By CE Critic - Buy Better Tech

Table of Contents

• Plex Launches U.S.-only Movie Rental Store
• Rental Specifications and Limitations
• Content Availability
• Pricing
• How to Rent Movies on Plex
• Technical Considerations

Plex Launches U.S.-only Movie Rental Store

Streaming media platform Plex has debuted a dedicated movie rental service, currently available exclusively to U.S. customers. The service allows users to rent titles from major studios without the need for third-party stores or subscriptions.

Rental Specifications and Limitations

• Rental vs Purchase: Plex currently only offers movie rentals, not purchases.
• Start Window: Users have 30 days to begin watching a rented movie.
• Viewing Window: Once started, a rented movie can be watched repeatedly within a 48-hour window.
• Resolution: Movie rentals are capped at 1080p resolution.
• Surround Sound: Maximum supported audio is 5.1 surround sound.

Content Availability

Plex's movie rental catalog includes recent releases and older titles from studios such as:

• Warner Bros.
• Paramount
• MGM
• Lionsgate
• A24

However, there are notable absences:

• No movies from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, or Lucasfilm studios are available.
• Several popular titles within supported studios' catalogs are missing (e.g., Christopher Nolan films, Dune).

Pricing

• Movies start at $3.99 per rental.
• New releases can cost up to $20.99 (potentially higher than competitors like Apple TV).

How to Rent Movies on Plex

1. Supported Platforms: Users can rent via web browser, Android TV, Roku, select Smart TVs, PlayStation, and Xbox.
2. Apple Restrictions: Renting directly on Apple TV or Fire TV is not supported. However, renting via other platforms allows playback on Apple/Fire TV devices using the Plex app.

Technical Considerations

• Geo-restriction: Movie rentals are limited to the U.S. at this time.
• Future Expansion: Plex has not announced immediate plans for international rollout or the addition of TV show rentals.