• Written by iptvusa
• April 1, 2025
• 3 minutes

Recording your favorite IPTV content using Plex offers a convenient way to build your personal media library. This comprehensive guide walks you through the process of setting up and recording IPTV on Plex, ensuring you never miss your favorite shows again.

Prerequisites for Recording IPTV on Plex

Before diving into the recording process, make sure you have the following essentials:

• A Plex Media Server installed on your computer, NAS, or supported device
• An active Plex Pass subscription (required for DVR functionality)
• A reliable IPTV subscription with M3U playlist and EPG (Electronic Program Guide)
• Sufficient storage space for your recordings
• A middleware tool like xTeVe or Telly
• Stable internet connection

It’s important to note that Plex doesn’t natively support IPTV, which is why middleware tools are necessary to bridge this gap.

Step 1: Install and Configure Middleware

Since Plex doesn’t directly support IPTV, you’ll need to use a middleware application like xTeVe or Telly. Here’s how to set up xTeVe:

1. Download xTeVe from the official website
2. Install it on the same device running your Plex Media Server
3. Open the xTeVe web interface (typically accessible at http://localhost:34400)
4. Follow the setup wizard:
   • Select the number of connections you want to use
   • Choose XEPG as your EPG source
   • Enter your IPTV service M3U playlist URL
   • If available, add your XMLTV Guide URL in the XMLTV tab
   • Save your settings

Step 2: Configure Plex with xTeVe

Once xTeVe is set up, you need to connect it to Plex:

1. Open Plex Web App and navigate to Settings
2. Go to Live TV & DVR
3. Click on “Set Up” to add a new tuner
4. Plex will search for available tuners – select xTeVe from the list
5. Enter xTeVe’s URL (typically http://[your-server-ip]:34400)
6. Select your country and confirm the scanned channels match those in xTeVe
7. Complete the setup process

Step 3: Set Up EPG in Plex

For a complete DVR experience, you’ll need to configure the Electronic Program Guide:

1. After adding xTeVe as a tuner, Plex will prompt you to set up the EPG
2. Provide the EPG URL from xTeVe
3. Plex will populate the guide data for your channels
4. Verify that the program information appears correctly in the Live TV guide

Step 4: Recording IPTV Content on Plex

Once everything is set up, recording IPTV content is straightforward:

1. Navigate to the Live TV & DVR section in Plex
2. Browse the program guide to find the show you want to record
3. Click on the program and select “Record”
4. Choose your recording options:
   • Record this episode only
   • Record all episodes (for series)
   • Adjust advanced settings like pre/post recording time
5. Select which library you want to add the recording to
6. Confirm your selection

Recorded content will appear in your specified library, organized according to your Plex media settings.

Tips for Optimal Recording Experience

To ensure the best possible recording quality with your IPTV USA service:

• Storage Management: Allocate sufficient storage space for recordings and consider setting up auto-deletion rules for older content
• Quality Settings: Adjust recording quality based on your storage capacity and viewing preferences
• Scheduling: Avoid scheduling too many simultaneous recordings to prevent server overload
• Server Resources: Ensure your Plex server has adequate CPU and RAM to handle recording tasks
• Network Stability: Use a wired connection when possible for more reliable recording
• Power Settings: Disable sleep/hibernate modes on your server to prevent interruptions during scheduled recordings

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you encounter problems with your IPTV recording setup:

• Channel Scanning Issues: Verify your xTeVe configuration and ensure all channels are properly mapped
• Failed Recordings: Check that your server didn’t go to sleep during the scheduled recording time
• Buffering Problems: Consider using a 4K IPTV provider with better server infrastructure to reduce buffering
• EPG Errors: Refresh your EPG data in both xTeVe and Plex
• Storage Errors: Ensure your designated storage location has sufficient space and proper write permissions

Conclusion

Recording IPTV on Plex creates a powerful personal media system that combines the flexibility of IPTV with Plex’s excellent organization and playback features. While the initial setup requires some technical steps, the result is a seamless recording solution that puts you in control of your viewing schedule.

By following this guide and using a quality IPTV provider, you can build an impressive media library of recorded content accessible across all your devices. The combination of Plex’s media management capabilities with the vast content selection of IPTV creates the ultimate entertainment solution for cord-cutters.