Is the Bally's stream still incompatible with Channels DVR? Just thought it might be worth checking again ... so folks might watch sports.
For Spectrum in So Cal it is not allowed or approved. Using the Ballys Sports app on my Apple TV for Angel games.
1 Like
I don't have an Apple TV device. I was just wondering if something has changed where Channels DVR could access this service, like virtually all the other channels.
Bally's was removed because they added DRM to their feeds. Channels has never supported TV Everywhere feeds that employ DRM. MSG (Madison Square Garden, not monosodium glutamate) is another example of a network that was once supported by Channels, but was removed because their live streams switched to using DRM. PBS networks are another example of once supported streams that no longer work with Channels. (GSN was never supported by Channels, because their stream was always DRM-encumbered; however if you use a browser with Widevine and ERE support, you can view it, and PBS, Bally's, and MSG via your web browser.)
Channels hasn't changed; the streams from the websites have changed. (And any stream that has migrated to a DRM-encumbered stream is not likely to ever move away from DRM. It is almost never the case where a less-restrictive model moves to a more-restrictive one, and then moves back to the less-restrictive. Corporate policy rarely follows the "greater good" mentality.)
2 Likes
Regarding PBS, GSN, and the Bally’s streams that OP is asking about -- you're 100% correct. But I want to chime in here because I’ve seen you make this incorrect claim about MSG in at least one other thread.
We’ve known for a while now that MSG GO’s streams don't have DRM. It's quite easy to find the stream URL in a browser's developer tools and play it using Custom Channels. I'm assuming the only reason Channels devs haven't re-implemented it is because of some other incompatibility with the website or it just got overlooked. See: MSG and YES Networks - #7 by realmad001
2 Likes
Pretty sure the devs said at some point keeping msg working was a pain. The m3u custom channel has to be refreshed every couple days with an updated link and I think the devs didn't feel like doing that maintenance when the user could do it themselves.
I asked the question because I have numerous cable-card TV channels that had DRM on them at one time, but their DRM status has changed over time opening a few back up. I thought maybe the developers could take a look to see if anything on the web stream had changed so that we could watch baseball using the Channels DVR system. For folks who like baseball, the loss of Bally's was a pretty big hit, regardless of what the system here can or can't handle at this time.
I understand your desire, but usually carriage agreements for cable transmissions and a carrier's TVE agreements are separate issues.
You're right, it was a hit. And I admire your optimism. But did you really think that Bally's was really going to make access easier? After everything they've done to funnel user access into more paywalled/restricted access?
You can always get mlb tv and use the docker container. Works great with channels. Not the best solution to pay more but....
Thanks for the input. I'll email the developers next time.
1 Like
Fetching a new link is definitely within the realm of what the DVR software can do, I don’t think that’s the issue. That’s how the TVE function works for every other channel, and they clearly don’t expect a user to manually find the link for, say, CNN every few days even though it’s not that difficult, because that would be a terrible user experience.
But I would believe the devs if they said in the past that the MSG website is a pain — once in a while it bugs out on me in the browser and I have to clear my cookies to log back in.