Pluto for Channels

Playground Custom Channels
#54

I knew I was missing something! In my testing of using the localhost IP and the Synology IP, I must have deleted it in the process. Hopefully, it will refresh as it should going forward.

Thanks!

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#55

What channel??? The NickGames channel went away a couple months ago. Is it back for you?

#56

combination of pluto tv kids and pluto tv tween.

it sucks because the guide is so limited, so you can't tell when they're going to be on except for over the next few hours...but i have a pass set up for all of them (double dare, double dare 2000, guts, and legends of the hidden temple), and they all record whenever channels finds them.

#57

You can set it to refresh every 3 hours in a more recent update vs. the 6 hours that was originally the limit. That seems to keep it with the Guide with data in it for me. But you do have to watch for movies frequently with Pluto as you don't get as much lead time as with other sources.

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#58

I feel like I'm missing some steps. I read all of the links, github, and many comments. I'm still not quite clear what 'Source URL' to enter for the m3u...does everybody just enter the 127.0.0.1:8080/playlist.m3u so long as we're not using a different port?

Also, if I'm using the Shield TV as my DVR, how does this work? I downloaded Docker on my desktop but it dawned on me that I might have to have the desktop computer running 24/7 so that Docker can continue to run the m3u, right? Is there no way to run a Pluto m3u channel for my Shield DVR without an additional device running 24/7?

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#59

The docker setup is for enhanced guide features, and better stability, otherwise refer to this post to add Pluto without using Docker. Further down that thread are links to add Stirr.

I may have had to remove the 'https://' from the guide link for it to load.

#60

Thank you. I suppose I can hold off on the custom/better stuff until I understand it more.

I did what you pointed out and it went from 0 channels to 252 channels, so that's something. They all show up in the app now. That said, I can't play anything, it's only giving me options to record (even stuff currently on). Any idea?

#61 
That said, I can't play anything, it's only giving me 
options to record (even stuff currently on). Any idea?

Do the basic stuff. Doubleclick your shield remote home button and kill the Channels app, not server. Go into the DVR UI and refresh the M3U source for pluto, make sure you removed the http stuff from the guide url, hit redownload guide, wait for all that to finish before you launch the app to watch them on the Shield.

#62

Turns out some allow me to play, others are the darker purple color as if they haven't aired yet (even though they have, or started even earlier). Very strange. Not sure the rhyme or reason yet. If you have any idea, let me know. I'll have to look further in to it.

While you're being so kind and responding to me, though, any idea if the Pluto m3u eats up internet data on my server when not being watched? I have a cap that I have to be careful of.

Thanks!

#63

Nothing more than periodic guide updates. And if you're saying the channels look blank and are unplayable, I think it's something with the guide url on the techzyon server side. Did you remove the http stuff from the url? Try it both ways. You can do guide maintenance in the sources menus and the drv ui.

I'm pretty sure this is why the developers came up with the docker route, no issues, cut down on unpredictability.

#64

It looks like most channels are working at the moment. Maybe it fixed after a refresh. I'll keep with the techzyon source for now so long as it remains usable, and look to Docker if I can find a little more clarity on it. The docs (pun half intended?) on here seem to assume you have a solid understanding of Docker and how it runs, of which I don't. Thanks again for the help.

#65

My computer is too old/doesn't contain the right hardware for Docker. Is there any other way can do this?

#66

As others have discovered, using a shared m3u from the internet is likely going to cause problems. Short of coming up with a way of manufacturing your own source m3u the docker provided by the Devs is the simplest way to get stable PlutoTV. Docker can seem intimidating but there are numerous posts here on the forums that explain how to install it and even give the exact commands to run. As always, if you run into trouble the community here is helpful as well.

1 Like
#67

What kind of computer\OS are you running?

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#68

Docker requires a CPU with virtualization support. If docker said it wasn't compatible, you could check in the BIOS to see if possibly it's not enabled.

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#69

2010 Macbook Pro, OS 10.13

#70

I checked, and it's not. However, even after resetting my NVRAM, it's still not, which means it requires an Apple software update, which my computer can no longer receive. So I guess I'm back to square one on this.

#71

Not sure if you have any coding skill but the docker project is open source so you can easily look at the source code and see what it’s doing. Might not be hard to duplicate it in the language of your choice on whatever kind of device you prefer.

#72

The docker part is not strictly necessary as you can run the code directly with nodejs

#73

@maddox how are channel numbers handled in the M3U? I have this working well and integrating with Channels DVR but (and I know this is outside the scope of what you're doing) if I bring the SAME M3U and XML guide into Jellyfin, I get all the content but no channel numbers. Is Channels DVR assigning channel numbers? TY and ty again for doing this, it looks great.