Frndly TV for Channels

[Jim_FL]

Yep. All good here.

[Absenm]

Lol. They gave me a free week of service for the problem. So… Since I can not share, I guess I will at least be thinking of everyone here the week of Oct 2 - Oct 9.

[deb]

Thanks for keeping on them. You deserve the perk. Hallmark is now working. Thanks.

[finster869]

Great job, Absenm. Thanks for your efforts!!!

[cktDesigner]

Thanks very much for making this available!

I am running "Channels" on a TrueNAS server (for a long time), and just added the "Frndly" TV for Channels. The script works and Frndly is available through Channels.

I still have two issues:

1. The guide information for a couple channels (Dove channels) is complete (proper timing, program names, etc.) while the rest of the channels only get "generic" information (for example Pixl@10AM Pixl@11AM). I thought that perhaps I needed to wait for some period of time, so I changed the settings to have the guide updated every 6 hours and waited until the next day. It is still the same. Is there something else I need to do to get the actual program name and correct time spans for these other channels?

2. This is really more of a TrueNAS question, but thought perhaps someone has figured it out... "Frndly" works OK if I type the command into the shell (and run it in the background). But if I restart the "jail" (a virtual machine), it doesn't start on its own. So I put an entry in /usr/local/etc/rc.d so it would be restarted on boot. This fails and I think it has something to do with attempting to run a Python script (with arguments) via the daemon in rc.d (I also want to redirect the output to a log file). I "Googled" this and found some suggestions, but none of them seem to help. If anyone has solved this, some example code for the rc.d entry would be appreciated.

Thanks again for the python app!

[Absenm]

I may be able to help with issue one. It sounds like you didn't use the double source method to setup within Channels, which is basically required to get the guide working properly. That information is kind of buried in this 500+ post thread. I mention it in post #388. First make sure you can get to your FrndlyTV for Channels Docker status page at http://docker_ip:8183/

This is why there are two sources listed. The instructions should be a little clearer. Lol.

@Absenm

If the status page is working than you just need to setup custom channels in ChannelsDVR.
It is best to use the double source method to add frndly-for-channels to Custom Channels. You need to setup two sources to get EPG data for all the channels.

Source 1
Go to ChannelsDVR Setting > Add Source > Custom Channels.
Set Nickname: whatever1
Set Stream Format: HLS
Set Source: http://host_ip:8183/playlist.m3u8?gracenote=include
Set Options: Refresh URL Daily
Set XMLTV Guide Data: None (do not add a link)
Save

Source 2
Go to ChannelsDVR Setting > Add Source > Custom Channels.
Set Nickname: whatever2
Set Stream Format: HLS
Set Source: http://host_ip:8183/playlist.m3u8?gracenote=exclude
Set Options: Refresh URL Daily
Set XMLTV Guide Data: http://host_ip:8183/epg.xml?gracenote=exclude
Save

@chDVRuser

[cktDesigner]

Thanks for the quick response!
That fixed the guide issue! I had scanned through the postings, but obviously didn't see the "important one"! It was interesting that I had to delete the single custom channel (rather than just edit it) as it wouldn't let me delete the XMLTV Guide Data URL that had been there (when I deleted it, then saved... then edited again, found that the URL had returned!)
Now to solve my rc.d script issue so FrndlyTV for Channels will start automatically when there is a reboot...
Thanks again!

[Absenm]

@cktDesigner

It was interesting that I had to delete the single custom channel (rather than just edit it) as it wouldn't let me delete the XMLTV Guide Data URL that had been there (when I deleted it, then saved... then edited again, found that the URL had returned!)

That is interesting. There was an overall Custom Channels issue that I reported a few months ago that @tmm1 fixed. Maybe this is related to that issue I mention in...

Removal of Custom Channels Source Is Not A Complete/Full Removal

This has been mentioned a few times in other threads but not straight out as a bug report that I can tell. If creating a Custom Channels source, if you remove that source, and later create a new Custom Channels source with the same name, some of the first setup bleeds through to the new source. This is repeatable. It is also a reason why some of us here when helping people with custom channels problems always tell people to use a new source name. In this test I used Frndly as I am very famil…

[jsfullam]

Hey everyone,
Am I the only one having trouble with my FRNDLY Channels program guide? Mine seems to be empty... It was fine until a couple(few?) days ago...

[Absenm]

I am having no problems. Since I've seen you on this thread during the past couple hundred posts, I am going to assume you are using the 2 source method and as you mentioned you just recently started having a problem.

They did add a Christmas Log channel a week or two ago and my numbering got messed up. So I manually reloaded the M3Us and redownloaded XML data on the source with the provided XMLTV url link. From the numbering on your screen shot it looks like that may be the issue. You might want to try that. You may want to restart the Frndly TV for Channels docker if it has been some time. Finally you may want to try Delete/Recreate Database from the Guide Maintenance settings dropdown box on the webui ChannelsDVR settings page.

[jsfullam]

Thanks, Ryan. Yes, I have been using the 2 source method, and my docker had been running for 20 days or so. I reloaded the M3U and downloaded the XML data, stopped and restarted the docker, and deleted/recreated the guide database. That didn't do it.
The problem was limited to my FRNDLY TV 1 source, which is the one with the gracenote=include flag. I deleted that source and added it back in, and voila'. Good to go.
Thanks for your help!

[matthewfranzel]

Hi all,
Out of nowhere, I am getting this error

And the same 500 server error on my Apple TV. I have verified I am on the latest image, I have restarted the container and everything. Any help would be appreciated.

[JoeRich]

I get the same thing on my Google TV. it was working fine then NOTHING.

[Absenm]

Are you seeing anything when you go in a browser to http://DOCKERHOST_IP:8183/playlist.m3u8/

[Absenm]

The other day I did run in to an issue where I had to reset my Frndly password. I do not know why, they just wouldn't take my password anymore.

Try logging in to the Frndly website and see if your credentials work there. If they don't work, do the whole forgot password/reset thing. If you have to reset your Frndly password you will have to re-pull the Frndly TV for Channels Docker with the updated password.

[jsfullam]

That happened to me yesterday. Frndly simply stopped accepting my credentials. I never figured out why either. Password reset on Frndly website fixed it, including updating to the new password in Docker.

[Absenm]

Out of curiosity @jsfullam, do you have a KEEP_ALIVE set, or are you the standard setup. When it happened to me I wondered if it was the keep_alive that triggered something. I am probably one of only a handful of people who use that variable.

[jsfullam]

@Absenm No KEEP ALIVE set. I don't really know what that is. So, it is just the standard setup. I figured it out by trying to log into the Frndy website and app. Neither would take my password. Docker log also showed that the password was rejected.

[matthewfranzel]

Changing my password fixed it... so weird. Thanks all!

[tpadave]

FrndlyTV Pw stopped for me too. Website would not let me reset, said email was not in database. Called and they had to refer to a supervisor. That was yesterday still not heard back from them