Players and Platforms

The beautiful thing about Plex is that the developers take pretty much any platform seriously. This means you'll be able to play Plex-content on about every device imaginable. How well it works depends, but there's a pretty good chance a(n official) client is already available.

I'll describe some of the most-used platforms and recommended clients and players here.

Platforms:

This section is about platforms people will probably already have available. They're just recommendations/best practices I discovered through my own experiences. These are not necessarily my most recommended platforms/players, they're just the most practical without any investment.

Microsoft Windows

Probably the first choice for most people after getting into the Plex-server, although not the best choice in my opinion. I think most people try Windows first because they never heard of Plex and don't know about its great availability. 

Windows has two options for playing Plex content: the browser and a dedicated app. If you're set on using Windows, I'd always recommend the dedicated app. The app is way better as it supports way more codecs ("filetypes" for video files) and just plain feels better to use. The dedicated app can be found here or through the Microsoft Store. Make sure you download Plex for Windows, not Plex Media Server (PMS), unless you want to set up your own mediaserver.

Android/iOS

I'm talking about all mobile devices running Android or iOS (yeah, I know Apple makes a difference between iOS and iPadOS, but let's be honest, it's all the same). There is one big limitation to the mobile Plex apps: they're "not free".

Plex has always been, and will always be free for the "big screen" (TV's, mediaplayers, PC etc.). However, for people who do not subscribe to Plex Pass or have a lifetime Plex Pass they do limit the functionality of the mobile app (stop playback of content after one minute). I believe they do this to cover the cost for publishing apps in the Google Play/App Store. There's three ways of solving this: pay a one-time-fee of  about €7, subscribe to/buy Plex Pass (€5 monthly/€40 yearly/€120 lifetime) or just use the mobile app to cast content to another (big screen) device. I'd personally recommend just paying the one-time-fee or buying a lifetime Plex Pass. To me it's more than worth it and it makes sure the developers get paid and have reason to continue this great project.

The Android-app is available here and the iOS-app is available here.

Smart TV

Most people own a TV with some smart capabilities nowadays. Most Smart TV manufacturers use their own OS (e.g. LG with WebOS, Samsung with Tizen etc.) with their own respective app store. I can't very well describe the ins and outs of every platform as I can't reasonably own/test all of them.

I have verified the Plex-app to be available for LG and Samsung TVs. The respective apps work decently, albeit a little slower/less stable than dedicated media players. TVs tend to have fewer resources/fewer development time spent on them as they have fewer users as well. Note that Smart TV apps may stop functioning after about five years (TV age), as they are no longer supported/in development.

If you verified any other Smart TV platform to be working, please leave a comment down below.

Players:

This section is about players (hardware) you might not have available, but which I would recommend if you consider making an investment. Note that these players are not just useful for Plex but for a whole range of types of media consumption.

Chromecast with Google TV/Google Streamer

Probably the most attainable/best value option at the moment, well, the Chromecast with Google TV (CCWGTV) is. These players are actually "three sides of the same coin". Each with their own pros and cons. First, I'll list the options (Name/ Max. Resolution / Year of Release / Avg. Price):

• Chromecast with Google TV (HD) / FHD / 2022 / €30-50
• Chromecast with Google TV (4K) / UHD / 2020 / €60-80
• Google TV Streamer / UHD / 2024 / ~€120

So these are the "currently available" media players made by Google. I put "currently available" in quotes, as Google has started to phaze out both versions of the CCWGTV, which makes them a little harder to procure. I'd recommend the CCWGTV (both versions) over the Google TV Streamer (GTVS). The GTVS is pretty much a repackaged version of the CCWGTV with a little more storage and a few more options. In any case, it's not worth the premium they ask for it compared to the CCWGTV. If the CCWGTV is no longer being sold, second hand is a great option, otherwise, look at an NVIDIA SHIELD TV Pro.

Both CCWGTV flavors have their own pros and cons. I'll quickly go through them. The biggest advantages of the HD is that it supports the AV1 and OPUS codecs. These are very modern video/audio codecs, which make a big difference in the storage size of content. Currently, almost no content on the Nasmans server (I think one anime and ~5 movies) is stored using these codecs, so you won't miss much. However, things may change in the future. The CCWGTV 4K has a slightly better processor (on paper) and slightly more RAM (2GB vs 1.5GB), it does not support AV1 and OPUS though. Just to be clear: if a codec is not supported by the hardware, you WILL NOT be able to play the respective content using that hardware.

Protip: if you got a CCWGTV or GTVS, install a custom launcher. Google crams an endless amount of ads into their own launcher, so in my opinion it's not a great experience. I'd recommend installing Projectivy Launcher.

NVIDIA SHIELD TV Pro

It's old (2019) and it's expensive, but the NVIDIA SHIELDTV Pro (NSTVP) remains the uncontested king of the media players. I don't currently own a SHIELD-device, however the consensus amongst all of the Plex-users worldwide is that this is the best option by far. The hardware supports almost everything (sadly, except AV1), has physical ports to expand storage or use wired networking and is just an allround polished experience. The current price lies around €200-230. Second hand it's around €100-150.

Note that this device was released in 2019. Five years is a LONG time for the lifecycle of a product like this. Now that Google has released their new media player, it's quite possible NVIDIA might release a new device within the forseeable future to compete with them. It may be worth holding off buying the 2019 SHIELD.

Game Console

Most previous- (8th) and current-generation (9th) video game consoles have a native Plex-app available. Check their respective stores to see whether a client is available. 

Performance on consoles is pretty good (Xbox One S and PlayStation 4 have been tested), although codec support (video as well as audio) may vary.

Apple TV

Personally, I never tested Plex on an Apple TV and the way they list their codec support on product pages doesn't make much sense to me. I've heard good stories though. Many people seem to be able to play pretty much any content with a lot of (older) Apple TVs.

Microsoft Windows HTPC

Having a dedicated HTPC (Home Theater PC) may be a good option for you. Most Windows PCs support pretty much any codec, or are powerful enough to decode through software. You may want to download the specific HTPC Plex-client here. 

Chromecast V2/V3

The trusty old Chromecasts. You may wonder what version of Chromecast you own. If it looks like a flash drive, it's a V1. It's reached EoL, you can just as well throw it out (can't find any custom firmware/uses). If it's circular with a small HDMI-cable attached and a glossy front with a large Chrome logo, it's a V2. If it's circular with a small HDMI-cable attached and a matte front with a small G-logo, it's a V3.

Both the V2 and V3 are not ideal for use with Plex. Plex-Cast isn't that great, and the amount of supported codecs is fairly limited. It also isn't very clear whether a codec is unsupported or it is just buffering. Also, Plex's app clients on newer Chromecasts have plain better support. 

Due to the codecs used by most media on the Nasmans server, I would not recommend the Chromecast V2/V3