1575
submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by Sunny@slrpnk.net to c/selfhosted@lemmy.world

Text:

I consent to Plex to: (i) sell certain personal information (hashed emails, advertising identifiers) to third-parties for advertising and marketing purposes; and (ii) store and/or access certain personal information (advertising identifiers, IP address, content being watched) on my device(s) and share that information with Plex’s advertising partners. This data is used to deliver personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Your consent applies to all devices on which you have Plex installed. You can withdraw your consent at any time in Account Settings or using this page.

Soure: https://www.plex.tv/vendors/ (Might have to clear cache)

Can also read about the changes here: https://www.plex.tv/about/privacy-legal/

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[-] Selfhoster1728@infosec.pub 427 points 2 months ago

I don't know why everyone in the selfhosting community still even mentions Plex or uses it.

It's closed source, not free; Jellyfin is a no brainer yet people still go to Plex??

[-] apfelwoiSchoppen@lemmy.world 285 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

The sunken cost of buying a plexpass on sale for 39 dollars 15 years ago.

[-] scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 141 points 2 months ago

I bought a Plex pass for 90 or something. I officially dropped Plex about 4 months ago now. For 90 bucks I got something like 8 years out of it. I'll call that a win, I don't feel like I wasted my money, I don't feel like I overpayed. Just moving on now.

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[-] akilou@sh.itjust.works 127 points 2 months ago

Jellyfin is hardly a no-brainer. I set it up out of curiosity a few weeks ago and my first question was how do I give access to my friends and family. So I searched, and all of the results were talking about setting up a VPN or a reverse proxy or whatever. Man, I just want to tell my mom "install this app on your tv and log in", which is exactly what Plex does.

I get that Plex is enshittifying, but pretending Jellyfin is a drop-in replacement is delusional.

[-] catloaf@lemm.ee 54 points 2 months ago

Jellyfin is a no-brainer. Publishing services on the Internet is complex.

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[-] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 35 points 2 months ago

Seconded it’s not a no-brainer. I spent days trying to get it set up with Docker on two different computers and three different distros. It wouldn’t install, if it did install it had errors, if it would even open at all with anything other than a black screen. Hours trying to search how to fix it. I gave up and installed it as a standalone app on a common distro. Not as convenient, but FML it finally worked. Really felt like I wasted my time. Personally, this is the exact bullshit linux fanatics completely ignore when they insist on how great linux is vs whatever. I’ve got a shitload of patience, willpower and modest skill to try to get something like this working, but 99% of the population doesn’t. That’s why linux will stay on the back burner. And if it ever becomes just as easy as Windows…guess what? You’ll have many of the same problem as Windows.

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[-] cecilkorik@lemmy.ca 18 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I just want to tell my mom “install this app on your tv and log in”

I mean, if I didn't know better, I'd start to suspect that the large multimedia corporations building walled gardens of apps in closed Smart TV ecosystems don't really want you to be able to easily tell your mom how to watch shit for free. I mean they'll let you, if you really insist on having that app available, but someone will have to pay THEM money instead first (and probably let them spy on you). That's their racket.

The reason Plex can do it is because they do make money, doing shitty stuff like this to their users, so they can use that money to open these doors into SmartTV-land. The root of the problem is that your SmartTV itself (and your mom's) is a locked down proprietary piece of shit, designed exclusively for shoving all proprietary content these media companies develop down your throat, and there are few convenient workarounds that are available to us, because of course they make workarounds as inconvenient as possible.

Unless you're willing to ditch everything proprietary and insist on open technology for everything, which is hard on its own, you're going to end up with a janky mix of proprietary and open systems that always require some compromises, because the proprietary stuff forces us to compromise. It's literally a "this is why we can't have nice things" situation.

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[-] dmtalon@infosec.pub 46 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

"still even mentions plex"

I've been using plex for a LONG time, and bought a lifetime plexpass 12 years ago. I'm pretty sure I haven't started a thread on Lemmy regarding Plex, but I'm sure I'm not alone as a LONG TIME user. Plex just works for me and cost me $75 in 2013. Right now I've got no pressing reason to switch.

If they remove my plexpass features, or start showing me ads / making my user experience worse, then I'll probably look to change, and won't participate in these awful 'plex' posts.

P.S. we should encourage as much new content on Lemmy as possible if you ask me.

[-] PhAzE@lemmy.ca 19 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Same with me, 12 years, about $70, and it still works just as well as ever. I turn off any new features I don't want, my friends and family can still stream from me for free since I have plex pass already, and it's easy to share without having to pass around my IP address.

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[-] MudMan@fedia.io 27 points 2 months ago

I would switch in a heartbeat if Jellyfin didn't... kinda suck, honestly.

But the difference in usability is enough that it's just not an option.

For the record, I updated Plex today and I haven't seen a notification like this anywhere, although that text snippet does match their privacy policy ad data opt-in settings blurb that has been in place for a while. I may need a bit more context here.

