What can I do to get Live TV working within Plex (I’m a Plex Pass Member). My HDHomeRun Dual (HDHR-US) needed a new power cord (wasn’t able to scan for channels with the original power cord). Now, the tuner/antenna work well (good signal strength for nearly all OTA channels) but only if I use the HDHomeRun clients on Windows 10 and iOS. Plex just refuses to play the Live TV streams. On iOS, the Plex app gives an error screen says: “Unable to Evaluate Play Request” and “Could not tune channel. Please check your tuner or antenna. Code: 5000.” On a browser client, Plex gives an error screen that says: “Playback Error. Could not tune channel. Please check your tuner or antenna” On both clients, there is a spinning circle that makes it seem like Plex is trying to tune the channel.
Here is some quick info and I will also attach the (non-verbose) PMS logs:
Running latest version of Plex server, 1.16.4.1469 (in fact, yesterday, I fully deleted my server (deleting registry keys, folders, and all) and rebuilt the server from scratch. It is running on fully updated Windows 10 with a beefy i7 chipset. The tuner, as mentioned, is an old HDHomeRun Dual (DeviceID: 10154A73; Firmware: 20170930). It appears to be running its latest firmware (which is dated 2017). As mentioned, the tuner setup is good to go using the HDHomeRun clients to watch the live channels.
Strangely, yesterday (after reinstalling my server) I was intermittently able to get TV to play in Plex if I first selected to record the show to DVR and then went back and watched the stream. Today, not even that technique is working.
As a further update, I have found (both with iOS client and browser (chrome) client that if I select to record a show (any show) and then promptly select a different channel to watch live, Plex correctly plays the live channel. The downside (aside from the annoyance of multiple steps) is that while watching the live channel, I receive popup error messages that the recording (of the other channel) failed.
Kind of the same problem for me. I’m from the Netherlands and lost the guide for Dutch chanels, after some stubling with a XML grabber I managed to get a acceptable guide but now Plex refuses to play the Live TV and also isn’t able to record.
I use a Hauppauge WinTV -quadHD with DBV-T antenna on Win10 with the latest Plex server ( 1.16.4.1469).
I’m seeing this as well. I get an error 5000 whenever I try to tune to any station now. I’m using the Happague Win TV dual HD, and it works perfectly with their app, but not through PLEX. This was working reasonably well till about 2 weeks ago.
They are aware of problems with the Hauppauge and original HDHR tuner so can’t really do much till it is resolved. The problems began when they added signal strength checking and they released a version to turn it off.
Plex Media Server 1.16.3.1433 is available in the Beta update channel
FIXED:
(LiveTV) Temporarily disable signal strength updates. This reduces pixelation with some tuners.
Update the HDHR setup software, pretty sure there is one more firmware update. At the least you can scan the channels and pick up any repacks that have occured. The newer HDHR tuners pick that up dynamically.
Plugged in my Old dual and installed that beta from the link above, only firmware updated was on the Quattro and Connect so that tells me that the HDHR-US is EOL.
The EPG is about to go offline so I didn’t risk adding it to Plex for testing, will try later.
20170930 appears to be the final firmware in the US.
Using the HDHomeRun clients works without issue. Plex does not. But the previously mentioned work-around (record a show on one channel, then quickly tune a live show on a different channel) often works. This strongly suggests to me that the issue is inside of Plex (since Plex will indeed play a live show through a clumsy/lucky workaround).
I also have had an issue recording from HDHomeRun… works fine on a different client… doesn’t work with plex since 1.17.0.1709…
I have to revert to 1.16.6.1592 to get recording to work again.
Hi- Like the OP @jkapp22, I also have a legacy HDHR-US I purchased years ago. This past weekend, I purchased a NVidia Shield Pro and hooked the two up. I also purchased a lifetime Plex Pass. The HDHR-US hardware is upgraded to the latest it will go, 20170930.
I cannot view a channel in Plex without having a show recorded. Once this requirement is met, tuning works. Tuning works fine in HDHOMERUN and Live Channel apps, so this is not a HDHR-US issue.
My questions are
1- has anyone got this to work? Is there any update from Plex?
2- I cannot record from Plex. It shows as recorded but throws an error. Can you record using the legacy hardware?
Being I just purchased a lifetime pass and these issues are happening, I am not very pleased with the above. What are the steps to get a refund should this not work? I did this to have an OTA DVR but so far this has not occurred. I am debating if I should get an HDHR5-4US, which I don’t mind doing if I know for sure that these issues are fixed.
You’re up to date, as far as I am aware. No solution or response from Plex. Options are to purchase a newer HDHR, cancel PlexPass, or use the wonky work-around of record then tune…
Also, I discovered that if try to use Roku (either a Roku TV or stick) with the native HDHomerun apps, it will not work with the older turner.
Update- I ordered a new HDHR5-4US and it came today. I hooked it up and everything works so far in my limited testing. I can view channels and record within Plex. This means that the integration between Plex and the legacy firmware in the HDHR-US is not working. Given that the legacy is well, legacy, I am not optimistic that this issue gets resolved.
On a side note, I was able to get more channels with the new tuner.
Update- I was getting this error on 1 channel, but when I went to HDHR app, it didn’t tune in, but all other channels did, so it’s still working as expected.
I have the same Silicondust TV Tuner, the HDHR-US and saw the same behaviors listed above, i.e., able to view in the hdhomerun app but not in Plex. Plex was able to discover the tuner, scan for channels, and get the guide, but when trying to play a channel, the screen would go blank like it was starting streaming, and then go back to the guide. This all changed when I connected both TV tuner inputs to an antenna. Prior to that, only one input was connected. Not sure that will solve anyone else’s problem, but thought I’d share my results.
I’m having a similar issue in that Live TV works for all channels with the current version of HDHR software and updated firmware in HDHR Prime 3 tuner but no matter how I dance, the Plex DVR app can neither view, record or even see the TV channels listed. Some random mix of OTA channels, 50 max, get added to the Plex DVR app but I can only view a few of the channels. Cable provider (Cox, Phoenix Arizona) says everything looks fine. SiliconDust says it looks fine… Does Plex have log files somewhere to look at for errors and issues? BTW, DRM, or at least how Plex tests and processes DRM byte an issue? My cable provider DRM protects all channels at least Protected - copy once. HDHR app sees 634 DRM protected channels, plays ALL channels, including Premiums in Live HDHR application. Plex only see’s 50, no premiums, some OTA, some DRM but I can only view a random mix of a few of the 50 channels Plex DVR finds in the scan.
Any thoughts? Where are the Plex Live TV logs kept?
