If you think Plex’s content is so great that people will download it without the need/want to connect to a personal Plex server ran by someone then that speaks for itself. This is the way it was designed from day one when no content was available to the public yet. There essentially is no other reason for someone to get a Plex client other than to connect to their own media server or that of a friend or family member.
No I don’t. When admin’s help family and friends get setup for their system they tell him/her go to the store and d/l Plex on your device. Also tell them to go check their email and follow the instructions in the email sent from Plex.
Yes agree. This is now the 3rd set of content being released. First News, then Podcasts and now Web Shows all using the same model.
Managed users is a half @ass solution and we both know it. Many people won’t touch managed accounts because the whole system stops working without Internet access to phone home. Also there is a small limit on who can be a managed user.
This is a philosophical decision on who should be responsible for this content. Plex sees it or wants to see it as it’s their server and their content they give away to users. They built the clients that everyone uses so again they dictate this.
Many admin’s on the other hand think the “user” is their’s not Plex’s. The user would NEVER have downloaded the Plex client if it wasn’t for THEIR server. and wanting to share with that person. If they shut down their Plex server and moved to a different media platform their users no longer have a need for the Plex client and will delete it or stop using it. They use it to connect to the friend/family’s Plex server.
License terms people might agree to could say otherwise but the reality of the situation is that if the admin shut down his/her plex server a bunch of “Plex Users” just quit as well as they won’t have access to the content they actually use the client for.
This of course is only focusing on the downside and lack of control. If these services could have been setup as “libraries” then they would get more exposure. I think most people would leave it on but only turn off things like NEWs for younger kids or those bothered the current political climate.
Speaking of that last point. I’ve heard people say that they don’t want news this way. They get blasted by the political climate from every direction throughout the day (TV, news papers, magazines, social media, email, work, friends, etc). They want to use Plex to escape this crap and be able to sit back and enjoy something worth watching, not get exposed to more of this!
It’s all about “control” and who should be able to set what shows up in the client while connected to YOUR server, period. If the person has multiple friends who have shared with him/her then they get the content that “Bubba” sets when you connect to his server.
