They went on to argue that streaming devices use a fraction of the electricity, and are a lot easier to use.

“We looked at how most people were using the app, and most of you will have an equal (if not better) experience with a streaming device and our new players,” the Plex team wrote Thursday. However, media consumption has changed a lot since those early days. In fact, Plex, XMBC / Kodi and Boxee all gained significant traction after Microsoft stopped investing resources into its own HTPC solution, dubbed Windows Media Center. This used to be the primary way for early adopters to bring digital media to their TV screens, and apps like Plex owe much of their early popularity to this use case. Without further ado, here are some screenshots.Īnd of course, we can’t forget about Barkley, seen here worn out after a long swim.For the uninitiated, HTPCs are dedicated PCs connected to TVs or projectors to access streaming services and downloadable media. Not only is it smooth, fast, and lovely, it also incorporates some enhancements we’ve made internally to finally provide the powerful server-side filtering which you’ve been enjoying in Plex/Web, Plex for iOS, and Plex for Android.

So we commissioned a beautiful new skin from the talented author of RetroPlex, who’s been one of the team for a while. We really wanted to make sure this was a special release, because we know you’ve been waiting patiently for a while to get your hands on it. It even has a brand new auto-update feature. It plays more kinds of media, plays it more efficiently, and looks better doing it.

If you’re interested in all the detailed changes along the way, feel free to read the release thread, but let’s just say, almost every single thing about the app is improved: it’s faster, prettier, and more powerful. We’ve released 15 versions for our PlexPass members during this time, and we’re excited that we’ve finally reached the point where it’s ready for the world! If you’ve been with us for a while, you’ll know that we’ve been working hard for the last 11 months on the next major release of our flagship media center software, Plex Home Theater.

Plex home theater