The much-anticipated Plex app for the Apple TV is available for download on the new set-top box as of today, allowing users to stream content from their computers to the Apple TV using the Plex Media Server software. First announced in September, the official Plex app was still in review when the new Apple TV launched last Friday, but it's now been approved.

For those unfamiliar with Plex, it's a media server and personal library for content like TV shows, movies, and music. It's designed to organize personal media collections, allowing videos and music to be streamed to TVs and other devices, locally and remotely.

plexmovies
Plex on the new Apple TV has a gorgeous interface that makes it easy to see all of your media content at a glance. Plex adds artwork for movies, TV shows, and music, plus it includes information like cast members, plot summaries, and Rotten Tomatoes ratings.

Plex has long been available on set-top devices like the Chromcast and the Fire TV, and it's popular with jailbreakers, but it has not previously been available on older versions of the Apple TV in an official capacity.

moviesinterfaceplex
The Plex app for the Apple TV can be downloaded from the tvOS App Store. The app is free to download, and unlike the iOS version does not require a $4.99 in-app purchase or Plex Pass subscription to unlock functionality. Apple TV and iOS App Store apps are universal, so if you've already downloaded the app for iOS, it can be found in the Purchases section of the tvOS App Store. [Direct Link]

Tag: Plex

Top Rated Comments

lewisd25 Avatar
110 months ago
Apple TV's first killer app.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jim.arrows Avatar
110 months ago
I don't understand. For video on Apple TV, Apple's page says ".264 video up to 1080p, 60 frames per second, High or Main Profile level 4.2 or lower".

As someone who currently uses Plex on a Mac Mini, what is the issue with not having 1080p24 on Apple TV?

(Sorry - I don't know what 1080p24 is). Thanks.
Briefly, the native frame rate of films is 24 frames per second, a 1080p60 television displays 60 frames per second so the 24 frames of the original film content don't divide equally into the 60 fps the tv is displaying. In order to work around this, some frames from the original content are shown 3 times each while others are only shown twice, a technique known as 3:2 pulldown. This results in a picture that isn't perfectly smooth, and the artifact of the technique is referred to as "judder." A 1080p24 device simply shows each of the original frames once each, for 1/24th of a second, resulting in a smooth "film like" quality preferred by enthusiasts. Hopefully this quick and dirty explanation helps...
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rdlink Avatar
110 months ago
Glad to hear this is available... the only downside is that my large library is made up of a both iTunes purchased content and my own Handbrake encodes. Until I can serve everything from one interface, it won't pass the wife factor.
Patience. Plex will soon gain access to the Siri Search API, so your wife will be using her voice to consume video before you know it.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macfoxpro Avatar
110 months ago
So, what was all that whining about the new ATV again?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rdlink Avatar
110 months ago
Can anyone explain the advantages of Plex vs what I do today... a fully tagged collection of movies I added to iTunes (iFlick 2 for the metadata) that streams to all my Apple TVs?
What does Plex do that AirPlay doesn't already do? Currently, I can stream anything I want from my computer to my ATV just by mirroring the display. Does Plex have a separate service apart from iTunes?

[Edit: canyonblue737 just beat me to it]
Plex provides a very nice interface that will pull your media from the server and display it on your ATV, automatically inserting cover art, metadata, rotten tomatoes ratings, etc.

So instead of having to drill down through the computer app on the ATV and find the list of movies, or pull the media up on your computer and push it through Airplay, you can just use your remote to browse or search your movies, and the experience is about as beautiful and convenient as looking at your iTunes movies on the ATV.


Apple TV's first killer app.
Yep. If/when Amazon submits a Prime app for ATV, the other media streaming devices will be running from behind.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
elmateo487 Avatar
110 months ago
The whole reason I bought AppleTV was to access my media collection through my MacMini running HomeShare. If I wanted Plex, I would've just bought a Roku. I don't see what everyone is so happy about having Plex on the ATV when HomeShare is free and native across Apples platform.
Wow. This guy and the people who liked this comment don't know what plex is for....

Plex is a full workflow with trailers, music, descriptions, any format, you can stream across the Internet... Have user accounts.

My plex setup goes as such. Buy a movie... Any movie... Place into a folder on my computer (rip of a bargain dvd, or digital format). And everything else happens automagically. Tagged, cover, renamed and organized into folders. Ready to watch on any device, anywhere with a network connection. Not just Apple devices. OR I can just click a button on the device I want the movie to be, and bam, synced and converted to my device.

If you don't need anything complex, sure go for free home sharing. But wait there is more.... Plex is free. Everything I mentioned is free besides the device syncing.

Not to mention..... Why would you buy a Roku? When you can now have an Apple TV to AirPlay to, AND have plex.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...