# A Guide to Plex Channels on TiVo



## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

TiVo added the Plex app earlier this year. It was anticipated by a lot of TiVo users because it allows us a simple way to stream the videos, music and photos we own from our own in-home server to our TiVo. But another benefit of the Plex app comes in the form of Plex Channels, which are plug-ins that extend the capabilities of Plex to also fetch video and audio streams from a range of online providers, including popular TV networks. *Plex Channels offer a fair amount of FREE AD-FREE content -- it's a lot like having a basic cable on-demand service but without paying for cable!*

To use Plex on your TiVo, you'll first need to create a free Plex user account and install the Plex Media Server software on a computer (either Windows, Mac, Linux, or Free BSD) or NAS that's connected to the same home network that your TiVo is on. Go to the Plex.tv website to download the server software and learn more. Additionally, you'll also need the Plex app to be installed on your TiVo. You should see it in TiVo Central under Find TV, Movies & Videos and/or under Music & Photos. (If the Plex app isn't there, your TiVo cannot access Plex, so ignore this thread.)

After you've installed the Plex Media Server on a computer or NAS, you can set up your personal content as well as Plex Channels through the Plex Web App. Just go to http://plex.tv/web in any browser on the machine where you installed Plex Media Server. From there, click on Channels, then Install Channels. Browse through the available channels and install the ones you want. Be aware that not all channels are compatible with the Plex app for TiVo, so even though you can install those channels on Plex Media Server, they will not stream content to the Plex app on your TiVo.

Below is a list of Plex Channels which I have verified that, as of today, work with the Plex for TiVo app and offer *full episodes of traditional TV shows and/or movies*. (Some other channels only offer clips, not full episodes, e.g. the Sesame Street channel. And other channels are dedicated to online-only video -- content that doesn't air on any broadcast TV channel, e.g. the TWiT.TV and CNet channels -- or are dedicated to photos or audio-only content, e.g. the Soundcloud channel. The list below does not reflect any of these other types of channels. )

This list may not be exhaustive but I believe it's close. I note below whether the channel offers content in HD or SD. If HD, it's 720p. All content from that channel may not be in HD but at least some of it is.

*CBS* - HD
*Comedy Central* - HD
*Crackle* - SD _(note: A few of the shows and movies on this channel may not play, although many of them do.)_
*The CW* - SD (low quality)
*CW Seed* - SD
*Disney Channel* - SD
*Food Network* - HD
*HGTV* - HD
*Lifetime* - HD
*Nick Jr.* - HD
*PBS* - SD (high quality)
*PBS Kids* - HD
*South Park* - HD _(note: This contains episodes from every season of the South Park animated show from Comedy Central.)_
*Spike* - HD
*Team Coco* - SD (high quality) _(note: This is The Conan O'Brian Show from TBS.)_

Note: While the CBC channel is compatible with Plex for TiVo, any show on it that I tried to stream gave me an error message and wouldn't play. This may be because I'm located in the US. Canadian users should give it a try and see if it works, eh?

In addition to the channels above, the Fox News channel works with the Plex for TiVo app and offers SD clips from recent news broadcasts and opinion shows. Also, the Vevo channel offers HD music videos but does not support search, live Vevo TV, or personal playlists.

In many cases, it takes a lot of clicking around through the Plex interface to find full episodes in these channels. And some menu choices may be dead ends containing no playable content.

It would be nice if TiVo would include the full episodes available through these Plex channels in their universal TV database so that they could be incorporated into OnePass and the Browse menus, although I don't expect that to happen any time soon.

Anyhow, hopefully the info above helps you discover some free stuff you like that you can watch right through your TiVo. Please post below any updates to the above list or other relevant additional info.


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## davefred99 (Oct 31, 2004)

I recently started using Plex on Tivo and discovered much of what you wrote about. I also have use PlayOn Plus to recored OTT programs and it pushes them into a folder called My TV on the Plex Server. I can then access them via Plex on Tivo. Works really good if you want to record Hulu channels without Paying for Plus or if you have a CBS all access pass and want record stuff and watch it using your Tivo with Plex.