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[-] fargeol@lemmy.world 268 points 2 months ago
[-] applemao@lemmy.world 78 points 2 months ago

Every day of my life trying to explain to friends they need to quit using spoon fed software. Sigh.

[-] pipes@sh.itjust.works 26 points 2 months ago
[-] drspod@lemmy.ml 23 points 2 months ago

I think we can make an exception for soup and ice-cream, no?

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[-] TheFogan@programming.dev 22 points 2 months ago

Exactly why on so many things it's like... even when it looks like they are getting it, they don't get it. Kind of like watching bluesky rising right now. Unless I'm majorly missing something here. It looks like it's kind of open and kind of federated...

Except in a form that no one can feasibly create their own node. One change in leadership or goals of leadership away, and it can turn into the same neo nazi trash that people are joining it to get away from.

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[-] Soliae@lemm.ee 92 points 2 months ago

Jellyfin is the way. Costs nothing other than the hardware needed and nobody is selling anything about you.

Our personal streaming library with Jellyfin is bigger than any public service and we can add to it from VHS, DVD, Blueray, though extra equipment was required for the VHS/Blueray.

It’s also available anywhere we go and we can set up separate accounts for different family members. There’s even a phone app.

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[-] flop_leash_973@lemmy.world 84 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

content being watched) on my device(s) and share that information with Plex’s advertising partners

That is a honey pot rights holders will be falling over themselves to pay Plex for access to once they hear about it.

Been telling anyone that would listen that they need to get out of Plex since they implemented that first iteration of trying to require you to sign into your own self hosted server with a Plex.tv account. They were telegraphing what direction they were going in with that kind of user hostile move.

Lots of responses about how it was easy to get around so no big deal (or worse that they liked it for some coping mechanism reason) and that nothing else was as easy and feature rich as Plex so it was worth it.

Well now a few years down the road from that they are now going to use that beach head on everyone's Plex server they can to collect what is being watched and sell it to the highest bidder.

[-] Genius@lemmy.zip 23 points 2 months ago

Boy am I glad I just switched to Jellyfin

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[-] Xanza@lemm.ee 76 points 2 months ago

Seeing the replies in this thread it kinda makes me wonder what Plex actually has to do for these zealots to quit using their platform.

Like do they literally have to steal naked pictures of you and pass them around the office? Like wtf.

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[-] mwalimu@baraza.africa 62 points 2 months ago

It is as if it is a general rule at this point that centralization breeds corruption. No matter how many statements people make early on in social engagements, centralization leads them to screw people depending on these systems. When making long term commitment to anything, check if it is centralized or how easy it is to unshackle yourself from it.

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[-] CaptainBlagbird@lemmy.world 56 points 2 months ago

Me eating 🍿 and reading the comments of Plex users arguing with Jellyfin users, while myself being a user of Kodi which has it's own problems..

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[-] Seefoo@lemmy.world 54 points 2 months ago

This is specifically related to watching their free content. You can opt out of the sale & sharing of said data, which is used to play you targeted ads when watching their free content. I am not a big fan, but this is the typical "free" TV spiel. Was there something that changed recently or is it just being recognized now?

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[-] rfr_Foglia@feddit.it 52 points 2 months ago

Can someone clue me in on the reason why anyone would prefer Plex instead of Jellyfin?

[-] rumba@lemmy.zip 54 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

There are a LOT of pros and cons.

Pros:

  • Developed by a professional, multi-disciplined full-time team with some security oversight.
  • Hosted caching of The Movie DB for faster lookups
  • Provision of SSL communication to and from your server without any special setup
  • FREE EPG data caching
  • Centralized server management from the web
  • Low-speed relay for those stuck behind CGNAT.
  • A REALLY solid mobile audio*** player (sorry, but plexamp beats the pants off the JF alternatives)
  • Centralized Login for your friends and family with email-based password reset
  • 2FA already set up
  • A nice reflector gauge to see if your* ports are open and what your limits are
  • Great client support on a LOT of devices
  • Search is fast out of the box, even with extensive collections
  • Their clients tend to do a better job supporting all the decoding features on every player
  • Very reasonable Tuner support (but somewhat ugly) **

Cons:

  • Not free
  • Not Open
  • They have a lot of your historical data and will eventually sell it when they sell the company. This is not going to be optional. That data is worth a lot and they likely already have enough EULA rights to sell it to whoever asks. Imagine if the MPAA gets in on the fun.
  • Their security history is quite dicey
  • The lifetime membership will eventually be enshitified as it's not economically sound in the long run
  • They constantly change the terms of the agreement.
  • They constantly remove features people are using
  • They constantly push to share data between users
  • They constantly push Ads
  • They are making previously free features pay.
  • Their investors are starving, which makes them a liability.
  • Their clients are generally slower.

edit: * a word ** forgot to shout out for the tuner support *** replaced media with audio for clarity

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[-] yarr@feddit.nl 51 points 2 months ago

Meanwhile, poor Jellyfin just quietly doing the job.

