ChannelWatch: Real-Time Alerts for Your Channels DVR

Playground Hacks
#21

Project Development

@bnhf - ChannelWatch is open source with a focus on reliable deployment through Docker. While some core files are compiled to ensure consistent operation, the project's architecture and interfaces remain fully accessible. I'm currently prioritizing stable user experience in these early stages of development. The project's structure and documentation remain transparent for the community.

Decimal Channel Fix

@Matthew_Crommert - Thank you for sharing your experience with ChannelWatch! I'm glad it's working well for you. I've identified the issue with decimal channels like 13.1 and will fix this in the next release(v0.4) to properly handle subchannels. That Harry Potter notification looks great!

Cheers,
CoderLuii
203967356

2 Likes
#22

Indeed I have. Once again, thanks @CoderLuii for expanding the capabilities of this tool. I've added v0.3.0 to OliveTin-for-Channels, with support for multiple DVRs, as before:

screenshot-htpc6-2025_03_24-14_00_44
screenshot-htpc6-2025_03_24-14_00_442158×1762 408 KB

Set log_level to 0 to kill the active instance of ChannelWatch for the selected DVR. The icon will remain green as long as there's at least one instance running. Be sure to select at least one notification method.

Also, thanks to some fine stress testing by @TerryD, @Edwin_Perez and @chDVRuser the new OliveTin EZ-Start process is better than ever. Just two env vars for initial spin-up, and there's an Action to help you determine the rest.

1 Like
OliveTin for Channels: An Interface for Misc Channels DVR Scripts & Tricks
#23

@CoderLuii sorry i don't seem to find all of these at the same time

So for virtual channels in plex there doesn't seem to be a corresponding log entry

For example watching my Home Improvement channel

image

but in logs

image
image1906×404 92.6 KB

And no notification

This one might not be fixable

1 Like
#24

Recorded / VOD Detection

@Matthew_Crommert - Thanks for sharing these detailed logs! I see the issue now. What you're watching is video-on-demand content from Plex rather than a standard live TV channel. ChannelWatch is currently designed to detect standard channel watching that include channel numbers in the log pattern.

For VOD/recorded content that uses different activity patterns (like your Home Improvement example), I'll need to implement additional detection rules. This is a good enhancement request that I'll add to the roadmap for future development.

Cheers,
CoderLuii
203967356

1 Like
#25

I tried using this and I get this error from channelwatch

[2025-03-25 01:13:55] Log file: /config/channelwatch.log (keeping 7 days)

[2025-03-25 01:13:55] Log level: 2 (Verbose)

[2025-03-25 01:13:55] Starting ChannelWatch v0.3

[2025-03-25 01:13:55] ERROR: CHANNELS_DVR_HOST environment variable not set
OliveTin for Channels: An Interface for Misc Channels DVR Scripts & Tricks
#26

Let's move this discussion over to the OliveTin thread...

1 Like
#28

ChannelWatch v0.4 Soon! :rocket:

I've been working around the clock on ChannelWatch v0.4, and it's packed with improvements based directly on your feedback! Here's what's coming:

Program Information

  • :tv: Program Titles - See exactly what's playing on each channel directly in notifications
  • :framed_picture: Program Images - Choose between channel logos or actual program images in alerts
  • :clapper: Enhanced Metadata - Richer program information with improved formatting

Channel Enhancements

  • :1234: Decimal Channel Support - Full support for subchannels (13.1, etc.) for broadcast/OTA channels
  • :bar_chart: Total Streams Counter - See how many concurrent streams are active across your system
  • :iphone: Stream Source Identification - Cleaner display of M3U, TVE, and Tuner sources

VOD & Recording Features

  • :vhs: VOD/Recorded Content Detection - New support for virtual channels and recorded content
  • :floppy_disk: Disk Space Monitoring - Configurable alerts when recording space runs low (by % or GB)
  • :arrows_counterclockwise: 24-hour Program Cache - Extended program data caching for better performance

System Improvements

  • :zap: Performance Optimizations - Preloaded cache at startup for faster operation
  • :gear: Expanded Configuration - Control exactly what appears in your notifications
  • :jigsaw: Cache Management - Configurable TTLs and improved validation

Last Call for Features! :mega:

I'm in the final stages of development for v0.4 - is there anything else you'd like to see included? Now's your chance to get your requests in before release! Drop a comment below with any ideas or suggestions you have.

