Plex Is Actively Making Its Own Product Worse Removing Watch Together Is Just Another Example Of Enshittification
Earlier this year, a Reddit post from a long-time Plex user highlighted a growing frustration shared by many in the self-hosted community. The post detailed ...
Plex Is Actively Making Its Own Product Worse Removing Watch Together Is Just Another Example Of Enshittification
Introduction
Earlier this year, a Reddit post from a long-time Plex user highlighted a growing frustration shared by many in the self-hosted community. The post detailed how Plex quietly removed the “Watch Together” feature from its Google TV app without prior notice. This feature, which allowed users to synchronously watch content with friends and family remotely, had been working just minutes before disappearing without a trace. The user’s reaction resonated widely: “Apparently, Plex decided not to carry Watch Together over to its redesigned app. A perfectly functional feature that people actually use was simply discarded.”
This incident exemplifies what critics term “enshittification”—a process where a platform progressively degrades user experience to extract more value, typically from users or businesses. For Plex, a company that started as a niche media server solution and grew into a publicly traded entity, the removal of functional features while adding subscription tiers represents a strategic pivot toward enshittification.
From a DevOps and infrastructure perspective, this trend has significant implications. When a company unilaterally removes features from its platform, it not only frustrates users but also creates opportunities for the self-hosted community. Homelab enthusiasts and sysadmins who value control, transparency, and feature stability are increasingly looking toward open-source alternatives that won’t arbitrarily discard functionality.
This comprehensive guide explores the enshittification phenomenon through the Plex Watch Together removal, examines the broader implications for infrastructure management, and provides practical guidance for self-hosted media infrastructure alternatives. Whether you’re a seasoned DevOps engineer or an experienced sysadmin, understanding these dynamics is crucial for making