I apologize if this is available elsewhere, but I simply can’t find it anywhere if it is. I understand how Plex DVR should work with broadcasts received via antenna. But most sports (that I watch, anyway) are on cable stations that aren’t picked up by antenna, like ESPN, FS1, BTN, etc. On top of that, I haven’t even been able to find out if I can get them from their streaming services/apps by paying a fee, without having a separate subscription to them via a cable/satellite provider. So my question is this.
Is there any option for getting these broadcasts so that they can be recorded via Plex DVR? Because if not, I don’t see how moving to the Plex solution away from cable/satellite providers works for me.
Thanks in advance, and apologies again if this information is already available elsewhere.
I do not know how you can do what you want except, maybe, if the Plex DVR supports a cable card and if there are still cable cards that work with computer or network based tuners.
However, as a corollary to this, I think it would be good if services like Sling TV, PlayStation Vue etc could get somehow supported in Plex. While most of the services offer their own DVR system those are clumsy, at best, to use and cannot be used off line at all. I do not think any service produces downloadable files.
I would rather use Plex or Emby than any of those services to time shift my sports viewing.
But I do understand licensing problems and other issues that prevents this from ever being possible but it would be really good if those obstacles could somehow be overcome.Sigh ;).
You need to have a tuner that supports cable cards and the only currently supported by PLex on I am aware if is the HD Homerun prime. Pretty sure some cable companies like Comcast still have them. When setting up the DVR you need to select that it is cable and not antenna.
Be aware that some cable companies have encrypted channels (usually the premium package ones like HBO) but we don’t have info on which those might be. Plex cannot play/record encrypted/DRMd channels.
I don’t have cable myself so this is just a screen of where the option is when setting it up
Thanks for the information. I was afraid there wouldn’t be a way to do this, and it sounds like there isn’t without still having a cable subscription. And if I have to still have that, spending money on an antenna and tuner makes no sense, since I may as well just use the cable/satellite DVR service.
But thanks for clearing that up for me. It saves me from wasting money and time finding out I can’t do it for myself.
And too bad Fubo doesn’t have an agreement with Disney, or I could at least save money going to them, even if I can’t record their streams with Plex. But no Disney means no ESPN (no ABC, either, but I could add the antenna/tuner/Plex option for that). And no ESPN means I’d miss just too many games.
What we need is a streaming service that allows subscribers to build their own group of x number of stations from among all stations available for a certain fee, not groups of stations pre-set by the provider. That way people TRULY could get what they want, and pay for exactly what they want, not what someone else tells them they “should” have.
I wonder, if there were a consumer campaign with enough people who would sign it stating they would be willing to pay up to x amount for such a service, if some company would pop up to provide it.
