You can now watch LIVE TV from any device, and set up your own personal DVR with Plex.
This is a HUGE update they’ve launched recently that I’ve been very, very excited to show
you.
You can use just about any normally-Plex-server-compatible-device such as a NAS, PC, or Nvidia Shield system
to browse and record live TV episodes from the comfort of your couch, office chair, or
anywhere - and even fill in episodes that you’re missing from your normal Plex library!
Let’s take a look
[intro]
I’m EposVox, here to make tech easier and more fun and today we’re back with another
Plex-sponsored tutorial.
Let’s walk through the process of setting your Plex server up for DVR, and how to navigate
it on something like a Nvidia Shield system from your TV.
You will need a Plex Pass subscription for this.
If you do not have one or would like to gift one to a friend, I do have affiliate signup
links in the description below - and one for free account signups, too - it helps the channel
if you use them.
For normal Plex Media Server setup instructions, check the playlist linked in the video description.
You will need a Plex Media Server set up first and foremost.
I have one running on a dedicated server box, but even a device like this Nvidia Shield
TV can be used to set one up.
To actually receive and capture Live TV, you will need a TV tuner of some sort.
There’s a wide variety of USB tuners that Plex is working on supporting that will work
for PCs and NAS and mobile devices.
I actually have a HDHomeRun Extend TV tuner.
This connects to my 1ByOne over the air antenna to pull local broadcast stations in HD.
My antenna itself allows for 2 channels to be loaded at once, and the HDHomeRun box transcodes
it and sends it over the network to any device via their app - or integrates with Plex DVR
and Live TV as such.
To set up this feature within Plex, pull up your Plex main menu on a PC in a web browser.
This can be done via devices like the Nvidia Shield, but I was having a lot of trouble
getting it to cooperate and show me the options for the Shield’s server itself.
Go to “Settings” and then “Server.”
At the bottom, you should see “Live TV & DVR.”
This is currently a Beta feature available only to Plex Pass subscribers.
You also need to update your Plex server to version 1.7.2 or newer.
As of the time of shooting this, the newest version is 1.7.5.
By clicking on the “Live TV & DVR” section, you can now set up Plex DVR to connect to
your TV tuner - for example, my Extend via my network.
It will scan for channels it can reach and ask for some location video so it can properly
pull metadata.
This will give you an extensive TV guide for your tuner and allow you to find what shows
are live, coming up, and schedule out recordings.
View the program guide, and it will continue populating channels and shows in the background.
You can tell it to record what’s showing now, search for shows, or browse by categories
such as movies and sports.
This also works via Android TV devices like the Nvidia Shield.
By connecting to the server running the DVR, you can now choose Live TV on the left and
get the full TV guide in a wonderful-looking format.
I was quite impressed.
You can pick a show - such as Judge Judy - and tell it to record just the upcoming episode,
all future episodes, as well as set resolution options, auto-delete, extra recording time
in case something runs over the normal time limit, and so on.
It’s really quite cool.
And as I mentioned before, it even shows you what upcoming movies on TV will be showing,
so you can set those to record in advance, too.
I set a few movies to record and automatically add to my Plex library, as well as a few showings
of the local news.
After the showings happen, you can now see that my “Recently Added TV Shows” and
“Recently Added Movies” have been populated with these recordings - fresh with complete
metadata, season listings, and so on.
Now I can save and watch all the Judge Judy I could possibly want - and it keeps up with
which season each episode is from!
All in glorious HD, haha.
This is a really awesome feature, and I feel like it can revolutionize some users’ multimedia
setup in their home.
It’s especially useful for cord-cutters like me that otherwise just don’t have TV
service anymore.
I can play all this back from any TV in my home, or via mobile devices or computers.
It helps that I have my big “Cinnibar” server powering my plex library, too.
This won’t automatically cut out commercials, however.
Those will be recorded with the episodes, too.
There’s obvious legal reasons for this, on top of the fact that it’s difficult enough
to get cable companies to play ball with TV tuners in the first place.
There is a third-party program that can run through and strip out the commercials to save
on space.
I should have a separate video coming on that at some point.
Plex DVR and Live TV is currently in beta, and requires a TV tuner and a little setup
- but it’s really cool.
Once I had it initially set up, I’ve been blown away as to how easy the actual scheduling
and viewing experience is - even from something like an Android TV box.
Again, I have affiliate links in the video description if you need to sign up for Plex
or want to upgrade to a Plex Pass or gift one to a friend - please consider using them.
I’m EposVox, smash the like button if you enjoyed, don’t forget to subscribe, and
I’ll see you next time.