I would at the very least turn off channels integrated tailscale and then just set your channels client to "at home" and then enter the tailscale addr of the mac mini.
The part that was puzzling to me was that the client looked like it thought it was away from home as it was remuxing to hls. It should behave as if it were directly connected to your network.
Recreated that transcoder error
2025/12/28 19:26:32.206804 [TNR] Opened connection to 12523831/0 for ch106 BBC FOUR HD
2025/12/28 19:26:32.208029 [HLS] Starting live stream for channel 106 from 100.111.191.105 (bitrate=1260269kbps)
2025/12/28 19:26:32.898275 [HLS] Probed live stream in 612.469958ms: h264 1920x1080 tt 2029077bps
2025/12/28 19:26:34.614039 [HLS] Session ch106-dANY-ip100.111.191.105 started in 2.404931959s
2025/12/28 19:26:38.360405 [HLS] ffmpeg: ch106-dANY-ip100.111.191.105-remux: [hls @ 0x13260b2a0] failed to rename file /Volumes/Plex/Library/DVR/Streaming/sessions/ch106-dANY-ip100.111.191.105-2935905832/remux/stream.m3u8.tmp to /Volumes/Plex/Library/DVR/Streaming/sessions/ch106-dANY-ip100.111.191.105-2935905832/remux/stream.m3u8: Resource busy
2025/12/28 19:27:08.741216 [HLS] Couldn't generate stream playlist for ch106-dANY-ip100.111.191.105: Playlist has not been updated in 30.04308975s
2025/12/28 19:27:08.742866 [HLS] Stopping transcoder session ch106-dANY-ip100.111.191.105 (out=36.816822s finished=false first_seq=1 last_seq=5)
2025/12/28 19:27:08.765998 [TNR] Closed connection to 12523831/0 for ch106 BBC FOUR HD
2025/12/28 19:27:08.766663 [SNR] Statistics for ch106 BBC FOUR HD: ss=84%-85% snq=100% seq=100% bps=4399367,3809632-5015840 pps=376,327-430
2025/12/28 19:27:08.766766 [SNR] Buffer statistics for ch106 BBC FOUR HD: buf=0% drop=0%
2025/12/28 19:27:12.718274 [ERR] Failed to clean up /Volumes/Plex/Library/DVR/Streaming/sessions/ch106-dANY-ip100.111.191.105-2935905832: unlinkat /Volumes/Plex/Library/DVR/Streaming/sessions/ch106-dANY-ip100.111.191.105-2935905832/remux/stream.m3u8: resource busy
2025/12/28 19:27:14.545479 [TNR] Opened connection to 12523831/0 for ch106 BBC FOUR HD
2025/12/28 19:27:14.545624 [HLS] Starting live stream for channel 106 from 100.111.191.105
2025/12/28 19:27:15.356661 [HLS] Probed live stream in 771.15ms: h264 1920x1080 tt 1975432bps
2025/12/28 19:27:18.057743 [HLS] Session ch106-dANY-ip100.111.191.105 started in 3.512089542s
2025/12/28 19:27:24.081916 [HLS] Stopping transcoder session ch106-dANY-ip100.111.191.105 (out=9.760822s finished=false first_seq=1 last_seq=3)
2025/12/28 19:27:24.104890 [TNR] Closed connection to 12523831/0 for ch106 BBC FOUR HD
2025/12/28 19:27:24.105232 [SNR] Statistics for ch106 BBC FOUR HD: ss=84%-85% snq=100% seq=100% bps=3672467,1413760-4713536 pps=314,121-404
2025/12/28 19:27:24.105331 [SNR] Buffer statistics for ch106 BBC FOUR HD: buf=0% drop=0%
This was when connecting to the Mac mini tailscale address (at home) but before disabling the channels tailscale
Im out of ideas except i would ditch tailscale to rule it out completely. Open the port on your router and enable remote streaming in channels. The connect away from home on the channels client and see if everything works. I think you have some wierd routing issues on your network as the server should not be transcoding if you are connected "locally" throigh tailscale.
Bypassing tailscale should prove if that is the issue.
Ok disable the channels tailscale. You literally never want to enable that for any reason. Its terrible.
I’ve done it. Still getting the spinner.
