ADBTuner: A "channel tuning" application for networked Google TV / Android TV devices

[turtletank]

@hancox

Zinwell: Removes a redundant DVR setup, but ChannelMaster has a long history of stopping support on products like these. This is why i leaned ADTH, but in practice now, this might be an easier lift.

I’m not giving up just yet, but after a quick look there is no obvious way to automate channel changes on either the ADTH or Zinwell tuner.

Even if we were going to fall back to just using remote inputs, neither device provides an easy way to do that.

The Zinwell tuner will accept channel numbers, but it ignores non-numeric characters so you can’t enter a specific sub-channel EDIT: If you time it right the hyphen is filled in automatically so remote command control should be doable.

The ADTH doesn’t accept any numeric characters as input. There is one dialog where you can select a number, but only via arrow keys.

I will take another look though, but if I can’t find anything that is really effective, I will probably just return both devices and just stick with ATSC 1.0 via HDHomeRun because that “just works.”

@Edwin_Perez

I had a lot of movies just showing darkness and no sound ... Can ADB tuner Check for dark screens with no sound for a period of time and kill the recording.... using XFINITY Stream.

At the moment, I don’t have anything in place within ADBTuner to monitor the status of a stream once it has started. I will have to think about this a bit.

[Edwin_Perez]

@turtletank

At the moment, I don’t have anything in place within ADBTuner to monitor the status of a stream once it has started. I will have to think about this a bit.

Thanks ... No problem ... I think my solution of rebooting firesticks during the night once when DVR is not recording has been working.

goto start
:loop
timeout /t 300
:start
curl http://127.0.0.1:8089/dvr | findstr  /I /C:"busy\":false"
set notbusy=%ERRORLEVEL%
if %notbusy% NEQ 0 goto loop
rem adb kill-server
adb connect 192.168.50.139:5555
adb -s 192.168.50.139:5555 shell reboot
adb connect 192.168.50.140:5555
adb -s 192.168.50.140:5555 shell reboot
adb connect 192.168.50.218:5555
adb -s 192.168.50.218:5555 shell reboot
adb connect 192.168.50.41:5555
adb -s 192.168.50.41:5555 shell reboot
exit

[hancox]

@turtletank

The Zinwell tuner will accept channel numbers, but it ignores non-numeric characters so you can’t enter a specific sub-channel EDIT: If you time it right the hyphen is filled in automatically so remote command control should be doable.

Ooooo. I have both in hand too right now, with plans to return one, or both. Let me know if you need to bounce anything off of me.

[rpaulmerrell]

has anyone had a chance to get the Xumo play app to work with ADB Tuner.
The link appears to be static.
Here is Get Comedy.

GET Comedy

I addressed the driver for the app on the Onn4k and it didn't respond.
Any ideas?
The channelused to be available on the docker but they added DRM.

[Art_Dolimpio]

It was a bit challenging, but easer than I expected. A BIG thanks to turtletank!

I now have a 4-Channel ADB Tuner connected to YouTubeTV and it works extremely well.

I found a 4-port HDMI Encoder on eBay listed for $232, and the seller accepted an offer of $215. Two 4K and 2 HD ports. I combined that with 4 ONN devices from Walmart for $19.95 - see picture below. 4-Port HDMI Encoder

I used the YouTubeEast channel list posted earlier in this thread and updated it with missing channels and my local stations from upstate SC. The new guide is attached below!

I also set the ONNs to Stay Awake in Developer options.

I set up a page to view the 4 streams: http://home.dolimpios.com/adbtuner.htm
For some reason it tries to open this as https even though http is explicitly specified. You cannot use https because the embedded streams are not secure. You may need to cut and paste the url into the address bar.

YouTube json for zip code 29649

[turtletank]

@hancox

Ooooo. I have both in hand too right now, with plans to return one, or both. Let me know if you need to bounce anything off of me.

I did spend some more time with these tuners last week and I think HDR broadcasts are going to be a dealbreaker. Neither of these devices will convert HDR broadcasts to SDR with proper tone mapping. They all end up being way too dark and basically unwatchable. This applies to SDR televisions and to most (all?) HDMI encoders. Unless this is corrected in a firmware update I don't see a reasonable path forward to use either with ADBTuner.

I think perhaps it would be good to revisit this if/when the usb dongle version is available. I do like the Zinwell device. I'm going to keep it and just use it connected to a television.

[oxybv]

Hi I'm trying to use ADBTuner with NBC. I don't have YouTube TV, which seems to be the "best " way to get NBC into ADBTuner.