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## jcthorne (Jan 28, 2002)

Appreciate the rundown on channels that work. Prompted me to add a few to mine and give them a try. If you find others that work well, please update your list. I will do so as well.


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## sangs (Jan 1, 2003)

Just a quickie question about Plex. If you're a laptop/MacBook home and don't leave any computers on 24/7, then basically Plex isn't for you, since there's no on-line storage, correct? Don't mean to hijack this very helpful thread, just wondering.


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## Anotherpyr (May 6, 2015)

sangs said:


> Just a quickie question about Plex. If you're a laptop/MacBook home and don't leave any computers on 24/7, then basically Plex isn't for you, since there's no on-line storage, correct? Don't mean to hijack this very helpful thread, just wondering.


It doesn't have to be on 7/24, but it does need to be on if you want to access the data on it.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

*Crackle* also works with Plex for TiVo.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

atmuscarella said:


> *Crackle* also works with Plex for TiVo.


Thanks for the tip! I did try the Crackle channel yesterday but every show or movie I tried to play failed. I just tried it again on about five or six other titles and had about a 50% success rate in getting them to play. So I've added Crackle to my original list above.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

sangs said:


> Just a quickie question about Plex. If you're a laptop/MacBook home and don't leave any computers on 24/7, then basically Plex isn't for you, since there's no on-line storage, correct? Don't mean to hijack this very helpful thread, just wondering.


I use my iMac as my Plex server. I have it set in System Preferences to stay awake all day (although I let the screen and hard drive go to sleep when possible). The entire computer is set to go to sleep every night and wake up every morning at set times as I know I won't need to access Plex during the overnight hours.


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## KillerBeagle (Sep 3, 2015)

Thanks for this - a timely post coming right after my question in the Roamio section http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=533324.

It's unfortunate that most of the channels that work are freely available by other means, while the ones with compelling (to me) content like National Geographic, Discovery and History don't work.


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## bunjicat (Jan 14, 2012)

Can anyone confirm that shows on the Twit channel are not working on TiVo plex? Trying to determine if this is my issue or something else. Particularly the latest shows on Mac break weekly. Thanks.


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## Kremlar (Jan 22, 2009)

I tested Twitch last night which seemed to work fine. Great addition if you're a gamer. My kids sometimes like to watch these streams.


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## bunjicat (Jan 14, 2012)

Not twitch. Twit.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

I should clarify that I did not test Twit or any other Plex channels that didn't appear to offer traditional long-form TV episodes or movies, as that's the sort of content I'm most interested in and which TiVo is generally associated. *There are a number of Plex channels that specialize in online video clips or in audio/music but I didn't test any of those channels and they are not reflected in the original list above.* But feel free to post your experience with any of those app too.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

sangs said:


> Just a quickie question about Plex. If you're a laptop/MacBook home and don't leave any computers on 24/7, then basically Plex isn't for you, since there's no on-line storage, correct? Don't mean to hijack this very helpful thread, just wondering.


I believe you can run Plex from an NAS, IIRC.


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## shiffrin (Aug 23, 2000)

HarperVision said:


> I believe you can run Plex from an NAS, IIRC.


You are correct. I run it on my Synology DS1515+ and can access it from other computers in the house plus Tivo.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

Does "CBS" mean currently airing shows, or reruns of previously aired shows? and if the latter, does anybody know if they're uncut?


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

mattack said:


> Does "CBS" mean currently airing shows, or reruns of previously aired shows? and if the latter, does anybody know if they're uncut?


The number of shows (40 current and past prime time ones) and the number of episodes is limited. I checked CSI Cyber and Madam Secretary, and they both had several recent episodes including the ones that aired last Sunday (10/25) both of the episodes I checked appeared to be full, uncut, & and commercial free.

