Channels DVR with 4k fire stick freezing

Channels Fire TV
#7

I don't know why you switched from an Apple TV to a Fire TV device, but if your primary usage of the device is with Channels, I would recommend you switch back to the Apple TV.

The Apple TV is the primary development target of Channels, and all new features come to that platform first. (Other Apple devices get the features next, ultimately followed by Android/Fire OS devices; in fact, there are features the Apple TV client has that still have yet to appear on Android-based devices.) So, unless there was some particular reason that drive you to switch platforms, if Channels is your primary use-case, then I suggest switching back.

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#8

Does tuner sharing mean all TV's watch same channel?

#9

space behind a new wall mounted TV made the stick easier. But I will find a way to hang the ATV and remove the fire stick. Channels is about the only thing I watch

#10

No, tuner sharing means that the DVR handles HDHR connections for the clients. By default, every client opens its own dedicated stream to the tuner. So, if two client devices are watching the same channel live, that is using two separate tuners on your HDHR device. And if you are recording that same channel, too, then there is a third separate stream for the DVR.

With tuner sharing enabled, the DVR opens a single stream/tuner for the channel, and every client with it enabled gets its stream from the DVR. So instead of 3 separate streams being sent to the different clients and the DVR, only a single tuner is used to send the stream to the DVR. Then, the DVR sends that "shared" stream to the two clients, and saves it to disk for the recording.

The only real drawback to tuner sharing is it may take a little longer to initially tune an OTA channel. Otherwise, it works the same as for TVE streams.

#11

So for now our only solution is to switch to Apple TV? :laughing: Not gonna happen here. I have faith the devs will smooth this out eventually. So far this doesn't seem to be a widespread issue either, and I don't want to discourage anyone from trying Fire TV.

#12

I never said that. I offered a possible cause of the issue, along with a possible solution. The OP simply stated they didn't have the problem with an Apple TV, and I suggested they might move back to that platform both to alleviate their issue, as well as receive a better experience with Channels.

Please don't put words in my mouth, or conflate suggestions with end-all solutions.

(And of course, everything is really just a guess, because there are no real/concrete details or data provided, just anecdotal evidence. But based upon the past and personal experiences, I gave suggestions as to what I felt was most likely happening.)

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#13

OK, sorry. You did say "I recommend" not "solution". And it certainly seems like an easier course of action than lowering the bit rate and rebooting regularly, but I'll stick with that for now.

#14

I have 3 TVs each with its own Amazon 4K Fire Stick and they all work pretty much flawlessly (with caveats). That being said, I've found that the Fire Stick does not perform well if your speed back to the DVR server is less than 200Mbps. Make sure you've connected it to the fastest band on your WiFi router (it may be an explicit 5GHz ID apart from the regular 2.4GHz ID). On the Fire Stick that I use the most, I bought a Gigabit Ethernet adapter for it. With the wired connection I measure ~350Mbps to the DVR server. Things are very solid and very snappy. (well, except I do need to reboot the Fire Stick every couple of weeks, things just start to get wonky if I go much longer than that without a reboot).

#15

my other 2 devices (apple TV's) never have 200 mbps. The fire stick is 7' from an Orbi satellite router (which is hardwired to the main Orbi) I have 400mbps plan with Orbi mesh system. I normally get 300+ wifi speed around the house. I'd rather not swap devices but it is annoying.

#16

Thanks, but it's on wired gigabit Ethernet. Two other Fire devices, one getting a slower speed due to a long cable run and the other much faster, show no symptoms at all. Main differences are the troublesome one gets more continuous use, and probably has less memory and a slower processor.

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#17

@llzel have you ever submitted logs after these incidents? I submitted one in April, but the devs may not have enough data yet.

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#18

I haven't but will next time it happens.

#19

The other problem I have is that you can't assign a band with Orbi Mesh Systems. I'd like to assign 5mghz only but haven't seen how yet.

#20

The problem with the FireTV 4K is it has very little free storage and that is where Channels DVR keeps the buffer forcing a transcode instead of original quality ... the buffer is stored at the DVR. With the new Interface you have much more Ads and recommendations which take up storage... Clearing Cache on other Apps helps. Live TV is a pain in the butt when you have limited storage.

So before you go crazy trying to switch ethernet or wireless etc ... force a transcode when watching LiveTV and see how that performs.

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#21

I have these for Apple TVs that need to be mounted behind the tv. Work great.

TotalMount Apple TV Mount - Compatible with all Apple TVs including Apple TV 4K https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017K17PQ8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_NjBx9nIKwCibq

#22

I've cleared cache, set to shared tuner, switched to 8mbps (from original) and I still get freeze and error message about network problem. But only with ChannelsDVR. BTW, I'm using the free version of channels DVR fire stick app. Does the paid version work better?

#23

Free Version is the one to use when you are subscribing to the DVR.

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#24

The paid version is a live TV client app for people who do not subscribe to the DVR service. DVR subscribers get free client apps.

#25

Have you done the Channels DVR speed test ?

#26

I just now read back through this thread.

You haven't told us much about how your HDHR tuner and your ChannelsDVR are connected to your LAN. Where are they located? How are they connected to your LAN? What operating system is your server running?

I HIGHLY recommend connecting the ChannelsDVR server to the LAN via Ethernet (rather than WiFi), use only Gigabit Ethernet switches/hubs (if you use any at all), and use a WiFi router with Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports.