/Plex setup

Guide · 7 min read

Setup Plex.

What you'll do

Make a free Plex account, install the app on your device, ping Elisha to be added to Moonrock, and start watching. Four steps. Works on every device you own.

The pitch

What is Plex?

A magic box that turns Moonrock (a Linux server in Elisha's closet) into your own personal Netflix. Movies, shows, all yours, on every screen.

No subscriptions, no ads, no rotating catalog. If we have it, you can watch it. If we don't have it, you can request it.

Heads up. Plex is free, but access to Moonrock is gated. You'll make a Plex account first, then send Elisha your email so she can add you. It's manual on purpose.

Step one · 2 min

Create a Plex account.

Free, no credit card. You can sign up with email or hit the Google / Apple / Facebook buttons if you prefer.

01Open plex.tv and click Sign Up.
02Use the same email address you'll text to Elisha in step 3.
03Skip the "Plex Pass" upsell. You don't need it for our server.

Step two · pick your device

Install the Plex app.

Plex runs on pretty much anything with a screen. Pick the device you'll watch on most. The steps are slightly different for each.

iPhone & iPad

Best experience. AirPlay works, downloads work, subtitles are easy.

01Open the App Store and search "Plex".
02Install Plex: Stream Movies & TV (the official one, blue icon).
03Open the app and sign in with your new Plex account.
04You won't see Moonrock yet. That's normal. Finish step 03.

iPhone screenshotplaceholder · drop screenshot here

Step three · 30 seconds

Text Elisha.

This is the gate. You're not on the server until this happens. Send her:

✎

The email address you signed up to Plex with. That's it. She'll share the Moonrock server with your Plex account, usually within an hour or two, depending on whether she's asleep.

You'll get an email from Plex saying you've been given access. No action needed on that email. Just open Plex.

Step four · forever

Start watching.

Open Plex on your device. On the sidebar (or in the server picker, top-left on TV apps) you'll see Moonrock. Click in. You're home.

A few things worth knowing on day one:

★

Set quality to 'Original'. In Settings → Quality, pick Original for both Home and Remote. Moonrock can push it; your internet is probably the bottleneck, not the server. See the Tips page for the full rundown.

⤷

Missing something? Hit Request. We'll usually add it overnight, and the Discord will ping you the moment it lands.

If things go sideways

Trouble shooting.

Most problems fall into one of these buckets. Try the fix; if it doesn't stick, text Elisha with which bucket and what happened.

I don't see Moonrock in the server list.+

You weren't added yet, or you signed into Plex with a different email than the one you sent. Check the email you used in Plex settings → Account and make sure that's the one Elisha has.

Video buffers / stutters.+

Usually your connection, not the server. In the player, tap the gear icon and drop quality one notch (e.g. Original → 10 Mbps). If you're on a TV app over WiFi, a wired ethernet adapter eliminates 90% of buffering complaints.

Audio is there but no video (or vice versa).+

Your device can't decode the file format in hardware. Tap the gear icon and pick a lower quality. That forces transcoding on the server side. Works every time.

Can't log in on Roku / Fire TV.+

Use the pairing code flow. On the TV, open Plex and copy the 4-letter code. On your phone, open plex.tv/link and enter it there. Avoid typing the password with the remote.

Everything looks wrong: wrong posters, missing episodes.+

Pull-to-refresh on the library. If it's still wrong, text Elisha the show/movie name. It's a metadata issue on the server and she can fix it in 30 seconds.

I'm on vacation / traveling. Will it still work?+

Yes. Plex works anywhere with internet. You can also download stuff to your phone beforehand (tap the download icon on any title) and watch offline on planes.

♥

Still stuck? Text Elisha. Or hit the Discord. There's no pride in figuring it out alone.

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