this post was submitted on 19 Jan 2024
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[–] [email protected] 28 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (8 children)

I was trying to think how Plex thinks this is going to play out, knowing that this move will piss off their customer base. Then I realized, this isn't a play for Plex's existing customer base. This is a play for their customer's "friends and family" that are enjoying shared libraries already.

Their 'customer' base has for many many years been developing a large user base of technologically naive people with Plex apps installed who could never run their own server. If Plex knows, for example, that for every paying customer there's three other users pulling from someone's library, that's a huge opportunity for them to convert those users to paying customers.

Everyone that set up a Plex server and then shared it with your tech-phobic parents, cousins, friends, etc... We made this possible.

I don't like it but I can't argue with the logic from Plex here.

-edit- Tightened up the grammar.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Is that bad though? I don't mind renting a movie I really like even if my friend has it on their Plex. Especially if it's from a small studio. Currently I do that via Google TV. Plex Inc being a small private company might use the money better than a publicly traded giant. I wouldn't mind my friends and family spending a few bucks on it either.

Of course if Plex starts enshitifying existing private streaming features to push this, that'll be another matter altogether. Which would not be unexpected.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, I've been switched to using Jellyfin anyways. I hope they can do this successfully. They haven't been the best for a while anyways..

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I'll probably trial Jellyfin too in preparation to migrate the family should push come to shove.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

It's worth donating if you have the means to. I paid for a lifetime Plex subscription. So, I felt uncomfortable not donating to Jellyfin. They take donations on open collective.

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