How to Download and Activate Plex on Roku
Every day, the entertainment landscape keeps evolving in a bid to improve the video streaming experience by making it more immersive. Plex is not only one of these media servers, but popular too.
Plex is a media server that makes accessing images, audio, videos, and other media files stored on your PC or a network-attached storage (NAS) easy. The platform allows you to remotely stream the media files stored on your Plex Media server PC on other platforms like Roku. You can even allow others to access the same files from their Roku devices. Besides personal media files, you can also stream other media files by adding apps & plugins together with the Plex Pass.
Downloading and activating Plex on Roku is possible and quite straightforward as there’s a channel. Go to the channel store, add Plex and activate it on your Roku. We will take you through the steps required.
Plex is a nice-to-have app if you deal with a lot of different media files. It allows you to organize your photos, music, videos, etc. You can stream any content from TV Shows, music, movies, news, sports, and much more. With the personalized recommendations, the platform allows you to discover new music and podcasts to follow. The best thing about Plex on Roku is that it supports Direct Play. This allows you to stream content in the original bitrate making sure there isn’t any loss of quality. Plex comes with some locked features including the Plex DVR, Parental control, Live TV, mobile sync, among others. TO unlock these features, you need to buy Plex Pass – the Plex premium version that costs between $4.99 and $119.99 based on your subscription period.
Downloading Plex
Installing the Plex app on Roku is very simple and straightforward. Set up the Roku device and turn it on. Connect it to the Wi-Fi network. If prompted, enter your Roku PIN and log in. Go to the Roku home screen by pressing the home button on the remote. Next, select ‘Streaming Channels’ to go to the channel store. Click on ‘Search channels’ and in the search bar, type ‘Plex’ using the on-screen keyboard. From the suggestions, select the app by clicking on its logo and pressing on OK. On the app page, click on the ‘+Add channel’ button to add the channel on Roku. Wait for it to finish installing and open the channel by clicking on the ‘Go to Channel’ button.
Roku app
Alternatively, open the Roku mobile app and tap on the ‘Channel Store’ tab at the bottom of the page. Next, tap on the Search bar and type ‘Plex’. From the results, tap on the Plex channel and proceed to the information page. On the next page, click on ‘+ Add Channel’ to install it. The changes will automatically reflect on the Roku streaming device once the installation process is done.
Via the web
Another method of installing Plex on Roku is via the web. Open a web browser on your device and go to the Roku channel store page. Log in using your Roku username and password and navigate to ‘What to watch’ dropdown arrow on the main menu and hover over it. From the dropdown menu click on ‘Channel Store’ to visit the Roku channel store. In the search bar, search for ‘Plex’ and click on it from the suggestions. On the app page, click on ‘+Add channel’ to add the channel to Roku.
Activating Plex
With the channel installed, we need to activate Plex to watch the media contents on Roku. On your PC or smartphone, open a web browser and sign up for Plex. Open the Plex account on Roku and select ‘Sign In’ on the home screen. A 4-digit activation code will appear on the screen. To activate it, go to a web browser on your PC or phone and visit the activation page. Sign in to Plex and enter the 4-digit activation code to active Plex. Plex will automatically refresh and the media will display on Roku.
Installation steps in pictures
Press the home button on your Roku remote and go to the Roku home screen
Select Streaming Channels
Click on Search Channels and type Plex in the search bar and click on the app from the suggestions
Click on +Add Channel to install
How to Download and Activate Plex on Roku: A snap shot
Installation process |
Action required |
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Go to the channel store and add Plex. Visit the Plex activation page and activate i |
– Roku streaming device
– Stable internet connection – Web browser |
Final Thoughts
Plex is a great app to have on Roku. It offers numerous benefits when it comes to streaming media content from your PC or NAS. With Plex installed and activated, you should be able to stream media files. If you wish to unlock more features, then subscribe to the Plex Pass.
FAQs
How different is Plex from Plex Pass?
Plex Pass is the premium version of Plex offering various additional features like DVR and parental control though at a cost.
What are some alternatives to Plex?
Some of the best Plex alternatives are Emby and Media Portal.
