Issue; If you begin to watch a show, while it is being recorded… Fast-forward scrubbing or skipping 30s yields various results. (IE; to skip commercials) Sometimes it will accurately go to where you want… Other times, it will jump 2, 5, 10 minutes ahead into the recording.
However, once the recording finishes… You can restart watching the recording, and all fast-forward/scrubbing will work properly.
Server Type and Version#:
Intel NUC8i7BEH, running latest release, as of 1/28/2019
DVR Storage on Synology DS218 via 1gb Nighthawk port (cat6 cable)
Player Version#:
Affected on all my platforms. Mobile Android app, Sony Android TV and PC/Windows 10 Player… All devices are running latest release, as of 1/28/2019
Plex server tries to keep the last 30 minutes buffered but the client fails to seek properly especially outside of 30 minutes. Haven’t seen any comments on it lately so I don’t think they have found a solution.
Thanks for the reply, @pl_5309. I wish it would work/buffer for the previous 30 minutes without issue. However, in my case, it doesn’t matter how far back you are in a program.
For example, Even on a short 30 minute TV episode… If you are ~8 minutes behind “live”. Pressing the FFwd 30s button will yield unpredictable/random results, skipping 10s, 2min, 6min, etc…
Mine has a tendency to go back to the beginning of the program. Not a 100% solution/reliable but I double tap - wait 1 second - double tap - repeat till I get past the commercials.
Yikes – That doesn’t seem like much of a solution at all.
Isn’t this feature, Ability to FFwd/Rewind live TV, literally one of the core functionalities/benefit of Live TV + DVR? Shouldn’t it be made a priority to be fixed?
This seems to echo the same experience I am having with Plex, and it is infuriating. It’s also just as infuriating that this thread has gone dead, with no reply at all from the Plex team, despite how important it is for this core function of DVR/Live TV to function properly.
I am also having this problem. Timeshifting live TV is a CORE feature and should work reliably. Trying to skip a commercial yeilds unpredictable results and closing the program and restarting it is the only way to get around the issue. My wife wants Windows Media Center on Win 7 back. It was much more reliable.
I posted this in another thread and really hope Plex addresses this
I can report that time shifting is broken for me across multiple Plex media servers and on multiple media playback clients.
Plex media server running on a i7 16gb ram PC and also on a dual-core M MacBook. Media playback clients include Roku Ultra 4661, Roku Streaming Stick + 3810, Windows Plex media player, Mac OS Plex media player, iOS Plex media player, Android TV Plex media player.
Time shifting from either server on all above listed devices is WILDLY inconsistent on both live TV and DVR recordings in process.
As other users have mentioned, consistent and correct time shifting is a HUGE and CORE essential element of any live TV and DVR service in 2019.
This is a real let down as the Plex ability to flawlessly playback the full MPEG 2 OTA signal is otherwise wonderful.
Basic scrubbing functionality of any Live TV / DVR service that’s been around for over a decade… is bugged / broken. And not a single peep or response from Plex.
Even an acknowledgement from them of this issue would be progress at this point.
Latest Plex Media Player and Plex Media Server (updated today) on macOS 10.14.5 (18F132) on Macmini8,1:
Viewing an OTA program from HD HomeRun while recording:
Clicking on Forward button results in arbitrary Backward position of playback. This has been happening through several versions of Plex Media Player, Plex Media Server, and macOS.
Is there a way to submit a bug report to the Plex developers?
Is there a Plex Tutorial so one does not have to randomly search the forum for information on how Plex works?
I am having this problem too, PLEEEEEEAAAASE get this fixed! I record my football games and starting watching them from the beginning while the recording is still ongoing (game is still in progress). I try to skip forward 30 seconds to skip a commercial, and bam, I am in the totally wrong part of the game, usually much closer to live than I want so it spoils the results of the game. not cool!
Also I should mention, this only happens when trying to watch the recording while the recording is in progress. Once the recording is done, the skips behave normally. I’ts like the skip length is calculated based on the ending time instead of the begin time.
Guys I’ve been having the exact same issue. Buggy before, but I’d kind of figured out how to ff and rewind back and forth to get to the spot I wanted. It would sometimes go back to the same random moment in a show, but about half the time it would do the expected behavior. So it was quirky, but workable. Windows 10 server to a windows 10 client, Plex Media Player. Same issue on LG web os and Roku TV apps also, so the issue seems to be on the server side.
Lately, though, it will go back to a certain spot, where it remains however way you try to fast forward or rewind. Which renders DVR functionality completely unusable,as your only recourse at that point is to exit the show, restart it and simply watch it live.
Having ponied up my hard earned wages for the lifetime pass specifically for Live TV & DVR, I agree with those who’ve said this is core functionality and ought to be prioritized. C’mon, Plex! This a real black eye on an otherwise brilliant product. Hopefully we can have a dev weigh in on this issue please.
Edit: Just wanted to add that this issue is with shows that are being recorded. Once the recording is completed, it’s fine. You can watch the show and ff/rw. Also fwiw, I just tested and time shift seems to be working for a show that you are NOT recording. So basically, time shifting for a show that’s currently being recorded appears to be broken. For me anyway.
Yup, what everyone said above. I am having the exact same problem ONLY during recording of shows. If I click start from live, sometimes it starts in the middle of the show and cannot rewind or fast forward. If I click watch from start, its usually the same as start from live.
Latest Plex Server beta being used, iOS / Apple TV is my client…
Still broken. Yet Plex continues to advertise that they have a functional DVR service.
Plex, you don’t. And false/misleading claims can lead to bigger problems.
At least acknowledge you have a problem guys. Come on. This is beyond infuriating (for example) when trying to start watching a recorded sporting event, then having it ruined when it jumps.
I agree this is beyond frustrating! The recorded shows are fine, even happy with the commercial removal but Plex come on, there is NO way you guys don’t know about this issue, it’s 100% of the time.
One fix I have tried only once so it might have been a fluke. I noticed that shows I plan to watch live if I cancel the recording and then just pause it when it starts, after waiting 10-15 minutes I start and can skip ahead and backward no problem. Why is it this works but when you record the show it totally jacks up?!?!
