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Where Can I Watch? Plex Now Searches Across Streaming Services

Plex is testing a new discovery feature that will search across streaming services for what you need; just type in the name of the show or movie, the actors, or a director.

 & Stephanie Mlot Contributor

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We've all been there: It's Friday night, and you're in the mood for a particular movie or TV show. But which video-streaming service offers what you want to watch? You could jump from app to app to see if it's there, but media management provider Plex thinks it has a better solution.

Plex is testing a new discovery feature that will search across streaming services for what you need; just type in the name of the show or movie, the actors, or a director.

"If it exists, we’ll find it—even if it’s not on Plex. Just Plex it," the company says. "For instance, if you’re hankering to rewatch Little Miss Sunshine, open up Plex on your phone, laptop, tablet, or TV and we’ll show you on which of your services it’s available. Easy, accurate, quick—now you just need to search one app instead of a dozen."

plex menu showing where little miss sunshine is streaming

The option is available now as a public beta, and it's part of a larger update to the Plex interface, which also includes a customizable welcome screen, unified watchlist, and content tracking. See what's trending on the services you subscribe to (Amazon Prime, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, etc.) and tap into personal media libraries. App users can also browse curated recommendations, catch fresh trailers, and save upcoming movies and shows to a watchlist.

"You’ll be able to keep tabs on when it’s in theaters, when it’s available to rent, and when it’s available to view on any of your services," Plex says. "So now you finally have a universal 'to watch list' that gets better and better over time. Just check out our new collection titled 'Available From Your Watchlist,' which will tell you when and where your movies and shows you added to your Watchlist are now available."

Apple's TV app also lets you search across apps, though it only has deals with a select few streaming services, like HBO Max, Disney+, and Hulu; no Netflix.

About Our Expert

Stephanie Mlot

Stephanie Mlot

Contributor

My Experience

  • B.A. in Journalism & Public Relations with minor in Communications Media from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)
  • Reporter at The Frederick News-Post (2008-2012)
  • Reporter for PCMag and Geek.com (RIP) (2012-present)

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