Chrome Capture for Channels

[djw]

@bnhf

version: '3.9'
services:
  chrome-capture-for-channels:
    image: fancybits/chrome-capture-for-channels
    container_name: cc4channels
    command:
      - sh 
      - -c 
      - |
        Xvfb :99 -screen 0 1920x1080x16 &
        x11vnc -display :99 &
        node main.js
    ports:
      - 5589:5589 # cc4channels proxy port
      - 5900:5900 # VNC port for entering credentials
    restart: unless-stopped

Retaining the authentication(s) in case of stopped might be the next thing.

[djw]

CC4C in general requires a lot more computer horsepower than Channels-dvr itself. IME is as not as easy on resources as the other projects like miibeez/vlc docker images. I cannot get decent video from the CC4C docker unless it is run on something well beyond a minipc. But running on another system with lots of CPU it seems to produce better video quality.

[bnhf]

@djw

Retaining the authentication(s) in case of stopped might be the next thing.

Disregard my deleted post just above, the container would launch but streaming wouldn't start -- so, let's try this again:

version: '3.9'
services:
  chrome-capture-for-channels:
    image: fancybits/chrome-capture-for-channels
    container_name: cc4channels
    command:
      - sh 
      - -c 
      - |
        Xvfb :99 -screen 0 1920x1080x16 &
        x11vnc -display :99 &
        node main.js
    #devices:
    #  /dev/dri:/dev/dri 
    ports:
      - 5589:5589 # cc4channels proxy port
      - 5900:5900 # VNC port for entering credentials
    user: '0:0'
    environment:
      - TZ=US/Mountain # Set to your local timezone
    volumes:
      - /data/cc4channels:/home/chrome/.config # Map to desired storage location on the host (left side of ":")
    restart: unless-stopped

[dbs314]

Just installed this, very cool.

My Channels setup: DVR server installed on an Unraid box; Chrome Capture for Channels running on a Win10 PC; clients all on on Nvidia Shields. DVR server is the pre-release, clients are all latest betas.

Having one issue: When the Chrome Video Capture window is closed on the PC and I click on a program from the guide on a client, the Chrome Capture window opens on the PC as expected but the screen remains blank and the client displays a "Connection Lost (17)" error. If I switch to a different channel on the client then back to first selection, the Chrome Video Capture now displays the stream correctly and the channel is shown on the client. In short, on my setup, the Video Capture window needs to already open on the PC for everything to work properly. Not a big deal but I'm wondering why and if I can fix it. I have a light programming background and the screenshot below appears to show that the problem is related to the Target being closed:

Hoping someone can chime in, thanks!

[hofs1]

Question I'm now getting poor video / stuttering on my CC4C pc...i haven't done much other than add a video card to rid me of the borders and switch TV to hard wired vs wifi......that shouldnt cause these issue.....right??

[jcharr1]

I had it working on my Mac logging into NBC with my YouTube TV login, but sometime recently it started giving me an error when trying to login to anything Google related:

Couldn't sign you in This browser or app may not be secure. Learn more Try using a different browser. If you're already using a supported browser, you can refresh your screen and try again to sign in.

Using Chrome outside of CC4C works fine.

[sheepy]

What kind of video card did you add? I'm running an i7-8700 and a GTX 1050, and used to get stuttering when the CC4C machine's screen would go to sleep. I'm running headless, so just changed it to never sleep and the judder stopped.

[Anvil_DVR]

For some reason this stopped working for me with the latest channels dvr pre-release.

Update:
Apparently I'm the only one with the problem.
Since yesterday when I launch a channel that previously worked, I can see chrome startup, that channel is playing, but channels dvr never picks it up. just spins. after a bit, it tried to relaunch the channel again. Once in a great while it will play. Usually not.
I'm running the latest pre-release.

What am I doing wrong?

[witty_username]

Thanks for this! I am a big newbie when it comes to Github and Channels in general. Do you know of a good tutorial that will let me decipher Github to add some of these TVE channels back? The extent of my skills are currently going to "inspect element" and then copying and pasting a .m3u8 link into channels.

Thank you once again

[sheepy]

Yeah, no issues for me on server 2023.07.23.2124. I assume you have tried rebooting everything? Strange that a setup that was working, now isn't.

[Anvil_DVR]

Yes.
There was a Windows update yesterday as well.
Maybe that is what caused it.

[babsonnexus]

@witty_username

Do you know of a good tutorial that will let me decipher Github to add some of these TVE channels back?

