Channels DVR server

[nyplayer]

More info on channelsDVR ... What they record etc...

https://www.fastcompany.com/90609133...aming-tv-video

[Telecore]

I've been trying Channels DVR on a 2nd server - very impressed so far; the TV Everywhere channels are a nice bonus - it seems to check all of the boxes for me, comskip support, good user interface, easy setup and management - will probably run both SageTV and Channels for a while

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by Telecore

I've been trying Channels DVR on a 2nd server - very impressed so far; the TV Everywhere channels are a nice bonus - it seems to check all of the boxes for me, comskip support, good user interface, easy setup and management - will probably run both SageTV and Channels for a while

Yeah I run them both ... I also setup MCEBUDDY to create property files of the Channels recordings and import them into Sage.

[KryptoNyte]

The inclusion of comskip is great. I do, however, really miss the "live" comskip option for a sporting event - when you can start the event an hour late and never have to watch a commercial. I'm unsure why they don't tackle this one, at least for media that's recorded to the server, it's already a feature of comskip itself. Unfortunately, the live TV buffer is still on the client, so until they ditch that, maybe they just think it's not worth pursuing.

That said, any user that is aware of the live buffer on the client limitations could just select any show to record and start watching it at any point while live comskip runs on the server.

[btrcp2000]

Just cancelled my ChannelsDVR sub after discovering they have given up on the old Fox Sports regionals. They can't integrate the Bally streams.

[NetworkGuy]

I just reactivated my subscription. I am giving it a second look.

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by NetworkGuy

I just reactivated my subscription. I am giving it a second look.

I really like the new settings where you can limit what Individual Clients have access to and startup settings per client and much more ...

[NetworkGuy]

We were on vacation for a long weekend and I got a chance to test the remote capabilities of ChannelsDVR from a PC and tablet. Both were great experiences. Almost like local playback. (Testing a FireTV stick is next.)

Since all of my recording are in SageTV, I found an interesting way to import them to ChannelsDVR and still have them a part of SageTV.

I created a top level directory on my NAS and subdirectories for each TV show.

\\TV - NAS
    \A Million Little Things (2018)
        AMillionLittleThings-S03E13.ts
        AMillionLittleThings-S03E13.ts.properties
        AMillionLittleThings-S03E13.edl
        AMillionLittleThings-S03E14.ts
        AMillionLittleThings-S03E14.ts.properties
        AMillionLittleThings-S03E14.edl
    \Chicago Fire (2012)
    \Chicago Med (2015)
    \Chicago P.D. (2014)
        ChicagoPD-S08E15.ts
        ChicagoPD-S08E15.ts.properties
        ChicagoPD-S08E15.edl

You need to ensure the TV show sub-directory name exactly matches the name on https://www.thetvdb.com/ including punctuation. (except for ":") Notice the periods in the show Chicago P.D.

In SageTV, add \\TV - NAS as an import directory.

In ChannelsDVR, add \\TV - NAS as a TV Source under Local Content.

After SageTV is done recording for the night, I do the following:

1. Stop the SageTV Server
2. Move the TV show recording (ts) and all the associated files (properties, edl, etc.) from the SageTV recording directory to the appropriate sub directory on the NAS
3. Start the SageTV Server (it automatically scans for new files)
4. In ChannelsDVR run Scan Sources under Maintenance in Local Content
5. Wait for both processes to finish finding shows

SageTV ignores the sub-directories and updates the links to point to the new directory.

ChannelsDVR uses the sub-directory to identify the TV show name and the SxxExx part of the filename to get the episode name/description.

You can now watch the show from either SageTV or ChannelsDVR.

It is great for testing and provides an easy path if I decide to convert,

[nyplayer]

I had lots of help creating Scripts that do the opposite channels recordings imported to SageTV ....


https://forums.sagetv.com/forums/sho...3&postcount=17

[NetworkGuy]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

I had lots of help creating Scripts that do the opposite channels recordings imported to SageTV ....

I read that thread. I found it too much work to bring recordings into SageTV. It is super simple to import them into Plex and ChannelsDVR.

[KryptoNyte]

There are some good things happening with the Channels DVR software.

For its advantages, the Channels DVR developer mentality is interesting to say the least. Over the past year, I've had a real problem develop with their "policy" on the HDHomeRun OTA tuner and the channel lineup. Apparently the Channels DVR policy is that they adopt whatever channels the HDHomeRun tuner reports. When you live in an area that's within range of 3 or 4 different major broadcasting cities, there are new channels that just appear out of nowhere on a monthly basis.

You'd think that after a year of these new channels appearing that it would start to slow, but no, if the tuner is bringing in channels from multiple major metropolitan areas, it turns out the reality is that there are enough new or remapped channels that this is happening _continually_ and it will never stop.

