Considering Plex - Some General Questions

General Discussions
1

I’m dropping DISH TV and going to OTA TV only. I’ve looked at the various DVRs out there and the ones I like the best are Tablo and TiVo, but they have problems I’d rather not deal with. I’m considering using Plex or MythTV or something like that…

I used to run a business based on my software, in Perl, Javascript, MySQL, and Java. I wrote the code myself and the main programs ran on a Debian server that I maintained myself. So I can program and have always liked Linux. The problem is that it’s been about 10 years since I could do much, seriously, on Linux. I am also limited, these days, in terms of time.

What I’d like is a Linux box running the Plex backend with 4 tuners on it and then being able to use different devices to play back recordings or library videos from different rooms in my house and guest house.

The problem, as I said, is I’m seriously limited in time. I would have loved to have set up Plex or MythTV with an OTA antenna when we first moved in 2 years ago, but had to go with DISH TV instead because I did not have time to research a new system and figure out what I would need to do.

So I have a number of questions about Plex. In some cases, I think I know some of the answers, but I want to clarify things so I know for sure.

  1. I think I basically need a computer I can run Linux on, 4 tuners or a 4 tuner device (I think I’ve seen some out there), and the usual computer attachments (like mouse, keyboard, monitor…) to set up a Plex backend. Do I need anything else?
  2. Once I get a Linux system installed on a box, how hard is it to set up Plex on it and get it working? Do I have to tweak a lot of settings and spend a lot of time fiddling with settings, or is it easy to start using it as a DVR right out of the box?
  3. Does a Plex system need much in terms of maintenance? Can I have it updated automatically?
  4. Does Plex have a “binge mode” I can use to play all the recorded episodes of a particular TV show? One person said it did, but that I’d have to restart it or confirm I want it to keep playing after 3 hours. (That’s a problem for me - during stressful periods, I sometimes need to sleep with the TV on, playing reruns of old comedies. When it stops, I wake up.)
  5. Are there problems using a Roku or Apple TV as a front end viewer for a Plex backend? It looks like there are apps for a lot of different platforms. Do apps for 3rd party viewers have problems? (For instance, I tried one media server and could not use FF or REW while watching and could not do any kind of skipping forward or backward while watching.)

If I can be sure I’ve found a good system that will do what I need, it’s easier for me to set aside some time to set it up. The problem is I’m not sure to just settle for Tablo or TiVo, or to try to set up a Plex or MythTV system. I’m trying to at least narrow things down so I can at least pick a system to research and plan on using.

2

The services you mention are closed systems - you have no direct control over the files.

What you want is:

  1. A Network (or PCI Card) Tuner like an HDHomeRun, for instance.
  2. Plex-DVR (requiring Plex Pass) with all it’s current problems
    or
    3.1) Channels DVR <—a problem free (mostly) solution (See: 3.3)
    3.2)HDHomeRun DVR - with all it’s current problems.
    3.3)MCEBuddy <—if you can run it on that box of yours

The idea is that when you get the recordings (Channels DVR/HDHR DVR), they come in files that you can do something with - as opposed to TIVO (or whatever) where you don’t get the files and have to watch them in whatever nightmare scenario those idiots come up with.

Know the idiots - pick the group of idiots that do the least amount of damage to your ‘viewing experience’ and in my opinion Channels DVR is the least idiotic solution ('cause they don’t appear to be idiots at all… in fact, they’re pretty smart…lol)

Channels DVR will cost you 8 bucks a month and that’s a small price to pay for something that works so well. At least you’ll have a working solution for $8/Mo while you decide what you want to end up with and you can cancel at any time. <— loyal Channels DVR Customer for years - wouldn’t think of going anywhere else. “It Just Works”.

3

  1. You can do all this on windows so it doesn’t need to be Linux. Yes you will need a tuner or tuner card I use Hdhomerun myself. You can also get systems like unraid or freenas which run Linux and have an easy front end web GUI to manage apps like Plex.

  2. As I said you can do this on windows so doesn’t need to be Linux. As far as Plex there is some fiddling but compared to Kodi it’s really simple.

  3. I don’t think there is an auto update but updates are fairly simple and if you have it up and running you don’t need to update all that often unless you are looking for that new feature.

  4. I can start an episode of a show and it will keep playing episodes of that show. You can also setup playlists and it will keep playing that.

  5. Each client has its pros and cons, I have used Roku, smart TV, mobile Android, web and they all seem to work well at least the basics like FF and REW.