Given the error, I’m wondering if it is an issue with temporary files on the synology. Ideally channels would put temporary files on the Mac mini rather than the media store NAS. Not sure if that level of granular set up is possible.
Have you tried bypassing tailscale? Thay would be next thing i would test
As you are using using Unifi, you can use the Teleport VPN built into Unifi. There are videos on how to use it.
The issue seems to be related to using SMB for storage
Thanks. What would you recommend instead? AFP?
What SMB server are you using? There could be settings on it that you could adjust to fix this issue. I'm running macOS connecting to a Synology over SMB without these issues, so I know there is some configuration that does work, but we have also heard of different weird issues (I'm not sure if I've seen the exact Resource busy error, but have seen other ones) people have had using SMB.
If there is some setting around leases or locks on your SMB server, you could look at trying to adjust those and see if it improves the behavior.
Just using the built in synology one. As far as I’m aware I’ve not set anything specifically different from the default
Thanks. I could, but this is less practical for other members of the household
@Robinlmp I know there are a lot of SMB settings that the Synology exposes.
These are my settings, for reference:
I don't know the current state of support of NFS or AFS on macOS is and if that would be any better. I have a suspicion that NFS would be better, but that's just a complete wild guess without any use to back it up.
Thank you.
Most of the changes I have that require changing to match yours “disables bonjour time
Machine broadcast via SMB”.
Perhaps try enabling Time Machine and see if that recreates the problem?
Thanks for this - it’s made a big difference. I’ve made these changes and will have to reconfigure Time Machine on our various macs to use AFP instead of SMB, but I think this is workable.
I think I spoke too soon sadly
2025/12/28 21:11:48.894382 [SNR] Statistics for ch101 BBC ONE Lon HD: ss=84%-85% snq=100% seq=100% bps=4435431,2553792-7673408 pps=379,220-657
2025/12/28 21:11:48.894489 [SNR] Buffer statistics for ch101 BBC ONE Lon HD: buf=0% drop=0%
2025/12/28 21:15:05.775500 [HLS] Stopping inactive session file8252-ip100.111.191.105
2025/12/28 21:23:44.240982 [TNR] Opened connection to 12523831/0 for ch101 BBC ONE Lon HD
2025/12/28 21:23:44.242371 [HLS] Starting live stream for channel 101 from 100.106.221.21 (bitrate=1146502kbps)
2025/12/28 21:23:45.069350 [HLS] Probed live stream in 800.715042ms: h264 1920x1080 progressive 2028775bps
2025/12/28 21:23:46.630862 [HLS] Session ch101-dANY-ip100.106.221.21 started in 2.388460083s
2025/12/28 21:24:45.074656 [HLS] Stopping transcoder session ch101-dANY-ip100.106.221.21 (out=1m1.844378s finished=false first_seq=1 last_seq=58)
2025/12/28 21:24:45.100515 [TNR] Closed connection to 12523831/0 for ch101 BBC ONE Lon HD
2025/12/28 21:24:45.198521 [SNR] Statistics for ch101 BBC ONE Lon HD: ss=84%-85% snq=100% seq=100% bps=3840413,1695008-6204000 pps=328,145-531
2025/12/28 21:24:45.198581 [SNR] Buffer statistics for ch101 BBC ONE Lon HD: buf=0% drop=0%
2025/12/28 21:26:51.029366 [ERR] Failed to probe file #820: stat /Volumes/Plex/Library/DVR/Movies/El Dorado City of Gold (2010) 2020-03-07-1514.mpg: socket is not connected
2025/12/28 21:26:51.026470 [HLS] Error while serving segment 219 for file820-ip100.106.221.21: open /Volumes/Plex/Library/DVR/Movies/El Dorado City of Gold (2010) 2020-03-07-1514.mpg: socket is not connected
2025/12/28 21:26:51.032416 [HLS] Couldn't create streaming directory: stat /Volumes/Plex/Library/DVR/Streaming/sessions: no such file or directory
2025/12/28 21:26:51.035215 [HLS] Couldn't generate master playlist: Recording is missing: /Volumes/Plex/Library/DVR/Movies/El Dorado City of Gold (2010) 2020-03-07-1514.mpg
