Plex Media Server

I can stream clearly now, the lag is gone – I can see all shows that were in my queue – Gone are the dark clouds that had me down – It’s gonna be a bright, bright streaming day – It’s gonna be a bright, bright server day

Imagine you have a lot of movies, music, and photos on your computer or a computer.or several) External hard drive. Plex is like your servant, who organizes all these media for you and makes them available on all your devices – be it your TV, smartphone or tablet. You can think of it as your own streaming service that provides your personal media. 

Simply explained:

• Plex server: You install the Plex Server software on a device (e.g. computers, your Raspberry, NAS or Homelab) which is always on. This software organizes your media (movies, music, photos). 
• Plex client: You use the Plex app (on your TV, smartphone, tablet, etc.) or a web browser to access all media provided by the server. 
• Plexamp: If you just want to stream audio, it's enough Plexamp.
• Streaming: The app connects to your Plex server and you can stream your media as if it were online, no matter where you are. 

Benefits:

• Central collection: All your media in one place. 
• Cross-device: Access your media from anywhere. 
• Individual: You decide which media you share. 
• Free of charge: Use is free, but there are optional paid features. 
• Alternative to streaming services: You can use your own content instead of relying on streaming subscriptions. 

Disadvantages:

• Costs: Some useful features only available after purchase. 
• Proprietary: No full control over software is possible. 
• User data: Plex collects basic user data.

Conclusion:

Plex Media Server is a great way to organize your own media and stream it on different devices, much like a private streaming service. Setup is relatively fast and the result looks very professional. Even hosted not with monthly fees but only with electricity costs. If a homelab doesn't work anyway.
 
For the sake of completeness, I would like to mention Jellyfin here at the end, as an open source alternative that is at least as powerful: My article on jellyfin.