I personally run Plex on Unraid and use Hdhomerun for a tuner. In the past I had Linux with mythtv and was more complicated but that was 7 years ago so maybe that has changed.

You can always set Plex up for free and see, you will not have DVR but you could pay 1 month subscription and test it and see if it’s what you are looking for.

The best experience is hardwired clients, direct streaming for video which eliminates transcoding which causes a poor experience.

4

Good idea.

If you pay 5 bucks a month for Plex-DVR and find it doesn’t work, 8 bucks a month for Channels DVR that does work might be a better value. It’s difficult to say how one would employ that $3 to get the most out of it, but it’s easy enough to find out.

5

Thanks. I didn’t know about Channels, HDHomeRun, or MCEBuddy. I had found out about Tablo and TiVo, (And, of course, Plex and MythTV.) I’m a bit confused. My first search for Channels, I could swear I found actual, physical DVRs, but with a maximum of two tuners. But then, today, when I had a bit of time, all I found was this link (Channels). When I look that over, it requires a HDHomeRun box.

So is there a stand alone Channels box? Or does Channels use the HDHomeRun box?

Also, you indicate problems with HDHomeRun. Can you give me an idea of what those problems are?

Also, it looks to me like we’re talking about hardware solutions that may or may not require extra hardware or software to make them work. Do you have any comments on Tablo? I know they store their files in a proprietary format, but I also know that there are programs that make it possible to copy those files to my own drive in a format I can use. It looks like whatever box I use as a DVR, I’ll want something like MCEBuddy to get files from any solution I use, so it appears to me like there are no solutions where a DVR just simply stores the files in a format like, say, MP4.

I don’t mind setting aside time to set up any solution I get. My issue is that I’m trying to narrow things down first, so I don’t research 20 options for a few days before narrowing it down to one or two.

As for Plex, from what I see, it seems the idea is not to use any part of Plex as a DVR as much as to use it to interact with the files on whatever DVR I would get. Am I right on that?

6

Oh, the issue with paying for a month of Plex: I don’t have an issue there, but, to test it, I need a tuner of some type. Of course a single tuner would cost the least, but, in the long run, I want a 4 tuner device. So I’d either be getting a 4 tuner from the start - and then, maybe, finding out the solution doesn’t work, or getting a 1 tuner then, after making sure it works, ordering a 4 tuner. Either way, I’m trying to avoid buying hardware until I know it’s something I’ll be using in the long run.

7

If you get a 4-tuner HDhomerun, you can use it with other software as well, not just Plex.

8

Yea, The HDHomerun Tuners are probably the best, but the DVR Software from HDHomerun is, frankly, a disaster. 99% of HDHR DVR Users agree. Unfortunately HDHR is in the bidness of selling to the world a brand new way to do things - without a Grid Guide. The World isn’t ready, even if Silicon Dust is.

I wish them luck, but I also dropped their DVR service like a hot potato in favor of Channels-DVR. Channels-DVR is just a DVR Program that works, without a lot of Drama, and with a Grid Guide.

MCEBuddy, if you can use it (PC/Windows), is and has been the ‘industry standard’ for dealing with Recorded TV for… decades. It’s a wonderful tool for automatically dealing with recorded TV in many different ways, then moving/copying/whatever all the recordings into Plex, after renaming/structuring/prematching - so you don’t have to do anything (hopefully) except schedule the recording. MCEBuddy comes in two flavors - free and paid ($30 bucks - absolutely worth it).

You’re going to need a tuner.
You’re going to need a DVR program - Plex-DVR or Other and I can’t recommend Channels-DVR any more strongly. I’ve used everything - Channels is who I continue to pay. For a good reason.

9

I just recently switched from using NextPVR to remotely record shows to Channels DVR.

On one computer I record off a tuner but, unfortunately, even though that computer is located in a friend’s house that gets a lot better reception that I do there is a lot missing.

I used to subscribe to Sling TV but they dropped Fox channels and that I need so I switched to Hulu but they do not have a grid guide and I cannot use their system with comfort at all,. I was about to drop Hulu because of usability issues.

However Channels DVR supports Hulu and provides a good grid guide so that is what I am using to get my soccer and NHL recording done. It works great. If you subscribe to a service like Hulu you do not need you do not need a tuner at all. I think I will no longer use the remote computer for my needs. It adds a little expense but it is more than worth it because it allows me to use Plex or Emby directly for my needs and I do not have to use Hulu’s crappy interface.

10

Okay, I think I see what everyone is saying.

