Plex Rolls Out Live TV Support for Over-The-Air Channels Within iOS App

[Thats_Santa]

When they support time-shifting and Apple TV I'll be delighted to kick TiVo to the curb and happily pay Plex $40 a year versus $15 a month!

 

[mudflap]

But if we have a working antenna, why use Plex if it's limited to iOS or mobile devices?

How do I even connect a coaxial cable to my phone? /s

You have to set up a Plex server on a computer, then it streams from that to your devices.
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OTA channels only broadcast up to 1080i, not 1080p.

Sorry, I actually meant 1080i. The important bit is that it's not compressed to hell like cable.

 

[Mac 128]

Plex is a personal media library that has grown to include other features as well. At a simple level, you need the server portion (an app) and it can run on Windows, Mac or even some NASes. You can then add libraries in Plex for media like TV Shows, Movies, Home Videos, Music, etc. Every library can point to a folder of video files, and Plex manages all the metadata. think of it almost as a personal Netflix. From there, you can use the client apps (which are excellent) on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, etc. They will basically see a full UI with artwork and metadata for all of your libraries. When you create a use account within Plex, the Plex client can work remotely and see your library at home from across the internet. You could even put an Apple TV in a different location and it will see the library sitting on the computer at home (or wherever you have the Plex Server app installed).

Live TV is a newer feature. If you have an OTA antenna, and one of the supported ATSC tuner devices, you can connect the antenna to the tuner device, and when the tuner is plugged into the network (or on wifi) you can use the Plex Server app to browse for it and Plex will scan for channels and automatically grab all the tv guide data for the channels you have available. I assume then within the Plex client you'll see Live TV in addition to your libraries. There is a DVR feature as well (I haven't looked at this much), but it's where the Live TV feature stemmed from. I guess the DVR also used the tuner + antenna to record shows to your local Plex Server, and now Live TV takes it a step further by allowing you to watch these channels live, right within Plex.

Plex Cloud is a separate feature as well (I believe there's a few different cloud options, I played with them a bit but didn't do much). One allows you to use your cloud storage instead of local storage where your Plex Server App is installed. Then it will actually act like a private Netflix so to speak that's running in the cloud (say on DropBox for example).

You have to set up a Plex server on a computer, then it streams from that to your devices.
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Sorry, I actually meant 1080i. The important bit is that it's not compressed to hell like cable.

So I have to have a dedicated Mac, setup and running 24/7 in order to have anything recorded while I'm away? That's probably why I never got into Plex.

 

[profets]

So I have to have a dedicated Mac, setup and running 24/7 in order to have anything recorded while I'm away? That's probably why I never got into Plex.

Well, yeah. That's the whole purpose of Plex - a personal media library.

 

[mudflap]

So I have to have a dedicated Mac, setup and running 24/7 in order to have anything recorded while I'm away? That's probably why I never got into Plex.

Well, you can run Plex on some NAS drives instead of a full-fledged computer but I'm not sure if they support the DVR function?

 

[G5isAlive]

So has anyone actually gotten this to work? I have read a lot of comments on how its 'supposed' to work, and I read the same things on the Plex site too.. but I got the HDHomerun Prime tuner, hooked it into my network, got the cablecard working... I can see TV from Channels App, from my computer running the HDhomerun app, but no matter what Plex App I run on either my iPad, iPhone or Mac, I can't get plex to see it. Yes, I have the Plex Pass. Very frustrating.

 

[aaronhead14]

So has anyone actually gotten this to work? I have read a lot of comments on how its 'supposed' to work, and I read the same things on the Plex site too.. but I got the HDHomerun Prime tuner, hooked it into my network, got the cablecard working... I can see TV from Channels App, from my computer running the HDhomerun app, but no matter what Plex App I run on either my iPad, iPhone or Mac, I can't get plex to see it. Yes, I have the Plex Pass. Very frustrating.

You have to be on the admin user. Then go to "browse" and you'll see the recording schedule and program guide at the top.