Hi All, some help on Plex DVR please. Have a Tivo box that is dying and trying to decide if Plex DVR is right for me? I know it works with HDHomeRun Connect - which I have (tried to use EyeTV once!) - but does it support an Australian EPG? Also, I think I read it only works on the Web App, so does that mean I have to go out of Plex Media Player to use it? SWMBO is in charge of the TV and that might just prove a step too far… I was hoping for an “all-in-one” where TV, my movies, photos and music were all controlled from the one app running on my Mac box hooked up to my large screen… holy grail…!! So before I dismiss Plex DVR, a little insight would help. TIA.
The main caveats with the EPG data at the moment is that in the Freeview guide, there’s no channel information for 7flix or 9Life, otherwise every major channel is represented. I’m in Melbourne, and have found it to be pretty good. Of course, what Plex can provide really depends on the networks here providing usable data, and sometimes the information is a bit light.
As Trumpy mentioned, you do need to use the web UI for setting up the recordings, but recorded shows can be watched on any client, as with any other content. 
@DaveBinM said:
The main caveats with the EPG data at the moment is that in the Freeview guide, there’s no channel information for 7flix or 9Life, otherwise every major channel is represented. I’m in Melbourne, and have found it to be pretty good. Of course, what Plex can provide really depends on the networks here providing usable data, and sometimes the information is a bit light.As Trumpy mentioned, you do need to use the web UI for setting up the recordings, but recorded shows can be watched on any client, as with any other content.
Your incorrect, 7 HD is missing guide data, along with ABC HD and SBS Viceland HD, but 9Life is now available, I checked this months ago and it had a lot more missing, it seems to be improving, but the fact that I need to fire up a web browser makes it more than useless for the rest of the household, they just want to use it on the TV. I personally only want 7HD/9HD/10HD all other channels are redundant in my house, so I have 2 out 3, and no interface to use it, seems like a flop so far.
@Kung-Foo-Kamel You’ll have to excuse four month old data that I mentioned being incorrect now. When I was using the Gracenote data, I just mapped the ABC/7/9/10 data over to their HD versions, as the programming is the same. However, I now use IceTV, which is working great for me. Please also remember, this is a beta, not a final product and should not be treated as such.
I’m using Plex DVR with a Hauppage WinTV quadHD and not seeing any EPG data for 9HD and SBS Food Network. Is anyone else having this issue?
I just installed it tonight and have the same problem - cannot see the SBS Foodnetwork channel. I am in Perth and cannot see my regular ABC news channel as well - i like to record my regular 7.30 ABC Perth news but it’s not showing up in the EPG. Very disappointing.
Why doesn’t it use the OTA guide data?
I have a Windows Media Center in one room (installed on windows 10 - thanks crazy hackers!) and it has ALL the guide data for weeks out. (And WMC hasn’t supported internet guide data in Australia since WMC on windows xp - a problem, since they only started the OTA guide data in australia years later)
The plex box takes an age to load the guide information, and it only goes out 1 week at best?
(Just for those that don’t know what I’m talking about, the guide data, all the information about what is on and when is transmitted for free on the TV channel, windows media centre when it has a free tuner scans through the channels and downloads all the future guide information in the background - no internet or downloading required) It isn’t as fully featured as the plex data (no images etc) but it has all the info about the airing including the little snippets about what is on ETC.)
I have the same question - the quality of the OTA EPG in Australia is very good. So can Plex use the OTA EPG? Or must it rely on some other source?
Hi @DaveBinM,
I know this thread is a bit old now, but I’m wondering, are you still using ICETV? Plex still doesn’t do the EPG in Australia that well?
I have setup Plex and want to subscribe / pay lifetime, but my main reason would be to use PVR. Where is the PVR in Plex at now?
I posted to:
https://disqus.com/home/discussion/plextv/grid_who/?utm_source=reply&utm_medium=email&utm_content=read_more#comment-3986363968
but was told to contact you.
If you still recommend pairing ICETV with Plex, then that’s going to cost more than a Netflix subscription all-up, so I’m wondering how Plex thinks that’s a solution worth investing in?
I didn’t see you respond publicly to any questions about Plex moving to using OTA in Australia in this thread. What does Plex use to get EPG on their PVR product? Are you please able to respond to those concerns regarding getting better EPG native to Plex?
Thanks
I’m still using IceTV personally, but the guide data is now much improved, and should be the same as what you get OTA or from looking at the Freeview website. Plex get their data from Gracenote, who get it directly from Freeview. I have two setups (for testing purposes, one with IceTV, and another with Freeview data), and generally they’re broadly comparable. I’d recommend at least trying it for a month, and seeing what you think
Appreciate the prompt response @DaveBinM.
Unfortunately, I was an early freebie user (from 3-4 years ago), and so don’t have the ability to trial the product with my preferred account anymore. Might have to setup another account for that purpose.
Good suggestions though and good to know it’s now the best it can be, thanks.
Any suggestions for a USB tuner for Windows 10 for use in Melbourne?
I don’t have any specific tuner recommendations for Windows (I’m using a HDHR Connect with an Ubuntu server), but you can always have a look at Supported DVR Tuners and Antennas | Plex Support
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Hi guys,
Bringing an old thread back to life. Sorry about that.
I’m in Sydney and just wondering if anyone else if finding the EPG data in Plex to be really inaccurate? I try to record some docos and programs etc and after missing loads of content I have now resorted to setting the start time 10 mins before the EPG start time and 30(!) mins after the end, often times I still end up missing parts.
Is this common? I haven’t been in Australia that long but it’s the first time I’ve seen EPG data this off (to the point where I’m not sure why any of the providers even bother).
Dave, you said Plex EPG data comes from Gracenote? Presumably they are receiving the EIT (HbbTV/FreeviewPlus) OTA and forwarding on that weeks 1-7 days preset/ following data to Plex? Is that the idea?
So potentially Plex isn’t actively looking at the EIT data off the transport stream so any last minute changes that might be getting added in on the fly by the broadcasters are not being sent to Plex?
I don’t have a regular TV to check if actual Freeview EPG is accurate or not. I might just have to give up on setting stuff to record.
Plex purely uses the guide data from Gracenote, or you can use an XMLTV guide from someone like IceTV. It’s quite common in Australia for programs to not stick to the scheduled time, regardless of what any of the guides are showing. By default I have mine set to start on time (because rarely does anything start early), and I pad an extra ten minutes at the end. That seems to work for me about 99% of the time.
Hi Dave,
Thanks for the reply, I get it now. So the accuracy of the EPG is reliant on Gracenote.
Just out of interest, is there any plan in the near or distant future for Plex to read EIT PID 18 off the TS and populate the EPG that way, like an off the shelf STB?
I’m not aware of any plans currently to read that data. But even in Australia, that data is no more accurate than the guide, so there is very little benefit as an Australian user to using that. I believe Gracenote gets their data from Freeview, so it reflects what the networks in Australia publish.
Its not, I still have a number of programs coming up as Unknown, that I would like to record, on all channels. Example “Michael Mcintyre’s Christmas Comedy Roadshow” on ABC Comedy tonight (25-Dec)
