The short version
Jellyfin has built-in Live TV support: add an M3U tuner and an XMLTV guide in its settings and your channels appear next to your own media. Plex expects a hardware tuner, so IPTV needs a small proxy program that presents the playlist as one. Both add a layer, so live channels can start more slowly.
- Jellyfin: native M3U support
- Plex: needs a tuner proxy
Jellyfin
Dashboard, Live TV, add an M3U tuner and an XMLTV guide provider.
Plex
Plex Live TV looks for network tuners. Proxy tools present an M3U playlist as a tuner; set them up on the same machine as Plex.
Keeping it simple at home
Adding live TV to a media server makes sense if you already run one and like having everything in one menu. If you do not, start with a regular player app on the TV; it is quicker to set up and easier to fix when something changes. Whichever you choose, keep the server and the TV on a wired connection if you can, and check that the server's time zone matches yours so the guide lines up. Test a full evening game before relying on the setup for a playoff night.
Questions people ask
Does it count as a screen?
Yes, each live stream playing counts.
Can I record with Plex?
Plex DVR can record from a tuner proxy, with Plex Pass.
Is it worth it?
If you already run a media server, yes; otherwise a TV app is simpler.
See also
- M3U playlistsAn M3U playlist is a simple text file that lists channel names and their stream links, with an optional link to a TV guide.
- Windows PCThe simplest IPTV player for Windows is VLC: open Media, Open Network Stream and paste the M3U link we send.
- KodiKodi handles IPTV with the official add-on called PVR IPTV Simple Client.