Comment by firecall

11 hours ago

Feels like only a matter of time with Plex doesn't it!

I've got the lifetime pass, but it really does feel like a Sword of Damocles situation...

31 comments

firecall

Reply
heed  3 hours ago

they'll eventually come out with a completely new overhauled version of plex that's sub only but your lifetime pass will still be good for "plex classic" which they'll stop supporting

  • therealpygon  28 minutes ago

    Or if like PlayOn, they’ll simply replace your legacy lifetime license software with their new version that no longer does the core functionality that has to be kept up to date — recording different providers — without upgrading to their new extra-special monthly cloud licensing that replaces your “lifetime” license you bought to support their fledgling business. One thing is almost certain, any software claimed to be “Lifetime” will become a lie if given time and one should assume “lifetime” in software almost never means more than 5-10 years before a new executive has a bright idea to generate more revenue.

  • schrectacular  2 hours ago

    Or just end the lifetime tier and make people pay like fastmail did. If even the HN beloved fastmail would do it I pretty much expect it from everyone.

doctoboggan  11 hours ago

Yes it really does, and I intend to switch eventually but from what I heard the last time I looked into it, the end user clients are a big area where plex still beats Jellyfin. Since that’s where my non technical friends and family mostly interact with the system, it’s the area I need to be the most polished and hands off.

  • c0nsumer  11 hours ago

    Yes, this is the big one for me. Seemingly unlike a lot of folks, Plex is my main music server. Years ago I ripped all my CDs (1800+, IIRC) and Plex + Plexamp is really, really, really good for listening. I haven't yet found anything else that works as well.

    I use Plexamp on desktop/laptop computers and then the Android and iOS apps for on-the-go music. I tried Symfonium [1] because it seemed promising and would give me a Jellyfin path, but it was weird and kinda buggy and ate my phone's battery.

    I'm hopeful there'll be a good replacement available eventually, but for now, I just have to stick with Plex.

    [1] https://www.symfonium.app/

    • algyt  7 hours ago

      I use (and contribute to) Finamp the Jellyfin PlexAmp alternative and it's just done a 1.0.0 release which brings it up to parity with PlexAmp for me. I've previously been a long time PlexAmp user but FinAmp now does everything I want it to.

      2 replies →

    • jamie_ca  9 hours ago

      Yeah PlexAmp is amazing. Feels like it's the only music client around these days that has a functional "shuffle by album" option, instead of treating my library as only a collection of individual songs.

      5 replies →

    • devindotcom  10 hours ago

      yeah I'm in a boat of similar shape. plex and plexamp is very simple and plug and play - it handles the IP stuff for remote play, which is the tough part for me.

      I don't mind lacking features in the server or the client honestly, if I can find and play an album or playlist I'm good. But the connectivity piece can be hard if you're not familiar with self host stuff. I tried to do Jellyfin and Tailscale and some client and it... kind of worked? But it was definitely not as seamless.

      I do hope every year that it's my last year paying for Plex. Maybe this year!

      1 reply →

  • BLKNSLVR  11 hours ago

    Jellyfin's Android clients seem to be fine. Android TV and smartphone at least. Have been fine for at least five years.

    Can't speak to other platforms though.

  • egeozcan  11 hours ago

    This gave me an idea, what if I let an agent make a proxy for Jellyfin to act like Plex? Best of both worlds!

    Maybe worth a try.

    • andermic  10 hours ago

      I’m interested in helping with this. Let me know if you start a repo. I was considering the same approach, though I’m not sure how feasible it is.

    • benoau  9 hours ago

      I don’t think it’ll work because Plex gates everything with a sign in to their online accounts, so auth would have to go through them and there might be server-to-Plex verification going on too.

      That said, I’m very interested in this space - I’ve been building a music server that provides compatible APIs for Synology and QNAP mobile apps, with a few more on my todo list. I’d love to include Plexamp so if it is possible please let me know!

      3 replies →

  • al_borland  9 hours ago

    Performance was also a big issue for me the last time I tried running Jellyfin on the same hardware as my Plex server. I’m happy to see that has been their focus.

mzi  9 hours ago

I have a lifetime pass as well, but switched to Jellyfin years ago.

madeofpalk  5 hours ago

Maybe I'm naive, but I feel like if Plex was going to do anything to existing lifetime subscriptions, they would have done it by now. I think we're fine for now.

senectus1  9 hours ago

really is just the normies access to it via samsung and LG TV's that hold me back.

  • notrealyme123  8 hours ago

    I am currently on vacation and used jellyfin via the browser on all the smart TV. And it just works great. I didn't expect it to work this good.

    Sign in via key is easy, not stuttering. I can recommend it.