AdvertisementPlex and Kodi have dominated the media center landscape for a long time, but among users.In truth, Plex and Emby are more alike than Plex and Kodi. First and foremost, both are dedicated media servers. In contrast, Kodi either requires expert-level knowledge in MySQL or to make it work as a media server.So, if you’re new to the world of cord cutting and home media, which one should you choose? Emby or Plex? Which is the best?
Keep reading to find out. Plex: CostWe’ll start with a quick word on cost. Both Plex and Emby offer a premium plan.
Jan 01, 2018 Best Emby Server builds 2018: Emby Media Server for all platforms. Make Emby your server today. Emby is the ultimate media streaming server software that offers the best pre-built and DIY options for both hardware and customization. Emby Servers come ready to run on five operating system platforms and NAS devices.
They introduce extra features which make the apps shine (though some of you might decide Do you actually need a Plex Pass? Is a Plex Pass worth it? Here are several reasons why you may not actually need the subscription.).A Plex Pass will set you back $14.99 for three months or $119.99 for a lifetime subscription. Emby Premiere is similarly priced; the monthly plan costs $4.99/month and the lifetime subscription is $119. Plex: Initial Setup.
Both Plex and Emby use a client/server setup. You need to install the server app on the computer or NAS drive where you keep your local media and the client app on any device on which you want to enjoy the content.Setting up both apps’ client software is as easy as installing the program and entering a code. The complicated part is setting up the server software.The process on Plex is more straightforward than on Emby. In broad terms, it’s more geared towards the mass market and non-tech-savvy users.For example, when you’re creating a movie library on Emby, you’ll see advanced options such as whether to enable chapter image extraction and whether to download metadata images in advance. The settings will appeal to experienced heads but may be off-putting for newcomers. Plex: NavigationThanks to its more substantial budget, Plex is the more polished of the two apps. As such, it’s fair to say it offers a more enjoyable and easy-to-use navigation experience.Of course, much of this is subjective; there’s nothing wrong with Emby’s navigation, Plex just feels more professional.
For someone who’s used to dealing with slick operating systems on Apple TV, Android TV, and other set-top boxes, the switch to Emby can feel jarring. Plex: CustomizationOne of the areas in which Kodi has an advantage over Plex is in the level of customization available.
Emby shares this advantage. If you like to tinker with endless settings and tweak the UI to your own specifications, Emby is the better of the two. If you have the knowledge, you can apply your own CSS to the web app, change the login screen, use other people’s themes, and a whole lot more.
None of which is possible on Plex.Much of the customization is possible thanks to Emby’s open source nature. Plex is closed source. Plex: Live TV and DVRPlex and Emby both offer a live TV and DVR feature.
Whereas Plex has added live TV channels to its service, but what exactly is Plex Live TV? We have everything you need to know about this exciting new option for cord-cutters. Is restricted to premium users, Emby users can watch live TV for free through the web app but will need to subscribe to Premiere to watch it on any other device.Naturally, there are some design differences, such as Plex’s integrated electronic program guide (EPG). However, in terms of functionality, they are almost identical. Once again, however, Plex has the edge when it comes to supported equipment. Emby only supports the HDHomeRun tuner natively (and Hauppauge devices on Windows). Plex supports HDHomeRun, DVBLogic, AVerMedia, and Hauppauge.
You can add support for other tuners on Emby by using a live TV plugin.It’s also worth mentioning Plex’s news feature. It uses machine learning to recommend stories that it thinks you will be interested in.
There is no equivalent feature on Emby. Plex: Local StreamingThis is a big win for Plex. Assuming all your devices are on the same network, Plex lets you stream your content around your home for free. You do not need to subscribe to Plex Pass.Emby, on the other hand, is a mixed bag.
It will only let you enjoy streamed content via the web app, Roku, Apple TV, and Samsung Smart TVs.If you want to stream content on Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android and iOS tablets, and other devices, you will need to either pay the App Unlock fee on a case-by-case basis or subscribe to Premiere. Plex: Remote StreamingThe ability to stream content when you’re away from home is a premium feature on both apps.Assuming you have the subscription, you can download content for offline viewing, sync a video’s “watched status” between devices, and stream content directly from your server.Setting up remote streaming on Plex and Emby is as simple as enabling the feature in the server’s Settings menu. Plex: Add-OnsPlex and Emby both support third-party extensions. They are made by the community to enhance and extend the apps’ core functionality.One of Plex’s best features—the Unsupported App Store—is a third-party extension. It allows you to access some Want to unlock more Plex plugins?
