Plex Live TV + DVR: Be Your Own Streaming Service / Cable Provider (with no monthly fees)
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- Опубликовано: 20 сен 2024
- As streaming continues to becomes more expensive and they all fight for your monthly stipend, perhaps you've considered a return to physical media or even - gasp - back to cable TV. After all, didn't you cut the cord to get rid of high priced cable services? Streaming services are officially no better.
Sitting in the wings is a free content provider waiting for us to return to it; over the air television. Dozens of channels, many in HD - you have access to thousands of hours of free content which includes your local news and sports. Why pay the cable provider to give you the same stuff you can get for free OTA?
In this video, we'll look at what it takes to become your own independent streaming and cable provider with NO MONTHLY FEES; and most of what you need you either likely already have or can acquire for less than on month of the ten streaming services you are paying for.
#plex #freetv #movies #tv #localsports #localnews
What a time to be alive. I use a Hauppauge USB 3.0 dual tuner for my Plex server, but I still remember the days of Windows MCE when your local guide data was a damn SUBSCRIPTION! 😂
Yep. I was a "Snapstream" guy. Had all their stuff. Hell, we were still using Firefly remotes until this year!
I went from Windows MCE (XP - 7) as my primary DVR for OTA for years and loved it. When it finally died, I changed over to a MyTV backend and Kodi frontend, which actually worked quite well but was a huge pain to initially set up. When I finally switched to Plex Pass + HD Homerun, it was so refreshing how easy and elegant OTA TV was once again, now playable from my Rokus, smartphone, browser, everything!
So yeah, I can't imagine ever switching to something else again unless Plex goes away for some reason.
I've tried the competition and I don't think I could do it without Plex. Shame they seem more interested in ad supported content these days - but I guess they have to eat ...
This video is GREAT. So clear! You are saving me money. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
I have Plex with a HDHomerun connected to it. It works reasonably well, but I will note that swapping channels (channel surfing) is not instant as some people might like. The Plex server hardware needs to be fairly powerful and having a GPU will improve the processing of videos. As of now (March 2024) encrypted 3.0 channels are not supported, there is a lot controversy over the future of 3.0 channels being encrypted because broadcasters can control the ability to use a DVR, disable commercial skip, how long a recording can be saved, and even the ability to disable the stream recorded content.
All true. I'm hoping this 3.0 stuff turns out to either be greatly delayed or scraped altogether.
I'm trying to get this running to my Apple Tv, but with the internet. I don't have the tuner or the antenna. I got the plex pass today, and it shows on my computer but not the Apple Tv. Is there a way to enable it for the Apple Tv?
Just to be clear you don't have to setup a Plex server to use on over the air DVR
I assume you mean using a subscription based HomeRun thing? Or some other tool? I am behind in the latest Homerun stuff, but last time I checked? If you buy one of their tuners + HD solutions, they required a subscription and it was very locked down. Plex sort of solves all of that.
Sorry if I'm misinterpreting what you're saying.
@@Darkuni Not a shot at you just letting people know you can buy other DVRs (I have a Tablo) that work without needing to run things through Plex
@@DMS-pq8 Oh sure ... Lots of solutions - this is just the PLEX solution :D
Ugh... I wish this could work for me. Unfortunately I live in the Delaware Valley which is Comcast's home turf. While I can access a TON of local channels via antenna, I can NEVER tune in to the ONE thing I want to be able to watch live: Phillies baseball games! Comcast has a stranglehold over local live sports by forcing ALL Phillies games onto their premium cable channel CSN. On top of this the MLB is still enslaved to old blackout restrictions where you can't use their own app to view Philadelphia games! So I save money by family sharing a RUclips TV subscription with a couple other family members. I end up paying about $24 a month to watch the Phillies and whatever else I want. Yeesh!!
That totally blows ... bastards ...
I’ve seen the Live TV tab for a long time now but never gave it a second thought. Now I definitely want to give this a shot for my Plex server! Would a remote user (aka, not me the primary, but someone you’ve given access to the server) be able to watch OTA if there’s enough tuners?
