Questions after the film.
Short answers. The install guide has the long ones.
00:05
The basics
Is PLAID free?
Yes. It’s open source under the MIT license, with no paid tier.
Can I use it today?
Yes, early. The server, the web app and the Apple TV app work: libraries, artwork, playback, remote access. Sharing and Plaid Party come next. Expect rough edges, and check the roadmap.
Is it a Plex or Jellyfin fork?
No. PLAID is written from scratch, with its own API and its own apps.
00:12
Your data
Does PLAID need an online account?
No. Accounts live on your server. Nothing is required from us.
Does it send anything to you?
No telemetry. The server asks TMDB and fanart.tv for posters and synopses, sending titles, years and ids, never who watches what. With remote access on, getplaid.direct knows your public IP and port: what it keeps.
Where are my files?
Exactly where they were. PLAID reads your folders; it never moves or changes your media.
00:20
Hardware
Will it run on a Raspberry Pi?
Yes, a Pi 4 or 5 with a 64-bit OS. Direct Play costs almost nothing. Transcoding on a Pi runs in software, so for files your devices can’t play as they are, a machine with a GPU helps. Details.
Do I need Docker?
No. The Debian package installs a regular system service. Docker works too.
00:31
Watching with friends
How do friends reach my server from outside?
Turn on remote access: your server gets a getplaid.direct address and a real certificate, and video goes straight from you to them. Or use your own reverse proxy, or a tunnel like Tailscale or Cloudflare Tunnel: the install guide covers it.
Do my friends need to install anything?
A browser is enough. On Apple TV, there’s an app.
00:40