It's working but I'm having the issue where there's a dark overlay on the whole screen. I think it can pretty consistently be cleared with the right combination of keypresses to the remote "right, right, select, select" (A kind of NBC konami code). Is there a way I can automate ADPTuner sending these commands when that particular tuner is tuned, say, 5 seconds after video starts? I really don't mind the overlay being there at the beginning of tuning, if it can be cleared consistently.

[oxybv]

While I hope this can be added to ADBTuner, I found a workaround that I think will work for now. Since I am also running Home Assistant, I can monitor when my "tuner" Onn box enters the NBC app, and have home assistant send the key-presses ~45 seconds later

[Kryptonyte]

Windows user here, starting from scratch and this is my first attempt with Docker. Docker Desktop was mentioned a few times in this thread, so I have attempted to install that, but got this message:

I ran all the latest Windows updates, but still failing. System info:

Is there another way?

[kyl416]

Win 10 version 17763 came out back in November 2018, stopped getting non-LTSC updates in 2020 and doesn't have any of the OS features/functions introduced over the past 5+ years.

Is there any reason why you want to use Channels with an enterprise setup? That is mostly for workplaces where they can't risk major OS updates breaking compatibility with 3rd party business/productivity software.

[Kryptonyte]

@kyl416

where they can't risk major OS updates breaking compatibility with 3rd party software

This is my media server. I've been running a media server of some sort since SageTV in 2004. If there's one thing I've learned is that changes that an operating system decides to do to a system can break stuff, as you mention. The developers here stopped supported pre Win 2010 systems, so I was forced to upgrade to a brand new computer - it was suggested by another forum user here to use an LTSC version as it doesn't change.

Is there another way to run the docker container, or image, or whatever it's called?

Look, I'm just trying to get back some of the stations that have been lost in TVE, or never available via TVE in the first place, and apparently I'm going to have to learn another new environment just to do something that should be baked right into the software I subscribe to.

[kyl416]

19044 is the newest LTSC version from November 2021 that has mainstream support until 2027.

[Kryptonyte]

This is Windows 10 LTSC 2019, supported until 2029.

[kyl416]

The one you're running actually stopped getting mainstream updates in January 2024, only those with an IoT installation will be getting updates until 2029. (i.e. things like ATMs, cash registers, etc)

The latest LTSC 19044 has mainstream support until 2027 and IoT support until 2032

[slampman]

@Kryptonyte

Is there another way to run the docker container, or image, or whatever it's called?

Do you have an old computer laying around? You could install linux server and then install docker. Docker runs 100000% better on linux. You can squeeze a huge amount of performance out of it as opposed to running it under Windows and WSL.

I have a turorial on the forum for a base Linux install right now. I have been meaning to do one for docker as well. I am going to put that next on my tutorial list.

[tree2369]

Just on this.

Would love a way to use adbtuner as a ‘HTTPtuner’.

Using http to send it commands to a STB via ah4c.

But would love to be able to use your gui and tuner management.

Is it in your plans to have this be customisable enough to do this?

Edit: I did try play around with the docker code to let me, but the requirement to have an adb connection was my stumbling block.

[Bossmann]

Me too! I would love to see a ”adbtuner fork” with option to send ”numbers” with android tv remote protocoll etc #1 for channel one as i have one Android sat box that i can’t use adbtuner on.

Yeah I know of ah4c but to hard for me to handle with out the easy gui in adbtuner.

With your mod @tree2369 can you tune #numbers with adb? Would love to test it if possible ?

[tree2369]

I was only able to modify how adb would tune a specific app on my shield that wasn’t playing nicely.

When I tried to modify it for a STB I ran into issues and gave up.

[Kryptonyte]

@slampman

Do you have an old computer laying around? You could install linux server and then install docker. Docker runs 100000% better on linux. You can squeeze a huge amount of performance out of it as opposed to running it under Windows and WSL.

I'm not sure I can pull that off. I'm so short on time at this stage in my life, learning new things in my profession every day, and too old at the same time to adopt an entirely new environment just to get a new tuner up and running. If I had a 14 year old Win 7 Samsung laptop laying around, would it become just a Linux tuner that could be accessed from my current Windows 10 Channels DVR server, or are you suggesting I move my entire server to this old Linux machine?

[Edwin_Perez]

@Kryptonyte

If I had a 14 year old Win 7 Samsung laptop laying around, would it become just a Linux tuner that could be accessed from my current Windows 10 Channels DVR server

I run my main DVR on a windows machine ... only use my UBUNTU server to run Docker and feed all other machines ... I run a test DVR on ubuntu ... I still prefer Windows for my DVR server.... as I also run other Video/DVR Servers.

Main DVR

UBUNTU Server

Dockers running on ubuntu ...