Getting started with Plex

Plex is the easiest way to watch the movies and TV shows on our server. It works on almost every TV, streaming stick, phone, tablet and web browser, and it remembers where you left off on every device.

What you’ll find here: two libraries, Movies and TV Shows.

Plex or Jellyfin?

Both show the same movies and shows. Plex is the more polished app and works on more devices, so start here. Jellyfin is a free alternative if Plex ever gives you trouble (see the Jellyfin guide).

1. Create a free Plex account

If you already have a Plex account, skip to step 2.

1. Go to plex.tv and choose Sign Up.
2. Sign up with an email address, or with Google or Apple.
3. Send the email address you used to the server admin (see Need help?).

You never need to pay for Plex to watch our library. Plex will offer you Plex Pass and its own free movies and channels; you can ignore all of that.

2. Accept the invite

1. Watch for an email from Plex saying you’ve been invited to a server (check spam if it doesn’t arrive within a day).
2. Click Accept Invite. You can also accept it at app.plex.tv: sign in and look for the invite banner, or open Settings → Manage Library Access (the person icon at the top right).

Once accepted, our libraries appear in the left sidebar (on TVs: in the menu) under the server’s name.

3. Install the app

Device	Where to get it
Web browser	app.plex.tv, nothing to install
iPhone / iPad	App Store: Plex: Watch Live TV & Movies
Android phone / tablet	Google Play: Plex
Apple TV	App Store on the Apple TV: Plex
Roku, Fire TV, Google TV / Android TV	The device’s app store: Plex
Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Vizio)	The TV’s app store: Plex
PlayStation / Xbox	The console’s store: Plex

Open the app and sign in with the same Plex account you sent the admin. On a TV, the app shows a short code; go to plex.tv/link on your phone or computer and type it in.

4. Make our library easy to find

The Plex apps put Plex’s own free movies and live TV in front by default. To see our library first:

• Phone / tablet / TV: open the menu, choose More or the server list, find our server and pin the Movies and TV Shows libraries. Unpin anything you don’t use (Live TV, Discover, Movies & Shows on Plex).
• Web: hover over a library in the sidebar, click the ⋯ next to it and choose Pin.

5. Start watching

• Continue Watching on the home screen picks up where you stopped, on any device.
• Watchlist: tap the bookmark icon on any title to save it for later.
• Subtitles and audio: while playing, tap the speech-bubble or settings icon to choose a subtitle or audio language. Most titles have English subtitles.
• Downloads (phone/tablet): the download button on a movie or episode saves it for flights and road trips.

6. Asking for something new

Can’t find a movie or show? Request it at request.ourshelfmedia.com:

1. Click Sign in with Plex and use your Plex account. No separate password needed.
2. Search for the title and click Request. For a TV show you can choose which seasons.
3. Requests may need the admin’s approval. When it’s ready, it simply appears in Plex, usually within a day.

Tips for the best picture

• Choose “Original” or “Maximum” quality. In the app’s settings, under Video Quality (or Quality), set Home Streaming and Remote Streaming to Original / Maximum if your internet is good. Lower settings make the server convert the video, which looks worse and can stutter.
• Use a wired connection or strong Wi-Fi for 4K or large files.
• Buffering? Lower the quality one step for that video, or try the movie in the Jellyfin app instead.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Try this
I don’t see our libraries	Make sure you accepted the invite and are signed in to the same Plex account. In the app, open the server list and pick our server.
“Server unavailable”	The server may be restarting or updating (Sunday mornings). Wait 10 minutes and try again. If it lasts longer, tell the admin.
The app asks me to buy a “Remote Watch Pass”	Don’t buy anything. Tell the admin; it’s a setting on their side.
Playback keeps buffering	See Tips for the best picture above.
Wrong audio language or no subtitles	Change them during playback (speech-bubble icon). Report the title to the admin if English isn’t available.
Something is missing or looks wrong	Report it at request.ourshelfmedia.com: open the title and choose Report an Issue.

Need help?

Contact the server admin: {{ADMIN_CONTACT}}

Please include the device you’re using, what you were watching and what you saw (a screenshot helps).

House rules

• Your account is for you and your household. Please don’t share your login.
• The server lives in someone’s home on a home internet connection. Streaming from a few places at once is fine; please don’t download whole seasons to several devices at the same time.