When Plex first added Chromecast support to their app, it came with a caveat – users had to signup for the PlexPass subscription service to cast media. That is changing with an update to the app that is rolling out to Google Play. Now, anyone using Plex can cast media to their Chromecast device. Although casting support is now available to all users, PlexPass or no, Plex is still not a free solution.
For users who do not want to invest in a PlexPass subscription, they will have to spring $4.99 for the Plex app. PlexPass users can get the app for free. Users still need to setup a “server” on their computer to catalog and transcode media so it can be streamed to Chromecast or to a mobile device.
Along with the addition of Chromecast support, Plex has also added a feature they call “content mirroring.” Don't get too excited though as their idea of mirroring is displaying details about media on the big screen while you continue to browse the library on your mobile device.
Plex also announced several updates to the iOS-based and web-based versions of the app, include shuffle capabilities and a precursor to play lists. These features work for both music and video selections. For PlexPass subscribers using iOS a new feature has been added that will upload photos on your device to your Plex server creating a private cloud backup solution. They indicate these features should be coming to other platforms like Android in the near future.
If you want to give Plex a try, use one of the download links below.