Edit: I went back and check some of the old canceled shows and they didn't have any episodes - so there really isn't 40 shows didn't check them all.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

atmuscarella said:


> The number of shows (40 current and past prime time ones) and the number of episodes is limited. I checked CSI Cyber and Madam Secretary, and they both had several recent episodes including the ones that aired last Sunday (10/25) both of the episodes I checked appeared to be full, uncut, & and commercial free.
> 
> Edit: I went back and check some of the old canceled shows and they didn't have any episodes - so there really isn't 40 shows didn't check them all.


The CBS and PBS channels on Plex are nice complements to Hulu, which carries (at least) the last five eps of all current major network shows except those on CBS and PBS. So between Hulu and Plex, you're pretty much covered if you want to see a show from the past month or so that you failed to record.


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## tgenius (Sep 15, 2006)

The question is, do those Plex Channels run through the Plex Media Server? Is there a cost to running even the basic Plex Server if all you want it for is these channels?


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## KillerBeagle (Sep 3, 2015)

tgenius said:


> The question is, do those Plex Channels run through the Plex Media Server?


Yes


> Is there a cost to running even the basic Plex Server if all you want it for is these channels?


Other than the electricity, no.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

I haven't looked a CBS, but the PBS channel is so limited that it's worthless, IMO. For PBS streaming, I have to go the PBS's website to find any significant content.

Overall, I'm pretty underwhelmed with the Plex channel offerings. I'll stick with my Roku and my PC. They're all just one button press away on my universal remote anyway, plus I don't have to run a PC 24x7 as I would with Plex.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

mdavej said:


> the PBS channel is so limited that it's worthless, IMO.


Hmm. Not sure what PBS content you're looking for but on their Plex channel I can find lots of episodes of Nature, Nova, American Experience, PBS News Hour, Masterpiece, Frontline, POV, I'll Have What Phil's Having, Antiques Roadshow, Austin City Limits, American Masters, Charlie Rose: The Week, and tons of other series and specials. If you're specifically looking for kids shows, there's a separate PBS Kids channel for that.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

I'll have to give it another look. Maybe I'm confusing it with the PBS Roku channel. What you listed sounds a lot better than what I remember last time I ran Plex (quite a while ago).


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

The Plex app for TiVo was recently updated and it is MUCH snappier now! Navigating through menus is way faster than before, probably a bit faster than any other major app on TiVo now. I love that the Plex developers are continually improving the software. The app has already been updated several times since it debuted on TiVo back in June. If only Hulu, Amazon, etc. would take as much interest in their TiVo apps!


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## sofakng (Dec 19, 2003)

The first post mentions that the streaming services are only displayed in 720p.

Is that a limitation on the Roamio or does the Bolt only show 720p for the Plex channels as well? (I know that the Bolt shows regular Plex shows at 1080p but I'm wondering about the channels)


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

sofakng said:


> The first post mentions that the streaming services are only displayed in 720p.
> 
> Is that a limitation on the Roamio or does the Bolt only show 720p for the Plex channels as well? (I know that the Bolt shows regular Plex shows at 1080p but I'm wondering about the channels)


I got info on resolution (720p, SD, etc.) from the settings menu while streaming content through the Plex app on my Roamio. The highest I saw on any Plex channel was 720p; in some cases, it didn't specify, so I had to guess based on picture quality.

I don't know whether or not you would see any content via Plex channels streaming at a native 1080p on a Bolt as I don't have one, so cannot test. (I have read that you can stream your own personal 1080p video through Plex for Bolt while I believe that is still limited to a max of 720p for Plex for Roamio.) It's also possible which version of Plex Media Server you use is a factor; I'm using the Mac version. Regardless of the native resolution of anything streaming through Plex (or any other app or TV channel), I have my TiVo set to upscale it to 1080p, so that's what my TV shows as the resolution. Of course, upscaled SD material does not look nearly as good as native HD. The difference between upscaled 720p and native 1080p is harder to discern.


