Hey everyone, we just launched our first dabble into providing a stable, documented, read-only API for Channels DVR Server.
This is early still, but provides a lot of coverage for your library. It's currently read-only for now. Eventually the API will evolve to provide ways to mutate the data in your library like marking things as favorites, or editing metadata.
But for now, we're looking to nail down the data we're providing you and also making sure everything is running smoothly.
Feeds?
The API provides data in 4 formats: JSON, RSS, ATOM, and iCAL. The iCal format is only available for Jobs. We've provided these different types of formats so your data is available in as many different ways that you want to use it.
Additionally, since Channels DVR Server provides feeds now, you'll see feed buttons scattered throughout the web admin while browsing your library. These are little helpers to let you grab prebuilt feeds for certain content like Recently Added Movies. Simply click the button to copy the URL for the feed.
Documentation
Documentation does not yet exist, but will be provided eventually during the beta process. For now, here's some information to get you started
Formats
The API can return the data you request in 4 different formats:
- JSON
- RSS
- ATOM
- iCAL -
Jobs only
Data Models
Here's the object types you can retrieve from the API:
- TV Shows
- Video Groups
- Episodes
- Movies
- Videos
- Jobs
Each item has an endpoint to receive all of them, or a unique item by providing it's unique ID.
Sort
You have the ability to specify how they are sorted.
- Alphabetically
- Date Added
- Date Released
- Date Updated
- Date Watched
Episodes & Videos
Episodes and videos can be filtered by their show or video group to return those for just the show or group you choose.
Sources
You can filter the results based on how they were added to the library or what type they are:
- Recordings
- Imports
- Play On Cloud
- Stream Links
- Stream Files
Filters
You can filter the results based on certain properties:
- Watched status
- Favorited status
- Verified status
API & Feed Explorer
Under the Support tab in the main navigation, you'll find API & Feeds.
We've provided a way to explore the API, help build the URLs you need, and preview the results they provide.
We hope this is a helpful way for you to get to know the API and helps you build and utilize endpoints for whatever way you're using them. With documentation non existent for now, use the Explorer to see the properties of the data models that are available.
Here's a short video showing how it works.
Feedback
Please check out the API and use it where you may have been using the undocumented API endpoints, as this is the proper way to consume data from your Channels DVR Server library now.
Please use this thread to provide feedback on:
- Is there any properties of the data models that you are missing or need?
- Is there any way filtering could improve?
- Anything in general that you feel like is missing.
Thanks so much in advances for your feedback and remember that this is currently beta so things will change, the API will be stable, but it's not stable yet.
Thanks!
