this post was submitted on 26 Nov 2025
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The conversion is not the biggest issue. For my dad or Grandmother to stream my content, Plex as a streaming app is something they can easily understand and digest (though Plex's new streaming app has done quite a bit to undo that -_-). I have the subscription, I acquire the content, I choose who to share it with. Now they need a subscription, too? Where's the value? Why wouldn't they just pay for a streaming service at that point? I'm using my hardware and doing all the work and they are paying Plex? And if I accepted payment for the same thing it would be a crime! BUT I'm not sure I'm comfortable opening Jellyfin to the internet, even behind nginx, and I don't want to have to spend time setting things up for them or troubleshooting their issues w/ Jellyfin. I put enough labor into this thing already.
So yes obviously everyone should switch to the FOSS option, but in reality it's not that simple because the services aren't 1:1.
No, you're mistaken. If YOU have a subscription on your server, they do not need to pay anything to stream from you.
They only need a subscription if you do not have one associated to your server.
They do not need a subscription, assuming you (the server owner) have a plex pass.
That is what I thought, until this article. I'd be pleased to find out I misinterpreted.
The title of this article is vague.
Here is the important part
TLDR; there has to be at least one pass in the chain
This is still where I'm at too. It's a great service, but the fear of messing something up when opening it up to the internet is too worrying. I'm usually pretty good picking up new tech with easier setups, but when there are 4 different networking techniques with their own pros and cons, at that point it's just easier to just run as a local service.
Yes! I'm glad you mentioned the crime! If you own a DVD and rip it - that itself is a grey area that is mostly acceptable now. However, sharing it digitally is another grey area that providers have been skimming under the radar, but by requiring a subscription that is 100% illegal. You cannot pay for shared content. I think they're trying to get around it but personally, I just want to avoid the whole thing. Jellyfin was a no brainer from that aspect.
In some countries. In others it is legally protected.