DVR State of the Union - December 2016

Channels DVR Server
#126

First, the Channels app is fantastic and I can’t wait to see what you guys have cooked up for the DVR. Channels is one of the apps I always show people when walking them through our TV setup and I never fail to get people struggling to believe I’m getting such a great picture from an antenna.

That being said, I just want to add my voice to those here asking the creators to please reconsider your pricing strategy. I’m struggling to understand why the ongoing cost is necessary if EPG info is already available in the Channels app I’m using today without a subscription. Are there other ongoing costs that have to be supported besides the EPG that require an ongoing cost?

Please don’t get me wrong, I will gladly pay again to support this dev team for your efforts on the DVR software. However, if I’m supplying all of the hardware for the Channels DVR setup and already getting EPG data in the Channels app without a subscription fee, I’m struggling to understand why $96/year is needed vs. a one time purchase for the DVR companion app.

Thank you again for all of your great work on this app!

#127

I believe the EPG data you are referring to only extends 4 hours into the future, while the data provided with the DVR is significantly longer than that (which is critical for a DVR). This is information not provided with the basic app, and is something the monthly charge covers.

#128

Thanks rcgfl, that would make more sense and I can’t say I’ve ever used the channels guide today beyond 4 hours into the future.

If that’s the case, I’d really love the option to pay a one time fee for limited EPG data (even just 4 hours worth) and/or only have the ability to schedule recordings by channel and time vs. by show. I typically only want to record NFL games so the EPG data usually doesn’t provide much value to me beyond 4 hours anyway.

Again, the app is fantastic, I absolutely want to support the devs financially for their great work, and I don’t know their costs for the EPG data, but I’d really love the chance for a one-time payment for a feature-limited option.

#129

Jay78412,
You don’t have to redo your Win 10 or purchase a low end NAS, if cost is a problem. You can get away with a Linux VM on Win 10. You can use Virtualbox with one of the Linux distro. Just make sure you have enough HDD space.

#130

How would I do this on Windows Server 2008? I would like to run a VM for the dvr but can’t figure out how to set it up. I have plenty of CPU horsepower and hdd space. If I reboot the Windows Server will it shut down and restart the VM automatically? I tried to follow one outdated guide I found online but it didn’t work. For now I just setup an Ubuntu install on my old server but would rather not have to run another PC.

Also, do we have an expected release date yet? I have until the 16th to return my Tablo to Walmart and would love to have channels dvr up and running before that.

#131

Hey all, we just added a new Hardware subcategory to the Channels DVR category.

Any questions you have about hardware, NAS models, existing setups can now be posted there. Feel free to share the crazy setup you’re using to run Channels DVR there, to help others get some great ideas.

Thanks!

https://community.getchannels.com/c/channels-dvr/hardware

First Post! - Hardware Suggestions and Reviews

#132

Does this mean its being released soon??? :smile:

#133

It’s pretty easy to use virtual box to create the linux VM and add the vm file as a startup item.

#134

Bet you will return the Tablo within 1 day of setting up Channels DVR.:grin:

1 Like
#135

I was a Tablo owner before choosing Channels and I am also an alpha tester of the DVR. I can honestly tell you that Channels DVR is light years ahead of Tablo in virtually ANY category you can think of. Save yourself some time and angst and return the Tablo now. It’s not worth the effort to keep it running.

Channels has faster channel load and transition times, the software is very very stable (even as an alpha), it’s nearly feature complete, and the support is more responsive than you can imagine on the few occasions that you may need it.

If there’s any doubt in your mind about which is the better solution compare the comments in the Channels community to those in the Tablo community. Channels is hands down the best of the two.

3 Likes
#136

The suspense is killing me…I can’t wait to try it out.

#137

Did you try Plex DVR at all? If so, how do you compare that to Channels DVR? The big difference is obviously the ability to watch live tv. I have been testing out MCEBuddy with Plex but the Plex software has quite a few bugs right now.

#138

Yes I now use Plex with Channels. Great combination!

#139

I’ve tested Plex DVR on/off since inception, as I have enjoyed using Plex for viewing recordings. Even though Plex has a decent Beta DVR solution, Channels Alpha DVR at release was already light years ahead of Plex and has only improved over the last few months.

Channels DVR is more flexible, easier to use, feature rich and primarily bug free (and bugs are usually fixed within a day).

Truthfully, I am disappointed in Plex, as the devs have had four months to fix bugs, make improvements, add Live TV, etc. Bugs that I and others reported in the first two weeks are still outstanding and still causing users problems. Requests are many times left unanswered or misinterpreted.

The Channels guys are the most dedicated, professional, and responsive devs that I have ever worked with. As @johnluber stated, just read the forums for Channels, Plex, Tablo, etc. Those are the best gauge for the various choices.

Finally, there is a very major difference between Plex and Channels. Plex depends on utilization of a high powered server to transcode for each and every client device. Channels leverages the full capabilities of each ATV and iOS device (except when using the Web UI) to playback recordings and view Live TV, thereby not taxing the server with CPU intensive transcoding duties for multiple clients.

2 Likes
#140

That’s why I have scraped the plex dvr and I am only you plex as a media server.

1 Like
#141

I have tried Plex in the past, back during my MythTV days, and at the time it wasn’t as clean and easy to use asa user as was MythTV. So, I stayed with MythTV. Another big drawback for me at the time with Plex was the lack of parental controls - which is crucial for our usage. I understand they have since included parental controls but last I checked it required a subscription to use it.

#142

So what about shutdown? My server is headless and I sometimes reboot it through RDP. If I do that will it shutdown the VM correctly and allow it to start correctly again once the reboot is complete?

#143

The waiting is the hardest part, so I thought I’d ask: How does the commercial detection/skipping work?

Does it put chapter markers in the TS file? (does the TS container even support that? :slight_smile: ). I’ve got a Roku and/or an Xbox 1 on one TV I’d still use Plex to access the recordings with but skipping commercials the old fashioned way when you factor in the transcoding is a pain.

How about an API for the DVR? Could I just throw together a simple app for one of those boxes instead?

#144

I can’t wait either!

1 Like
#145

welp, i’m sorry i missed all of this. i would have liked to alpha test this stuff - i have been using DVR software for 10+ years now, starting with mythtv on linux with PCI tuner cards… hopefully the public beta starts soon. eyeTV is getting old for me!

@ryboflavins i don’t think TS would support chapter marks. i think eyetv uses sidecar files to indicate commercial skips…