Channels m3u

Channels DVR Server
#1

Does the m3u we can pull from channels not include season information and if a show is new or not?

#2

That's in the guide database, not the .m3u

#3

A M3U playlist contains no guide information; only channel name/icon and stream info. (This is true regardless of who provides the M3U playlist.)

Guide info is supported from a separate XMLTV file, which Channels can serve, too.

#4

Sorry I was referring to the EPG data that you can pull from channels.

I’m populating my Emby server and it doesn’t appear to show season or episode info.

#5

Playlist: GET /devices/ANY/channels.m3u
Guide: GET /devices/ANY/guide/xmltv

#6

See my post immediately above for the endpoint where the XMLTV data can be retrieved from.

#7

I’m already doing this.

What I’m saying is that it doesn’t include season information or episode that I am seeing in Emby.

#8

IIRC, there was another user that posted the Season/Episode information was not displaying in Emby. The info in Channels' XMLTV isn't being read properly by Emby. It's their issue, not Channels'.

If the program has season/episode info, it is encoded as <episode-num system="onscreen">S19E149</episode-num>, which is an example format given in the XMLTV DTD. You need to contact the Emby developers to tell them to update their XMLTV parser to properly support variations of the onscreen formatting style.

Edit: I just pulled a quick XMLTV sample, and here is the first programme element from my DVR:

  <programme start="20210507220000 +0000" stop="20210507230000 +0000" channel="2.1">
    <title>Dr. Phil</title>
    <sub-title>Where Is Baby James?</sub-title>
    <desc>A desperate search for a missing 2-year-old boy in Texas, and a horrifying new discovery.</desc>
    <category>Episode</category>
    <category>Series</category>
    <category>Talk</category>
    <icon src="http://tmsimg.fancybits.co/assets/p184963_b_h6_ae.jpg"></icon>
    <series-id system="tms">184963</series-id>
    <date>20210507</date>
    <episode-num system="tms">EP005178513396</episode-num>
    <episode-num system="onscreen">S19E149</episode-num>
    <new></new>
    <credits>
      <actor>Phil McGraw</actor>
    </credits>
  </programme>

You can clearly see the two separate episode-num elements. So, the data is there, Emby just isn't using it.

#9

Script to fix SXXEPXX XML to EMBY - General - Channels Community (getchannels.com)

<programme start="20210510170000 +0000" stop="20210510180000 +0000" channel="32.1">
<title>Dr. Phil</title>
<sub-title>I Won&#39;t Accept My Son as a Woman</sub-title>
<desc>The doctor gives self-help advice and strategies for a healthy life.</desc>
<category>Episode</category>
<category>Series</category>
<category>Talk</category>
<icon src="http://tmsimg.fancybits.co/assets/p184963_b_h6_ae.jpg"></icon>
<series-id system="tms">184963</series-id>
<date>20210510</date>
<episode-num system="tms">EP005178513397</episode-num>
<episode-num system="onscreen">S19E150</episode-num>
<episode-num system="xmltv_ns">18.149.</episode-num>
<new></new>
<credits>
  <actor>Phil McGraw</actor>
</credits>
#10

I was the one that posted that over on the Emby forums. Luke kept saying it would be fixed in the next update but each update didn't fix it. I finally gave up posting about it since he doesn't seem to care.

In fact, I am now trying out using just Channels for all my video watching both movies and TV Shows. My biggest drawing point is their DVR. I love the things they have implemented there.

All I require on watching Movies is smooth playback and occasional external subtitle inclusion (which I hope they add). I do miss the Trakt integration Emby offers, but I just have to do it manually now.

#11

Thanks Jason for the Script.... but there are other problems ... when using the XML from Channels DVR ... EMBY does not add the Year to the Show folders.

#12

I didn't write the script -

I didn't know about the year issue. Does Channels put that in the XML? I know they don't append the year to the Show folders either. It always messes me up if I point Emby or Plex to Channels DVR folder because it will often choose the wrong show, mostly if it's an older show that has been re-done like The Equalizer for example.

#13

They have the Premier date in the json but not in the XML ... Drives me crazy with MacGyver ... Charmes etc ... I find the Channels XML Lacking.

Json
"SeriesPremiereDate":"2019-09-23T00:00:00Z"