Is there a way to specify the location of the .grab folder for live TV? Right now it’s in the TV folder on a HDD, which would be fine except for persistent buffering that occurs every couple of minutes. My assumption has been that the drive is struggling to both write and read the same data on the fly. Can’t imagine my network is to blame since I can stream 4k and other high bitrate content flawlessly. It’s only the live TV that is struggling.
In an attempt to mitigate this buffering, I would like to change the .grab folder to the boot drive of the server which is an SSD. I feel like that change might be enough to get it over the top. But I can’t find a way to change or specify the .grab folder. Again I’m not talking about where the shows are placed after recording, but in terms of live TV.
Thanks in advance for any tips. I don’t need to change the location of the .grab folder per se, just trying to think of a way to get rid of the stuttering on live TV so if there’s another way around the problem… If I could get past that issue then Plex DVR would be absolutely perfect!
P.S. - potentially relevant info. Server is Windows 10. Client device is the Plex app on an LG TV w/ Web OS. Which works great for all other content. Tuner device is a Hauppage dual tuner external USB dongle.
Interesting. Thanks for the quick response. So even though it’s not transcoding per se the live TV, just putting it in a container (at least I hope not), it’s that folder. Outstanding. I already changed it via the web app and we’ll see how it works tonight. I’m hoping the SSD will smooth things out.
Would be awesome to be able to navigate to it from the DVR settings as well as it’s not super intuitive to think about the transcoder in terms of live TV, although admittedly it makes sense in hindsight.
Yeah was able to change the .grab folder. No difference. You’re right, why would it be an issue for a modern big boy media server, when a DVR from 15 years ago could do it just fine. There goes that brilliant theory.
So, after some more testing, It’s the app that is the problem. The LG Web OS app on my TV is causing the buffering on live TV. I tried PMP for Windows 10 on the same network hooked to the same TV. Aside from a couple of micro-buffers, it performed well, way better than the LG app. But the LG app works flawlessly for movies and everything else. So I’m kinda stumped. Why would the LG app perform so poorly with live TV in terms of the need to buffer a lot, but work great for everything else including high bitrate 4k video files? And the PC substitute client working well kinda proves it’s possible to work well in the environment, so evidently not the server or network that is the issue. At least not in an obvious way. Man, this DVR thing is so tantalizingly close to perfection! Any ideas fellow Plexites?
Hmmm. Perhaps that would explain it. Since the TV has a tuner built in, it can handle those formats. But, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a disconnect between the app and server, or maybe the tv is confused due to those formats coming in via something other than straight from an antenna via coax. Maybe it can’t pass through. I’ll have to put some live TV on tonight and check in the server as to what it’s doing.
Server’s specs should be perfectly fine to transcode without issue but who knows? I strongly prefer to avoid transcoding & have never had to in this current setup since the network has enough throughput and the video is h264 with all audio passing through as is to the receiver. Thanks for the good suggestion I’ll check it out. Might be the MPEG2 video as the audio should pass through and I wouldn’t expect AC3 to pose much compatibility issues anyway.
I’ve ruled out the antenna, the tuner, the hard drive, the network, the plex server app or the server hardware (other than possibly the transcoding) as causes of the issue. Doesn’t leave many remaining options
@kamhouse you are absolutely right. It is transcoding the video to the LG TV app. Not smoothly. Direct stream and direct play are both enabled in the app. I toggled them on and off, rebooted the TV etc. Seems not to handle the mpeg2 or thinks it can’t.
For now I’m using PMP on my gaming PC where it direct plays. It’s fine, just not very user friendly given game controllers never work right in PMP and I don’t have FLIRC so I have to have a mouse handy. But at least PMP has the awesome grid view for live TV which the LG app lacks. Ah well. First world problems I guess. I’ll just use the PC for now and check periodically if the LG app has been updated. maybe this will be the excuse I’ve been looking for to get a new toy (i.e. an Nvidia Shield) Thanks for the help.
Actually one last (off topic) question please: Can anyone confirm the XBox One plex app can direct play/stream live TV from the plex server? And does it have the grid view? Wasn’t really able to find a direct answer to that question online. Thanks!
It depends on the codec of the stream. Most HD channels use h264, so it the audio will have an impact. Most SD channels are mpeg which is not supported so these have to be transcoded.
