DVR on multiple servers

Channels DVR Server
#1

I just got Channels tonight. I’m running it under UnRaid in a docker container, and it seems to be working well, though transcoding is being done in software. I also installed the DVR server on my nVidia ShieldTV, and it sees the hardware for transcoding there.

UnRaid has the advantage of lots of storage. ShieldTV? Not so much. I was hoping that the servers could work together, with the ShieldTV providing a transcoding service for the UnRaid server. This way, I get the storage of UnRAID with the hardware transcoding of the ShieldTV.

Is there any way to run it like this? Does it only really help if I’m watching it remotely or via web browser?

#2

The DVR assumes one server per household.

If you really want to run multiple, you can control which one is used locally (via the bonjour checkbox) and which one is used remotely (via the remote access setting).

So you could potentially use the SHIELD server for remote access streaming, but then it would only work for live tv since none of your recordings would be available.

You’re best off probably just running on unRAID and uninstalling from the SHIELD. Transcoding is only used for remote/web viewing and the software transcoder has pretty good performance (and better quality in some cases).

I would also like to get hardware transcoding working on unRAID. I saw some threads on their forum that said newer versions have the necessary drivers installed, but I don’t have an unRAID installation handy to try it out. The instructions for getting it working should be similar to the steps required for Plex: https://lime-technology.com/forums/topic/69931-help-with-plex-hardware-transcoding/

#3

Can you ssh into the unRAID and run these commands, and copy/paste the output back:

uname -a
lsmod | grep i915
ls -alh /dev/dri
modprobe i915
ls -alh /dev/dri

#4

root@Tower:~# uname -a
Linux Tower 4.14.35-unRAID #1 SMP PREEMPT Thu Apr 19 14:06:21 PDT 2018 x86_64 Intel® Xeon® CPU E3-1230 v5 @ 3.40GHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux
root@Tower:~# lsmod | grep i915
i915 1138688 0
video 36864 1 i915
iosf_mbi 16384 1 i915
i2c_algo_bit 16384 1 i915
drm_kms_helper 122880 1 i915
drm 294912 2 i915,drm_kms_helper
intel_gtt 20480 1 i915
backlight 16384 2 video,i915
i2c_core 36864 6 i2c_algo_bit,ipmi_ssif,i2c_i801,i915,drm_kms_helper,drm
button 16384 1 i915
root@Tower:~# ls -alh /dev/dri
/bin/ls: cannot access ‘/dev/dri’: No such file or directory
root@Tower:~# modprobe i915
root@Tower:~# ls -alh /dev/dri
/bin/ls: cannot access ‘/dev/dri’: No such file or directory
root@Tower:~#

#5

Looked up my processor (https://ark.intel.com/products/88182/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E3-1230-v5-8M-Cache-3_40-GHz)- it doesn’t support quick sync… Ah well.

1 Like
#6

Honestly you’re better off with software transcoding if you have the CPU resources, the image quality is better.