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Libraries

Plex servers are organized with Libraries in order to accomplish a number of things. Foremost, this helps viewers locate the content they're looking for. Broad categories like TV Shows and Movies also enable the Plex server to obtain the correct information to fill in the details about content such as the synopsis, actors and other information about the media. Libraries are often further separated into subjects like Reality TV, Kid's TV or Documentaries to facilitate finding what you want to watch.

On my server, you will have been granted access to my Movies (which includes 4K versions1), TV Shows (also includes 4K content), Stand-Up (for stand-up specials), and potentially one or two more. I may eventually add two separate libraries for Anime Films and Anime Series, if the need arises, however there are technical limitations preventing me from separating them from the rest of the movies and shows (for now).

If, after logging into Plex, you do not see any libraries labeled with my name or server ("Andrew Shaffer" or "DS1520+"), navigate to the bottom of the sidebar, select More..., find my libraries and pin them for easy access.

note

Note: The Plex creators recently added a new Library that appears for all users called "Movies & TV On Plex". Users should know that the ad-supported content in this special library is not provided by the owner of the Plex server and is available through a deal between Plex software and a number of movie studios. Plex server owners have no control over the content of this library. In most Plex players, you can find an option to Unpin this library from your list so it doesn't appear.

Footnotes​

  1. 4K movies and shows are only available in what's called "Direct Play" mode. This means that you must have a 4K UHD display/device to be able to stream 4K content. Any attempts to stream 4K content on a device with a smaller resolution will cause the server to try to convert it, and that will trigger an action that stops your playback. This is done to prevent unnecessary conversions, which are very resource-intensive. ↩