CNN down?

[babsonnexus]

Looks like CNN may have joined CNNI and HLN in modifying its delivery method. FWIW, works on the web and all the apps on all the system types. Also, if you take the stream directly from the website, it validates just fine:

Like the other properties, Channels is currently not able to take into account these changes and seems to be failing:

2026/07/20 13:24:47.448430 [ERR] Failed to start stream for ch6030: TVE: Stream Not Available
2026/07/20 13:24:47.457466 [HLS] Couldn't generate master playlist for ch6030-dTVE-Cox-ip172.22.0.1: TVE: Stream Not Available
2026/07/20 13:24:47.457742 [HLS] Stopping transcoder session ch6030-dTVE-Cox-ip172.22.0.1 (out=0s finished=false first_seq=0 last_seq=-1)

@BrienD

however other Turner networks (TBS, TNT, TruTV) all are still working

The corporate structure of TWD is pretty messed up and they don't share technology suites among the whole company. Even TBS/TNT/truTV run separately, although share a little bit, while TCM is stand-alone. CNN is the same, as are the Discovery stations.

[chDVRuser]

Running Latest pre-release v2026.07.20.1638

Can't tune CNN 6030, HLN 6031 & CNNI 6032

Logs have been submitted as 79584d5d-8936-400e-8f1c-6daad6acc05c

[jagrim]

Unable to tune into CNN with DirectvStream on Synology NAS (native).

8d62b87e-6a50-4552-80cb-21e5a8cb838b

[MediaGuy]

I'm wondering, do channels that go Dark on TVE ever come backor once gone, they're gone?
For businesss reasons I need CNN in Channels DVR. Since TVE is now CNN dark i have to figure out how to eventually have inside Channels the following

I don't need TVmovies or anything else just the following

CNN
CNN International
MS Now
Newsnation
Fox

[babsonnexus]

@MediaGuy

i have to figure out how to eventually have inside Channels the following

See this to get a rundown on all your options:

BETA: HDMI Encoder Native Apps - Say goodbye to DRM restrictions!

[image] Demonstration of a station playing in Channels DVR using the HDMI Encoder Native Apps - ADBTuner method. The client shown is the Feral HTPC community user created app for Windows. Be aware that the choppiness is just a function of being a GIF and that actual performance is smooth. See video below for a complete illustration. I'm happy to announce the BETA release of HDMI Encoder Native Apps, an add-on collection for tools like ADBTuner and Roku Bridge that allows you to get more than …

[chDVRuser]

Or this for Fox ESPN+ & FOX Sports with Custom Channels via EPlusTV

Or this for all your provider channels Introducing PrismCast: Browser-based Live TV Capture for Channels DVR and Plex

[MediaGuy]

TY

Is this asubstitute for TVE?

In other words CNNand CNN I are dark now on Channeles using Channels

Will this bring those channels back? If I am not getting MS Now in TVE and Channels would I with this?

Again, thanks !

[MediaGuy]

Stuck at thispoint on what to do after Dl from github

[chDVRuser]

Followup in it's own topic here Introducing PrismCast: Browser-based Live TV Capture for Channels DVR and Plex

[MediaGuy]

CNN is back on TVE. I did the rescan/authorize a second time and it worked !!!

If only it carried MS NOW !!!

EDIT it's back and authorized but it wont pla yor record in channels what gives?

[rccoleman]

That's the same behavior that I've seen all day. It authenticates fine, but you can't actually watch it.

[MediaGuy]

Do you think it will resolve?

Historically do TVEchannels that go dark come back?

[MediaGuy]

I even removed

TVEand tried to recreate it and no this

[doug8796]

Isn't there a new cc4c that was released that would also work? Is it fully drm now has anyone checked?

[Login]

I just used OpenAI Codex/ChatGPT to do 100% of anything needed to fix this CNN issue. Model used was 5.6-Sol with High Reasoning.

For those who dont understand, this is NOT chatting with AI and copy/paste whatever it says or trying to follow its instruction. This is AI taking control of your apps, your terminal, and running commands itself, installing software, making config changes to the ChannelsDVR server, doing everything automatically for you.

I did not know anything about CC4C or PrismCast prior to doing this. Maybe try Prismcast first?

