Coming next for the suckers: Premium Monthly with features that aren’t included in Plex Pass - just like AccuWeather did.
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Coming next : ad-supported playback on your content for all users including plex pass users. Netflix did it. Others did it. Plex will certainly follow the idea.
With the catchphrase : “This is to simulate the good old cable TV nothing wrong guys !”
And there’s people that will support the idea.
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Yeah! Maybe they’ll also come round and steal your firstborn so they can ransom them back to you!! Evil bastards!
(Did I do the ‘making up sensational bullshit’ properly?)
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What the hell? If they want to charge a reasonable fee for the player software that’s one thing, but no way am I going to pay a never-ending subscription to stream my content from my server over my internet connection to my devices. Plex, you need to give your head a wobble.
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Use a vpn server to tunnel to whatever client you want. It’s actually considerably more secure.
It’s not as if you don’t have options.
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Not to mention the several self hosted media features they talked about in the very blog post announcing this.
It’s just a fact of reality, that if we want them to be able to put any effort into self hosted media functions there has to be some sort of revenue tied to it.
This change effects 2 groups of people:
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Those running servers and remote streaming without a Plexpass. I’d imagine this number isn’t huge, because hardware transcode has always been behind the pass.
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Users who would like the mobile apps who haven’t been willing to pay. Those are now free.
Honestly, for most of the people who access our servers remotely the changes to the mobile app price is a nice change.
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I’m not. HTH
Do that with your media serving platform software then. Nobody’s standing in your way.
@raghu01 - You seem to have selective vision and clearly didn’t read my entire post!
So, to repeat., but with bullet points…
- I am OK with a company raising prices in order to cover costs and make a profit.
- More than doubling the lifetime pass is just plain GREEDY.
- Taking away existing core features and putting them behind a subscription paywall is disgusting behaviour and I can think of no genuine justification for doing so, beyond CORPORATE GREED.
And in answer to your question…
YES, it is fair to expect free software.
There are ways and means to be able to make more profit, but removing existing core functionality and forcing users to pay for it is just not one of them!
Which ever way you swing it, it’s revolting behaviour!
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Is it also revolting to make something that once cost money free? Like the mobile apps. Sometimes a business needs to adjust to remain viable.
I’d love to see stats on how many server owners have remote streaming on any sort of regular basis and do not use Plexpass. Honestly that seems like a nightmare to me.
I’ve been happily doing it for years with this great free server called Plex. But now they’re starting to turn the screw, and basic features are becoming premium ones. I guess all good things succumb to enshittification sooner or later.
Greedy, really? Plex is intended to be around for the long term, how much future work do you think your $120 is going to fund? At current annual prices that’s 3 years worth of equivalent revenue, after that they’re effectively starting to lose money. It’s wild how entitled some people are. If you don’t want a license then don’t buy one, but whining about how the thing you’ve had for free for over a decade now costs actual money is just ridiculous.
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If you think it’s ■■■■ then don’t use it. I think $120 is a bargain for what Plex offers compared to the competition.
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I’m honestly surprised by the exaggerated stance some users are taking here… I mean, you’re free to use different software, aren’t you? You’re acting as if Plex has canceled lifetime plans for existing users, told everyone they need a subscription for remote streaming, or locked all features behind a paywall.
For supporters—and not the freeware freeloaders who show zero appreciation for the developers and don’t get that maintaining an infrastructure like this, which needs constant upkeep, costs money—nothing changes. True supporters already have lifetime licenses anyway.
I bought my license back in 2013 for $79 as a way to support Plex when it was still a small player. I didn’t do it assuming I’d still be using Plex today, but simply as a gesture of appreciation.
Instead of complaining, you could educate yourselves and figure out—through ChatGPT, Grok, YouTube, or Reddit—how to keep using Plex remotely via a VPN without needing a subscription. Because the option exists.
But no, apparently it’s more important to just keep griping.
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Yes… Greedy!
Like I said in my 1st post…
So they are very likely already doing OK Jack, and therefore more than doubling the price is greedy.
I have already said it twice now, so here it is for a 3rd time…
I AM OK WITH RAISING PRICES… But just be honest about it!
Anyways… My biggest gripe is removing existing core functionality and putting it behind a paywall… That just sucks… Period!
If ya wanna make more money, just put new functionality behind a paywall…
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People are just way too entitled. I think Plex even offering a lifetime pass at all is contrary to their own interests and hugely in favour of users, because even at the new price they will start to lose money on it eventually.
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Holy hell. A lot of your are acting like spoiled children.
So freaking entitled. They built the product, they support the product. If you are acting like this I could only imagine how you behave in real life.
Yes, it’s a change, something is different. Most of us aren’t affected.
FREE users bitching about this. Buck up and pay for the product like the rest of us.
Otherwise, learn how to code.
(I’ll be back when they kill the lifetime pass benefits or decom Plexamp)
Also, dude should NOT be fired.
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I’ve paid more for less in online video game content. I look at the lifetime pass as buying software to use. Like most online services that aren’t fully standalone things change and don’t last forever. Just my opinion. I know I already paid so I’ve got no issues and likely would if those changes also affected lifetime pass holder. But it doesn’t. Whatever non pass holders chose so be it. But it’s a touch overreacting.
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Geeeze!.. lol
It’s not greedy it’s pragmatic. The overwhelming majority of users likely use Plex without a pass because they can and have been doing so for a long time. The free ride is ending.
