Plex sending my Media library details?

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Plex sending my Media library details?

Shindig

1621 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 362

Trusted

#248552 30-Mar-2019 20:09

I've not played with Plex before, but having purchased a NVIDIA shield, its all about Plex Plex Plex!

I see what needs to be done, Plex Server, sorts all your media. You use the Plex app to watch stuff, it looks good.

Is Plex server secretly sending a details (filenames etc) of my media library to the company who run Plex?

The little things make the biggest difference.

Mark

1653 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 555

#2207820 30-Mar-2019 20:35

Yup! they do .. https://www.plex.tv/about/privacy-legal/

They say they "generalise" the information ... so I guess they know you have stuff, just not what specifically.

chevrolux

4962 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2638
Inactive user

#2208051 31-Mar-2019 09:27

Honestly, Plex is so good I wouldn't care if they collected user data.

After running Kodi for 5+ years, switching to Plex was a breath of fresh air. So simple, and all the different supported apps are awesome.

Transcoding for remote viewing through the web player is great as well. Means video is actually watchable on crappy hotel wifi.

Dunnersfella

4100 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 887

#2208085 31-Mar-2019 11:15

As a Plex lifetime subscriber I too, sit firmly in the Plex camp.

The downside... updates tend to create issues that are then fixed with a new update... that also creates new issues...

Be prepared for plenty of software updates.

dfnt

1553 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1036

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2208126 31-Mar-2019 13:14

And look forward to useless features like VR being added, instead of fixing previous issues

You can also opt out of sending data to plex https://www.plex.tv/about/privacy-legal/privacy-preferences/#opd

rb99

3505 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1830

Lifetime subscriber

#2208133 31-Mar-2019 13:33

It would obviously be completely remiss of me to pass up a mention of Plex without giving a plug to Emby, cause I'm shallow like that.

“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.” -John Kenneth Galbraith

rb99

JimmyH

2898 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1554

#2208290 31-Mar-2019 18:16

Plex server is very, very good.

However, of late the clients have been not so good. They have introduced a new interface that is pretty atrocious (and the forums have been full of complaints), and the focus seems to be cramming new features in as fast as they can. Fixing long standing bugs and the proliferation of bugs being introduced by their rampant feature-itis seems to be a distant second in terms of priority. I have rolled back to an older client (android 6.17) as I find the v7.x versions to be pretty unpleasant to use.

A year ago I was a happy user and I would have said it was a no-brainer. Now, not so much. I'm planning to trial Emby and Jellyfish soon, to see if they are viable replacements in terms of usability etc.

Coming back on topic: yes they collect your data, and are very coy about how much they collect and why; yes you can "opt out", but it doesn't opt out of all of it. Which is another reason I'm planning to trial Emby and Jellyfish soon.