When I've requested a simple checkbox in the Channels DVR software to "not add new channels to the lineup" I've been lambasted on the forum for a request that has no merit. The Channels DVR developers pass the issue off as a problem with the HDHomeRun tuner software. Anyone here at Sage (or virtually any other DVR software) know very well that Silicondust creates hardware for, and codes for many different pieces of software, so their tuner has no choice but to report anything and everything to <whatever software is using it> and let the software decide what to do with it - anything else would be foolish on their part.

I've tried to train everyone in the household to tell the software to only record a "favorite" (or season pass as Channels calls it) to a specific station, but low and behold, we have a house full of ... humans ... that seem to miss this part of in-depth customization. The result is a new station magically appears, the "favorite" decides to record on this new station instead of the one its been recording on for the last year, and recordings get missed because the new station had a weak signal at that particular moment in time.

When folks that choose to run a company that charges their customers a monthly fee for a DVR service, one would think they'd have a mantra pasted on the wall that says, "If it's within our ability, never, ever, miss a recording." It's completely within their power to solve this issue inside their own software and they refuse to do it. That is their prerogative, but worth noting.

Their software has been in development 5 or 6 years now. I've tried to be positive about the good things and basically use it for what it is (the TVE capability and remote viewing), but bells and whistles don't compensate for missed recordings.

It's frustrating when it could be so good.

[KryptoNyte]

To add insult to injury, they haven't really developed an effective error reporting solution, so this condition goes virtually unnoticed until someone in the household notices that we're missing a few weeks of recordings.

[NetworkGuy]

Originally Posted by KryptoNyte

When you live in an area that's within range of 3 or 4 different major broadcasting cities, there are new channels that just appear out of nowhere on a monthly basis.

I thought HDHomeRun only reported new channels when you ran a scan. (I know that is the case on the Primes.) That would be one way to stop new channels from appearing.

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by NetworkGuy

I thought HDHomeRun only reported new channels when you ran a scan. (I know that is the case on the Primes.) That would be one way to stop new channels from appearing.

Silicondust runs background channel scans on their units.

https://info.hdhomerun.com/info/myhdhomerun

Rescanning channel list:
Click on the “Detect Channels” button to force a rescan. The HDHomeRun will also attempt to scan channels when it powers up, as well as doing periodic updates in the background to look for new channels.
If your tuner supports more than one TV standard, you will be able to choose that before scanning.

[Zogg]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

Silicondust runs background channel scans on their units.

https://info.hdhomerun.com/info/myhdhomerun

Rescanning channel list:
Click on the “Detect Channels” button to force a rescan. The HDHomeRun will also attempt to scan channels when it powers up, as well as doing periodic updates in the background to look for new channels.
If your tuner supports more than one TV standard, you will be able to choose that before scanning.

Well, you learn something new every day.

[nyplayer]

Channels DVR support for multiple sources has gotten too good ... With Locast .. TVE Pluto and stirr and many others. I have more than enough channels to watch and record... Without needing a hardware tuner. This will definitely ease the worry if I were to lose my Prime Tuners. Plus it has given me the ability to add TVE Pluto Stirr etcc.. to Plex and Emby.

SageTV is slowly reaching EOL.

[KeithAbbott]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

Channels DVR support for multiple sources has gotten too good ... With Locast .. TVE Pluto and stirr and many others. I have more than enough channels to watch and record... Without needing a hardware tuner. This will definitely ease the worry if I were to lose my Prime Tuners. Plus it has given me the ability to add TVE Pluto Stirr etcc.. to Plex and Emby.

I just wish they would let you customize the grid color for the guide, that purple is awful.

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by KeithAbbott

I just wish they would let you customize the grid color for the guide, that purple is awful.

They do have some user themes like dark and another.

[KryptoNyte]

Originally Posted by btrcp2000

Just cancelled my ChannelsDVR sub after discovering they have given up on the old Fox Sports regionals. They can't integrate the Bally streams.

This one hurt. DRM on the TVE stream.

It's just a matter of time before the other TVE streams figure out how to add DRM to their media, and make Channels DVR TVE a dead stick. And now that Locast is out, we're right back to SageTV customization.

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by KryptoNyte

This one hurt. DRM on the TVE stream.

It's just a matter of time before the other TVE streams figure out how to add DRM to their media, and make Channels DVR TVE a dead stick. And now that Locast is out, we're right back to SageTV customization.

I get ABC FOX and NBC from TVE.

Channels DVR is for power users ... Channels has given me the ability to add Pluto, TVE , Stirr etc.. to both Plex and EMBY and share the same stream and tuners when watching same streams or channels. I prefer EMBY or Plex for Viewing due to the fact that in my household we need separate user profiles.

For Example I can watch ABC on Channels and have 2 other people in my household watching ABC on Plex and EMBY and only using 1 tuner... Just that makes it worth the subscription price.

I can also record the same Channel on PLEX EMBY and Channels DVR using only 1 tuner.