The interface has some holdovers from its days as a hobby project. Plex has been actively developed since 2010 and is run by a commercial software company. Authorized end users can access another user’s Plex servers for free. The apps have small fees but the web-based version of the app is free. Plex server software is free, with additional costs for added features. With Plex, users running the media server software can also add “channels” of content such as Comedy Central or Ted Talks, similar to a Roku or AppleTV. The software will organize, display, and transcode (convert to smaller streamable format) a user’s digital video files, as well as play music or display photographs. It is really two parts: media server software, and the apps. Plex is software that can stream media content to authorized users through a web interface or via apps on most major platforms. I’ve included a few use cases where Plex might solve a problem for libraries. I’ve been using Plex recently to view and share video and audio content, and it may be just the thing for libraries who want a solution to this issue. Plex has a very friendly user interface to view your own files. But putting video content behind a password wall might be enough for rights holders, especially local ones, and accessible enough for patrons at the same time. Linking copies as downloadable media, or sharing on YouTube, may make content a little too open. Libraries do have a legal right to make an archival copy of their DVDs using software like Handbrake. DVDs from the library are popular but fragile and can only be accessed by one user at a time. Some libraries lend a Roku streaming player with a preauthorized Netflix account. However their user experience is often what consumers are seeking out. Neflix is popular but costs money and can’t be used with local content or “lent” to patrons. It can be difficult for many libraries, especially smaller ones, to share content with the level of convenience of a streaming solution like Netflix.

Recent Fair Use rulings have opened the door to potential educational streaming applications of DVD content. Often local content comes less encumbered with copyright concerns than commercial DVDs and thus is able to be shared and shown more widely. Libraries have local content in video format that should be more widely shared. This is a reprint from the April 2017 issue of Computers in Libraries magazine. Practical Technology - Library Concepts for Plex

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