Best DVR setup? Nvidia shield tube, rpi4 or other?

Channels DVR Server
#1

I'm trying to set up as close to a fool proof Channels DVR setup as possible for my parents as possible. Currently they have Channels DVR running on a rpi4 and a cheap android tv box, after as little as a few minutes they say the audio will get out of sync with the video ( only in the channels app, streaming from the usb drive attached to the rpi4 through Kodi, Amazon video,and other streaming apps do not have the sync issue). Due to the current virus lock downs,and my father being in the high risk group, I have not been to their place to look at the issue,but they have said they have had issues since the day I set up the rpi4 dvr.

Due to the lack of stock everywhere for shield pros, I have looked at getting a shield tube and either installing a bigger fast SDcard for DVR storage, or mounting a drive on a networked drive ( I tested this on my 2019 shield pro and it functioned).

My parents want to keep the user interface that they have on their current android tv box, or on the nvidia shield...

Would I be better keeping the rpi4 as the dvr server, or would a nvidia shield tube be a good all in one solution?
Or if we are trying to keep costs down, is there another option that be a good solution?

On other option we tested was an old PC running Unraid with Channels DRV running, my parents reported the same audio sync issues, we thought it was the Unraid and gave up on it and switched to the rpi4. This is leading me to believe the cheap android box is the real issue.

Bill

#2

Audio sync issues are likely due to the cheap android client. What exactly is it?

#3

it is a

Beelink GT King TV Box Android 9.0 Amlogic S922X Hexa-core G52 MP6 Graphics 4GB DDR4 64GB ROM 2.4G + 5.8G WiFi Bluetooth 4.1 4K 60fps Support 2.4G Voice Remote Control

but with a 3rd party rom that has the current Android TV interface for them. I used it at home with the stock rom with no issues,but I also wasn't streaming from channels dvr.

I'm sure the audio sync issue is the Android box, what I am more concerned with is if the 2019 nvidia shield tube is acceptable to act as a channels server, it will only be playing tv on itself and knowing my parents will not be recording much as a dvr.

Oh one other consideration is that they are in a senior apartment and anything by the tv will have to be wifi, unless I go stretch a network cable from their front closet to the living room...Being that it is a rental I don't want to do this unless it is 100% required

#4

The SHIELD is a good all-in-one, but only the PRO can be used as a server. The tube model runs a 32-bit OS and less RAM.

#5

One thing you can try is to change the app's settings under Player to Surround Sound: Off. That may help with the sync issue.

#6

dad changed the audio settings tonight. I will report back tomorrow on results.

#7

Go with a MiBox S. We love it and have had no problems with Channels DVR on it.

#8

I actually bought my daughters a MI box S for Christmas and they say it works well but stutters and needed to be unplugged very often. I was going to get one for my parents but when my daughters complain about the stuttering I didn't want to add that to the support issues for my parents :slight_smile:

#9

OK, I need to come clean - I've had no problems... except one, and it's not Channels' fault.

I have the same stuttering you've described, but on only 2 of the 52 channels I get OTA via my HDHomeRun. The 2 channels (WXYZ 7.1 ABC and WMYD 20.1 MyTV in Detroit) originate from the same tower, and likely the same transmitter, in Southfield, Michigan.

I have found these solutions to the stuttering:

  1. Revert the MiBox back to Oreo 8.1 (I did not want to do this, and this solution is only heresay), OR
  2. Transcode the affected channels

I ended up doing #2. I even found a novel way to set up my server to start and stop the transcoded streams on demand. It involves running nginx Web server with the lua extension, a custom M3U file for the transcoded URLs, running telly on the M3U file, and setting up Channels with the additional "telly" device.

I pasted my nginx config file here:
https://pastebin.com/GYwLviJ3
With this, you can now go to http://YOUR_NGINX_SERVER:8080/auto/v7.1 or whatever channel you like, and the transcoded stream will be streamed to Channels DVR.

#10

Ah in my daughters cases it is not related to Channels drv at all, it is streaming from Philo, Amazon, nexflix etc.
Talking to my daughters now, it sounds like as long as they actually power off it isn't a big issue.

#11

I am running DVR Server and client on Shield 2017. I regularly have audio issues (out of sync) especially when closed captioning is employed. Also, turning surround sound off may help. I dont have these issues on any other Shield TV app (Kodi, Plex, Live Channels or HDHomerun's client).

#12

I have a Shield Pro with a 1TB Solid State USB HDD available which are brand new still sealed in their shipping boxes. They are from Best Buy, but I didn't end up needing them. I was going to just return them to BB and get my money back, but it says that they're on back order and have been for a LONG TIME, so I decided to list them here first in case anyone has been looking for one but couldn't find it available. I at first tried selling at a small profit but had no takers, so I decided to offer it for exactly what I paid for them to help someone in the community if they needed it. It seems like you may fit the bill if you decide you do want to go the route of the nVidia Shield Pro as your DVR Server? I am using an older version of the Shield Pro remotely and after some hiccups, it's been working exemplary for many weeks now! Here is the link to my sale here if you're interested:

#13

Although not the cheapest option and possibly not practical for this situation, I've been using an AppleTV 4K with an Hdhomerun and my server runs on quite a powerful i7 NUC.

Obviously not a cheap setup, however I never have any issues with it, and as I use the AppleTV for other apps such as BBC iplayer, Amazon Video, Amazon Music, YouTube etc it's very versatile.
I also use the NUC as a Plex server, and so have all my Plex content available using the Plex app on the AppleTV too.

If you didn't need the extra power of the i7 NUC, then you could get away with a much loser powered computer, either a cheaper NUC or maybe an old laptop or possibly a Raspberry Pi?

A few years ago I certainly wouldn't have recommended an AppleTV, as they were quite restricted, but now with all of the other media apps available and rock solid reliability I think they're fantastic media boxes.

#14

OK I am returning this Shield Pro and Solid State HDD to Best Buy now. If you want them, maybe check online in a couple days and maybe these will show up as open box (even though I never opened them). Good luck with your setup, @bilbo6209!

#15

Are all the flat rectangular Shields the Pro model or is there a difference and how do you tell them apart?