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[-] yournamehere@lemm.ee 40 points 2 months ago

"enshittification wont happen to my software of choice"

hahahaha... those ppl with discord, iphones, windows,plex....they wont learn.

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[-] Zink@programming.dev 39 points 2 months ago

I’ve had a lifetime plex pass for several years. Once I tried Jellyfin a few months ago it was all over. My “I’ll run both just in case” period lasted a week or two.

The downside is that Jellyfin will take more setup on your end, especially if you want to let other people connect securely to your server.

The upside is performance and responsiveness. Once I started using it I decided Plex had to go, even if I have to drive to each family member’s house to fix their shit. It was like moving between Linux and Windows, as far as one being designed to work and the other being designed to satisfy dozens of corporate KPIs.

Fortunately the setup for the end user is just as simple once your server is good to go. They just need URL, login, and password.

And since it’s all open source, there’s some fun diversity in clients. I use Finamp specifically for music, and there are audiobook focused ones.

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[-] rumba@lemmy.zip 38 points 2 months ago

Aww come on guys, my JF boner can only handle so much /s

Seriously though, why did they even give you the option to disagree, you know they're just going to force it 3-6 months.

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[-] moseschrute@lemmy.world 36 points 2 months ago

Just downloaded Jellyfin! Been a Plex user for years. Noticed they’ve stated to add a lot of crap to the Plex interface. I just want to stream my media library. I’m a little disappointed that Jellyfin doesn’t have a native Apple TV app, but SenPlayer looks really nice and their price model is a one time fee. So no subscriptions!

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[-] unemployedclaquer@sopuli.xyz 34 points 2 months ago

best bet for your home theater PC is STILL old computer parts with high capacity storage

[-] insight06@lemmy.world 31 points 2 months ago

For those who aren't quite ready to delete their accounts get, this link buried on their privacy page can let you opt out: https://www.plex.tv/vendors-us

Not sure why "us" is in the URL, I'm in Canada

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[-] Sunny@slrpnk.net 30 points 2 months ago

also: water is wet.

[-] apfelwoiSchoppen@lemmy.world 30 points 2 months ago

Selling IP address info. Huh.

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[-] dantheclamman@lemmy.world 29 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I think people feel loyalty to Plex and I understand why. I even understand why they're charging for self-hosting considering their costs of delivering the dynamic DNS, software development, content info, etc. But being closed source, VC funded, and with their core product an increasingly small part of their business, it's all a powerful recipe for enshittification. Tech Altar has talked before about how enthusiast brands often betray their users. Jellyfin was not a trivial set up for remote access, but I've really been happy with it, and I like having the peace of mind of having control over how it works

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[-] mrpollo@lemmy.ml 28 points 2 months ago

The downfall of Plex needs to be compiled into an 80 minute YouTube video with sponsors spaced in for NordVPN and Viagra

[-] PrettyFlyForAFatGuy@feddit.uk 27 points 2 months ago

I might actually have to switch to Jellyfin then...

I say that as a paying plex pass customer

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[-] frezik@midwest.social 26 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

"Hashed emails". Besides the fact that they can match up a hash from one source to a hash from another source to link them to the same person (they never said they'd salt them), emails often have enough predictability to break the hash. Assuming they all end in "@gmail.com", "@outlook.com", or "@yahoo.com" will get you the vast majority of emails out there. Unlike a good password scheme, people don't shove a lot of random data into their email addresses.

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[-] Suavevillain@lemmy.world 26 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I miss when you could use something without it turning into spyware. Jellyfin it is then.

[-] Scrollone@feddit.it 24 points 2 months ago

It's interesting to see the different kind of comments here and on Redshit.

Here, people are smart and they are switching to Jellyfin. On Redshit, if people mention Jellyfin in a comment they get downvoted right away.

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[-] Jhex@lemmy.world 23 points 2 months ago

Man Plex when fully enshitified FAST!

[-] Scurouno@lemmy.ca 20 points 2 months ago

We are altering the deal. Pray, we do not alter it further.

[-] disconnectikacio@lemmy.world 20 points 2 months ago

Stopped using plex, replaced with jellyfin

[-] stellargmite@lemmy.world 20 points 2 months ago

Thanks for the headsup. This is the final push I needed. Been running Jellyfin for 6months or so but need to put more time into it. Plex has been great, and I’ve also been paying (though felt a little conflicted) a sub which I’m willing to do if it keeps a worthwhile project on an honest trajectory aligning with my needs and restrictions, for a good service or product. However they're now doing exactly why I started on the self hosting path. Who’s to say the third party is jot going to be a heavy handed industry body, corrupt authority , let alone the problematic world of adsales? They’re walking a very strange line and seem very confused about their purpose. Other than the all ruining ‘growth’. Seeya plex.

[-] Reygle@lemmy.world 19 points 2 months ago

If we find out "I do not consent" opts out, I'm fine with it. If we find out "I do not consent" leads to a "Close our account" page, it's time for pitchforks, especially since they recently had a huge sale on lifetime memberships.

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this post was submitted on 29 May 2025
1575 points (100.0% liked)

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