Converting the files is an option, but I like that the recording and viewing process is automated. Plex only recognizes these files if you add the library as a “Home Videos” folder, rather than a “TV Shows” folder in the media manager. The one problem I ran into was getting Plex to recognize the files, which Windows Media Center saves in Microsoft’s proprietary. Point Plex to Windows Media Center’s recording folder, and presto! Whole-home DVR for you. So now when I use the Plex app on my Roku or Fire TV, any show I’ve recorded on my PC is automatically available for viewing. (More on that in a future column.) Every recording goes into a “Recorded TV” folder on my desktop, and I’ve told Plex media server to serve up any video that appears in that folder. I recently purchased a cheap USB TV tuner for my desktop computer, and set it up to view and record broadcast TV through Windows Media Center. Download the Plex app for your phone, tablet, or set-top box, and you’ll easily be able to view your computer’s media over a local Wi-Fi network.
(There’s also a separate version for network-attached storage drives, which typically run on some flavor of Linux.) Install the app, tell it which folders you want to share, and Plex automatically makes those files available to other devices.
On one end, there’s the media server software for desktop computers, which serves up your videos, music, and photos to other devices on your local network. Now that Plex has revamped its Roku app, it’s a fine time to take another look. After playing around with the software and asking some kind folks on Reddit, I’ve found some legal uses for Plex that are worth checking out. But I was interested to see if Plex could be a valuable tool for law-abiding cord cutters as well. The open secret is that you probably can’t acquire that kind of video collection without downloading from BitTorrent or ripping your DVDs or Blu-ray discs (circumventing copy protection is either against the law or fair use of discs you purchased, depending on your perspective).
Plex is your home for free TV and movies, giving you access to 80+ live channels and thousands of on-demand titles from around the world.