Can we please unmerge locast and tve locals?

Channels DVR Server Troubleshooting
#1

perfect example right now of why this shouldn't happen (or at least we should have the option to unmerge): locast is down, nationwide it seems. those of us in markets where we can get the locals via TVE have access to NBC, ABC and FOX right now even though locast is down...but we can't see them in the guide unless we go into the settings and move locast down in the priority order.

ABC is fine, because for some reason that doesn't merge...but NBC and FOX we can't see as the TVE local in the guide because it gets merged into the locast one. as i said, the only way to fix this it seems right now is go into the settings and change the priority - but the issue there (and the reason i have locast set to the highest priority to begin with) is that when looking at all channels in the guide, those three locals are way below the rest of the locals from locast.

ideally, i think we should have the option to unmerge the TVE locals and allow them to show up in the guide along with the locast feeds, for easy access in situations like this. this would also help for situations like live sports on fox, where the TVE feed is 60fps and generally a better picture than the locast feed.

thoughts?

#2

I fail to see why this is a major issue. Put your Locast source as a lesser priority than your OTA sources, and Channels will pass it over.

#3

i clearly laid out in my post why it's an issue. if you put locast as a lower priority, in the guide you end up with those three locals way below the rest of them.

in LA, locast has 55 locals. i want ABC, NBC and FOX to show up with the rest of them in order (which is OTA order), not way down below the rest of the channels.

that's why i have it as the highest priority to begin with, so that those three will show up with the rest of them (plus for normal watching, the TVE streams have a 1-2 minute delay vs the locast streams). for normal, everyday watching, i would rather have the locast streams...but there's no reason the TVE streams shouldn't also show in the guide as a backup, for situations such as now where locast is down or for situations where there is a live sporting event on FOX that will show on the TVE stream in 60fps vs locast at 30fps. i said all of this in my original post.

#4

If Locast is down the app should automatically use the second source. What happens when you try to watch?

#5

"tuner not available" or "playback failed" (i think i've seen both)

#6

here's the entries from my log where i tried to use the locast streams while it was down last night. it does not appear to make any effort to fallback to the TVE streams...

2019/12/11 22:19:29 [ERR] Could not start stream for LOCAST-803 ch5901 KNBCDT: Locast: stream not live
2019/12/11 22:19:45 [ERR] Could not start stream for LOCAST-803 ch5907 KABCDT: Locast: stream not live
#7

I agree with the OP that it would be great to have other options. For me I try to use Favorites so I can sort. But when looking at the full list it can be an issue.

For the OP you can DISABLE ABC, NBC, FOX in LOCAST (DVR) so they are NEVER used. Then you can see those from TVE. Then you can put those TVE Channels as Favorites and then change your Favorites order.

Currently I have the TVE ABC, NBC, FOX Disabled in the DVR so reduce the chance of them being used and just easier.

Before LOCAST the TVE ABC, NBC, FOX were the first 3 TVE Channels. This was great before LOCAST. But with LOCAST (many channels) those 3 are now way down the list. I would prefer those be first 3 in the list then LOCAST and then other TVE.

What would be ideal for ME. Allow me to change the Channel Numbers for the TVE Versions to the same as the LOCAST version so I could then Disable the LOCAST Versions. This would then affect all of my devices.

BTW... Would be nice if we can set Favorites in the DVR so that my 8 Apple TV's and other devices can SYNC Favorites from there. That would also help. Of course allow me to ORDER the Favorites in the DVR.

#8

I just checked and in Los Angeles LOCAST is not having any problems. Not sure the status 15 hours ago when you reported the problem. It still would be good to have other options when you do have a problem or you simply prefer the TVE channels better when you have them.

#9

For the OP you can DISABLE ABC, NBC, FOX in LOCAST (DVR) so they are NEVER used. Then you can see those from TVE. Then you can put those TVE Channels as Favorites and then change your Favorites order.

i don't want them to never be used, i want them to be used unless there's an issue OR if there's a sporting event that i want to watch at 60fps on FOX (i don't believe ABC/NBC TVE streams are 60fps but if they are the same would apply there). i shouldn't have to copy all channels into favorites and then reorder them to make this happen. i want to just look at all channels (which i always do) and choose what i want to watch accordingly...i don't really use favorites at all.

But with LOCAST (many channels) those 3 are now way down the list.

this is the main issue right now with putting locast lower in the priority list. you have to go hunting for these big three, which is more than slightly annoying.

i had asked in another thread for the ability to have locast locals match OTA numbering, which is a good first step...but i really don't see the harm in unmerging the TVE streams. they're already numbered as two separate channels (the locast streams in the 5900s, TVE locals 6000s), so i don't get why they need to be merged in the first place. seems a simple option to allow people to unmerge them would be the best way to go. if you want them merged, merge them. if not, don't. seems pretty simple.

i will say, locast and its propensity to go down like this (although it has been much better lately) is the reason i set all of my recordings to use the TVE streams, even though i can't see them in the guide.

if the tuner auto-failover'ed as the devs have suggested it should, that would be acceptable as a short term fix...but in this case, it did not. if it's supposed to, there's a bug somewhere because mine definitely did not switch to the TVE streams last night when locast was down.

#10

it came back a little after midnight. from around 10pm to midnight it was down.

#11

The easiest way to achieve what you want is to keep both Locast and TVE enabled, keep Locast as a higher priority source, and on the TVE source mark NBC, ABC and Fox as favorites. This way, when they are combined in the guide, they will be listed with the Locast channels (since Locast has priority as a source), but when you tune to a program for viewing or recording the TVE source will be used (since the TVE version of the channels are marked as favorites).

#12

this doesn't work. it still plays the locast stream if you pick the locast channel.

this is however an acceptable (although clunky) workaround, in that i can make the TVE streams favorites and flip to them via the favorites guide if i want to use them. it's an extra step, but it'll work for now i guess. the downside, of course, is that it prevents me from marking any of the other locast channels as favorites or we end up right back in the same spot. not a huge deal right now since i don't really use favorites much if at all, but if i wanted to start in the future i'd have this issue again at that point.

also, this still doesn't address the main point: why not just unmerge them from the guide in the app? they're both visible on the web guide, why not have both act the same way?

#13

I agree with the OP. I had been wondering this myself. Would be awesome to have the option to separate the local tuners and TVE.

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