How to Record on a Samsung Smart TV: What Works in the US
If you bought your Samsung smart TV in the United States or Canada, it cannot record live TV to a USB drive. Samsung disables the built in recording feature on TVs sold in these two countries.
To record on a Samsung smart TV in the US, you need a DVR service or device instead. The good options are your cable provider’s DVR, a live TV streaming service with cloud DVR, or an over the air DVR box like Tablo.
This surprises a lot of owners, so here is the full story. Details were checked against Samsung’s current support documentation in July 2026.
Why Can’t My Samsung TV Record in the US?
Samsung builds a recording feature into many of its smart TVs. In countries like Australia and the UK, you plug in a USB drive and record live channels.
In the United States and Canada, that feature is switched off. Samsung’s own online manual for these TVs states the function is not available in the US and Canada.
The frustrating part is where that note lives. It sits deep in the back pages of the manual, so many owners spend hours looking for a Record button that is not there.
If your Schedule Manager only offers Add Viewing and never Add Recording, this is why. Your TV is not broken.
How Do I Record Shows in the US Then?
You have three real options, and the right one depends on how you get your channels.
Option 1: Use your cable or satellite DVR
If you have cable or satellite service, your provider offers a DVR box or a cloud DVR feature. This is the path of least resistance.
Call your provider or check your plan online. Many plans include DVR service you may already be paying for.
Option 2: Use a streaming service with cloud DVR
If you stream your live TV, recording happens in the cloud, not on the TV.
Services like YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, and Sling include cloud DVR. You record and play back inside the service’s app on your Samsung TV.
This is the simplest answer for most cord cutters. No extra hardware sits under your TV.
Option 3: Use an over the air DVR like Tablo
Do you watch free antenna channels? A network DVR box such as Tablo connects to your antenna and records over the air broadcasts.
You then watch the recordings through the Tablo app on your Samsung TV. This route has an upfront hardware cost but no monthly cable bill.
How Do I Record on a Samsung TV Outside the US?
If your TV was sold in a country where recording is supported, the built in feature works like this.
First, plug a USB drive into a USB port on the TV. The drive needs enough free space, and the TV will format it for recording the first time.
To record what you are watching now, press the 123 button on the remote and choose Record from the on screen menu.
To schedule a recording, press Home, then open Live TV, then Schedule Manager. Choose Add Recording, pick the channel and program, and set the time.
Recordings play back from the same Live TV area or through the connected USB drive.
One limit applies everywhere: TVs only record live broadcast channels. Streaming apps and pay per view content are protected and cannot be recorded by the TV.
Can I Just Plug in a USB Drive and Try?
You can, and it is a fast way to confirm which type of TV you own.
- Plug a USB drive into the port on the back of the TV.
- Tune to a live antenna or cable channel.
- Press the 123 button on your remote.
- Look for a Record option in the on screen row of buttons.
No Record option anywhere? Your TV is a US or Canada model, so use one of the three DVR options above.
FAQ: Recording on Samsung Smart TVs
Can a firmware update add recording to my US Samsung TV?
No, this is a regional restriction, not a missing update. Samsung has kept the feature off for the US and Canada across model years.
Does the TV have built in storage for recordings?
No. Even on TVs where recording works, shows are saved to your own USB drive, not to the TV itself.
What USB drive works best where recording is supported?
A drive with at least 32GB of free space covers casual use. Heavy recorders should use an external hard drive of 128GB or more.
Why does my TV have a camera and microphone anyway?
Some models include them for video calls and voice control. Here is where the camera is on a Samsung smart TV and what it does.
Article does not mention if antenna live input can be recorded. Are there places where all recording is banned?
This is not clear. 75” smart tv. Cannot figure out how to record using the info on here. Please contact me asap.
this is terrible news. I have always recorded my shows and now I can’t.
My remote does not have a 123 button.
This person fails to mention that Samsung TVs for the North American market have the record function deactivated and hidden.
I dumped cable & satellite years ago, living in Houston I can pull in over 100 channels with an OTA antenna. I’ve stayed with Samsung Smart Tv’s because they have a guide for OTA programing.
This article mentions recording cable & satellite programing, I hope they haven’t bowed down to paid for program providers to leave us cord cutter out in the cold.
In the past I had to install a Win TV card in my computer to record to record OTA tv then send it to the TV to view.
I hope this works for all us cord cutters.
I tried everything that was mentioned in this article. When I press the 123 button, it does not give me the option to record. What am I doing wrong? I’m trying to record over the air tv.