Introduction to Plex

Introduction to Plex Media Server

Plex is a powerful media server that organizes your personal media collection and streams it to any device, anywhere. Think of it as your own personal Netflix, powered by your media library.

What is Plex?

Plex Media Server is software that runs on your computer and serves your media to various client applications. It:

• Organizes your movies, TV shows, music, and photos with beautiful metadata
• Streams content to any device in your home or remotely
• Transcodes media on-the-fly to match device capabilities
• Syncs content for offline viewing

Tip

Plex has both free and premium tiers. The free tier covers most home media needs, while Plex Pass adds features like hardware transcoding and mobile sync.

Why Choose Plex?

Universal Playback

Play your media on TVs, phones, tablets, gaming consoles, and web browsers.

Beautiful Interface

Automatically fetches metadata, artwork, and descriptions for your content.

Remote Access

Stream your media from anywhere with an internet connection.

Family Sharing

Share your library with friends and family with separate user profiles.

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

Component	Requirement
Processor	Intel Core i3 or equivalent
RAM	2 GB
Storage	40 MB for installation
Network	Ethernet recommended

Recommended for Transcoding

Component	Recommendation
Processor	Intel Core i5/i7 (6th gen+) with Quick Sync
RAM	8 GB or more
GPU	Intel Quick Sync / NVIDIA GTX 1050+
Network	Gigabit Ethernet

Note

The more concurrent streams you need, the more powerful your hardware should be. Direct play (no transcoding) requires minimal resources.

How Plex Works

1. Install Plex Media Server on your computer or NAS device
2. Add your media files to organized folder structures
3. Scan your libraries to let Plex identify and organize content
4. Watch on any Plex client app on your devices

Plex Components

Plex Media Server

The core software that runs on your computer/server. It manages libraries, handles transcoding, and serves content to clients.

Plex Client Apps

Applications for watching your content:

• Smart TVs: Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio
• Streaming devices: Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast
• Mobile: iOS and Android apps
• Gaming: PlayStation, Xbox
• Web: Browser-based playback

Plex Pass (Premium)

Optional subscription that unlocks:

• Hardware-accelerated transcoding
• Mobile sync for offline viewing
• Live TV & DVR features
• Multiple user accounts for families

Getting Help

• Plex Support: Official documentation and support
• Plex Forums: Community discussions
• r/PleX: Reddit community

Next Steps

Ready to get started? Choose your path:

Choose Your Platform

Select your operating system to get platform-specific instructions.

Quick Start

Jump into the quick start guide if you want to get running fast.