Introducing ChannelWatch: Real-Time Alerts for Your Channels DVR
Hey everyone!
Just wanted to share a little project I've been working on. I created a tool called ChannelWatch that lets you know when someone's watching TV through your Channels DVR.
It monitors your Channels DVR in real-time and sends notifications to your phone whenever viewing starts. I found this useful for keeping track of what's being watched at home.
What It Does
ChannelWatch detects when viewing activity begins and sends you notifications with details including:
- Channel name and number
- Device information and IP address
- Source information
- Channel logos (new in v0.3.0!)
Perfect for keeping tabs on household viewing habits, monitoring kids' TV time, or just being notified when someone's using your Channels DVR.
Features
- Real-time event monitoring with minimal resource usage
- Multiple notification options: Pushover, Discord, Slack, Telegram, Email and more! (new in v0.3.0)
- Runs as a Docker container - easy to deploy and maintain
- Automatic session tracking and management
- Open source and free to use
Example Notification
📺 ABC
Channel: 7
Device: Living Room
IP: 192.168.1.101
Source: HDHR
How to Install
Installation is simple with Docker. Here's a complete setup:
version: '3.0'
services:
ChannelWatch:
image: coderluii/channelwatch:latest
container_name: channelwatch
network_mode: host
volumes:
# Path to store configuration and logs
- /your/local/path:/config
environment:
# ========== CORE SETTINGS ==========
# Required: IP address of your Channels DVR server
CHANNELS_DVR_HOST: x.x.x.x
# Optional: Port for your Channels DVR server (default: 8089)
# Only change if you've modified the default Channels DVR port
CHANNELS_DVR_PORT: 8089
# Optional: Timezone for logs and timestamps
# Find your TZ value at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tz_database_time_zones
# Example: America/New_York, Europe/London, Asia/Tokyo
TZ: Your/Timezone
# ========== LOGGING CONFIGURATION ==========
# Optional: Log verbosity level (1=Standard, 2=Verbose)
LOG_LEVEL: 1
# Optional: Number of days to keep log files
LOG_RETENTION_DAYS: 7
# ========== ALERT CONFIGURATION ==========
# Enable/disable specific alert types
# Set to TRUE to enable, FALSE to disable (or remove the line)
Alerts_Channel-Watching: TRUE
# ========== NOTIFICATION SETTINGS ==========
# Optional: Enable/disable channel logos in notifications
CHANNEL_IMAGES: TRUE
# ========== NOTIFICATION PROVIDERS ==========
# Configure at least one provider below to receive alerts
# Feel free to leave empty or completely remove any services you don't use
# ----- Pushover Configuration -----
# Get credentials at https://pushover.net
PUSHOVER_USER_KEY: "" # Your Pushover user key
PUSHOVER_API_TOKEN: "" # Your Pushover application token
# ----- Apprise Configuration -----
# Configure any services you want to use
# Discord Webhooks - Format: webhook_id/webhook_token
# Create webhook in Discord Server Settings → Integrations
APPRISE_DISCORD: ""
# Email - Format: user:password@gmail.com
# For Gmail, use App Password from Google Account settings
APPRISE_EMAIL: ""
APPRISE_EMAIL_TO: "" # Recipient email (optional)
# Telegram - Format: bottoken/ChatID
# Create bot with @BotFather and get your Chat ID with @userinfobot
APPRISE_TELEGRAM: ""
# Slack - Format: tokenA/tokenB/tokenC
# Create app at https://api.slack.com/apps
APPRISE_SLACK: ""
restart: unless-stopped
Requirements
- Docker and Docker Compose
- Channels DVR server
- At least one notification service configured (Pushover, Discord, Telegram, etc.)
Major Changes in v0.3.0
- Real-time monitoring: Now connects directly to the Channels DVR event stream (no log file needed)
- Multi-provider notifications: Added support for Discord, Slack, Telegram, Email and more via Apprise
- Channel logos: Notifications now include channel logos when available
- Enhanced reliability: Improved session tracking, automatic reconnection, and error handling
- Improved diagnostics: Advanced troubleshooting tools for easier setup
Get It Now
- GitHub: https://github.com/CoderLuii/ChannelWatch
- Docker Hub: https://hub.docker.com/r/coderluii/channelwatch
I'd love to hear your feedback and suggestions for future features!
Thanks again for your valuable feedback!