I'd start with reading the directions

BETA: Chrome Capture for Channels

Simplified Installation Instructions (as of 2023-07-19 at 10:30am ET | v0.1.10) Chrome Capture for Channels will open a Chrome browser and literally capture what is being shown on that tab and project it to Channels DVR. It works based on the browser's built-in capture functionality and other programs that have taken advantage of that in the past. It requires no interaction after initial setup and only will display a specific tab to Channels DVR. It does not take over your system as it is basic…

[maddox]

Has anyone run into the issue of the aspect of the webpage being incorrect? When I first started using CC4C it worked fine, then it went narrow and I can't get it back to 1920x1080.

I'm using the docker container. I've deleted and recreated it, and can't get it back to wide. Has anyone run into this and resolved it?

[witty_username]

Reading the directions is always a good place to start hahaha - sometimes things can become overwhelming. I will try the simplified installation instructions. Thanks!

I guess my question for this (after reading) would be is there a way to permamently link a stream displayed on a browser to a specific channel? For example, can I link the NBC stream to a custom channel and be able to watch that on my TV without NBC open on my computer? Maybe along the lines of the VLC configuration your older post mentioned.

I'm trying this out now and hope I'm creating the correct pathways - will let you know how it goes. A few questions:

• Do you delete the { when creating the pathways? (I did not)
• I'm stuck at Stage 4 / adding the custom channels (I removed my local NBC identifier). It appears in the source list, but says 0 channels. Clicking on the + only allows me to search via zip code. I'm also using Edge instead of Chrome if this is an issue (and may switch to Brave on a new laptop)

[babsonnexus]

@witty_username

is there a way to permamently link a stream displayed on a browser to a specific channel?

It is a permanent link to a temporary browser session. This solution is the super upgraded version of what PC Stream for Channels did.

@witty_username

Do you delete the { when creating the pathways? (I did not)

Yes.

@witty_username

I'm stuck at Stage 4 / adding the custom channels (I removed my local NBC identifier). It appears in the source list, but says 0 channels.

I can see several ways you are not following the directions correctly. You need to follow them exactly as written and do not deviate:

• In your Text field, you completely skipped the beginning of the m3u, the part that says #EXTM3U. That is why it says you have 0 stations.
• Step 3 is for creating the stations, Step 4 is for mapping them to guide data after they are created. You are clicking on "Set Provider". Per directions, you need to select "Manage Lineup". But this will only work when have your source text m3u fixed.

[babsonnexus]

@maddox

I'm using the docker container.

What are you running your Docker on? Most people with Macs are saying they have to go more than 1920x1080 on their display settings, so it could be similar...

@babsonnexus

(8) Troubleshooting / Common Issues

• If you are seeing black bars border or cropped windowed video: Adjust your display settings to be at least 1920x1080 or install an HDMI Dummy Plug to do the same. On some Macs, it appears necessary to be more than 1920x1080. WARNING: on a Mac, higher resolutions takes slightly more memory consumption.

Or it could be just related to the Docker command line. This seems like it would help:

@bnhf

I spent some time yesterday on a Portainer-Stack (docker compose) to support VNC connections to a cc4channels container specifically to allow for easy entry of credentials:

@bnhf

version: '3.9'
services:
  chrome-capture-for-channels:
    image: fancybits/chrome-capture-for-channels
    container_name: cc4channels
    command:
      - sh 
      - -c 
      - |
        Xvfb :99 -screen 0 1920x1080x16 &
        x11vnc -display :99 &
        node main.js
    #devices:
    #  /dev/dri:/dev/dri 
    ports:
      - 5589:5589 # cc4channels proxy port
      - 5900:5900 # VNC port for entering credentials
    user: '0:0'
    environment:
      - TZ=US/Mountain # Set to your local timezone
    volumes:
      - /data/cc4channels:/home/chrome/.config # Map to desired storage location on the host (left side of ":")
    restart: unless-stopped

I haven't had a chance to fully document (with screen shots and whatnot) this solution yet, but will in the near future and add it to the directions.

[Ahwman]

It seems like development has stopped on this project as we haven’t seen any updates since last month…

[maddox]

@babsonnexus

What are you running your Docker on?

On a headless server.

[bweezy21]

so the black borders issue is definitely tied to the viewport sizing. setting the entire chrome window to 1920x1080 in the main.js is the issue. i'm not setup for dev now but need to take into account the tab row and the omnibox row when sizing the window to get a 16:9 aspect ratio. However, when resizing the viewport your also resize the video output (smaller window = compressed video)

additionally every now and then i get some weird audio interference, robotic sounding, after a few seconds of it the audio completely cuts out and then a minute or so later the audio will return.

windows server, ccwgtv client

[sheepy]

@babsonnexus, for sure the "manage lineup" is the easiest, but there is a way to map guide data using the "set provider" feature. I have two channels (outside the NBC group) that I could not find appropriate guide data for. So, I created a completely separate source, moved those channels there, and set the provider to my local Spectrum cable listings. I was then able to use that guide data for those channels. I was going to create a custom xmltv file for these channels, but stumbled onto this solution.