For years, Plex has been an inexpensive, easy way for folks to organize and stream their media collection. Starting in July, Plex will still be an easy way to do that, but it won't be cheap: for the second time in as many years, the service is raising the cost of its lifetime membership, and boy howdy, is this price hike steep.
Plex already more than doubled the price of a lifetime Plex Pass subscription from $119.99 to $249.99 last March, and it'll triple again on July 1st to $749.99. At that price, you'd have to subscribe for 11 years (at the current annual rate) to make the lifetime sub worthwhile.
Plex isn't setting $750 because it expects you to pay it. In a blog post, the company says it actually wanted to stop issuing lifetime plans; it would rather push users toward recurring subscriptions to "sustain long-term development." Now that the annual subscription covers a decade's worth of Plex, it's a win for Plex either way.
One of the best things about Plex, for me, is how it lets me share my collection with my family, or stream my stuff to a hotel room when I travel. As much as I like the ease of use and flexibility Plex offers, I feel kinda dirty paying a one-time fee or a monthly charge to a company that's pushing its customers into a corner like this.
If you're of the same mind, you might want to consider using Jellyfin. Setting up a server involves a few more hoops than working with Plex, but it won't leave you feeling like you've been mugged for your wallet and PIN number. No matter which option you choose, you'll have a great in-home solution for ripping any DVDs or Blu-rays you own to browse and watch on TV or your tablet.
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