Feature Request: Ability to set a buffer size

Channels DVR Server Feature Requests
#23

A one hour show in MPEG2 take up 8 gigs. That means 2 gigs is 15 minutes worth of buffer; 1 gig is 7.5 minutes. Even on MEG5 shows, it unpauses after 3 minutes with 2+ gigs free. I used to be able to pause of very very long periods of time, but something changed about 2 or 3 months ago.

Either way, as far as watching live TV and using Channels as a DVR where you pause, and then fast forward, it's pretty much useless. Again, it's the reason we still have a TiVo, if these littles things could get fixed, TiVo would be gone, and I would brag up ChannelsDVR to all my my friends and family.

#24

You don't have 2GB free, only 350MB is free. FireOS may claim that much is free, but it is not available for Channels to use.

We can look into making it easier to use the remote server buffering mode when at home.

Local HLS streaming at original bitrate
#25

Well, I successfully added 16 gigs to my Fire TV 4K Max and got the buffer space I was looking for. As it turns out, none of my other devices will get FireOS 7 (needed for USB storage expansion), so I guess Ill be buying 7 more 4K Max sticks in order to get my my buffer space. Kinda sucks.

#26

The thumb drive solution is not working well. I keep having to replace and/or reformat the Thumb Drives (SanDisk good drives). Now the living room Channels App doesn't work at all, even when not placed on the USB Drive. When I choose a channel to watch from the guide, it never plays and the FireStick becomes so slow you can hardly even get it to do anything until it's rebooted. I submitted many many diagnostics.

At this point I'm ready to give up and look for another DVR solution. Little to no buffer really sucks for live TV.

#27

In my personal experience the only reliable solution I had with thumb drives and Channels on Android was with the CCGTV, and using an external powered USB3 hub with PD; every time I've tried it with USB-OTG adapters on Fire TV devices, or plugged directly into the USB-C port of the TS4K, the drives are unreliable, and frequently require reinsertion or rebooting the device.

(The cost of the CCGTV, hub, thumb drive, and additional/more powerful AC adapter makes the cost nearly the same as an Apple TV ... Android makes for decent cheap streamers, but for anything else you'd most likely be better served by something else.)

#28

In the beta app, can you try changing Settings > Debug > Always use HLS: On

That setting should move the buffer to the server

HLS option
Memory Report from the Support Menu
#29

Its not channels that sucks, its firesticks. I have 3 TV's and there are 3 firesticks in the trash now... Switched to AppleTV's and I feel foolish for waiting for so long. Its not that Channels only works reliably on AppleTV, its that AppleTV is a far superior streaming device and EVERYTHING works better.

1 Like
#30

If you’re highly invested in Channels, it’s worth investing in hardware.

2 Likes
#31

You tell me one thing that is so great about the Channels DVR LiveTV buffer besides channel change? So asking folks to invest on devices does not address the shortcomings of the LiveTV buffer.

#32

Sorry but that doesnt make sense. The OP is saying that they want a larger buffer. They arent asking about how relavent that feature is. I personally dont use the livetv buffer but the appletv is a better overall streaming device that would fix this issue for the OP.

#33

8 TVs

#34

I have never used an Apple product and I don't plan to start now. Not that I don't think Apple makes fine products, but I don't want to become part of the Apple cult. I am mainly using FireTV 4k stick Max devices and I really like the remote. They really work perfect for me, maybe I am just lucky. I have a greater than 3 hour Channels buffer and I can start viewing a tuner channel in about half a second. I really don't see how the AppleTV could be much better, but I will probably never know for sure.

4 Likes
#35

Did you try this? Did it work?

1 Like
#36

I did try it, and it did not work. I had to wait for the problem to happen again to try it. It only took two days.

I stopped using the Beta Client regularly because there's no icon for it. There hasn't been since December.

#37

Fire OS devices do not show icons for sideloaded apps. The Channels beta app does have an icon; Amazon simply chooses to not display it.

1 Like
#38

Since the Live buffer has reared its head again please let me add this.
When and If the Live buffer is ever moved to the server... !!
Then a request:
Lets assume the Live buffer on the server is 60 minutes.
When / If I change channels let the server Live buffer keep recording, do not start the 60 minutes back at Zero.
You don't lose anything, you can still go back the full 60 minutes on the channel you are watching.
BUT
IF you have inadvertently changed channels you can still go back and see it up to the 60 minutes buffer.
.
I have an old MDR535H Magnavox HDD-DVD Recorder with antenna input and that's how it worked.
If I changed channels x times within the 60 minutes all those channel changes would be in the 60 minute buffer recording.
Nice.
This could be an option in Settings perhaps:
Keep prev channel in Server Live buffer ON / OFF
.

1 Like
#39

What exactly does this do?
Does it force the transcoding thing which I think slows down channel change and used to use 8-bit instead the normal.
Could you list Pros and Cons of doing this?
Is this in fact... Live buffer on the server with no ill effects?
Thanks

#40

When I tried thumb drives on the fire stick and tivo4k I found that they couldn't keep up with simultaneous writes and reads of the buffer. I figured it was the usb2.0 of the otg cables but I could be wrong. Apple TVs fixed all my problems.

1 Like
#41

No. It uses HLS but not transcoding. The effect is a server-side buffer.

We fixed an issue that was causing it not to work in the latest beta.

1 Like
#42

Yes, I saw that fix posted.
Still not sure of other unintended consequences.
Just another question if I may:
With this setting I think Now ALL active clients will be recording all the time to the Server.
If five people in the house are using Channels all 5 will be recording to the Server.
I think I read that "Recording" is either CPU or IO Processor intensive.
So the laptop and/or my external WD drive will be working hard.
Is that all correct ??
Thanks for a great product and your responses.