Can an instance of Prismcast on one Mac Mini become a portable "source" (not via Tailscale) for two separate instances of CDVR?

Playground Hacks
#1

Currently, we have two homes, two mini pc's running on Intel N150's with CDVR/HDHR for locals running natively and connected with Tailscale. Having TVE channels via YTTV made having the same lineup at both locations a breeze as well.

But with the recent loss of Disney and now Hallmark TVE's, the expected demise of even more TVE options going forward and the strong endorsements of iOS for both CDVR and Prismcast and never owning an iOS device but always wanted to learn more about them, I bought a base level Mac Mini to stand up Prismcast (running natively) and to serve as a place to store backup configs for both mini PC's running CDVR. We love CDVR and it's ability to pull in multiple sources into a single guide and really impressed with how Prismcast has not only restored our lost TVE channels but allowed us to add Starz, HBO and Paramount w/Showtime to the mix as well. The setup is working great at our Florida home.

But we will be returning to our primary home shortly and I really don't want to have to buy yet another PC (Mac or Win) just to stand up a second instance of Prismcast and since I still have to deal with data caps at our primary home and the other home being much more prone to power and or internet outages, leaving the Prismcast Mac Mini in one location and just use Tailscale for access, I fear it may be problematic at best and not workable for our needs at worst.

So my question is regarding any major issues I might incur by physically moving the Mac Mini with Prismcast between the two instances of CDVR as a "portable source"? I don't anticipate issues with just disabling Prismcast as a source in one location, taking the Mac Mini with us and adding/enabling it in the second location as a source (IP's pinned) but rather, my concerns are mostly with how CDVR will handle the channel number assignments in Prismcast when I disable/enable the Prismcast server as a source to CDVR at each location.

Will the 9000 series channel numbers initially assigned to the Prismcast channels when it's first added as a source change with each disable/enable or will CDVR remember them?. I don't plan on removing/deleting the source, just disabling/enabling it in the source list as I move it back and forth. Are there other issues I am not thinking of?

TIA for any info.

#2

you could always just link to the cdvr w/mac playlist, that way you can have that machine remux or transcode to lower bitrate to get smoother playback.

mac -> n150 -> tailscale -> n150

#3

Taking it with you shouldn’t be an issue. If you’re worried about channel number overlaps just choose to ignore channel numbers from the m3u and select a starting number that doesn’t conflict when you set up the source in the dvr. Use a different name for the PrismCast source in each dvr as well.

1 Like
#4

I could,and it would be the most "logical" since I already have the sites linked for remote viewing via CDVR/HDHR but those are lesser viewed channels over the internet (usually local news, etc.) than Prismcast feeds are watched, so I am trying to spread out my network usage between sites due to data caps which I don't want to exceed. I also have concerns regarding power and/or network outages at the remote home if that is where I physically leave the Prismcast instance.

#5

Not so worried about conflicts as I am that for whatever reason, CDVR would assign new channel numbers every time it moves back and forth and I turn on the pre configured source in CDVR, messing up configured passes, etc.

I don't think it would and assume I could just disable the Prismcast source (not delete) in one server, disconnect it and take it with us, then connect and enable the Prismcast source at the other site (once configured) where when first configured as a source, would assign it's own set of channel numbers (even if they are not the same at the other site). Then once I create another set of passes on that server as I have on the first and pin the IP's for the Prismcast server at each site, I would think it should be pretty much plug and play after that.

With that said, with the CDVR servers already linked with Tailscale (sites have different IP subnets) and neither is an exit node, it would be easier to just use an M3u link and leave it in one location but then power/network issues at the other site from where we are as well as data caps come into consideration as does possible location verifications by YTTV for captured channels that actually feed thru the YTTV. Especially for sports on non OTA channels, I am going to want any channels captured by Prismcast to be using the proper location. Probably over thinking this all but....

Still learning about this and I always believed that the only stupid question is the one that's not asked, as long as it's only asked ONCE! :slight_smile:

Thanks.

#6

I definitely agree with you about moving the mac mini with you so it's easier to get access to locally.
Not only that, but when a token for a network or YTTV expires, you'll have to access the mac mini to reauthorize the token using the PrismCast Chrome browser.

Like Rice says, just create the source on your two DVR's using different names for the sources on each DVR, choose a starting channel and let Channels DVR assign the channel numbers. The channel numbers will then stay the same (Channels DVR remembers them by channel-id from the source playlist m3u) when you disable and re-enable the sources.

#7

Got it! Thanks everyone!