They need to be part of your "home" account and not just people you shared libraries with. Also you need really robust upstream and a healthy server as the transcoder is absolutely awful at handling MP2 properly, especially outside the home.
what if you already pay for cable internet/cable as a package? is there still a way to pull it into Plex Lilve TV?
That's a great question. Thing is, for now, OTA video over the air isn't encrypted. Cable TV - these days - is. Back in the day, you COULD just plug your cable coax into a capture/tuner like this. These days? ALL cable TV content is scrambled (why you need a box). You CAN get descramblers, but you would have to somehow wire your PC to fire off a code to change the cable box to the right channel at the right time to record. Probably not really fesable.
But having cable doesn't mean you can't do this ALSO. :D
There is a tuner, the HDHomerun Prime, that supports the open standard cablecard and works with Plex. While they generally work quite well, once you could find someone at your local cable company who knew what they were and activated one for you...but sadly, cable companies are no longer required to support them anymore and it's days are numbered, even when they were required to, they went out of their way to make like difficult for those who wanted it.
I use a service called Channels-DVR. It does pretty much EVERYTHING Plex does plus it supports recording many cable network using your credentials from ComCast, RUclips TV, Hulu Live TV, etc. That is, I'm able to record show from Discovery, Nat Geo, Animal Planet, etc. It also can record OTA like Plex using an antenna and HD HomeRun ATSC 1.0 tuners. It even supports recording from free ad-supported streaming services from Pluto TV, Plex, and Stirr TV. I even have it recording my doorbell camera feed. It's setup to record 24 hours each day and it automatically deletes the recording after 10 days.
Unfortunately it is a subscription service at $8 per month or $80 per year. But, it is worth it to me for the access to additional networks and I can create my own channels based off of my media library. For example, when I'm cleaning house, I can tune to my "Big Bang" or "Star Wars" channel and it just plays episode after episode in the background.
@@JeffTrusty That does sound pretty cool! Thanks for sharing this ... I will look into it. $80 a year isn't price prohibitive at all.
Not owning a Steam deck - or a PLEX for that matter, at least this was something new.
Sorry man. Dopus user at least?
I bet I used Dopus before you lol@@Darkuni
Would you buy the SiliconDust HDHomeRun Flex Quatro 4 x ATSC Tuners - HDFX-4US or the SiliconDust HDHomeRun Flex 4K ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV: 2/4 Tuners HDFX-4K. I also saw in description that if I want to use the optional DVR by connecting a USB hard drive (requires paid TV guide for DVR record) I need a paid subscription to record?
You need a PLEX PASS to use the DVR functions on Plex. But no subscription fees beyond that. If you want to use THEIR device? Then yeah, I believe the only option is to pay their monthly fee. I'm not up on the newest hardware - I'd hate to recommend one and screw ya over...
Don't you still need to pay for Plex Premium?
If you want the DVR service yes
With one OTA and tuner, how many devices / users can view the live tv from the OTA ?
Depends on the tuner you buy. If you buy a 4 tuner box, then you can watch 4 separate streams
@@JavierLopezElMagnate Yep. Tuners are just that -- they "TUNE" to a channel. One tuner per channel. You could have 100 people in the house all watching CBS at the same time with a single tuner - but you could not have 100 people watching CBS and record NBC at the same time.
The one that is is is 199 bucks
The tuner you show from silicon dust is not next gen compatible when nextgen 3.0 starts in a few years
Unfortunately, that is true. One of the reasons I showed the alternatives. Damn shame they have to monkey around with stuff that works, no?
@@Darkuniit’s all about money
@@Bradcatcher Unfortunately so ... sigh.
Nextgen TV has already started in many markets, and is a disaster. It has DRM that still hasn't been resolved yet to work with ANY gateway device, and there are Codec licencing issues with the AC4 code it uses. Thankfully ATSC 1.0 isn't slated to go away at least for several years.
@@PeterBellefleur Makes me want to vomit - how eager content providers are to control not only what we watch, but how we watch.
😊