Plex - Getting Started

How to access

This assumes you've created a Plex.tv account, been invited to my personal Plex server and accepted the invite to it.

Make sure to log in to app.plex.tv with the same email/account as the one you received the invite on.
Once logged in, you should automatically have access to my Plex server. However, if you have other servers, make sure to select Cactflix [Main] in the top-left of the page:
Screenshot of Plex page

Costs

My Plex server isn't free for me to host. I also spend time making sure it's running optimally and that media is kept up-to-date. I appreciate any help covering said costs.

PayPal
Twitch - In case you wanna use your Twitch Prime subscription :)
Liberapay - For recurring payments
Vipps (Norwegian payment app): 47634677

Cryptocurrencies:

Bitcoin: 1PPYK5bJ9TZVfxYBmAPF4Xcb6rHF2sEzzK
Dogecoin: DECicUS4MANNEnWNdjLvxfa3who5DmohG5
Ethereum: 0xE66Ff6B10FC7a77a8e7c4dfEd5Ad122c47D6a777

Transparency

When using my Plex server I will be able to see the following information about you:

What media you're streaming from my server, including full playback history.
The web browser or device you are using.
Your IP address.
Timestamp of where you are in media (movies / TV shows) you're watching.

I don't care about what people are watching, but I use this information to make sure I'm not deleting something while someone is middle of watching a movie or a TV show season.

Location & Performance

The Plex server is located in Germany. Depending on your own location, the server may not perform optimal due to how the internet works.
I also expect you have a decent enough internet connection to handle the streaming. You can turn down the quality if you have issues with buffering.

The server runs on an i7-3770 using the integrated graphics for transcoding (Intel QuickSync), which is a decent CPU despite its age.
While the server is usually able to transcode anything up to 1080p with relative ease, it might struggle with 4K / 2160p content. This is especially true if your connection to the server isn't the greatest.
This is also the reason there's not much 4K content on my Plex server.

Whenever possible, I highly recommend using one of the official Plex client apps as it supports "direct streaming" (which helps with performance, speed and quality).

Mobile

Mobile streaming & sync with Plex (at least on Android / iOS) has an additional cost to the company behind the Plex software.

Quote from Plex:
Until the mobile app is unlocked (through an in-app purchase or a Plex Pass subscription), video and music streamed from a Plex Media Server has a 1 minute limit, and photos will be watermarked.

The in-app purchase is one-time cost of 5 USD, which you have to pay through the Android / iOS app.
Plex has guides on how to do this for both Android and iOS:

Alternatively, you pay 5 USD per month for Plex Pass, but that's unnecessary if you only need access on mobile.

If you only plan to watch Plex via the browser, desktop app or a TV, then there should be no additional cost.

If you want to read more about this particular topic, I suggest you read this support article: Plex Support | Plex: Free vs. Paid

Suggestions / Requests

If you want to request something, send me a message:

Email: alex@thomassen.xyz
Discord: Decicus#0001

No guarantees that I can get what you want, but I'll try (as long as it's a reasonable request). :)

Tips when getting started with Plex

For all of these tips, make sure you have already logged in on app.plex.tv.

Disabling junk

Default quality

For every device you log into (your phone, different web browsers, the official Plex client etc.) you should set the default quality to "Maximum" as long as your connection to the Plex server is good enough.

Web browser / Desktop app

This setting is available on this page: https://app.plex.tv/desktop#!/settings/web/general

Android app

Tap on your avatar in the top-left:

Then "Quality"

Once you're in the quality menu, you have several options. The "Remote streaming" is the one where you stream over Wi-Fi. "Home streaming" is irrelevant in this context.
For the most part you should be able to put the "Remote streaming" option to Maximum, but if your connection to the server isn't the greatest, you might have to pick 1080p HD High or even one of the 720p options.
Keep in mind that Maximum just means the maximum quality available from the server. Some movies and TV shows aren't more than 720p, which means you'd only get maximum of 720p regardless.
I also suggest limiting your cellular data to something that fits your plan (unless you have unlimited data, then do whatever).