I went to watch some sports and discovered my ESPN networks are missing. I am using Spectrum TVE.
Any idea why?
Look for Prismcast here as a decent way to get them back.
Guess I just tested how often I look at these channels. It took me over a month to notice.
Didn't see a link to prismcast but I will look into it.
Just looked at Prismcast comments. Seems my very limited knowledge of Windows 11 programming would make this very challenging for me. I just want to record and watch TV, not get involved in a science experiment. I've had a great run on channels, but it may be time to go with THE MAN or just give up more TV. Probably will take the less TV route. I'm signed up on channels through October so maybe a solution will appear.
1 Like
You don't have to know windows 11 programming to get prismcast going but yeah if you're not willing to go down that road channels is probably not for you anymore. More and more channels are getting left by the wayside with DRM.
I'm like you, I like simple. I setup a QNAP NAS years ago to run Plex on because neither the NAS install or the Plex install, didn't involve any programming or coding. It was like installing Windows on a PC, and an app in Windows. When I found Channels DVR, it was basically the same, just download and install the Channels app to the NAS, selected the streaming provider I was using, typed in my login info, and it worked.
As more and more providers pull away from TVE and I have to use the Philo app to watch any programs on channels that left TVE, it's beginning to look like I'll have to bite the bullet and start using the Philo app to watch and record my network TV shows, and go back to the HDHomerun app for my OTA channels and recordings. Hopefully the Channels team comes up with a 'turn-key' solution that can provide the same type of service that Channels provides using TVE. I think that once Paramount takes control of the Warner Brother-Discovery channels, they move them into the Paramount streaming service and pull them out of TVE like they did for VH1, MTV and others.
Yes I know that there a few projects out there and I checked them out, but I'm not that technical, nor am I a programmer or coder. Maybe over time, the Channels team gets heavily involved with the projects and is able to update the Channels DVR system so it can drop its reliance on TVE and move towards what the people who are working on the TVE alternatives have somewhat working, and becomes a 'turn-key' app like it was when I first got my subscription.
The problem is that the devs can't/won't support DRM, so there's no way to get those channels back without third-party hacks. And as you know this is only going to get worse over time (it's already pretty bad now for TVE), so Channels might not be a future solution for y'all.
Would moving away from Spectrum to YouTube TV get my channels back? Are there additional other options besides Spectrum?
The channels are now DRM.
You cannot get them with Channels DVR TVE, no matter who your provider is.
If you want them in Channels, you need to use one of the 3rd party tools.