in this situation.

10

Then what is the point or am I not understanding you correctly. I mean, the free people are getting the feature conditionally? So, what you are saying is as long as the free clients connect to someone with a Plex Pass they can benefit from that feature.

11

@NewPlaza said:
Mobile Sync
Server users only.

Last I checked, when I shared my library and the ability to mobile sync to someone who didn’t have a PlexPass, they were unable to mobile sync. Has that changed?

Trailers and Extras
Server users only.

I suspect this is same boat - clients who dont have a PlexPass don’t get to see trailers or extras on my servers last I checked. Admittedly like the above though, it’s been a while since I checked. Has this changed?

Plex Pass Perks New
Ha, this one is new and supports non-Plex server users

Early Access and Free Apps
The only one that supports non-Plex server users.

That’s it. Nothing for the client users.

If I had to give any one feature to a non-server user it would be Multiple Users (Managed Users).
I believe all PlexPass users should benefit from this feature.

@beckfield said:
Trouble is, most Plex members who have expressed an opinion are dead set against allowing their content to be re-shared by the people they chose to share with, without their knowledge or consent. If you, as the recipient of shared content, want others to access the same content, the right thing to do is to ask the server owner to share to your friend(s).

@NewPlaza said:
I understand your concern but I was thinking in the lines of… When you give someone access to your server, you are really giving it to their household. At least I know this every time. I share multiple libraries to each friend and a lot of them are concern about their kids watching something that they SHOULD NOT. I cannot control that and all my friends like damn, gotta lock away the Roku when at work.

I understand your point, and in those situation, I believe it behooves my friend who I have shared this with to ask me to share with additional accounts if required, or restrict access to their own account accordingly.

12

@NewPlaza said:
Then what is the point or am I not understanding you correctly. I mean, the free people are getting the feature conditionally?

The bitrate of the relay connection is restricted to 1mbps for free users
Plex Pass users have double the bitrate available, so videos are better quality.

So, what you are saying is as long as the free clients connect to someone with a Plex Pass they can benefit from that feature.

The feature is available to every user, just with different maximum quality/bitrate for PP vs. no PP.

@deepseth said:
Last I checked, when I shared my library and the ability to mobile sync to someone who didn’t have a PlexPass, they were unable to mobile sync. Has that changed?

Non-PP users can use Sync, if the server they are syncing from has a PP and the server’s admin has allowed Sync for this particular user.

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I suspect this is same boat - clients who dont have a PlexPass don’t get to see trailers or extras on my servers last I checked. Admittedly like the above though, it’s been a while since I checked. Has this changed?

Trailers were available from the very beginning to all users of a server with a PP.

13

@OttoKerner said:
Non-PP users can use Sync, if the server they are syncing from has a PP and the server’s admin has allowed Sync for this particular user.

Yeah just as I thought. It be nice if the client had sync option(one item at a time though) if they were a PP member while the PP server owner can allow for multiple or whole sections/libraries. After all, the content can’t be to private if you are sharing it with people.

@OttoKerner said:
Trailers were available from the very beginning to all users of a server with a PP.

This should be different too. As a PP member but with no plex server shouldn’t automatically exclude you to online trailers.

14

@NewPlaza said:
Yeah just as I thought. It be nice if the client had sync option(one item at a time though) if they were a PP member while the PP server owner can allow for multiple or whole sections/libraries. After all, the content can’t be to private if you are sharing it with people.

I think you still don’t understand. Sync is possible for free members if the server owner allows it.

This should be different too. As a PP member but with no plex server shouldn’t automatically exclude you to online trailers.

Apparently you understood the opposite of what I was saying.

15

We are talking about 4 things.

  1. People with servers.
  2. People with server and a plex pass.
  3. People that don’t have a server BUT are plex pass members.
  4. People that don’t have a server and do not have a plex pass.

@OttoKerner said:
I think you still don’t understand. Sync is possible for free members if the server owner allows it.

What I was trying to say is PP users that don’t host a server can still sync from ANYONE(one item at a time). The only option the PP server owner can do is allow those people access to sync whole sections/libraries in one shot.

@OttoKerner said:
Trailers were available from the very beginning to all users of a server with a PP
Apparently you understood the opposite of what I was saying.

Again, people that host a server.
Viewing online trailers shouldn’t be exclusive to only PP members that host a server.
Why should I be punished for my friend not having a PP while hosting a server. He should be the one to not get trailers, not me.

16

@NewPlaza said:
Again, people that host a server.
Viewing online trailers shouldn’t be exclusive to only PP members that host a server.
Why should I be punished for my friend not having a PP while hosting a server. He should be the one to not get trailers, not me.

But it is the server hosting the movie which needs to get the trailer.
In your scenario, if there is a server without Plex Pass, it still had to fetch the trailers.
The alternative would be an online database which had to fetch trailers “live” as you play the movies. Which then again would raise some serious privacy issue…

17

Yeah, sure. Get the trailer and play it for the PP member.

18

Anyway. All I’m trying to say is there is NO point for someone to buy into Plex if they don’t host a server.
Furthermore, you can’t expect someone to buy a PP if they don’t host a server. Sounds like half the market that Plex could get revenue from is lost. I don’t know. It sucks that these non-server people would get nothing for their money.

19

What is a non server user that yinz keep referrng to?

20

@AZDesertGal said:
What is a non server user that yinz keep referrng to?

You got two type of people.
Ones that host a sever for themselves and to allow friends to connect to, aka ServerUsers
Ones that only watch stuff from your hosted sever, aka NonServerUsers, or ClientOnlyUsers, or LeechUsers