Channels reverts to displaying default channel collection in Guide/On Now sections

Channels Apple TV
#1

This probably has an easy and obvious answer but I can't find it.

I have 2 Apple TVs that are Channels clients; both are listed in the Clients section of web settings, have the same/current OS and are at v. 5.4.1.

I have 2 Channels Collections that I have set up and, in the Clients section, under "Server Side Only > Channels Collections" I selected them both to show up in the On Now and Guide menus

One of the Apple TVs works exactly as expected/desired; the other one, every so often (at least a couple of times a week) likes to display the default collections (i.e. All/HD/Favorites/Sports/Kids, or whatever order it is in) rather than the collections we have created and designated. If I get out of Channels and swipe up on the remote to reset the app, it goes back to displaying the channel collections we want to display before going back to the default almost the next time we call up Channels.

This same Apple TV oftentimes also likes to display the "Preparing your TV" splash screen before starting up as well.

Anyone have any ideas on what I need to do that I am missing? Thanks :slight_smile:

#2

I see the same thing inconsistently across my Apple TVs and iOS devices. Fwiw you don't even have to kill the app - if you background it then foreground it again, it pokes whatever is needed to update the collections. So far I'm unable to find a pattern.

#3

When this happens, can you access your dvr library and Recordings? It sounds like it’s losing connection to the server and acting like the standalone app by connecting directly to your HDHomeRun.

#4

Sometimes when I start the app cold after not using it for awhile, that's exactly what happens (no access to anything but HDHomeRun). However after a few moments it finds the server and that's when this particular bug happens. My library, recordings, etc. are all available, but the custom collections in On Now and Guide remain stuck on the server-less defaults. That's when I background-/-foreground the app, and viola - the custom collections appear after a second or two.

#5

Next time you boot snd see this sequence, submit diagnostics via the app and post to this thread.

What’s happening is, the app boots, tries to load the server and fails. Drops to serverless mode, then in the background sees your server, and loads it.

But somehow, it isn’t updating the channel collections after the fact. That’s a bug.

When you exit, and enter, it does a server refresh, gets the collections, and loads them. That’s working as it should.

But your client shouldn’t have this loading hiccup. Logs will tell us why.

It could be that your server is changing IPs in some way. And when it tries to load with the last used ip, it fails, but finds the server via discovery after the fact. Ensure your server gets the same ip at all times via the DHCP Reservation feature of your router. This makes things go way smoother.

There could also just be some issue with your network.

#6

Will do!

Already configured that way so I don't think that's the issue. Hopefully the logs will tell.

#7

Hi - Sorry I am late in responding here; I have the Channels server running on a NAS which has a fixed IP so, like @mhamdingo was saying as well, I don't think that is the issue.

I will definitely submit a log when I see this happen again, though; I have been checking since I first posted and it hasn't happened.

I should also note that, while you mention:

I am not entirely sure that this has been the case with me; but am recalling this from memory as I am not in front of the Apple TV. I will have to check when I am back home. It does the server refresh if the app has been idle for some time (or if I force quit it, as I mentioned earlier), but I need to check if does that every time I exit, which is what I think you are saying.