If you ever have a need to play video from anywhere other than a streaming service on your television, you’re probably at least somewhat familiar with Plex. The video streaming software is already available almost everywhere, and coming next month it will even be available on select TiVo models.
Though not as popular is it once was, TiVo’s DVRs still see plenty of use among cable users, but while later TiVo models include a fair number of streaming services, you’re out of luck if you want to play video over your home network. That’s where Plex comes into the picture. The app will arrive on select TiVo models on June 8.
So far, only the TiVo Roamio has been specifically named, but it seems likely that the Premiere will also be getting the Plex app. This version of Plex won’t be as full-featured as some versions, and overall it has more in common with a smart TV app. “I’m told the app will run within the Opera App Store without OnePass/Search integration,” home theater blogger David Zatz wrote.
Initially it seemed that using the Plex app on a TiVo would require a Plex Pass subscription, which costs $5 per month and adds features that the free Plex app lacks. But that impression arose from an error Plex made in its initial response to Zatz, and the company has since confirmed to Digital Trends that a Plex Pass will not be required.
Overall this is a less-than-perfect solution, as the app won’t take advantage of TiVo’s search features, and at least at launch, the app will only stream at 720p.
Luckily the news isn’t all bad: 1080p support is planned for a later date, and while it seemed at first that Plex wouldn’t be a top-level item, Zatz noted that he had heard through “other channels” that it would be a top-level item after all. A TiVo representative told Digital Trends that while the app uses the Opera SDK, it will be featured in the main TiVo UI under the “Music & Photos” section.
Once the app has launched, more details on video quality and device-specific issues should be included on Plex’s support page.