2025/12/28 21:26:51.030286 [HLS] Error while serving segment 220 for file820-ip100.106.221.21: Playlist index is out of date
2025/12/28 21:26:51.036598 [ERR] Failed to probe file #820: stat /Volumes/Plex/Library/DVR/Movies/El Dorado City of Gold (2010) 2020-03-07-1514.mpg: no such file or directory
2025/12/28 21:26:51.040356 [HLS] Couldn't create streaming directory: stat /Volumes/Plex/Library/DVR/Streaming/sessions: no such file or directory
2025/12/28 21:26:51.040653 [HLS] Couldn't generate master playlist: Recording is missing: /Volumes/Plex/Library/DVR/Movies/El Dorado City of Gold (2010) 2020-03-07-1514.mpg
2025/12/28 21:26:51.100370 [SNR] Signal statistics for "Movies/Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) 2025-12-28-2057.mpg": ss=84%-86% snq=99%,0%-100% seq=99%,0%-100% bps=4121445,1433312-15285152 pps=352,123-1309
2025/12/28 21:26:51.130439 [SNR] Buffer statistics for "Movies/Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) 2025-12-28-2057.mpg": buf=0%-43% drop=0%
2025/12/28 21:26:51.153868 [TNR] Closed connection to 12523831/1 for ch104 Channel 4 HD
2025/12/28 21:26:51.153921 [DVR] Error running job 1766955420-ch104 Bohemian Rhapsody (2018): write /Volumes/Plex/Library/DVR/Movies/Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) 2025-12-28-2057.mpg: input/output error
2025/12/28 21:26:51.249835 [ERR] Failed to probe file #820: stat /Volumes/Plex/Library/DVR/Movies/El Dorado City of Gold (2010) 2020-03-07-1514.mpg: no such file or directory
2025/12/28 21:26:51.249894 [HLS] Couldn't create streaming directory: stat /Volumes/Plex/Library/DVR/Streaming/sessions: no such file or directory
2025/12/28 21:26:51.249971 [HLS] Couldn't generate master playlist: Recording is missing: /Volumes/Plex/Library/DVR/Movies/El Dorado City of Gold (2010) 2020-03-07-1514.mpg
2025/12/28 21:26:51.324779 [ERR] Failed to probe file #820: stat /Volumes/Plex/Library/DVR/Movies/El Dorado City of Gold (2010) 2020-03-07-1514.mpg: no such file or directory
2025/12/28 21:26:51.324833 [HLS] Couldn't create streaming directory: stat /Volumes/Plex/Library/DVR/Streaming/sessions: no such file or directory
2025/12/28 21:26:51.324917 [HLS] Couldn't generate master playlist: Recording is missing: /Volumes/Plex/Library/DVR/Movies/El Dorado City of Gold (2010) 2020-03-07-1514.mpg
2025/12/28 21:26:52.174023 [DVR] Starting job 1766955420-ch104 Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) on ch=[104]
2025/12/28 21:26:52.174332 [DVR] Waiting 8s until next job 1766957220-ch103 Top Gun (1986)
2025/12/28 21:26:53.901370 [TNR] Opened connection to 12523831/0 for ch104 Channel 4 HD
2025/12/28 21:26:53.926741 [TNR] Closed connection to 12523831/0 for ch104 Channel 4 HD
2025/12/28 21:26:53.926859 [DVR] Error running job 1766955420-ch104 Bohemian Rhapsody (2018): stat /Volumes/Plex/Library/DVR: no such file or directory
OK, I restarted the synology after making the changes and it seems to now be working fairly well. Will monitor.
@Eric I have had to re-enable Time Machine via SMB because AFP isn't working.
This seems like an unfortunate incompatibility. My NAS should be able to work for Channels and Time Machine. Currently it doesn't, at least not when watching live TV from a remote location.
The most obvious solution to this to me seems to be that anything to do with caching live TV should be stored locally as in, a separate location to the DVR store.
Maybe that's possible already and I don't know how to configure. I note it's possible to add multiple storage paths. But I don't think its possible to use one path for some things and another path for other things.
So you're saying that when you enabled the "Enable Bonjour Time Machine broadcast via SMB" that once you enabled that setting it caused your playback to fail with those Resource busy errors?
There's not something currently supported to configure this, though we do know of users who have symlinked the Streaming/ directory to a different volume.