For years, one of the best features of Plex was the ability to remotely connect to your server and watch your collection no matter where you are. This helped make it one of the best apps to stream free movies and TV shows. Earlier this year, though, the company announced it would be making some major changes to its Remote Watch functionality, noting that it would soon require a Remote Watch Pass or a Plex Pass premium subscription to use remote streaming. Well, “soon” has arrived, and Plex’s Roku TV App is one of the first to get the new restriction. The remote watch functionality was always one of the most enticing features for many, as it allowed access to one’s streaming library from anywhere.
However, with Plex removing this from the free version, it could throw a wrench in how many users rely on the service as one of their essential Roku TV apps. People have already shared their disappointment in the change on Reddit, with some even noting they are worried we may continue to see features being pulled from the service, or even crackdowns, as we have seen with HBO, Netflix, and other streaming services that restricted how you can share account access to those services outside your home network.
Remote play made it easy to watch your content from anywhere
While Roku users are some of the first to get hit with the new restrictions, those using the Plex app on other devices will also be affected by this move. As we noted above, one of the key reasons that many turned to services like Plex was that they could keep up with all their digital content in one place, while still being able to access it even while outside. The good news about the change here, at least, is that users with the Remote Watch subscription or Plex Pass will still be able to use the service.
Moreover, as long as the person running the server has a subscription, anyone connecting to it will be able to access it remotely. Still, there are other limitations in play that will require a subscription, such as Plex’s skip intro function. This isn’t the first hurdle that Plex users have had to face this year, either. Plex hiked up its price in March, nearly doubling the cost of its Lifetime access subscription, as well as introducing a redesign and new social features.