Here is what we did:

• Built a 100% software-only CNN workaround on an M2 Mac mini—no HDMI encoder or capture hardware.
• Installed Chrome Capture for Channels (CC4C) bare-metal and authenticated CNN.com using a Spectrum subscription.
• Added the stream to Channels DVR as a custom M3U source on channel 6030.
• Modified CC4C to restore audio, capture at 1920×1080, eliminate embedded black borders, and keep Chrome fullscreen but hidden.
• Verified live viewing, stereo AAC audio, and DVR compatibility. The original Spectrum TVE source still returns “TVE: Stream Not Available,” so CC4C remains necessary.

I asked for a prompt (Its Mac specific though) that I could share with others.

------------- PROMPT BEGIN --------------

You are running directly on my Apple Silicon Mac mini, which already runs Channels DVR. Build and configure a 100% software-only CNN workaround using Chrome Capture for Channels (CC4C). Do not use Docker, HDMI hardware, screen recording, or a physical capture device.

Requirements:

• Find and install the current maintained CC4C source locally.
• Use Google Chrome’s existing GPU/video decoding.
• Run CC4C on port 5589 at 1920×1080, 30 fps, approximately 6 Mbps video and 256 Kbps audio.
• Store Chrome’s persistent login profile under:
  ~/Library/Application Support/ChromeCapture/chromedata
• Initially run Chrome visibly so I can personally sign in to CNN.com with my TV provider. Never ask me to paste or store my provider password in chat.
• Use this CNN page:
  https://www.cnn.com/watch/US

Make any necessary CC4C changes specifically for CNN:

• Wait for CNN navigation using domcontentloaded and tolerate detached/replaced frames.
• Locate the active HTML5 video element and promote it to:
  position: fixed; inset: 0; width: 100vw; height: 100vh;
  object-fit: contain; background: black; highest z-index.
• Repeatedly force all video/audio elements to:
  muted=false, defaultMuted=false, volume=1, remove the muted attribute, and call play().
• Launch Chrome with --kiosk and --start-fullscreen so the captured viewport is exactly 16:9 without embedded black borders.
• Do not minimize Chrome because that can stop tab capture.
• After fullscreen initializes, hide only the CC4C Chrome process using macOS AppKit/NSRunningApplication—not screen recording or Accessibility automation.
• Keep the window hidden while capturing.

Create a macOS LaunchAgent so CC4C starts automatically after login with these arguments:

--port 5589
--videoBitrate 6000000
--audioBitrate 256000
--frameRate 30
--width 1920
--height 1080
--no-minimizeWindow
--offscreenWindow

Add a Channels DVR custom M3U source named “CNN (CC4C)” with one tuner and this playlist:

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:-1 channel-id="cnn-cc4c" channel-number="6030" tvc-guide-stationid="58646" tvg-id="58646" tvg-name="CNN",CNN
chrome://127.0.0.1:5589/stream?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2Fwatch%2FUS

Verify everything instead of stopping after installation:

• Tune the custom source through Channels DVR.
• Confirm H.264 video at 1920×1080.
• Confirm AAC audio at 48 kHz stereo and verify that it contains an audible signal.
• Extract a test frame and confirm CNN reaches all four edges of the encoded 16:9 frame.
• Confirm Chrome is hidden and no screen-recording capture is being used.
• Restart the LaunchAgent and test again from a cold start.
• Preserve the original Spectrum TV Everywhere source so it can be tested separately later.

Report the installation directory, LaunchAgent path, port, Channels source name, channel number, verification results, and any source-code modifications made.

------------- PROMPT END --------------

Once you get that channel working, you might want to send it 'now fix channel 6032', which I just did... and it did.

[GTFan]

Lol congrats. You just recreated Prismcast without all the stream reliability checking.

But even with all that checking, it's still not very reliable lol.

[GTFan]

@chDVRuser

Followup in it's own topic here Introducing PrismCast: Browser-based Live TV Capture for Channels DVR and Plex

Just to stay within this topic for CNN specifically, I found that the default auto detect profile in Prismcast did not work, I had to change it to embedded dynamic multivideo. Streams fine after that.

[KineticMan]

I am adding support for premium DirecTV and Sling to FastChannels for next version and they both have CNN. It will rely on Prismcast DRM bridge, but a little simpler to use if you not into HDMI encoders and Chrome Capture.