TVHeadend vs Plex Media Server on same server

So, now that Plex supports Live TV (https://www.plex.tv/blog/well-do-it-live/) via certain tv-cards, I'm kind of tempted to get a new TV-card.

My set up today;
A Ubuntu server with a Hauppauge Dual tuner PCIe card running TVHeadend (back end) and a Plex Server.
A couple of HTPC:s running Kodi, as client for wathing live TV etc. (primarily within my own network)
A couple of hand held devices running Plex (primarily for outside my own network, and for the transcoding)

My goal:
A Ubuntu server with a Hauppauge ~~Dual~~ Quad tuner PCIe card running TVHeadend (back end) and a Plex Server.
A couple of HTPC:s running Kodi, as client for wathing live TV etc. (primarily within my own network)
A couple of smart phones/tablets running Plex client (primarily for outside my own network, and for the transcoding).
On these smart phones/tablets I would be able to watch live TV too via Plex, without having to switch to a seperat app for this (as is the case today)

My question:
If I decide to change the PCIe card to a Hauppauge Quad tune PCIe card (one supported by Plex), how will that perform my TVHeadend set up?

I would be going from 2 tuners to 4 tuners, which is fine, but what happens if TVHeadend and the Plex server both want to start using the same tuner?
What would happen if Plex server "hogs" all 4 tuners and then TVheadend want's 1, or vice versa?
Will they cooperate nicely until all 4 tuners are taken, and if a 5 tuner is required this request will be denied?

In a nutshell : Does TVHeadend hog the entire PCI card with all it's tuners, or will it play nicely with the Plex Server, and allow Plex Server to use the tuners that aren't in service by TVHeadend (and vice versa I guess)?

Hope you understand my question...

Replies (3)

RE: TVHeadend vs Plex Media Server on same server - Added by Ryan Gong over 7 years ago

Hey Erik,
I'm running both Plex server and tvheadend on one server, and running tvhproxy so that Plex and see tvheadend as a tunner as well. And they don't interact with each other. I tried to use plex as DVR, it's integrated and has nice interface, but things are strange and it's not always recorded and sometimes only record for a few minutes. So I stop use Plex to record all together, just tvheadend for recordings. I ocassionally use Plex for live on iOS and Andriod tv Plex app.
I think Plex DVR is not at its prime yet, I wouldn't depend on it.
For your question, tvh and plex will not know each other using the tunner, it'll cause error if conflict happened. I would not recommend using both for recording at the same time. I suggest that you either use only tvh as dvr, or only plex for recordings and use tvhproxy if necessary to channel tvh to plex (so Plex knows exactly how many tuner available and control them all).

RE: TVHeadend vs Plex Media Server on same server - Added by Erik Peterzen over 7 years ago

Thanks for your reply.

I ended up getting a second USB-tuner, that I will excursively for Plex, and the PCIe card will continue to Serve TVheadend.
With this set up I hope to get the best of both world's, without any clashes.

/Erik

RE: TVHeadend vs Plex Media Server on same server - Added by Shane Kuzmanic over 7 years ago

There are a couple of proxy scripts written that will emulate a hdhomerun from tvheadend so that plex sees it as a hdhomerun device. TVHeadend supports connecting to HDHOMERUN devices it would we even better if it emulated one so plex could connected to it directly.

Check out antenna it is one of the proxys.

Shane

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