Tip!: You must have your compatible tuner & antenna connected to your Plex Media Server to be able to tune over-the-air broadcasts. The ability to record broadcasts (e.g. DVR) is a premium feature and requires an active Plex Pass subscription.
Cable and satellite TV subscriptions can be expensive and many people often forget that broadcast television is still free “over-the-air” (OTA) in most places. Anyone who wants a cheap and easy way to get programming from major and local networks can make use of digital TV. To watch or record OTA broadcasts with Plex DVR, you’ll need both a tuner device and an antenna.
If you do have cable service (and your cable provider uses CableCARD), though, you can still make use of a DVR tuner that supports CableCARD to let you view unencrypted/unprotected/DRM-free content! (Be aware that support for unencrypted channels can vary widely by cable provider and even by location within the same provider.)
Plex Media Server Platform Support
The DVR functionality is currently available when running Plex Media Server v1.16.1 or newer. Of course, we encourage you to make sure you’re always running the latest release.
Be aware that if you run your Plex Media Server on a low-powered NAS device that doesn’t support transcoding, many apps will be unable to play recorded content. Over-the-air broadcasts are often in MPEG2 or other older formats, which few devices or apps can play directly (and would thus require transcoding in those cases).
Related Page: Live TV & DVR (Set Up and Manage)
Related Page: NAS Devices
Officially Supported DVR Tuners
Supported DVR tuners can vary by region and operating system or device. Please refer to the following charts for tuner and operating system/device compatibility for Plex Media Server in different regions. The tuner names in the tables will link to the manufacturer’s website for each device, where available. Some tuners below may require the most recent beta release of Plex Media Server.
Note: When connecting a tuner device to your Plex Media Server, the server expects that it will have exclusive access to the tuner. That means that if you use other programs or devices to access the tuner, you may experience unexpected behavior such as tuning problems or failed recordings.
- Ensure your tuner device firmware/driver is up-to-date.
- For over-the-air broadcasts, a weak television signal can interfere with both DVR and live TV viewing.
- Linux compatibility is based on Ubuntu 16.04.2 LTS. See this page for kernel and driver information for Hauppauge tuners.
North America (ATSC /QAM)
The following DVR tuner devices are supported in North America, where signals use the ATSC/QAM format. This refers to compatibility with the system running Plex Media Server.
| Tuner | Windows | macOS | Linux | NAS | NVIDIA SHIELD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVerMedia AVerTV Volar Hybrid Q | • | • | |||
| Hauppauge Digital TV for Xbox One | • | • | |||
| Hauppauge WinTV-dualHD | • | • | • | ||
| Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-22XX | • | • | |||
| Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-955Q | • | • | |||
| Hauppauge WinTV-quadHD (PCI & USB) | • | • | |||
| SiliconDust HDHomeRun (all models) | • | • | • | • | • |
| VBox XTi-4174 (ATSC) | • | • | • | • | • |
- Windows: “WinTV 8” (for WinTV tuners) or “AVerMedia TVBox” (for AVerMedia tuners) software might conflict with Plex Media Server’s use of the tuner. If you have issues tuning channels, please remove this software, install only the driver for your tuner, then attempt to scan channels again.
- WinTV-quadHD: This device will show up as two dual-tuner devices. You can simply add it as two devices to a single Plex DVR to make use of all four tuners.
- The “Xbox One” tuners must be plugged into the computer running Plex Media Server, not into an Xbox.
Europe, Australia, Africa, Asia (DVB-C/DVB-T/DVB-T2)
The following DVR tuner devices are supported in regions where signals use the DVB-T, DVB-T2, or DVB-C formats, such as Europe, Australia, Africa, and Asia. This refers to compatibility with the system running Plex Media Server.
| Tuner | Windows | macOS | Linux | NAS | NVIDIA SHIELD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hauppauge Freeview HD TV for Xbox One | • | • | |||
| Hauppauge WinTV-dualHD | • | • | • | ||
| Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-22XX | • | • | |||
| Hauppauge WinTV-quadHD | • | • | |||
| Hauppauge WinTV-soloHD | • | • | |||
| SiliconDust HDHomeRun (all models) | • | • | • | • | • |
| VBox XTi-3442 (DVB-T) | • | • | • | • | • |
| VBox XTi-3452 (DVB-C) | • | • | • | • | • |
| VBox Xti-4144 (DVB-T2/C/ISDB-T ) | • | • | • | • | • |
Notes
- VBox: These tuners require Plex Media Server v1.13.7 or newer.
- WinTV-quadHD: This device will show up as two dual-tuner devices. You can simply add it as two devices to a single Plex DVR to make use of all four tuners.
- The “Xbox One” tuners must be plugged into the computer running Plex Media Server, not into an Xbox.
Related Page: Hauppauge: Running WinTV Tuners under Linux
Community Supported Tuners
While we can’t officially test and support every tuner, many other tuner devices will still work fine with Plex. If you wish to try using a tuner that we don’t officially support, you can do so as a “community supported” tuner. See our Community Supported Tuners article for details.
Related Page: Community Supported Tuners
Antennas
You will need to connect your DVR tuner to an antenna to be able to pick up the free, digital, over-the-air broadcasts.
Plex will work with any digital antenna, regardless of manufacturer. The best antenna for you can vary greatly based on a number of factors, including: your particular location, channels availability, and distance/direction from the broadcast sources. An “amplified” antenna may provide improved reception and allow you to reach more distant stations, particularly when using an indoor antenna.
There are many antenna manufactures to choose from. We’ve found that antennas from Antennas Direct, HD Frequency, and Mohu have performed well in our own testing.
Related Page: Antennas Direct
Related Page: HD Frequency
Related Page: Mohu
There are also many other resources for great information and tips on choosing the most appropriate antenna for you, including the following.
Related Page: The Wirecutter: The Best Indoor HDTV Antenna
Related Page: Lifehacker: How to Choose the Best Over-the-Air Antenna for Free HDTV
Related Page: Over the Air Digital TV: Choosing an Over the Air TV Antenna for Free HD Channels
Related Page: Cord Cutting Report: The Best Indoor TV Antennas 2019