How to Download and Activate Plex on Roku
As technology advances and the entertainment industry evolves, new software and devices are being manufactured to ensure that you can enjoy a seamless yet immersive video streaming experience. Among these new advancements, is Plex, which is one of the most popular media servers in the entertainment world.
Currently, there’s more streamable content than ever and multiple ways to consume it. Even so, video streaming looks slightly different in practice, perhaps because there are too many options to choose from, and signing up for certain services can get pretty expensive. With time, you will slowly begin to embrace the fact that the basis of an entertaining and reliable video streaming experience, is either owning a high performing streaming player or working with a high-performing media server. In this write-up, we will compare Plex and Kodi, then guide you on how to successfully download and activate Plex on Roku.
Table of Contents
Before all else, what is Plex, and how does it work?
Just like Kodi, Plex is a media management platform that has two parts; the new playback application that replaces the Plex Media Player and the media server software. An advantage to this setup is that all you need to do is maintain your file collection on your server. It is ideal for anyone who opposes popular video and music streaming services. It is the best app for you, especially if you have large repositories of local media files but not enough space on your devices through which you will be streaming content. Once you have configured the media server, you can stream and download server content on different devices and share your libraries with your family and friends via the Plex app.
How much does Plex cost?
If you do not need any high-level features or would like to try hosting files, Plex offers a free account. This tier allows you to get all the standard media organization and streaming capabilities, support for different media formats, and the ability to cast to other devices. This account level also allows you to seamlessly use Plex’s VR app, share your server with other and control playback using voice controls on eligible apps.
If you would like more advanced features, you can opt for a premium Plex Pass account, which would cost you about $119.99 for a lifetime subscription, $39.99 annually, or $4.99 monthly. This tier includes everything in the free account and other premium features such as automatic lyrics and auto-tagging, offline mobile syncing, and support for Live TV, via a tuner or an antenna.
A summary table on the prices charged for Plex
Plex Account |
Tier Type |
Cost |
Benefits |
Normal Account |
Lowest Tier |
Free |
– Basic media organization and streaming capabilities, support for different media formats, including 4K, ability to cast to other devices.
– You can use the Plex VR app, control playback using voice control and share your server |
Premium Plex Pass Account |
Highest Tier |
$4.99 monthly,
$39.99 annually, $119.99 for a lifetime subscription |
– Basic media organization and streaming capabilities, support for different media formats, including 4K, ability to cast to other devices.
– You can use the Plex VR app, control playback using voice control and share your server – Extra premium features such as auto-tagging and automatic lyrics |
What are the features of Plex on Roku?
The following are the latest features of the Plex app;
- It allows you to seamlessly stream almost any TV shows, movies, music, series, videos, news, sports, and other content
- You can easily organize your favorite TV shows, DVR-ed TV, photos, music library, and so much more
- Through the Plex app, you can get personalized video news from over 190 publishers worldwide
- You can find rich descriptions, artworks, and more related information for every show that you may come across when video streaming
- You can always discover new music or carry out further searches for your favorite podcast via the personalized recommendations that Plex has to offer
That said, how can you add Plex on Roku?
The steps below should help you get Plex on Roku seamlessly;
- Go to the Channel Store on your Roku device
- Scroll towards the left side and then navigate downwards to select streaming channels
- After doing that, you should select the ‘search channels’ option
- When the search bar pops up, type in ‘Plex’ using the on-screen keys. To add to that, when the list of suggestions is shown, choose Plex
- Select the ‘Add Channel’ option using the Roku remote. Doing this installs Plex on your Roku enabled device
- Wait patiently until the notification that reads ‘Plex is successfully installed on Roku’ pops. When this happens, you can access it from the end of the Roku home screen
How can I activate Plex on Roku?
If it is your first time using Plex on your Roku player or TV, then the first thing you need to do is activate it. To do this;
- Begin by launching the Plex channel
- Key in your details to sign in to your Plex account. When you do this, you should get an activation code. If you do not have a Plex account, go to ‘plex.tv/sign-up/’ and create your account
- As you do this, open the browser on your laptop and launch the ‘plex.tv/link/’
- Key in the activation code that popped up on your Roku TV
- Once you have done that, your Roku TV or player is successfully linked to your Plex account, and you can start streaming your favorite media content
Conclusion
A regular Plex account should give you an immersive video streaming experience, but you are better off purchasing the Premium Plex account, which has more advanced features. Also, if you aren’t impressed with everything Kodi has to offer, Plex serves as a great alternative for your entertainment needs.
FAQs
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Is Plex similar to Netflix?
No, it is not. Unlike Netflix which only allows you to stream content online, you can use Plex as a media center and can always add different media content to it.
-
Is Plex an illegal streaming app?
Not exactly. If anything, it has been legalized in most countries.
