A problem raised by many Plex users is how to watch free live TV channels on Plex. The answer to this is that, of course, yes you can watch all your favorite programs on plex live tv for free. You can stream about dozens of live TV channels for free on Plex without even a Plex server.

This post will walk you through “How to use Plex live TV” and details on the available channels along with the explanation of how Plex Live TV gets included in the entire Plex system.

What is Plex Live TV?

The initial way of watching live TV in Plex was by buying a tuner and an antenna. This method was very expensive as well as complicated. This was especially difficult for non-tech users and the ones who are not yet used to the process.

In 2020 in the month of July, Plex introduced its latest feature, which enables live TV streaming through the web. This feature became a promising new upgrade due to the discomfort.

What are the requirements to use Plex Live TV?

You should keep in mind that the free live TV channels of Plex are an IPTV (International Protocol Television) service, which means if you have an active and uninterrupted internet connection, you can watch using any Plex app without any additional hardware requirements.

It is also not necessary to run a Plex Media Server, but the mere installation of the Plex Media Player application will be sufficient to watch free live TV channels on Plex.

As it is an IPTV service, you would also be able to watch through any device like your desktop, laptop, mobile phone, smart TV, or any other device which supports Plex.

What are the channels available on Plex Live TV?

Almost all of today’s streaming services determine their availability depending on the location of the user. In Plex, a major amount of the channels, which is about more than 80%, are available globally. Meanwhile, a the rest of the channels are available and licensed only within the United States.

Some of the available free channels are IGN TV, Docurama, Reuters, Yahoo Finance, BAMBU, KidsFlix, EDGE Sport, and Fubo Sports Network.

Plex also added some Spanish language channels, in September 2020. Some of them are Sony Novellas, Sony Comedias and Latido Music, and much more.

Plex has also mentioned that more channels will be included in the streaming service in the future. For the residents of the USA, about 200 free channels are already available at present.

How to Use Plex Live TV

All the users who want to watch free live TV channels on Plex can follow these steps. The live TV option will automatically appear on the sidebar of the Plex application. You can just click on the menu item to use the feature.

After clicking, the EPG (electronic program guide) will load. You can use the EPG to scroll and navigate through channels to check what’s currently being aired.

If you find it difficult to choose a program to watch, you can click on a certain program and see some metadata about the content of the particular program. If you find anything interesting, then you can either press Watch Now in the metadata box or the Play icon that is on the thumbnail of the channel and enjoy the program.

Other Features in Plex Live TV

In addition to offering free live channels, Plex Live TV has several more features which may help to improve your user experience.

One of them is the ability to navigate between all the normal and HD channels. You can watch HD content to your fulfillment through Plex TV. Especially if you are planning to replace the cable with Plex TV, you will want to watch HD content more often. To go through your alternate choices, click the All Channels drop-down menu above the EPG.

Another available feature in Plex Live TV is the ability to seven days forward data. You can forward the EPG to get a glimpse of what are the programs that are coming up ahead. To skip between days, click Today on the top of the page and select the preferred day.

You can also pin the Plex Live TV menu option to your Plex favorites list. To do this, click the three vertical dots that are along the menu items and then select Pin.

Personalize Your Plex Live TV

Plex Live TV has a large number of customization options. Not many free live TV streamers provide such personalization options as they mainly focus on including channels as much as possible to collect the maximum amount of ad revenue and affiliate money. The personalization options given by Plex make it far more unique.

One such main option is the ability to hide and reorder the channels available in the EPG. This will help you to hide all the content which you know that you will never watch and make the EPG more user-friendly and easier to navigate through.

You can display the last three channels which you accessed at the top of the guide. This can help you to get back to those channels quickly. You can also decide whether you want this option or not.

Certain channels can be hidden from child accounts as well. Nevertheless, as there is no child lock feature introduced till now, children may personalize their accounts and make the channels visible again.

To make these changes and more, open the EPG and click on the three dots in the top-left corner.

Are there any restrictions in Plex Live TV?

Although there are a number of customization and user-friendly options, there are also some restrictions that you need to know about. This is partly because the service is offered freely and mostly because it relies on the major TV networks in a certain country.

One such restriction is that you cannot pause or rewind TV channels. Although many streaming platforms offer this facility, Plex Live TV doesn’t. So if you ever miss the start of a program, then that’s it.

Then, there is no DVR (Digital Video Recorder) function. Plex offers DVR for OTA channels where you can record using the Plex app. But the function is absent in Plex’s Free Live TV.

Whether these restrictions are reasonable given the amount of free content offered is a decision that is to be made by you!

How to remove Plex Live TV?

If you think Plex Live TV isn’t your cup of tea after exploring it, you can hide it from your Plex account completely. This can completely cut off your access to the service even from the Plex Media Server or Plex Media Player apps that are connected to your account.

If you have decided to disable Plex Live TV, first open Plex in a browser. Then go to Account > Account> Online Media Sources and then switch the Live TV option to Disabled.

You can also set the Disabled for Managed Users option which will give access to the Live TV feature to the administrator of the account but not the managed accounts, such as Child accounts.

Who can Use Plex Live TV?

If you have a Plex account then you should have no worries about using the Plex Live TV. You don’t need a Plex Pass to access the free live TV channels if you have the Plex account.

Like many streaming services, Plex does not have location-based restrictions, on the service which enables you to stream regardless of your location.

What are the Other Free Streaming Available on Plex?

Plex gives you three ways to access free content, which does not even require you to have any locally-saved media to add to the application. You can also stream TV through an aerial in addition to streaming Live TV which enables you to access a larger number of the video-on-demand library.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is IPTV service?

IPTV is a service that provides tv programming and other video content using the TCP/IP suite which is unlike broadcast TV, cable TV, or satellite signals. You can watch this video to understand more about the TCP/IP suite.

What is a Plex Pass?

Plex Pass is a subscription service that gives you early access to many services offered by Plex TV. This also gives access to beta versions of plex apps as well.

What are the best Free Video Streaming Services?

There are a large variety of free streaming services you can choose from. Some of the most popular ones are Crackle, IMDb’s TV, Tubi, Plex, Roku, and more.

For more details refer: The 7 Best Free Video Streaming Services Everybody Should Use