Easy way(s) to move off TV Everywhere?

Channels DVR Server TV Everywhere
#41

That was just making me think about the fact that I still have recordings in my library from every roll-your-own DVR solution I've ever used. Windows Media Center (late 00s to early 10s), MediaPortal (early 10s to late 10s) and Channels DVR (late 10s to present).

Each was a great solution for me in its era. But even when the software ran its course, I still have, and can play those recordings I wanted to keep -- commercial free. TVE was a nice, easy to use solution for a while, but so was analog cable when all you needed was a tuner card. :slight_smile:

A large amount of my recordings and Live TV viewing come via ah4c and HDMI encoders these days, but it works quite well, and gives me the premium movie channels and sports networks I'm looking for without restriction.

3 Likes
#42

TVE itself in Channels, is not going anywhere folks.
Though, it will probably forever be in "beta" status.

There are still plenty of networks that offer a TVE stream, whether or not those networks are offered by your streaming provider, and if they are of interest to you, is a different thing.

Years back, Channels DVR stood out to me for offering this, "TVE", as a source, to get most of the CATV channels, with a much cheaper Streaming provider like Philo. (and the other big streaming services that were much cheaper back then) I had never heard of TVE before i had discovered Channels DVR.

I was using Windows Media Center, then later on after i had to move away from Win 7, I switched to Emby, along with my Prime Cable Card tuner and Comcast cable tv service.

But, in traditional Comcastic! fashion, their frequent Price Hikes, finally got to me, when the same service i had had for over 30yrs, Cable TV service only, became over $230+ a month for the package level that had the 3 channels i mainly watched and wanted. It was a glorious day, ripping out the ugly, piece of crap cable box and cables, driving to the Xfinity store in my area, walking in, and dumping it all and say, "Cancel my service!" on Jan 8, 2020, after test driving Channels DVR and some Nvidia Shields for a couple months.

Now, 4yrs+ later, most streaming services are nearly just as much $$$ as cable/sat services, or you need so many, they add up and cost even more.
TVE may slowly decrease to just a handful of networks at some point in the future, but hopefully, it will last a few years longer and by that time, maybe there will be some other just as simple as TVE alternative to integrate those networks into Channels DVR.

4 Likes
#43

Do you get the NBC networks in CDVR using the Fubo project? Specifically Golf and USA?

#44

Yes.

#45

It would be interesting if the Channels DVR service were actually advertised that way, you know, honestly. "Hey, this won't be easy, in fact it might be fairly complicated."

#46

channels DVR is certainly for those that want to tinker or have a great entertainment solution.
If you don't hase the after market stuff and just stick with native channels features, it can be pretty much plug and play.
The problems occur when you have all kinds of modifications.

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#47

This entire thread is about "moving off TV Everywhere" because it's dying a slow death. If that situation is what's driving folks to modifications that you speak of, it would seem that Channels DVR developers could roll those complexities right into the software. That way, there are programmers doing programmer stuff, and the rest of us doing the stuff we are good at (not programming). Just a crazy idea!

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#48

For me, Channels is synonymous with TVE. It's the reason why I started using it (Spectrum dropped cable cards), and I've been feeling for a while that this is likely my last year as a user. While I technically have a few things running on Docker (Channels itself is on DSM), it's only because I followed a tutorial to the letter. Every time I try to do the work and really understand Docker for myself, I get a headache. So adding more "stuff" to Channels isn't really a solution for me. I'm thinking when my sub expires, I'll just revert to TiVo (never stopped using it for OTA), Plex :pirate_flag:, and Sling or similar for live sports. I will miss the Australian TV m3u, but I was always frustrated that Channels couldn't parse its subtitles anyway.

1 Like
#49

How did you go about setting up ADB with sling?
Are you using a bunch of keystroke commands to navigate the guide and select channels?

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#50

ADBTuner works great with Sling.
You just need to visit the sight and launch the channel.
Copy the link and select the sling driver. make sure all your apps on the device used for ADBTuner is logged in.

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#51

Can confirm. Sling works with ease. Works with ah4c, cc4c and adbtuner. I opted not to use cc4c because of the opus codec but still

#52

Not only do all the Sling subscription pay channels work with ADBTuner, the Sling FreeStream channels also work. Some of the FreeStream channels may not have guide data available.

1 Like
#53

Most of those freestreams can be viewed directly using other tools (and such can free your tuners to record the paid channels)

#54

My tuners sit idle 5 months of the year, so being able to use them for some of the Sling FreeStream channels would be great. I looked at a few channels and didn't see guide data. Anyone want to share some that work?

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#55

I started exploring CDVR earlier this year because of TVE, and also because our TiVo Premiere (though rock solid) is old and I wanted a backup plan. This fall, RCN (Astound in the Chicago suburbs) dropped cable card support and we were forced to add a feeble STB (with a so-called "TiVo Experience") to our 4K TV. The interface is horrible. Cloud "recordings" are useless. If we want to go back to finish watching a program where we left off, it forces us to restart from the beginning and we can't fast forward. It's worse than useless.

So, I'm diving headfirst into CDVR and TVE with the hopes that the ecosystem will continue and evolve.

#56

TVE is nice but its too going away soon like the Cablecards are

If I were you, I'd get another STB, an IR blaster (or just an android device or 2) and a HDMI encoder as TVE options are shrinking because DRM (ie. NBC) and the companies take away the option completely (ie. Paramount).

#57

Astound charges us over $20/mo for each STB. And it is the underpowered android device I mentioned. There is an identical Astound app on tvOS and the responsiveness is much better. Unfortunately the tvOS app doesn't have a way (that I'm aware of) to tune into channel numbers other than scrolling through a huge guide of channels we don't get.

If and when TVE doesn't have the channels my wife and I are interested in (e.g., BTN, TCM, news networks), cable is going away for us. But I hope CDVR can keep providing options.

I have no interest in collecting recorded content. I just want to time-shift and skip commercials. But yeah, I'm looking into encoders and such.

#58

20 bucks a box? Yeah...thats an overcharge there. Do they even have android apps with that? Probably not?

#59

Yeah, access to the Google Play store and everything.

But I spoke too soon. My TVE is not working at all right now. Endless spinning circle in the web viewer, no response when searching channels, nothing... :frowning:

#60

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