Yesterday’s news, today! While we patiently await smartphone search from our Rokus, two notable updates worth sharing slipped my radar late last year. First, the originally anemic “USB Media Browser” has steadily improved as it evolved from a private app into a Roku-branded initiative… now featuring DLNA support, in addition to the new “Media Player” label. Next, the formerly free Plex channel has implemented a one-time $4.99 fee. Fortunately, those of us who’d previously installed the channel have been grandfathered and Plex provides new users a free 30 day trial – so folks can see for themselves how useful it is in handling our digital media libraries ahead of a purchase.
>Next, the formerly free Plex channel has implemented a one-time $4.99 fee.
This has been the case for many months now :)
https://forums.plex.tv/index.php/topic/90788-changes-in-the-282-update-now-available/
Also note that you’re talking about the official Plex channel. This an alternative one that remains free (rarplex.com).
It’s actually rarflix:
http://www.rarflix.com/
It’s a fork, and it is far superior to Plex’s original version. They managed to hack a grid view into the roku channel.
“It’s a fork, and it is far superior to Plex’s original version. They managed to hack a grid view into the roku channel.”
If it’s truly superior, IMHO, then you should use rarflix but still buy the Plex version. Give ’em a few bucks to help support their whole enterprise. It’s only the price of a Starbucks beverage, y’know.
And yes, all the great typos before i had my caffeine this morning, that will teach me!
Actually if u like rarflix you should donate to xbmc, not plex.
Huh? No, if you like rarflix you should donate to the author, who has a “send me money” button on his page.
I was grandfathered into the plex roku channel, so I don’t feel any overwhelming need to give them money. I already got the android and ios plex apps anyway.
Plex was forked from xbmc. Monetized their platform. Some would argue that it was stolen code
Only if “some” are complete tools. XBMC is open-source and the fork was completely legal.
I’d gladly pay the Plex fee. It’s the only channel we use on our Roku.
dch, pretty sure I said “late last year” ;)
I’m not familiar with the open source licensing specifics at play here, but do remember Boxee built a commercial product and company off XBMC as well (and TiVo runs on Linux). More specifically, it’s safe to assume the Plex and Rarflix Roku clients were developed independently. And I hope the two worked out some sort of revenue share to take the client and in hopes of ongoing support/development.
The plex and rarflix roku clients were not developed independently; the rarflix client is a fork of the official plex client, which is also open source. Completely legit.
https://github.com/plexinc/roku-client-public
“Huh? No, if you like rarflix you should donate to the author, who has a “send me money” button on his page.”
Well, IMHO, then you donate to the rarflix author and buy the Plex client, since rarflix is dependent on the Plex Media Server, so you should thus throw a few bucks to Plex.
“I already got the android and ios plex apps anyway.”
Well, then you’ve already thrown a few bucks to Plex, and are thus ethically fine by my personal lights, without the need for further contribution. Be grandfathered with my blessings.
Thanks, I guess?