Plex has launched an ad-supported streaming service that's completely free to use.

With this service, you can access movies, TV shows, and documentaries. The catalogue at launch will include content from both major studios and smaller producers. It works across all devices that support Plex. To find it, just look in the sidebar for the “Free to Watch” section, which you can move or hide if you wish. At first glance, there are a few popular films, but also many unknown titles, too.

For instance, we can see classic films like Rain Man, Raging Bull, Apocalypse Now, and Terminator 2. Like many streaming services, the Plex catalogue on offer will change over time, with titles being added and removed regularly. However, Plex is making the bold claim that it will somehow offer "more content to more countries than any other free streaming service to date".

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Plex

It also plans to use your existing media library to serve up TV show and movie recommendations from its streaming service. Although that sounds a little invasive, Plex is promising it does not have any "visibility into the content or metadata" of your personal media collection.

As for video quality, you can expect 1080p. Plex also syncs across devices. so you can start on one device, stop, and pick up on another. Coming down the pike you can also expect subtitle support and a watchlist feature.

Keep in mind Plex is launching its service during the age of the streaming service wars. Both Disney and Apple have recently launched streaming services, and then, of course, there is Netflix, Prime Video, CBS All Access, Hulu, HBO Now, and so on. With so many on-demand offerings now available, you can essentially build up a package to your liking, much like you once could with cable channels.