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## aia832003 (May 30, 2014)

I hope this is the correct thread to post, but does anyone happen to know what streaming formats the TiVo Bolt supports natively? I am trying to help the programmer behind the NFL Network channel on Plex debug. More info here: http://forums.plex.tv/discussion/27030/rel-nfl-network/p81


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

aia832003 said:


> I hope this is the correct thread to post, but does anyone happen to know what streaming formats the TiVo Bolt supports natively? I am trying to help the programmer behind the NFL Network channel on Plex debug. More info here: http://forums.plex.tv/discussion/27030/rel-nfl-network/p81


The Bolt can decode video streams encoded in MPEG2/h.263, MPEG4/AVC/h.264, HEVC/h.265, and (I think) VP9. The streaming apps themselves for Bolt should be coded in HTML5; unlike earlier TiVo models, it does not support apps coded in Flash.


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## aia832003 (May 30, 2014)

NashGuy said:


> The Bolt can decode video streams encoded in MPEG2/h.263, MPEG4/AVC/h.264, HEVC/h.265, and (I think) VP9. The streaming apps themselves for Bolt should be coded in HTML5; unlike earlier TiVo models, it does not support apps coded in Flash.


Thanks Nashguy! Do you happen to know if it supports encrypted HLS? Thanks again for the help!


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

aia832003 said:


> Thanks Nashguy! Do you happen to know if it supports encrypted HLS? Thanks again for the help!


I honestly don't know. HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) describes a different aspect of the video stream than the codecs I listed above; a video stream could be both encoded in h.264 and transmitted via HLS.

HLS was pioneered and pushed by Apple for their iOS devices. If you're going to serve up streaming video to iOS devices, it's probably going to be via HLS. Android now supports HLS too.

I believe that the TiVo Stream peripheral (as well as the Roamio Plus and Roamio Pro, which basically have a built-in Stream) can act as an HLS server, taking recordings and then streaming them via HLS to connected iOS devices. I believe the Bolt has this capability built-in as well. But whether or not the Bolt can accept incoming HLS video streams (particularly if they're encrypted) is another matter and unfortunately I don't know the answer. You may wish to start a new thread asking that question.


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## aia832003 (May 30, 2014)

NashGuy said:


> I honestly don't know. HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) describes a different aspect of the video stream than the codecs I listed above; a video stream could be both encoded in h.264 and transmitted via HLS.
> 
> HLS was pioneered and pushed by Apple for their iOS devices. If you're going to serve up streaming video to iOS devices, it's probably going to be via HLS. Android now supports HLS too.
> 
> I believe that the TiVo Stream peripheral (as well as the Roamio Plus and Roamio Pro, which basically have a built-in Stream) can act as an HLS server, taking recordings and then streaming them via HLS to connected iOS devices. I believe the Bolt has this capability built-in as well. But whether or not the Bolt can accept incoming HLS video streams (particularly if they're encrypted) is another matter and unfortunately I don't know the answer. You may wish to start a new thread asking that question.


Thanks Nash!


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

In case you're interested in older CW shows like The OC, Whose Line Is It Anyway, and The Ben Stiller Show, there's an unofficial Plex channel for CW Seed that works with TiVo. You can download it here:
https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/190569/rel-the-cw-seed


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## Pacomartin (Jun 11, 2013)

Plex DVR NEW Record free broadcast TV channels and watch your favorite HD shows, movies, news, and sports on any device, anywhere in the world. Management of Plex DVR only available on the Plex Web App.

Stupid question, Can Plex server be used to watch Tivo DVR recordings from a Roku box, or do you still need a Mini?


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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

Yes you can - there is a TiVo channel that works pretty well for non-protected channels.

GitHub - tivoguy/TiVoToGo.bundle: TiVo To Go Plex Server Channel


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## eherberg (Feb 17, 2011)

I thought the TTG Plex server channel no longer worked with new versions of the PMS? As an alternative, you could always download programs using kmttg or pyTivo Desktop to a Plex library and use them from there. As we've slowly been getting rid of TiVo's the last 5 months and moving to an alternative system, we've been doing this for my wife's daily chat shows that are still being recorded on the main TiVo left in use.


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