I’ve been helping to chase down this issue as I have been experiencing pretty much the same thing that many have been reporting and would like to share with you my experience and a hypothesis that has been added to our internal issue ticket with engineering. I’ve isolated the “100% stuck” recording issue to 1 network channel in my area that has lower signal strength than the others. Multiple shows I scheduled the recording of on that channel have consistently caused this error. My signal experience on that channel has been consistent even while watching Live TV on Plex Web (signal drops frequently). Plex Web is my plater of choice for these tests as Live TV tuning takes a little longer in browser as compared to a client like the NVIDIA SHIELD. I have been using a Mohu Leaf antenna mounted indoors against an exterior wall and have had the “convert video while recording” DVR option set to “transcode.” That same channel plays fine with the HDHomeRun app. I believe this usage scenario matches what many are experiencing. I’m suspicious that the signal-to-noise ratio (signal strength) could be the culprit.
First a little background as to why signal quality affects Plex DVR differently than the HDHomeRun app. Plex DVR requires a higher signal-to-noise ratio (stronger signal) than the HdHomeRun app. The HDHomeRun is basically a “conduit” that sends the transport stream to the player untouched. Plex has to analyze and segment the file (for server/client sharing) and as a result, Plex is more sensitive to signal degradation.
DVR Test Hardware
- Antennas
- 1x Mohu Leaf 30 indoor antenna
- 1x Mohu Sky 60 outdoor antenna
- Tuners
- 2x SiliconDust HDHomeRun Connect
- 1x two-way coaxial splitter
My next test involved reducing the amount of work Plex DVR does on the transport stream, to see if the “convert video while recording” setting has any affect on this. I turned that feature off and scheduled a 30 minute recording on the channel I have experienced issues with. As experienced in previous tests, the recording got stuck at 100%. The UI in the Recording Schedule shows the icon as complete, but still recording. No media is added to my library. This leads me to believe that the poorer signal is causing issues with the initial saving, not the transcoding part.
With the “convert video while recording” option crossed off my list as excluded, I steered my focus to my antenna: a Mohu Leaf indoor amplified antenna. My city is known for being notoriously difficult to access OTA television with an indoor antenna, without noticeable signal degradation. My next test involved swapping out my indoor amplified antenna with a larger, more amplified outdoor antenna: the Mohu Sky. To compare, I mounted it indoors right next to my Mohu Leaf and began watching the same channel with Live TV using Plex Web. Stream now matches the other network channels with no issues. I then scheduled another DVR recording on the same channel with the superior and more amplified antenna (Mohu Sky), this time with “convert video while recording” enabled. For the first time on this channel, no “100% completion” stuck issue. The show recorded and saved into my library.
This has all come down to signal strength. I’ve found that using a better, more amplified antenna indoors has helped a lot, and the Mohu Sky outdoor antenna with a 15dB gain amplifier placed in the same indoors location as the Mohu Leaf 30 has provided improved results, allowing me to get rid of this issue as all the network channels now come in with a stronger signal. While such an antenna might not be suitable for everyone’s usage environments, I suggest experimenting with antenna placement to improve reception. Use Plex Web and Live TV to spot any stream issues. If the stream is smooth, then the DVR recording should be successful.
I’ve provided my test experience and results to engineering and have referenced this thread. We’re at the point now where we think we’ve got the root cause, but for the time being just assume that you’ll need good reception for Plex DVR & Live TV. Test your channels with Plex Web using Live TV and adjust your antenna’s location. If you want to invest in better hardware, get a better antenna with a higher gain amplifier. We do need to handle these reception issues more gracefully and are looking into it.
