EPG From OTA Broadcast on Channels For HDHomeRun

Channels Apple TV Feature Requests
#1

Could you add a way to simply obtain the EPG from the OTA broadcasts when not connected to the internet?

I use Channels for HDHomeRun on Apple TV, iOS, and Mac quite a bit, and when I don't have an internet connection, I'm not able to bring up any guide info. I know that the EPG from the OTA broadcasts aren't as good, but at least it would be something.

I know for certain that an ATSC 3.0 broadcast in Miami, FL is sending station logos alongside their EPG. They are not acquired using the internet. I have confirmed this numerous times using the ADTH Box. It would be nice to have the EPG and display logos like that while offline.

Would there be a way to use 2 tuners at the same time, where 1 tuner is being used to watch the TV channel and the other is going down the list of channels and acquiring EPG info simultaneously?

Thanks!

#2

We don't plan to add this but if you find a way to download the EPG and convert to XMLTV you could use it in the DVR that way.

1 Like
#3

If you use Tvheadend, you can use it to extract the EIT guide data from the broadcast stream, and then use its XMLTV endpoint to feed that data into Channels.

However, since Tvheadend needs to use the older API for getting the data, it will want to have a tuner dedicated for its exclusive use most likely. (The best way to mitigate that issue might be to have Tvheadend manage access to your tuners, and export them via M3U or SAT>IP to Channels.)

Just remember that the guide data provided alongside the broadcast is quite limited.

#4

tvheadend doesn't support atsc3 epg. I don't know if the HDHomeRun even exposes it yet.

#5

No, but as far as I am aware there isn't any (unencrypted) ATSC3 channel that is not also simulcast on ATSC1; the guide data for the ATSC1 channel ought to be the same for its ATSC3 version.

#6

Okay but that is not relevant to the OP's inquiry.

#7

I'm not using the DVR version of Channels. I'm only using Channels for HDHomeRun (the $25 app for Apple TV). I'm not sure how I would even give the app XMLTV since the HDHomeRun is acting as a server.

Is there really no way to add something like this? I know TSReader is able to make a TV guide using ATSC 1.0 OTA broadcasts. And for ATSC 3.0, EPG data is sent without encryption on all broadcasts. Is this something the devs have looked into at all?

#8

Ah, then no, the middleware option will not work for you.

#9

That's exactly why I was requesting this feature. Something as simple as EPG from an OTA broadcast standard that's nearly 30 years old should be relatively easy to implement! I understand if the devs haven't looked into ATSC 3.0 because it's relatively new, but the ATSC 1.0 EPG should be a feature of the app. When the app is connected to the internet, it actually gets some of the channels wrong. It would be better in that case just to use the EPG that's being broadcast.

#10

We have looked into it and it's unfortunately not easy. We do implement EIT in the UK because the DVB spec is far simpler in this regard.

#11

Would you guys be willing to look into the ATSC 3.0 EPG to see if that's something you could implement? It comes from a multicast IP address OTA, and many broadcasters are sending pictures and other rich data

#12

It would be the hdhomerun firmware's responsibility to expose that data in some usable fashion. It's on our radar to evaluate feasibility.

#15

Yeah...this doesn't make sense to implement. You could get the guide from HDHR using EPGCollector but other than that, it makes no sense to rely on unreliable PSIP data and there's not enough non-DRM'd ATSC 3 channels to make this feature make sense to implement

#16

So... in order to have guide data you should be connected to the internet 24/7? The guide many broadcasters send is perfectly fine.

#17

Many broadcasters only show 4-6 hours of guide info (if any). Not really fine for me. I tried just using PSIP data to record stuff before Channels (or even using Schedules Direct). Not fun

#18

Schedules Direct uses Gracenote, too; it is the exact same guide data as Channels.

#19

Yeah, that's what I was using before Channels as PSIP guide data is trash

#20

Channels for HDHomeRun is not a DVR. Channels Server is a DVR. I could see using guide data from the internet for a server DVR, but I'm not scheduling anything. All you can do with Channels for HDHomeRun is watch live TV. You simply scroll through the guide to see what's on at the moment. EPG data broadcast OTA works perfectly fine for that use case.

#21

If you're talking about that app (the paid app Channels for HDHomerun) and getting guide without internet, yeah...that's not gonna happen.

#22

I may be misunderstanding the issue, so I apologize if I am. But in regard top ATSC 3.0 guide data not needing the internet, would seem to be inconsistent (I'm not an expert in EPG guide datable any stretch) because ATSC 3.0 requires an internet connection at all times to access those stations. The internet is what allows them to implement the DRM with ATSC 3.0.