Plex has added a new feature to Plex called Plex discover. It has the potential to be a real game-changer, and the best thing is it is free. I have been looking at it and trying it out for myself over the last week or so. In this article, I will share my thoughts with you.
I have tested the new Plex discover functionality on the Plex app for windows and the Plex app for Google TV.
Using Plex Discover
When you first log in to Plex, will ask you what streaming services you have subscriptions with, Including all the major international streaming services such as Netflix and streaming services local to you.
I live in the UK, and many of the local streaming services were included, such as BBC iPlayer, which was reassuring and suggested to me that where ever you live, you will be covered. Please let us know if this is different for you in the comments section below.
Once the discover service has been set up, a Discover tab will be available under the Plex services. You can pin this option to the left-hand menu should you wish.
The discover tab provides many sections to explore the content available on different streaming platforms including.
- Trending trailers
- Programmes and films added to your watchlist which are available to view
- Programmes and films trending on the streaming services you use
- Programmes and films trending on other streaming services
Selecting a programme will trigger Plex to open the related application or web application, depending on the device you are running Plex on.
Plex search with discover
The most significant change with the discover feature is to search, which will still search any programmes you have on your own media server or recorded from your local to free air tv services and the TV streaming services provided by Plex.
Programmes or films that match the search parameter not available in your Plex library or linked services such as Tidal are listed at the bottom of the search results.
Click on these other search results to display the streaming services that the content is available on if any. You will also be allowed to add the programme or film to your watchlist.
Conclusion
The new discover service from Plex has real potential and could help the Plex platform to remain relevant and become the central application in your home entertainment setup. However, it isn’t there yet and will likely need further work even when it comes out of beta.
You can learn more about Plex in our Plex review, and a complete list of our Plex content is available on our Plex media server home page.