Plex asks you to set up libraries like Movies, TV, and Music, and it then matches the names of your files to vast databases of metadata. Setting it up takes just a few minutes, including downloading Plex, creating a free account, and pointing it at where you keep your files. The Nvidia Shield TV is another option, a powerful streaming box that can serve as both server and client. You can also host a Plex server with tons of storage on a NAS or run a budget, low-power server on a Raspberry Pi. These can actually be the same device – a PC, for example, can host a Plex server and then play your videos through a desktop app or web browser. To use Plex, you need a server to manage your files and a client to play them. The setup process for Plex is wonderfully easy. The two best things about Plex are how it organizes files for you, and how it then helps you play them on different devices.

Also, I spend a lot less time organizing files into folders than I used to, because once Plex scans your library, it doesn't matter how messy your file system is. After years of troubleshooting the best way to play movie files on my TV and fiddling with USB sticks and external HDDs and long-ass HDMI cables, I decided to build a Plex server to host all my media, making it accessible on any device in my home or when I'm traveling. Using Plex to build your own media library Plex also occasionally offers a discount on the lifetime Plex Pass, if you're signed up for a free account (opens in new tab) and receive emails. One important note: while paying the $5 to unlock the mobile versions of Plex doesn't grant you access to any of the advanced Plex Pass features, paying for Plex Pass does unlock the mobile apps for as long as you're subscribed. Plex Pass includes premium versions of Plex's music and photo library features, but the more significant perks are live TV DVR support, mobile syncing (wirelessly downloading files to your phone), and hardware acceleration – the ability for your PC or other device hosting your Plex server to tap into its graphics processor's power for more efficient streaming.

$5/£4/AU$6.49 per month (opens in new tab).Plex Pass, the premium option, can be purchased at a few different price tiers:

Plex is it free