There’s also a feature that will attempt to detect and automatically remove commercials from your recordings. Plex also offers common features found on traditional set-top DVRs, including the ability to pad recordings by starting a scheduled recording early or continuing to record for a set number of minutes after the scheduled end (particularly useful for recording sporting events). If that show is still airing new or syndicated episodes, you can configure Plex to record all missing episodes of that show which will then, over time at least, fill in the missing seasons in your existing TV Shows library. Say, for example, that you own and ripped the first season of a TV show and imported those files into your Plex library. This last option can be particularly useful because it allows you to integrate your existing local media with live TV recordings. You can configure Plex to store your recordings in their own separate library, or have it store them in your existing TV Show library. In addition to browsing and watching live broadcasts, you can select any guide listing to see more information about the program or schedule a recording, either as a one-off for a single airing or as an ongoing schedule to record all episodes of that show. However, some lower-end NAS devices do not support transcoding. If your server is running on a PC, Mac, or higher-end NAS you’re likely fine (assuming it is sufficiently powerful). But those new to Plex will want to take the potential cost of storage into consideration.įinally, Plex Live TV requires that your Plex Media Server device be capable of transcoding. If you’re already using Plex for your local media, you should be all set. For many users, a simple 1TB external drive may suffice, while TV junkies may want to consider something more robust. The amount of storage depends on how much you plan to record. If you want to be able to pause and record Live TV, you’ll need to have your Plex Media Server set up with access to adequate storage, such as the internal drives in the computer that’s running the server software, an external hard drive, or a NAS. Again, it’s not a perfect calculation, but it gives you a good starting point for finding the right antenna. The site also recommends certain classes of antennas based on the size and power you’ll likely need to tune a particular channel. Using the site’s reception calculator, you can enter your address and see a mapped look at the location and distance of your local broadcasting towers. Due to factors such as elevation, natural and artificial obstacles, and building materials, you won’t know for sure if a particular antenna will work for you until you try it, but a good place to start is AntennaWeb. You’ll need one tuner for every simultaneous live or recorded stream, so take that into account when choosing a device.Īs for antennas, Plex and your TV tuner will work with any digital antenna, it’s simply a matter of choosing one that is powerful enough to receive your desired local channels. Prices for TV tuners range from around $50 to $150 for the higher-end quad-tuner options. In our testing, we’re using an HDHomeRun, specifically the HDHomeRun Connect Duo, which is a two-tuner model. Plex maintains a list of compatible TV tuners, with options from several companies including HDHomeRun, AVerMedia, and Hauppauge. Note, however, that Plex is not compatible with the encrypted cable TV signals that are increasingly common in the United States, so you may not receive all of your channels if you go this route. In addition to a Plex Pass, you’ll also need some hardware in order to use Plex Live TV and DVR, specifically a TV tuner and antenna (for over-the-air broadcasts) or a cable-compatible tuner and active feed for cable signals. As a paid Plex Pass subscriber for many years, I find the benefits to be well worth the cost, but you’ll need to weigh your own planned uses for Plex against the Plex Pass subscription price, as it’s unlikely that a feature like Live TV will escape the paywall anytime soon. There’s also a “Lifetime” option currently priced at $119.99, and Plex occasionally advertises special discounts for Lifetime memberships with prices as low as $74.99. Plex Pass prices range from $14.99 for three months to $39.99 for a year. While the Plex Media Server and many of its playback clients are free, the company restricts certain features and functionality to paid Plex Pass subscribers, and Live TV is one of these restricted features. Read on for our look at Plex Live TV and why we think it should be part of any cord cutter’s setup. But after testing the feature extensively over the past several months, we feel that the benefits of Plex Live TV outweigh its few issues for many users looking to cut the cord.
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