Originally posted at August 19, 2024

If you’re someone who loves consuming media but struggles to keep track of your collection, then Plex might just be the solution you’ve been looking for. Plex is a media server software that allows you to organize, stream, and share all your media files from one central location. Whether you have a vast collection of movies, TV shows, music, or photos, Plex makes it easy to access and enjoy your content from any device, anywhere in the world.

Users rave about Plex’s powerful tagging and search capabilities, rich metadata, and ability to stream to any device. Its versatility and ease of use make it a must-have for media enthusiasts. One satisfied user described the Plex media server as “one of the best decisions you can make as far as media consumption goes,” thanks to its ability to provide complete control over media in any format. Another user appreciated the ability to keep track of what they’ve watched, noting that it eliminated the need to remember episode numbers or rename files. Overall, users say that Plex is an essential tool for organizing and enjoying their media collection.

So whether you’re a movie buff, music lover, or TV show addict, Plex is the perfect tool to help you organize and enjoy your media collection. With its user-friendly interface, powerful features, and ability to stream from anywhere, it’s no wonder that so many users swear by Plex.

How to install Plex

Good solutions should be easy to use, and Plex is no exception. Installing Plex is a straightforward process that can be completed in just a few steps. Once you’ve installed the software on your device, you can begin adding your media libraries. Plex supports a wide range of file formats, so you can add movies, TV shows, music, photos, and more. After your libraries are set up, you can access your media from any device with the Plex app. Also, Plex is compatible with some third-party services like Kodi, VLC, etc.

First, you’ll need to create a Plex account.

Creating an account

Setting up a Plex account is quick and easy, and there are several ways to do it. You can use a Google account, Facebook ID, Apple ID, or even a simple email address. These methods are equally valid for creating an account and ID, so choose whichever is most convenient for you.

As you’ve probably noticed, Plex offers a variety of customization options to make your media experience as enjoyable as possible. For example, you can choose your preferred language for the Plex interface and subtitles. Additionally, you can create wishlists to keep track of the media you want to watch or listen to in the future. Plex also makes it easy to organize your media libraries, with features like smart playlists and powerful search capabilities. And if you want to share your media with friends and family, Plex offers user accounts, sharing options, and remote access to make it easy to do so. Overall, Plex is a highly customizable and user-friendly media platform that can help you get the most out of your media collection.

Users can add multiple devices to their account and stream their media to them without any issues. This means that media libraries can be accessed from phones, tablets, or computers, no matter where users are located.

Sharing media libraries with friends and family is also possible by authorizing their devices. This is a great way to introduce others to new movies and TV shows or to share favorite music with them.

But all of this is about Plex online. Let us try to download home server software.

Preparation

To ensure that your media files are organized in a Plex-friendly way, follow these guidelines:

• Create separate folders for movies and TV shows.
• Name your movie files using the following format: [Movie_Name (Release_Year)] (e.g. The Garfield (2004).mp4).
• Name your TV show episode files using the following format: [Show Name SxxEyy] (e.g. Walking Dead s01e01.mp4).
• Store TV show episodes in their own folder, which should be organized as follows: /TV Shows/Show Name/Season/episodes (e.g. /TV Shows/Dexter/Season 01/Bones s01e01.mp4).
• Make sure that you have show folders that contain season folders that contain the episodes, as the folder structure is very important for TV shows.

By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your media files are organized in a way that makes them easy to find and manage within Plex.

Installing Plex

To get started with Plex, you’ll first need to download the installer from the Plex website. You can find the installer by going to the Plex website and clicking on the “Download” button. From there, you’ll be prompted to select your operating system or device.

Plex has installers available for the Windows, macOS, Linux, Compatible NAS devices. If you’re using a Windows PC or a Mac, you can also find the Plex installer in the Microsoft Store or the Apple App Store, respectively. Simply search for “Plex Media Server” and download the app.

Once you’ve downloaded the installer, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.

After installation Plex will ask you to log in on it’s website.

Here are the main stages of installation.

You can got plex app.

Don’t forget to choose an installer compartible with your OS.

and begin the setup with device name. For Windows, here’s the installation process.

For Linux, download the appropriate package (deb for installing Plex on Ubuntu or rpm for Fedora/CentOS) and run the installation through the console.

After that you can add library by the button.

As you see, we can choose between several library type and language of content.

Then system will browse your computer and you can use your prepared directory with your files.

You can return to organizing media in any moment. But there is how it will look like in the beginning.

You can add some devices to Plex and finish setting up.

Plex is now connected to your computer and other gadgets, so you can stream videos from Plex as well as what you have in your storage.

And the best part? If you have cloud storage, you can use that, too. For example, You can bridge Plex with Seedr and any other cloud storage, and use it as a media player with WebDAV. This gives you a shared space with all your media content in one place, and you can stream with both systems. Byu Seedr Premium now, and check out our next post to learn how.