So I just just finished setting up Plex to stream my ripped BluRays and discovered there is a Live TV DVR option.
For years now we have been using OTA Tivos for our local channels. It works fine for the most part but can be somewhat clunky especially the Tivo Mini in our bedroom. We have had an Apple TV 4K for about a year now and love it. I’ve always wanted to somehow incorporate the Apple TV into my OTA viewing experience.
I’d also like to lower my cost, while Tivo is not expensive at ~$25 a month, a Plex Pass would be cheaper.
So the more I have gone down this rabbit hole the more I start to worry about switching.
My setup would be:
Synology DS415+ as the Plex Server
Apple TV 4K
Wired Gigabit Ethernet
My thought is to add a HDHomeRun for the tuner.
This is where my concerns come in.
How fast is the user experience with Plex Live TV? Channel switching, etc.
I’ve read it’s best to get the HDHomeRun Extend for faster switching because it transcodes on the fly. Is this really necessary with my setup?
I’ve also read the Channels app does a much better / smoother job at live TV and does any necessary transcoding on the Apple TV app itself.
Will Plex Live TV still work if my internet goes down? We have had several occasions where the internet has gone down for a day or more and I would not want to be without TV especially when nothing else works. For that matter, doesn’t anyone know if Channels or the HDHomeRun’s own TV service work without internet? I’m talking the actual internet and not my internal network.
I’ve very interesting in the Plex Live TV service but don’t want to switch from something that works just fine, Tivo, to something more clunky and unreliable if that is the case.
I aslo have 2 Tivo’s for live TV/recording as well as the Plex set up with a HDHR connected. If you are looking for over the air tv, the tivo work without a hitch. The Plex app can be clunk and still doesn’t work as well, although I have only used it to watch live TV on an occasion now. It may have improved with the current updates. Maybe not. Tivo is still the best out there for recording, skipping commercials during playback as far as I know. I bought my Tivo’s lifetime so I have no recurring charges.
My Synology has no trouble playing and transcoding my BluRay files, not sure if DVR duties tax more of the processor?
Might just end up sticking with my Tivo, or perhaps give Channels a try. I don’t won’t to mess up what is working but still like the idea of reducing my boxes.
Don’t waste your money. The Android TV app is a broken buggy mess when it comes to Live TV and timeshifting, and Plex employees here have made it very clear that they couldn’t care less about fixing bugs.
Channels DVR is probably the best option out there, though also the most expensive at $80/year. Emby is also a great option since their live TV features actually work as advertised and you can buy a lifetime premier pass for $119.
I wouldn’t say that’s true. I previously used an Intel Atom C2550 for my Plex Server and it handled everything fine (even 1-2 transcoded streams). Unfortunately that board died and I replaced it with an Atom C2750.
EDIT:
And I guess I can contribute to the original questions.
1. How fast is the user experience with Plex Live TV? Channel switching, etc.
It’s not terrible, but it’s not going to be as fast as you are probably used to.
2. I’ve read it’s best to get the HDHomeRun Extend for faster switching because it transcodes on the fly. Is this really necessary with my setup?
Probably not. The Connect Duo or Quatro would be money better well spent. You’re only going to need to transcode if the device you’re watching on doesn’t support MPEG2, or if you’re out of the house and need a smaller stream. Just let PMS handle it.
3. I’ve also read the Channels app does a much better / smoother job at live TV and does any necessary transcoding on the Apple TV app itself.
I have not used Channels and cannot comment. If you don’t need complete DVR functionality, you can always use the HDHomeRun app on the Apple TV.
4. Will Plex Live TV still work if my internet goes down? We have had several occasions where the internet has gone down for a day or more and I would not want to be without TV especially when nothing else works. For that matter, doesn’t anyone know if Channels or the HDHomeRun’s own TV service work without internet? I’m talking the actual internet and not my internal network.
Uh, well, Plex has some issues in general if there is no Internet connection. I’ve had my Internet go out while watching TV and things kept working and I was also able to change the channel. In an emergency, you can always fall back to the HDHR app. The app is free and runs on Apple TV and Android/iOS.
Apple TV supports MPEG2 with the enhanced player in Plex. Intro detection/commercial detection are not that taxing and can be run as a scheduled task. Closed Captioning does not take any CPU resources. Most devices support true CC just fine.
Can the Plex dvr function allow you to start watching a recording while it is being recorded? We have, on many occasion, started watching an hour long show, a half an hour late and have been able to skip through the commercials with our Tivo’s, eventually catching up close to the end of the show without having to watch any commercials. Just curious!
Yes, but if you stop it and come back later it doesn’t remember where you stopped. Buffering could be an issue too if you’re on an Xbox one. TiVo is extremely smooth and fast compared to Plex. Even so, I still try to use Plex in those situations instead of TiVo. Mainly to test what it would be like if I got rid of my TiVo.
1 it’s ok but not TiVo fast
2 I don’t have extend but have a Quattro, IMO more tuners is better than the built in transcoding, but that might come down to use case.
3 aware of but not used channels, so can’t compare
4 temporary outages sure, and it’s possible to configure plex to better handle outages
Hdhr are great themselves, so worth the investment even outside of plex.
As for plex dvr, the best way is to use the free plex pass trial, or just pay for 1 month to check it out, just go in knowing that it is a different experience than the TiVo system.
EDIT: plex currently has the LIVE TV function available for free, all you need is a compatible tuner (HDHR or whatever other supported tuner). You would still need plex pass to try out the dvr function.
Finally, I tend to avoid the live tv part, and always rely on the final recordings, which function exactly the same as any regular local content.
It’s a bit of garbage. You can’t go back to the program you were watching once you have gone to the menus, you need to find it on the tv schedule again.
The schedule is also hard to navigate and impossible to scroll to the current time, sometimes. Also no way to select a channel except for finding the show currently playing on the channel.
It’s impressive because this basic UI has existed for 20 years and they have managed to make it broken.
I’ll probably just hold on to the Tivo for the time being. Might give Channels a try though. Setting up a bunch of other HT stuff at the moment so we will see.
I’ve been using OTA on Plex for nearly 2 years. My client is android TV so I can’t comment on the apple TV client (I’m using it also on my iphone from time to time).
Bottom line: if you need to save money and are ok with drops, missed recordings and the overall lack of polish then do it. If money is not the issue, stay with what you have
I really love Plex but watching Live TV is a frustrating experience. My family members are ready to go back to satellite and I’m tired of having to restart the server/client/explain workarounds to them. I have not yet watched a complete football game without seeing buffering/crash.
It’s been a good/not great experience for me so far. The AppleTV client’s transport controls for Live TV while recording seem to be broken. I can’t seem to FF/RW while I can flip over to my LG TV’s App (or Roku on a different TV) and be fine). I’ve had the occasional missed recording, which ¯_(ツ)_/¯. And you’d think there’d be some polish on the app for some default recording options, and the ability to move more quickly in the guide to future dates, but no.
Works pretty well for me, with an IPTV tuner configuration (combined ISP delivers IPTV service.) The majority of issues through PMS are with the EPG, which Plex is trying to remediate with the change in data providers. Caveat: the vast majority of display is done through Roku devices which have their own warts.
