DVRDesk a simple Windows and Linux client for Channels

Playground Hacks
#142

I don't have mpv installed.
Tried the winget command, but it fails.

C:\Windows\System32>winget install mpv-player.mpv-CI
Failed when searching source: winget
An unexpected error occurred while executing the command:
0x8a15000f : Data required by the source is missing

No packages were found among the working sources.

Ideas?

#143

I'm not sure how to do this?

my server is windows, but I may migrate to linux later.
it is running docker and I see no reason guide history couldn't run in it though, but again, i'm just green enough with linux/docker to not be sure how to do that.

#144

edit it must have installed with this
Media Player Classic Qute Theater mpc-qt.mpc-qt 26.07 winget

1 Like
#145

I bundled MPV with the application on all platforms. I handled all the licensing just to make sure it was all correct. It actually took a lot of work to get that done.

I appreciate the call out, but maybe, you know, this isn't the most unique thing. I would rather see help with Clicker since people seem to like it, rather than just taking the ideas I came up with and rolling them into another client. I mean, just the fact that this is all of a sudden rewritten in Rust. I mean, I specifically chose Rust because I like Rust. It just seems kind of strange to build this in the exact language I picked and pick the exact player I picked, etc., etc. It just rubs me the wrong way, even with the shout out. I mean, I just contribute to Clicker or come up with a more unique approach.

For example, I don't have a lot of energy anymore to maintain so many projects. You know, adding the full comskip to clicker would be very helpful. That's implemented here. I think people would really like that. So, I mean, that could be a great pull request, and I could really use the help.

#146

for what it's worth to everybody, i'd like to point out a few differences (reasons I use both)
dvrdesk lets me, not priorities pick the channel source
dvrdesk plays recordings in progress not just finished ones
cdvr still has a glitch somewhere that is used by clicker's Recently recorded and it's showing playon recordings from 2024
Clicker has window that can be made nice and small.

obviously there's lots of ui differences and I like having options such as the guide history.
whatever ya'll figure out, I'll stilll be here playing with new toys :slight_smile:

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#147

Yeah, I've never had these things reported to me, so I couldn't be told to fix them.

I don't think anyone has reported any of those things to me, so I didn't know. Feel free to open some issues on GitHub because I'm a little fried right now, and I'll get to them for sure. I agree though. Recordings in progress is absolutely an oversight. I should implement that.

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#148

I can't get winget to install mpv-player.mpv-CI, but was able to download a libmpv-2.dll file and placed it in the directory alongside dvrdesk-native.exe, so now it works.

@jay343 can you see if it's possible to select playback speed in this new native version.
I'm able to select playback speed in v1.15.0 and use 1.0x, 1.25x or 1.5x normal speed.

1 Like
#149

DVRDesk Native 2.1.2 is out

Download: Release DVRDesk Native 2.1.2 · jay3702/DVRDesk · GitHub

Easier setup

  • Windows: mpv now installs itself. Run dvrdesk-native.exe, click Download mpv when asked, then Restart DVRDesk. Ignore the winget command from my earlier post, it doesn't install the part DVRDesk needs. Sorry to those who hit that.
  • Linux: the .deb pulls in libmpv automatically. If mpv is ever missing, DVRDesk now says so instead of silently not playing.

Guide History in one click Guide History lets the Live guide show what aired earlier today and yesterday. To set it up, run DVRDesk on the PC that runs Channels DVR, open Settings → Programming History, and click Install on This PC. It starts with the PC (on Windows it asks for admin permission once), and DVRDesk on your other PCs finds it automatically. Manual setup steps are in the Windows zip's README.

Also fixed since the last announcement (2.1.1)

  • Black blotches that sometimes appeared in live video and never cleared
  • Caption size, color and background can now be set in Settings → Captions
  • Closing a video while fullscreen no longer leaves you stuck in fullscreen
  • The app icon now shows in the Linux dock and on the Windows .exe
  • No more terminal window on Windows
  • The Live guide no longer jumps away from "now" right after opening

Thanks to @Shaggylive for the feedback that drove most of these. Keep it coming!

2 Likes
#150

The older version included an ARM64 for Windows version. Any possibility you can compile for ARM64 again? Thanks.

#151

Version 2.2 is available now:

New

  • Playback speed: pick 0.5x–2x from the player controls for recordings and videos. Live TV always plays at 1x.
  • Windows ARM64: DVRDesk-Native-Windows-aarch64.zip. The in-app mpv download fetches the ARM64 build of libmpv.
  • Linux AppImages for x86_64 and aarch64, plus an arm64 .deb.

Linux AppImage note: the AppImage uses your system's libmpv, so install it first: libmpv2 (Debian/Ubuntu), mpv-libs (Fedora) or mpv (Arch).

1 Like
#152

getting this now for TV Shows after trying 2.2.

Failed to parse shows response: error decoding response body

rolling back to earlier versions still show the error too.
also fresh install on my cdvr server shows the parse error.

Update @jay343 a win11 server reboot fixed my issue. thanks @Pokemon_Dad & @chDVRuser for confirming it was a me issue. :+1:

history service did install and works Great! this is the best thing to happen to tv guides since tvguide. :wink:

#153

Thank You!
Works fine.

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#154

2.2 is working fine here too. Thanks for doing this.

1 Like
#155

Version 2.3 is available now:

New

  • Picture-in-picture: Pop Out moves the video into its own window that stays on top while you keep browsing. Drag its right or bottom edge to resize it (it keeps the video's shape), drag the picture to move it, and double-click for fullscreen. Dock puts it back.
  • Guide days: pick any day in the next two weeks from the Day menu in Live TV.
  • On TV in Search: search results now include programs in the guide; click one to jump to it.
  • Library cleanup: opening a show checks each episode's file on the DVR and flags any that are missing, empty, or only seconds long, with Select these to pick them all. Select several episodes (checkbox, Ctrl-click, or Shift-click) to mark them watched or unwatched, or move them to the DVR's trash at once.
  • Recording details: Details and Debug Log buttons on a recording's page show what the DVR knows about it.

Improved

  • Playback that fails now says why, instead of leaving a black screen.
  • Resume positions are no longer lost when starting a new video, and playback speed resets for each video.
  • Lists highlight the row under the mouse, and episode badges wrap instead of being cut off.
  • Dark mode uses a dark gray background, so black channel logos (like CBS) are visible.

Fixed

  • Playback could occasionally hang when starting a video.

Linux (Wayland) note: Wayland doesn't let apps keep a window on top. To keep the picture-in-picture window above others, press Alt+Space on it and choose Always on Top.

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