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ErsatzTV can turn media in a Plex library into scheduled live channels that you watch through Plex’s Live TV & DVR feature. It runs alongside Plex as software—not as a TV tuner—and the title’s likely add-on is ErsatzTV, although the available documentation cannot confirm which tool inspired the original wording. Its Plex integration requires Plex Pass.
What ErsatzTV adds to Plex
ErsatzTV lets you arrange media from your library into custom channels with schedules, then connect those channels to compatible players. The basic workflow is to install ErsatzTV, add a media source, create collections, build channels, create schedules, and configure a client. See the ErsatzTV documentation for the current setup guides.
This is different from watching broadcast television through an antenna. The channels are assembled from media you already have access to; an over-the-air tuner and antenna are not prerequisites for creating them.
How to connect an ErsatzTV channel to Plex
ErsatzTV’s documented Plex client setup uses Plex Live TV & DVR. The interface labels may change, so consult the current ErsatzTV Plex client instructions if a screen differs.
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- Install ErsatzTV and add your media. Follow its quick-start flow to connect a source and organize the items you want to schedule.
- Create collections, channels, and schedules. Choose the media and order you want Plex to present as a continuous channel.
- Open Plex’s DVR setup. In a Plex client, go to Settings → Live TV & DVR → Set Up Plex DVR.
- Choose ErsatzTV as the tuner. If Plex does not discover it automatically, enter the ErsatzTV server address and port manually.
- Add the programme guide. When Plex asks for guide data, provide the XMLTV guide URL shown by ErsatzTV, then complete setup.
ErsatzTV documents MPEG-TS as the only channel streaming mode directly supported by Plex clients. Plex also requires an active Plex Pass for this documented integration. Plex’s separate Live TV support page describes additional server and recording requirements; check Plex’s Live TV and DVR guidance for your setup.
Choose how ErsatzTV accesses Plex media
For Plex libraries, ErsatzTV can synchronize metadata from Plex. The documented sync is one way: Plex provides metadata to ErsatzTV, and ErsatzTV says it does not alter Plex’s configuration or the media itself. See ErsatzTV’s Plex Libraries guide.
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If you want ErsatzTV to stream files directly from disk rather than through Plex media sources, its process must be able to reach those files. The simplest arrangement, according to ErsatzTV, is to give Plex and ErsatzTV matching mounts for the same shares. Otherwise, configure path replacements so Plex file paths map to locations ErsatzTV can access.
Check server and client compatibility
Custom channels still depend on the server and player being able to handle the resulting stream. Plex says its Live TV workflow requires transcoding capability on the server. That does not mean every NAS or server will play every file or stream successfully; confirm that your host can transcode the media in your intended client workflow.
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Plex’s support article lists Plex Media Server v1.16.1 or newer for the described Live TV workflow and an active Plex Pass for recording. The page was last modified March 22, 2023, so treat those details as Plex’s stated requirements on that page, not a guarantee that they capture every current setup. OTA broadcasts are a separate case: they require a compatible tuner and antenna. That broadcast hardware is not needed merely to generate channels from a personal media library.
ErsatzTV lists Plex alongside Jellyfin, TiviMate, Channels DVR Server, and Kodi as supported clients. Setup inputs can include M3U and XMLTV URLs, but steps and feature support vary by client; use the relevant client guide at ErsatzTV’s client documentation.
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Tunarr is another documented Plex option
Tunarr also documents adding its service through Plex Live TV & DVR and supplying an XMLTV guide URL. Its Plex client guide describes that flow. Its media-source documentation discusses Plex metadata import and one-way synchronization, but the available documentation labels that synchronization alpha-only and says it would be available in v1.0. Check the current Tunarr Plex media-source guide for its present status before relying on that feature.
The documented setup paths establish that both tools can connect to Plex in a similar tuner-and-guide pattern; they do not establish a reliable feature-by-feature winner. Choose based on the current setup instructions, media-source behavior, and client support you need rather than an unverified playback comparison.
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