Plex has announced a number of changes today, including a price increase that’s due to take effect next month. Another change users, and those considering signing up for a Plex Pass, should be aware of is the removal of ‘remote playback of personal media’ as a free feature.
At present, all Plex users are able to take advantage of Remote Playback, which allows users to play content when not connected to the same local network as the server.
Beginning April 29, 2025, Remote Playback will require the user to have an active paid subscription.
A related change is also how Plex will handle friends and family members who remotely stream from a user’s server. As Plex is removing the option for free users to stream remotely, this change will also impact those streaming from someone else’s service.
In a bid to keep the cost as low as possible for these users, Plex plans to launch a new ‘Remote Watch Pass’ subscription option on April 29.
Priced at just $1.99/month or $19.99/year, a Remote Watch Pass subscription will be significantly cheaper than a full Plex Pass subscription, making it a cheaper option for those who routinely stream from any personal media servers they have access to, including servers run by those that don’t have a Plex Pass.
Plex is also advertising its new Remote Watch Pass subscription option as a good alternative for server owners who simply don’t need access to all of the features included with the standard Plex Pass subscription.
As these changes are targeting free users, those already signed up for Plex Pass shouldn’t have to worry about them. Not only will they continue to have access to Remote Playback without any interruption, but those running their own Plex Media Server also won’t have to worry about other people paying extra to stream from their server.
For any Plex users that expect to be impacted by these changes, it is worth noting that a Lifetime Plex Pass will remain available at $119.99 until the upcoming price increase takes effect on April 29. Once the increase rolls through, a Lifetime subscription will cost $249.99.
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