How to Set Up Plex Live TV and DVR on SHIELD TV

 

 

Requirements:

1. 1. A Plex Pass. Visit https://www.plex.tv/features/plex-pass/ to purchase a Plex Pass subscription.
2. 2. A SHIELD TV with 32GB or more of free space on internal storage to temporarily cache shows while recording. ¹
3. 3. Additional internal or external storage to permanently store recorded shows (200 GB or more recommended). ²
4. 4. A digital TV tuner and antenna (an exception is HDHomeRun Prime which requires a cable subscription instead of an antenna).
5. 5. Minimum software versions: Plex app v5.10.2 or newer + Plex Media Server app v1.7.2 or newer + SHIELD Experience Upgrade 5.2. ³

[1] 32GB is recommended for the cache. Plex DVR requires up to 8GB of temporary internal storage for each hour of recording (until show ends). External storage cannot be used for this temporary cache. Learn how to increase your internal storage.

[2] A one hour HD show will use up to 8GB of permanent storage (internal or external). Plex DVR will consume up to 80% of a storage location before reporting as full.

[3] SHIELD Experience Upgrade 5.2 will release to customers on a rolling basis over the coming weeks starting June 1. SHIELD Preview Program members will be the first to receive the upgrade.

 

 

 

Hardware Setup:

 

1. 1. Tuner Options:

 

a. a.HDHomeRun Network Tuners:

   i. Connect - Dual tuner, Base model

   ii. Extend - Dual tuner, Converts MPEG2 to H.264 for lower bandwidth and size requirements

   iii. Prime - Requires cable subscription and a CableCARD

 

b.b. Hauppauge Dual USB Tuners:

  i. WinTV-dual HD - 1595 (NTSC) for US/Canada

  ii. WinTV-dual HD 1590 (DVB-T/T2) - UK/EU

 

c. c.Single USB Tuners - Not recommended due to single tuner capability

  i. AVerMedia AVerTV Volar Hybrid Q (H837) for US/Canada

  ii. More coming…

 

2. 2. Antenna Options - Your tuner needs to be connected to a good antenna in order to pick up free digital over-the-air broadcasts. Plex will work with any digital antenna, however, your ability to watch clear Live TV without complications like image corruption, stutters, or freezes will vary greatly with your antenna selection. 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.

Check https://www.antennaweb.org, https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps, or http://www.tvfool.com/ to see channels available in your area & type of antenna required for each channel. If possible, we recommend a substantial roof-top or attic antenna. Indoor antennas are also an option however you are much more likely to miss channels and experience poor picture quality due to weak reception. Here are some useful sources for selecting an antenna that is right for you:

· Over the Air Digital TV: Choosing an Over the Air TV Antenna for Free HD Channels

· The Wirecutter: The Best Indoor HDTV Antenna

· Lifehacker: How to Choose the Best Over-the-Air Antenna for Free HDTV

 

 

3. 3. Network Options - Plex Live TV requires an internet connection. Options:

 

a. a. Connect SHIELD TV via Ethernet - Recommended

 

It is always recommended that SHIELD TV be connected with Ethernet when possible. This is especially important for Plex if you are also using a network HDHomeRun tuner and/or network storage (NAS).

 

b. b. Connect SHIELD TV via Wi-Fi

 

Warning: If SHIELD connected via Wi-Fi, your internal network bandwidth can become a bottleneck when trying to record multiple shows from a network tuner to network storage (NAS). That is a lot of network traffic for each recording!

 

 

 

Software Setup:

 

1. 1. Install SHIELD Experience Upgrade 5.2 or newer. Check version in Settings > About > SHIELD Android TV SW Version. Go to Settings > About > System Upgrade to upgrade.

 

2. 2. Plex app must be v5.10.2 or newer. Check version in Settings > Apps > System Apps > Plex. Go to Google Play Store > My Apps to upgrade.

 

3. 3. Plex Media Server app must be v1.7.2 or newer. Check version in Settings > Apps > System Apps > Plex Media Server. Go to Google Play Store > My Apps to upgrade.

 

4. 4. Open Plex app on SHIELD and link it to your Plex Pass Account from a web browser: https://www.plex.tv/link/ (if you haven't already done so).

 

5. 5. Follow on-screen instructions to set up Plex Media Server on SHIELD (if you haven't already done so).

 

6. 6. Open https://plex.tv/web and select your SHIELD server. Follow on-screen instructions to complete setup.

 

7. 7. If you are using USB storage (set up as removable storage) or a NAS to save your DVR'd shows, you must edit the storage location for TV Shows and Movies. This step does not apply to external storage that was set up as internal storage.

 

Under Libraries, mouse over Movies and click on the three dots and select Edit. Select Add folders > Browse for Media Folder > Add. Repeat with TV shows.

Note: When adding a new storage location it is recommended that you first delete the old location so that the new storage location is default for shows. If you want both locations, then add back the old location after the new location.

Note for External USB storage: DVR'd shows may only be saved in directories located within the /NVIDIA_SHIELD directory (example: …/NVIDIA_SHIELD/TV Shows).

Note for NAS: If new folders are added to your NAS after mounting to SHIELD, you must unmount and remount the NAS for Plex to see those folders.

 

8. 8. Enable DVR: Open https://plex.tv/web, select your SHIELD server, and select Settings > DVR. Follow on-screen instructions to set up your tuner.

Note: It is recommended to trim your channel list to only the channels that you use (and the ones with good reception). This will reduce the amount of TV Guide data that needs to be kept up to date on your SHIELD and also help you find your favorite shows faster. You can always return here to remove additional channels later if your signal quality is not up to par.

 

9. 9. Open your Plex app on SHIELD TV and navigate to the Live TV row where you can select the program guide to watch and record shows.

 

10. 10. Enjoy! For more help, visit https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/225877347-DVR-Beta- and https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/226463767-Frequently-Asked-Questions-DVR