So get an HDHR system, like their 4 tuner device. Hook that up to my antenna and get software like Channels or NextPVR (or would Plex do it?) on a computer (which can be Linux, Mac, or Windows, in many cases - but some things like MCEBuddy only work on one OS). The software access the tuner (through wifi or an ethernet connection) and records onto the hard drive on a computer.

It seems the problem, after that, is different DVR programs save the data in different formats and I’ll need something like MCEBuddy to read the files and copy them to another computer if I want to keep them or something like that.

Do I have that right, so far?

It looks like most DVR programs have software for all the different platforms (like Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Apple TV, Android, and so on). And most would probably let me binge watch.

But what about interchangeability? For instance, if I go with HDHR, then use, say, Channels, can Plex interact with Channels and play back what Channels records?

And, as a side note, it looks like you guys are opening a different world for me. If I go with Tablo or TiVo, I’m dealing with proprietary formats where the platform controls what I can and can’t do, but if I use HDHR, I can choose any of a number of DVR programs and can find one that stores in a format I want to use or that I can have access to. Am I right on that?

11

Plex can do the DVR for you with a plex pass, you can pay for one month and try it out.
Plex can play back if you record using NextPVR or channels.
Plex can run on any OS.

I would say yes get a HDHR and test it out using different programs and see what you prefer best.
I would suggest you avoid wifi a all cost for any of this.

12

Most (all?) of the stuff you’ll record from air will be MPEG-2 Video. MPEG-2 Video can be Direct Played on FEW systems/devices/apps and if that’s a problem you have to rely on Plex to transcode where needed, or MCEBuddy to convert those items before they ever hit your libraries. You can also purchase the HDHR Tuner that will Convert to H264 - if you have a need for that (like if you didn’t want Plex or MCEBuddy to Convert files beforehand, or on the fly) (hopefully).

The DVR Software will control that software’s DVR Engine and that is installed on your Server Machine separately from Plex. Of course, if you use Plex-DVR, Plex takes care of the ‘engine’… 'cause… it’s Plex. If you don’t use Plex-DVR - ur gonna need a DVR Engine and that’ll come with the DVR Software purchase/rental.

Again, if you go with Tablo or Tivo - you can do exactly SQUAT with the recordings, except for view them in whatever nightmare scenario Tablo or Tivo’s developers have invented to make your life miserable. With Tablo or Tivo there is no Plex. We already know how much that sucks.

If you’re fine with watching 7 minutes of programming, then watching 5 minutes of advertising (or if urinating every 7 minutes is your thing), you may be fine with Tablo or Tivo.

Select your weapon of choice.

13

Okay, so I have got it straight with Tablo and TiVO. While I know there are programs for both devices that will let you copy files, I found out, from experience on the forum, that trying to get straight answers from anyone so I could write a program to interface with TiVo is a nightmare. (And I’m not talking about TiVO company reps, I mean just other forum members. I just wanted to know what port to use on TiVO and what the commands were - but, no! It was all, “Use this program as is.” So I’d say, “Okay, so what do I send to that program to get a list of recordings?” And that’s where I never got a straight answer. Plus dealing with TiVO for a return was a mess. So now I have a TiVO that I was using fors testing, but I really want to move on and just sell this and eat the loss - it’s easier than dealing with TiVO for returns or anything like that.)

So let’s limit it to Channels and Plex and let me see if I’ve got it. If I use one of those for the DVR engine, they both save the files for recordings as MPEG-2. (I use VLC for most viewing - that can handle most any format.) I can always use one of many, many transcoders out there to convert MPEG-2 to other formats. And since I’m using software on MY box, then, I take it, neither Plex or Channels will store things in some kind of encrypted file or with some odd way of organizing the files. That means if I use one of those two for the DVR engine, I can go in directly and copy or play files by hand with my own programs. Am I right about that?

14

Yes either of those will store the file as a .ts mpeg 2 file that is unencrypted and viewable by VLC or any other program.

I haven;t used channels but Plex will store it and name as an example - Jeopardy (1984)/Season 36/Jeopardy (1964) - S36E14 - 09-26-2019.ts

Movies are stored in one directory and TV shows in a different one with Plex.

that is a standard naming convention based on scene names so programs like Plex or Kodi will be able to add them to their libraries.

I hear that you use VLC as a player but you can use Plex as a player as well which gives you a nice front end GUI to your libraries as well as search capabilities, recently added items, continue watching and so on. You can keep using VLC but Plex will download posters for shows and just make it a better experience as opposed to a windows directory of files.

