All About Plex TV: Everything You Need to Know

Plex is a global streaming service of free ad-supported video, with TV shows and movies from distributors such as Crackle, Warner Bros., MGM, Endemol Shine Group, Lionsgate, and Legendary. Plex is also a client–server media player system plus an ancillary software suite.

With Plex TV, you can stream live local TV broadcasts to your Plex supporting device without needing to wait for a DVR to record your program. In addition to Plex live TV broadcasts, users can also stream a curated collection of web shows and news broadcasts. You can choose from over 190 global publishers to fill your news needs.

How does streaming TV on Plex TV work?

To access your local broadcast content and send it to the Plex media server, you’ll need a few things. Here’s how to get started.

1) Plex Pass and a computer to run Plex Media Server

Plex Media Server is free to use, but if you want to unlock Plex TV features, you'll need a Plex Pass. (We’ll discuss pricing in just a minute.) Download and install the Plex Media Server, and follow this Plex TV link to sign up for your Plex Pass while it's setting up. Make sure you have plenty of space on your computer for your DVR recordings. An hour of DVR content takes anywhere from 1 to 6GB of space, depending on its video quality. Watching Plex live TV streams doesn’t take up space on your computer.

2) Supported DVR tuner

Once you've successfully completed your Plex TV signup, you’ll need to find a compatible DVR tuner. Plex supports a wide range of options, but it’s important to make sure your DVR also supports the system running your Media Server. For this reason, we suggest buying an HDHomeRun. Whether you’re using a Mac, Windows, Linux, or an Nvidia Shield, the HDHomeRun will have you covered. We used an HDHomeRun Connect Duo model in all the testing for this article.   

3) OTA antenna

Selecting the HD antenna that's right for you ultimately depends on how strong your local channel signals are. Plex TV has a search function on its site that can give you a rough idea of how many channels are in your ZIP code. Plex supports most modern antennas, so if it works with your HDTV, it should work with your supported Plex DVR tuner.