Plex vs XBMC? What's your favourite media center application?

These days, most people are using dedicated media center styled applications to manage their TV Libraries and Movies.

The current main two (besides seperate eco-systems like Netflix or Hulu) is Plex or XBMC.

XBMC is an open-source all in one media manager / player and can take any formats.
XBMC

Where;s Plex is similar, but has the Client-Server Model and many extra features like iOS/Android Apps with Sync, and Web Player
Plex - A Complete Media Solution

What do you use, and why?

 

I use xbmc. It seems to be the only player that can handle large files without the video & audio skipping or slowing down.

 

Plex transcodes! It also works fine on almost any device and can be accessed remotely or even shared with your friends! These are the main reasons Plex is my number one choice for recent content. For older content I now use Netflix. I used XBMC before and it did work great but Plex just had more features.

Anyone that actually has a decent pc which serves theres content should give Plex a try. I'd bet you would fall in love!

 

XBMC, used it since the Xbox days and its always worked great.

All my media is stored on a low powered server and has been ripped to the highest quality by myself. I have no real reason to transcode it to mobile devices or a games console as i have dedicated devices that can play the highest bitrate MKV with no problems.

XBMC has the features the enthusiast wants, but at the same time remains simple enough for the average person to setup with ease.

 

If i had to choose then it would be XBMC. But i use the PS3 Media Server to stream Movies to my Blu-Ray Player in the living room.
My Blu_Ray player also plays video files from USB ( all formats ) .

 

Plex! Its pure awesomeness....

 

I use Plex as a DLNA server, but XBMC is superior client. I have XBMC on my Raspberry Pi and have used XBMC since the xbox days.

 

The Plex client is just a fork of XBMC though, so surely all the good stuff is already there?

There is also an addon to use Plex for Library, but XBMC for client which is pretty good:

Add-on: PleXBMC - XBMC

 

XBMC has so many plugins that I could not live without Like subtitles plugin.

 

Plex has the ability to add subtitles automatically when foreign audio is detected.

 

Plex has subtitles...


King posted it as i was taking a screenshot

 

I know Plex has subtitles

Where do I find this option? I have it enabled in settings but can't find where to download them.

 

I don't think it will download them. (it might though) Just place a .srt file in the movies folder. Some come with one and others don't. CouchPotato does have the ability to download them.

Then go to your Plex settings and set this...



Worked well jessenic with your Rare Exports finnish movie.

 

I haven't actually used Plex but have used XBMC for quite some time now. I was surprised they managed to carry on with it after Xbox 1 but am glad they did as it's a very useful media centre app. I also believe MS have a lot to thank them for (you can't say they didn't take any cues from the XBMC team when they released the 360).

 

I use Plex because they make an app for my Samsung bluray player that I use in one room and it works with the Roku box I use in the other. My everyday laptop is my server and it streams to everything else via our wireless network. Plus, I can access it over the web. I'll admit that I one time watched a movie while at work.

 

I've never used Plex but XBMC is clean. I plan on getting an OUYA and the first thing I'm going to do when I get it is install XBMC.

 

Yeah

 

XBMC here, the latest release supports recording live TV from multiple TV tuners. This can even be on a TV server so the capture card could be installed in a home server with XBMC will just act as a front end for it.

Pretty neat i think, devices like the OUYA and Apple TV can play live TV that way too