Using Plex on Fire TV with HDHomeRun Extend tuner.
More and more frequently, for one particular channel, I can’t watch Live TV.
Error message vacillates between 2 messages:
- An error has occurred, try again later.
- Record failed: Live TV - Session
Other channels seem fine, really only hit this with one specific channel.
Plex Server version 1.11.0.4633
Fire TV Plex app version 6.12.0.3239
Problem channel works fine via the HDHomeRun app on Fire TV.
Any tips or suggestions ?
Is this a Fox channel by any chance?
I have 2 Fire TV Sticks and 1 Fire TV.
Each has some trouble with Live TV. The NBC channel is the most problematic - particularly bad during the Olympics in terms of “acceptance factor” for this technology by the rest of the family.
Is this a Fox channel by any chance?
Cayars, for me those problems are on both Fox News and Fox Business. Is there some reason for this? I know I have seen lots of other complaints about Fox channels but never any explanation.
Currently I can’t watch the Olympics on NBC.
However, this time the message is a little different, Plex indicates that both tuners of my HDHomeRun Extend are busy.
Yet, if I go to the my.hdhomerun.com page to check on my HDHomeRun Extend, I see that only 1 of the 2 tuners is actually in use.
Cayars, do you have an answer for the question posted by someone (Using Plex on Fire TV with HDHomeRun Extend tuner.
More and more frequently, for one particular channel, I can’t watch Live TV.
Error message vacillates between 2 messages:
Can you provide more information? Channel, show, what was happening before error, ie was another channel being watched or was this the first time accessing a live tv stream.
No I don’t have anything specific.
Just for the record I have a Amazon Fire tablet, ShieldTV and a few Android phones but not specifically a Fire TV.
I have 3 HDHomeRun Primes (2 active) but not an Extend.
With that said on the various devices I do sometimes see this same type of issue and have reported it and have talked to the devs about it as well as given logs.
It’s an issue that is being worked on. If you can elaborate more on your specific situation that would be a good thing that could help.
Carlo
@cayars that was why I was asking for more specifics. I do have a Fire TV Stick and Extend so could test if I know more specific such as channel, show, what was being done before error, etc. I have yet to encounter an issue with Fire TV and Plex but have never tried to view Live TV from the Extend specifically, most of my Live TV testing with Fire TV has been from my Connect(s).
Perfect. All yours then John since you are the most qualified and have the equipment to test and help this person. 
I’ve been having a problem that is very similar to this. I have a slightly different setup:
Server: Ubuntu server running 1.11.3.4803
Tuner: hdhomerun prime with FIOS cablecard, up to date
Players: Fire TV stick & shield TV, latest versions
Seems to happen more with shield TV. Mostly from bouncing between NBCSN (Philly area) and NBC to watch the Olympics, these are not the only two channels that I’ve had problem with. After the server service has been started. The first couple of channel switches on the shield TV seem to happen fine. Then I start to get the alternating “try again later” & “record failed” but the channel still switches, but takes longer each time I switch. After a few more channel switches, it continues to give errors and fails to tune to the channel. I then go to the server, restart the plexmediaserver service and then channels work again without error. I don’t switch the channel too much on the Fire TV stick, so I don’t notice it happening on that player (on a kitchen TV that gets limited use). I do get it to happen frequently when changing channels on the shield TV as a player (not using it as a server). I’m not home so I can’t try it at the moment, but when it fails to tune to the channel, I believe that I can no longer tune to the channel on the Fire TV stick as well, it seems to be a problem specific to the server.
By any chance was the op switching between multiple channels when it deadlocked one of the channels?
Original Poster back …
I am comfortable saying I know the problem has occurred when I’m jumping around channels trying to decide
what to watch or when I’m flipping between 2 channels during commercials.
The issue is not exclusive to NBC but it does seem to occur with NBC more often than any other channel.
When I say NBC I mean my affiliates main channel X.1 not one of their sub-channels (X.2 for example).
Not yet comfortable saying I know the problem has occurred when I first attempt to access a live stream,
I need to consciously pay attention to that.
I am experiencing the same issue here in U.K. In particular BBC1, although tonight it has been ITV1. A message came up saying a scheduled recording had failed. When I tried to watch the channel live it wouldn’t.
I experienced the same thing earlier in the week and deleted the DVR and then reinstalled it, when seemed to solve the problem until tonight.
Also tonight, when I tried to tune into another channel, it said it couldn’t without me stopping another channel - one that I was neither viewing or recording.
This isn’t a fix but returning to the previous version of PMS has resolved the problem.
Original Poster back again …
I am now comfortable saying the problem can happen when first attempting to view a live stream.
Tried tuning into “LA to Vegas” on FOX tonight and had the problem.
After that failure, I could tune to NBC. But not Fox.
I would try a different channel/station successfully, then try FOX and it would fail.
I may try a downgrade of my Server this weekend since it has been suggested that it works as
a work-around.
I get this too from time to time, restarting PMS seems to fix it. It used to be that when you have this problem you just had to tune in another channel first and then try it again and it’d break it loose, doesn’t seem so much anymore. I’m running the latest beta.
WIndows 10,Hauppauge QuadHD pci card
Problem seems to be getting worse. Selecting a different channel and then trying the original channel no longer seems to work and the issue is occurring on more and more networks.
I’ve tried uninstalling Plex on the FireTV and re-installing. I’ve upgraded PMS. Perhaps I do need to try downgrading PMS instead.
This has gotten beyond ridiculous. Live TV must work for lots of folks but I can’t seem figure out the issue with my
set-up. At this point I’m just glad I hadn’t ponied up for a life-time Plex pass.
Are you able to see if Plex starts a Live TV session when you attempt to tune the channel? If you have the Now Playing open when tuning the channel does Plex show the LiveTV Session before the error appears on your FireTV? I have no issues with playing Live TV on either my Fire TV Stick or Fire TV, both Direct Play so there is no transcoding happening on my Plex Server.
i have seen them same thing of late. The one channel will not load nor start a session from the server. All other channels on the firetv work just fine and the channel in question works on android phone and any web app/browser. the tuner is an hdhomerun dual, the new model.
