Different options

In yesterdays post Breakout I discussed my decision to jailbreak an Apple TV to make an easy to use movie server similar to what Kaliedescape does. The reasons are rather simple. The idea of being able to scroll through ones library of movies, vs. having to go to the local video store to rent (are there any left?), renting online from the very limited selections available through most services, isn't very appealing to me. I like the idea of scrolling through movie cover art and this hacked solution does the job, although it's a real pain to make it all work. Several of my readers made suggestions of other solutions that I find quite appealing. One such suggestion is called Plex. I had never heard of Plex until yesterday, and what little I now know of it has me intrigued and ready to sell my ATV. Plex is firmware that runs on any number of devices. In my case, Plex is available on two of the devices I use for streaming: the Roku player and the Amazon Firestick. Between the two I prefer the Amazon product. It's less expensive at $39 and the video quality is slightly better than that of the Roku device. Using either, you can purchase Plex for $5, install it as an app, and connect with your hard drive full of movies. At least that's what it appears to look like. I believe you also need to signup for their monthly service, or purchase a membership for $150. I haven't found all the details yet but it's very intriguing. I'll keep you informed as to my progress with this software, but my little ATV might just be for sale. I might mention that one of the great joys of investing the time and energy to write these daily posts is in the feedback and learning I get from my readers. Had I never written about the theater and shared my experiences, I perhaps would never know of Plex or, for that matter, a number of other things I have learned from you. Thank you for sharing.