15

I have no problem using Plex as a viewer. For now, I’m using VLC for many files, since it’s what I have and easy to pull up. There are issues with it that would be nice to not have to deal with.

So if I use Plex, it sounds like it’s a “One program fits all” solution: DVR and playback. Since I’m using both Roku and Apple TV devices, then I can just use the Plex app on those (or on my mobile devices), right? So the main software is the back end and runs the DVR, but I can also use Plex apps for playback on the devices I mentioned? If I use Channels, can I still use Plex for playback? Or do I need to use the same system for the DVR engine and for viewing?

And, on a side note, can I play back video files in my own library on Plex? For instance, I have a lot of DVDs of old TV shows that I’ve ripped. Can I tell Plex where my library is and then use Plex to play back those shows?

Also, does Plex keep episodes of a TV series in a specific folder for the series, or in the same folder with all the other shows? And does it give me an interface that keeps the shows separated? (In other words, when I use a Plex viewing program, does it keep all episodes of a show together, so it’s easy to find them?)

And one other issue - I brought up “binge mode.” If I start watching, say, “Hogan’s Heroes,” do I need to click something on the control for it to keep going to the next episode, or will it do that automatically? And will it continue until all episodes of that show (or on that playlist) are played or do I have to periodically tell it to keep going, so it knows I’m still watching?

16

Yes you can use Plex app on Roku and apple tv and mobile devices. If you pay for Plex pass all the apps for those clients are included for free.

Yes you can use channels and still use Plex for playback DVR and playback don’t need to be the same.

Yes you can add your own ripped content as long as it follows the naming convention Plex will see it, only gotcha is Plex doesn’t play vob DVD rips but will play anything else.

You need to organize your content however you want as long as it follows the naming convention, for DVR it will store each series in its own folder.

Yes it organizes series for you so click Simpsons and see all seasons and episodes of that show.

I think there is a auto play next item global option on each client for the binge mode. It will play all unwatched episodes, you don’t need to tell it like Netflix that you are still there it will just keep going.
So you will need to set that on each client like the Roku or apple tv. I have it enabled on my Roku and Samsung TV. I don’t need it on my Android phone so it isn’t set there. It counts down 15 seconds after last item and starts the next.

17

Well, that convinces me. I can get a HDHR, connect it to a Linux box, and set up Plex. If that doesn’t work, I can use Channels. I can put my video library hard drive on that box or on an NAS.

I’m glad I started looking and got past the whole pre-packaged DVR setup. This looks much more flexible. (And, I’m guessing, there are more DVR programs I can use and viewers, so even if I don’t use Plex, in the long run, I can find a lot of viewing apps and DVR engines that interact. Am I correct?)

I haven’t “rolled my own” since before 2010, so now I’m off to find a good box I can get and put Linux and a DVR engine on.

Does the DVR hog RAM and CPU cycles, or can I run other programs on the same box with the DVR engine without much of an issue? (I’m thinking it might also be easy to use that same machine as a backup unit for other computers.)

18

Yes you will not be locked into Plex.
There is mythtv, nextpvr, tvheadend and others that work with the hdhr tuner.

I personally use unraid which is a Linux os boots from thumb drive and creates you own NAS and you can run Plex and some of theses other programs on it so it kills 2 birds with one stone. You can also get Synology or qnap pre built Nas which does the same thing out of the box.

The tuner does most of the work so unless you want to transcode (convert) the DVR recording to a different format it takes very little CPU or ram. I forgot to mention if you want to remove commercials that does take CPU…

19

I’m also getting used to the different model (different from cable and satellite) where the DVR is separate from the TV and entertainment center. That means I can put the DVR in my “tech closet” on the other side of the wall from the entertainment center, out of the way, and just use the Roku or Apple TV for watching stuff.

Good that the HDHR does most of the CPU work! I like that it will let me use the computer it’s on as general media computer.

20

One last issue:

As I look over this, I see that I can do what I want with Plex. And if Plex doesn’t quite suit my needs, I could use another DVR engine to do what I need on the same hardware.

When I was running my data mining business, every computer I had was a “roll your own.” So I was used to building all my own systems, but that’s over a decade ago. I was trying to find recommendations for a box to use for Plex. I see that it needs at least 2GB and an i3 or faster, but that’s it.

I can’t seem to find anyone who is making systems recommended for Plex or any place that has a list of recommended systems or parts to make a Plex system.

Is there anyone keeping track of what works or making recommendations for a system to use for Plex?