With Plex Cloud, you don't need a local media server
Media player/server Plex is one of the most versatile independent solutions for folks with a big multimedia collection, but it has so far required users to run server software to power client apps on TVs and other gadgets.
With today's launch of Plex Cloud, the server part of that equation is no longer necessary.
The feature relies on Amazon's cloud and lets users build a media collection, without running their own server; setting up, Plex claims, takes less than 60 seconds.
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Plex Cloud offers unlimited storage and all the Plex features, save a few (Camera Upload, Offline Sync and the recently launched DVR aren’t available at launch, Plex says), will work the same as with a regular Plex account.
A couple of notes: obviously, this needs a (fast) internet connection to work well. Watching a Full HD video file might not work perfectly every time and uploading a large video collection will take a while. On the flip side, while you're away from home, streaming from Amazon's servers will likely be faster than streaming from your home NAS. Also, Plex points out that this is a completely different account than your regular, server/client Plex account, with separate media, which might or might not be a good thing, depending on your preference.
So, what's the catch? Easy, you need to have two subscription accounts for this to work: a Plex Pass, which is $4.99 per month, and an Amazon Drive account, which (if you want unlimited storage, and you'll want one if you want to store videos) costs $59.99 per year. You don't need a new Amazon Drive account to sign up -- you can use an existing one. An additional caveat is that Amazon Drive is not available in all markets.
Right now, Plex Cloud is working only with Amazon Drive; the company says it's exploring partnerships with other cloud-storage providers.
Starting today, the service is available as an invite-only beta and every Plex Pass user is free to sign up (though invites will be given on a first-come, first-served basis).
Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.