We show you how to access 20 of the best Plex channels to watch via the Unsupported AppStore. The Unsupported App Store is There are hundreds of Plex channels available through the Unsupported App Store. Here's how to install it and unlock the extra content. There are also dozens of officially-supported add-ons, called Channels, to choose from.Because Emby is the newer of the two apps and has a smaller userbase, its list of third-party plugins is less extensive.Nonetheless, both apps have many of the big-name plugins that most users would want, including TuneIn Radio, Trakt, and ITV Player. Plex: Device CompatibilityThe Plex and Emby server apps are both available on Windows, Mac, Linux, FreeBSD, Docker, and a wide selection of NAS devices. The only difference is that Plex supports Drobo NAS devices whereas Emby does not.Both client apps also support all of the major desktop operating systems, mobile operating systems, and streaming boxes. However, once again, there are some devices and services which Plex supports but Emby does not.
They include Sonos and Android Auto.Also, on Emby, you need to subscribe to Premiere to access the Amazon Alexa plugin. Plex: And the Winner IsLook, we have nothing against Emby. It’s a great app that deserves enormous praise for taking the fight to Plex.
Competition is a good thing; at the very least it will force Plex not to rest on its laurels.However, it’s hard to argue that Plex isn’t the better of the two. It offers more native features, supports more external devices, provides a smoother user experience, and has a more polished interface.We’re sure some of you will disagree with us, so please leave your opinions in the comments. And if you’d like to learn more about Plex’s features, check out our list of You don't need addons to use Plex.
But power users may want to get more out of it and these Plex plugins will help., Plex supports several subtitle solutions for your media, but they're all disabled 'out of the box.' Here's everything you need to know about how to use subtitles on Plex., and In this article we explain how to control Plex using Amazon Alexa. Allowing you to control your Plex Media Server with your voice.Image Credit: boggy22/Explore more about:,.
Emby Media server is the opensource home media server to store all your personal media library at one place and access it remotely. Like Plex media server, the Emby is also working on the client-server model. In this type model, the software is divided into two parts:. Server — To store and manage all media content from one place or PC.
Apps — To play the stored media locally or remotely from the server.The Emby Media server can store videos, music, and photos. Using Emby Plugins you can also stream live Tv.
Emby server automatically can convert and let you stream your media which can be played on any device on the go. The installation of Emby server is much easier than the PLEX. Emby support web-based dashboard which allows managing the Emby content easily from any browser.Emby server’s free version is a complete package to set up a home media server but if you want to some premium features then you have to go for. Emby Premier features are:. Offline Media. Emby DVR.
Full access to Emby for Android, Fire TV, iOS, Xbox One and PS4. Cover Art.
Cinema Mode. Cloud Sync. Automatically Convert Recordings. Emby Theater.
Folder Sync. Podcasts. Backup and Restore. Amazon AlexaStep By Step Emby server setup guideTo install the Emby Media server on Ubuntu, be sure that you have an updated version of Linux Ubuntu or Debian and have root access too.Step 1: First of all go to the and select the Emby server for Linux version. Now select the operating system Ubuntu and under download option you see X64. Right-click on that as shown in the screenshot and copy the link location.Step 2: Now press Crtl+Alt+T to open the Ubuntu Terminal and type su rootto get the root access.Step 3: After getting root access, type the command wget and in front of that paste the copied link of Emby server.
Weget 4: The Emby media server for Ubuntu start downloading via terminal. Once the downloading is complete run the following command: dpkg -i emby-server-deb3.2.36.0amd64.debStep 5: The Emby server has successfully installed and to access it open the browser and point it to Configuring the EMBY Media Server Emby ConnectStep 1: First of all create an account with Emby server. Go to and click o sign up. Using this Emby connect account you can access your server online from anywhere,Step 2: Sign up using Twitter or email ID that you can access.Step 3: Its time to set up the Emby server, go back to the URL and give any username to EMBY and link the account using the same email id which you used to register the EMBY. Step 4: In this step, click on the Add Media Library to add media files.Step 5: Select Media type such as for videos choose the Movies and so on.Step 6: Add the path of the folder where you have kept your media files. You can also set the metadata language, country, enable real-time monitoring of files, prefer embedded titles over file names, and moreStep 7: Once Media location added, it will show all media in the library. In the same way you can add different media files.Step 8: The installation and configuration of Emby server have done successfully.Step 9: Finally, in your browser, you will get a simple Dashboard of Emby server where it provides you two IP addresses— one is of local computer address to access the server locally and other is the public IP address to access the EMBY Media server remotely.Step 10: You can use it as DLNA or watch Live TV using EMBY plugin.
Emby Media server has a very good collection of plugins that can use to extend the functionality of Emby server.Moreover, to access it from any other device remotely you can use the EMBY apps that are available for almost every device.