Live TV and DVR From Your Own Aerial With Plex or Jellyfin

If you have a TV aerial, you can turn it into a fully legal live TV and recording system for every screen in your home. A network tuner picks up your Freeview signal, and a media server such as Plex, Jellyfin, Channels DVR or Tvheadend shares it to phones, tablets, streaming sticks and smart TVs, with a programme guide and recording. No third-party services are involved; it is your own aerial and your own recordings.

Quick answer: To watch and record Freeview on all your devices, connect an aerial to a network tuner such as a SiliconDust HDHomeRun, then use a media server. Plex Live TV and DVR needs a Plex Pass. Jellyfin and Tvheadend are free and open source. Channels DVR is a paid subscription. You still need a TV Licence for live viewing.

What do you need for live TV from an aerial?

1. A working aerial (or a shared aerial socket) with a good signal.
2. A tuner that can receive UK digital terrestrial TV. UK Freeview HD uses DVB-T2, so make sure the tuner supports DVB-T2, not just DVB-T.
3. A server running the media-server software: a PC, a NAS, an NVIDIA Shield or a small mini PC.
4. Storage for recordings. See Catch-Up, Timeshift and Recording Explained for how much you will need.
5. Client devices with the app installed.
6. A TV Licence. Watching or recording live TV needs one whatever method you use.

For background on the terms, see the IPTV glossary.

What is a network tuner and which one should I buy?

A network tuner plugs into your aerial and your router. It converts the broadcast signal into a stream that any device on your network can receive. This is why you only need one aerial cable for the whole house.

SiliconDust's HDHomeRun is the best-known range. At the time of writing, SiliconDust sells the HDHomeRun FLEX QUATRO, a four-tuner model that receives DVB-T and DVB-T2 (Freeview HD) and is offered with a UK power adapter. Older two- and four-tuner Connect models turn up second-hand. Check the product page for the current range and price. Plex's own supported-tuner list names SiliconDust HDHomeRun as supported in its region covering DVB-T and DVB-T2.

Other options include USB DVB-T2 tuners that plug into the server itself. They can be cheaper, but they tie the tuner to one machine and compatibility depends on your operating system, so check the software's documentation before buying.

Connect the tuner to your router with Ethernet rather than Wi-Fi. See Wi-Fi vs Ethernet for Streaming.

Does Plex Live TV and DVR need Plex Pass?

Yes. Plex's own live TV page states that Live TV and DVR require a Plex Pass and Plex Media Server. Plex's free, ad-supported channels are a separate thing and do not need Plex Pass; those are covered in FAST Channels Explained.

Plex Pass is sold as a subscription or a lifetime purchase. Prices change and are shown in different currencies, so check Plex's site. Plex has also tightened its rules on streaming your own media remotely, outside your home network. Reporting from 2025 and 2026 says remote streaming on some device types needs a Plex Pass or a Remote Watch Pass, whereas streaming on your own network remains free. Read Plex's current announcements before relying on remote access.

Setup in outline:

1. Install Plex Media Server on your computer or NAS.
2. Plug the tuner into your aerial and network.
3. In Plex, go to Live TV and DVR, set up DVR, and let Plex find the tuner.
4. Enter your postcode, run the channel scan and pick which channels to keep.
5. Plex fetches guide data, and you can then schedule recordings from the guide.

Menu names change between Plex versions, so follow the on-screen prompts if they differ.

How does Jellyfin handle live TV?

Jellyfin is free and open source, and its live TV features are built in. According to its documentation, Jellyfin supports HDHomeRun tuners and M3U tuners, and guide data can come from Schedules Direct or XMLTV. HDHomeRun devices are usually detected automatically. Use only one guide source at a time.

For tuners other than HDHomeRun, a common approach is to run Tvheadend and connect it to Jellyfin. Jellyfin's documentation describes a Tvheadend plugin, and also a plugin-free route using an M3U tuner and an XMLTV guide, though the plugin is the recommended option because the other route uses more CPU. Jellyfin's behaviour changes between versions, so follow the current setup guide at jellyfin.org.

Jellyfin suits people who prefer free software and are comfortable with a little tinkering.

What is Tvheadend?

Tvheadend is a free, open-source TV streaming server. It receives broadcast TV through supported tuners, builds a channel list, collects guide data, schedules recordings, and can stream to other apps. It has a steeper learning curve than Plex but gives you detailed control over tuners and recordings. Many people pair it with Kodi or Jellyfin. See Kodi for Beginners.

What about Channels DVR?

Channels DVR is a paid subscription product with a polished interface and strong DVR features. Its community announced availability in the UK some years ago, and the HDHomeRun is the tuner most commonly mentioned alongside it. We could not verify its current UK pricing or which tuners it supports, so check the Channels website and community before you commit.

Which option should I choose?

What are the UK-specific gotchas?

• DVB-T2 matters. Freeview HD channels use DVB-T2. A DVB-T-only tuner will miss them.
• Signal quality. Weak or noisy aerial signals cause pixelation. A good aerial and short, quality cables help.
• Guide data. Servers can use the guide information broadcast in the signal or other guide sources. Quality varies between software.
• Recording limits. The number of tuners limits how many channels you can record at once.
• Copyright. Recording for your own private viewing is one thing; do not share or sell recordings.

Questions about hardware and setup are welcome in the Guides forum.