While Plex has been around for quite some time with support for Android and other devices like Chromecast, Plex is also available on devices like Android TV, and the Plex Media Server beta for NVIDIA SHIELD has just updated to include Plex DVR capabilities to allow users options for recording and saving their favorite content to watch later on, so long as that content comes from free broadcast channels. NVIDIA also notes that this supports both the NVIDIA SHIELD 16GB model and the NVIDIA SHIELD Pro which has the 500GB hard drive for storage, so no users are left out here.
The release of Plex DVR for Plex Media Server Beta on the NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV follows the formal release of the Plex DVR feature that was released at the beginning of this month, which also enables the syncing of content across all devices to watch on any device at any time, so for those who have Plex installed on other products and also have an NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV with the Plex Media Server Beta installed, watching stored DVR content through Plex has never been easier. With Plex DVR now available on the NVIDIA SHIELD, it’s also now reportedly the only Android TV set-top box that is capable of utilizing the DVR functionality.
Just as it was noted in the initial Plex DVR launch announcement, you’ll need a Plex Pass to actually use Plex DVR, so if you don’t have one and you want to use this feature, now would be the time to pick up a pass. Once the pass is in place, users can open up any web browser and record broadcasts from any over-the-air channels that are available on the web, which should be quite a bit of content at your disposal. In addition to the Plex Pass you’ll also need a couple more pieces of hardware that can hook into your home network, which includes an HDHomeRun tuner and a digital antenna. You can pick up the HDHomeRun tuner’s on Amazon as well as multiple other online outlets like Newegg and some local retailers, and they’ll start at about $115 for the base model device. Digital antennas are quite a bit more affordable and will start at around $15 for the cost. After getting everything you need to record content, you can get started by going to the settings menu on your NVIDIA SHIELD and then clicking on the DVR sub menu, where you can configure everything from there. If you don’t already have the Plex Media Server Beta installed, you can pick it up from the Plex Media Server forums.