All these changes make ChannelWatch more feature-rich, configurable and robust, while maintaining compatibility with previous versions.

Coming very soon!

Cheers,
CoderLuii
203967356

#29

:rocket: ChannelWatch v0.4.0 RELEASED - Major Feature Expansion!

I'm thrilled to announce that ChannelWatch v0.4.0 is now available! This release represents a major expansion of capabilities, with several key enhancements requested directly by the community. Your feedback has been invaluable in shaping this update.

:clapper: NEW: VOD-Watching Alert

As requested by @Matthew_Crommert, we now fully support tracking recorded/VOD content! This new alert type provides:

  • Rich metadata display with title, episode, progress, and duration
  • Device identification and tracking
  • Support for both 6-file and 7-file patterns
  • Single notification per viewing session
  • Detailed logging of viewing activity

Example of VOD-Watching Alert:

image
image979×520 137 KB

No more missed notifications when watching recorded content or virtual channels!

:floppy_disk: NEW: Disk-Space Monitoring

Keep an eye on your DVR storage with configurable alerts when space runs low:

  • Set thresholds by percentage and/or absolute GB
  • Get detailed space usage information in notifications
  • Prevent recording failures due to insufficient space

Example of Disk-Space Alert:

image

:tv: Channel-Watching Improvements

  • Program Titles - See exactly what's playing on each channel directly in notifications
  • Program Images - Choose between channel logos or actual program images in alerts
  • Enhanced Metadata - Richer program information with improved formatting
  • Decimal Channel Support - Full support for subchannels (13.1, etc.) for broadcast/OTA channels (special thanks to @Matthew_Crommert for reporting this!)
  • Total Streams Counter - See how many concurrent streams are active across your system
  • Stream Source Identification - Cleaner display of M3U, TVE, and Tuner sources

Example of New Channel-Watching Alert:

image

:gear: System Improvements

  • Multi-Platform Support - Now with official builds for amd64, arm64, and arm/v7 architectures
  • Performance Optimizations - Preloaded cache at startup for faster operation
  • Expanded Configuration - Control exactly what appears in your notifications
  • Cache Management - Configurable TTLs and improved validation
  • Session Tracking - Enhanced reliability to prevent duplicate alerts

:bug: Bug Fixes

  • Fixed IP address extraction from various event formats
  • Improved timestamp and duration formatting
  • Enhanced session tracking reliability
  • Fixed events/min calculation for accurate stats
  • Resolved disk space monitoring persistence issues

:package: How to Update

docker pull coderluii/channelwatch:latest
docker-compose down
docker-compose up -d

If you're using @bnhf's excellent OliveTin integration, watch for updates there soon!

:pray: Thank You!

This release would not have been possible without the valuable feedback and suggestions from our amazing community. Special thanks to:

I'm committed to continuing development of ChannelWatch based on your needs. If you have any issues or suggestions for future versions, please don't hesitate to let me know!

Cheers,
CoderLuii
203967356

1 Like
#30

The low disk space warning looks good. :+1:

Thank you for this great release! :clap:

#31

My pleasure. The new v0.4.0 looks pretty slick.

Added to bnhf/olivetin:latest (aka bnhf/olivetin:2025.03.31):

screencapture-htpc6-1337-2025-03-30-18_17_15-edit
screencapture-htpc6-1337-2025-03-30-18_17_15-edit1920×1935 220 KB

EDIT: For those moving from a previous version of the OliveTin version of ChannelWatch, be sure to stop the Channelwatch Action -- and then delete the Channelwatch image in Portainer. Then, with the latest version of OliveTin-for-Channels (2025.03.31), the most recent version of ChannelWatch will be pulled next time you run the OliveTin Action.