# Why Plex is Transcoding Live TV

**URL:** <https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-plex-is-transcoding-live-tv/944663>\
**Category:** Live TV & DVR\
**Tags:** server-linux, android-tv, android-tv-beta, livetv-streaming\
**Created:** [October 17, 2026, 12:27am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-plex-is-transcoding-live-tv/944663 "2026-10-17T00:27:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![triks\_melb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/triks_melb/32/107894_2.png) [@triks\_melb](https://forums.plex.tv/u/triks_melb)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2026, 12:27am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-plex-is-transcoding-live-tv/944663/1 "2026-10-17T00:27:11Z")

</div>

Server Version#: 1.43.4.10903  
Player Version#: 2026.20.0 (971050504) [NVIDIA SHIELD PRO 2019]  
Tuner Make/Model: HDHomeRun HDHR5-4DT  
Guide/Lineup name: Freeview - Melbourne (59 channels)  
Using XMLTV?: No  
Channel number/Name: 020 AHVCANZ

```auto
Transcoding as mpegts

Reasons Cannot direct play with protocol: hls, codec: h264.

Reason: Live TV direct play is not allowed Cannot direct stream with protocol: hls, codec: h264.

Reason: Live TV direct stream is not allowed

Cannot direct play with protocol: hIs, codec: mp2. Not found in profile.

Cannot direct stream with protocol: hls, codec: mp2.

Not found in profile.

Direct play not available; Conversion OK.

```

 ![IMG_4734](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/c/2/4/c24b92aa55afe54e778bc69301de723a4c8effed.jpeg)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![triks\_melb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/triks_melb/32/107894_2.png) [@triks\_melb](https://forums.plex.tv/u/triks_melb)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2026, 12:54am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-plex-is-transcoding-live-tv/944663/2 "2026-10-17T00:54:09Z")

</div>

Enabling “ **Force Direct Play** ” in Settings \> Video and Audio on Android TV App resolved the transcoding and now playing direct.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CoyoteDen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac91a4/32.png) [@CoyoteDen](https://forums.plex.tv/u/CoyoteDen)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2026, 4:17am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-plex-is-transcoding-live-tv/944663/3 "2026-10-17T04:17:36Z")

</div>

They fix one thing and they break another. For the longest time, there was no option to force direct play on Android TV. Now there is and it works.

At the same time, iOS/tvOS has had that option for a while, and it used to work to force direct stream of Live TV… but they broke it in 2026.19.0, fixed it in 2026.19.1, and broke it _again_ in 2026.20.0. So don’t be surprised if it stops working in a future update!