Frndly TV for Channels

Well, I thought that I did an update a couple of days ago. But...I wouldn't swear that I did it correctly. In any case, I'll have another go at it. thanks.

I updated the docker this morning and everything seems to be working for now.

Thanks again for the suggestions!

I just updated the docker on synology, reloaded the m3u etc…. No joy for,hallmark channels still

Yeah, from what I have seen in the Frndly app those 3 Hallmark Channels are still in the 1.3m bitrate range while the rest are in the 4.5m bitrate range. On a related note, Decades also appears to be degrade to 3.3m bitrate which may explain why it is off and on for some people. Maybe I am just grasping at straws with this whole bitrate stuff, but it is the only explanation I can think of.

Frndly seems to have resolved the issues. It was strangely working with a long delay for a while this evening. Then started working normally.

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I have Movies and Mystery back (for now), but the other two are still down. Maybe they will slowly get things taken care of.

HM Movies and Mystery seems to be ok. Hallmark Channel is slow to come up, and looks low-res. Drama is "playback failed". So is "Decades" as well. I'm running a docker image pulled back on Aug 28. Haven't tried updating.

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Channels is pulling TVE from Spectrum when Hallmark fails on Frndly. Decades is good. Sometimes Frndly works. Looks like they are having issues. Spectrum Hallmark is keeping the wife happy. Following. FYI, on latest Docker with clean install.

Thanks for reminding me. I forgot that I had Spectrum TVE as a second source. I tested by disabling Spectrum, and only have HM Movies and Mystery by Frndly. The others are "playback failed".

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I can't comment on the Hallmark channels as I hardly ever watch/record them, but Decades is working with the new docker image
Just tried and only get HMM to work, the other two Hallmark fail, basically saying no stream found.

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I don't know if the Channels devs can make anything of this, but looks like there's something in the streams for the channels that aren't working. [M3U] stream timestamps

2022/09/07 19:44:57.130728 [M3U] stream timestamps: frndly-1: start_at=2022-09-07T19:29:59-07:00 end_at=2022-09-07T19:44:47-07:00 live_delay=5.790706974s
2022/09/07 19:44:57.130972 [TNR] Opened connection to M3U-frndlyTV for ch9003 Hallmark Channel
2022/09/07 19:45:07.188478 [HLS] Probe failed for live stream after 10.054949908s and 0 bytes
2022/09/07 19:45:11.300412 [HLS] Couldn't generate stream playlist for ch9003-dANY-ip192.168.1.8: Timeout waiting for session to start after 8s

2022/09/07 20:54:56.439479 [M3U] stream timestamps: frndly-3: start_at=2022-09-07T19:59:59-07:00 end_at=2022-09-07T20:54:47-07:00 live_delay=4.650460898s
2022/09/07 20:54:56.440014 [TNR] Opened connection to M3U-frndlyTV for ch9014 Hallmark Drama
2022/09/07 20:55:06.496476 [HLS] Probe failed for live stream after 10.053931473s and 0 bytes
2022/09/07 20:55:10.170409 [HLS] Couldn't generate stream playlist for ch9014-dANY-ip192.168.1.8: Timeout waiting for session to start after 8s
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i can't play hallmark or hallmark drams via their website

Im not going to look into it until that is sorted :slight_smile:

Hallmark Movies & Mysteries works for me as well as other channels

Thought I would post the log file from trying Hallmark this morning. I have reported this to Frndly. It is strange since I can stream Hallmark via their App. It looks like it is trying to stream but it fails when probed. It continues to retry. Since Hallmark and WX are the only channels I need from Frndly, it may be time to move on. Accuweather may be enough.

2022/09/09 07:01:47.646562 [M3U] stream timestamps: frndly-1: start_at=2022-09-09T06:59:58-04:00 end_at=2022-09-09T07:01:42-04:00 live_delay=754.552888ms
2022/09/09 07:01:47.646805 [TNR] Opened connection to M3U-Frndly for ch9003 Hallmark Channel
2022/09/09 07:01:47.647659 [HLS] Starting live stream for channel 9003 from 192.168.1.16 (bitrate=27641)
2022/09/09 07:01:57.677313 [HLS] Probe failed for live stream after 10.029248556s and 0 bytes
2022/09/09 07:02:02.777687 [HLS] Couldn't generate stream playlist for ch9003-dANY-ip192.168.1.16: Timeout waiting for session to start after 8s
2022/09/09 07:02:02.777777 [HLS] Stopping transcoder session ch9003-dANY-ip192.168.1.16 (out: 0s, finished: false)
2022/09/09 07:02:02.779259 [HLS] ffmpeg: ch9003-dANY-ip192.168.1.16-remux: pipe:: could not find codec parameters
2022/09/09 07:02:02.779540 [TNR] Closed connection to M3U-Frndly for ch9003 Hallmark Channel
2022/09/09 07:02:02.780393 [SNR] Buffer statistics for ch9003 Hallmark Channel: buf=0% drop=0%
2022/09/09 07:02:04.515856 [M3U] stream timestamps: frndly-1: start_at=2022-09-09T06:59:58-04:00 end_at=2022-09-09T07:01:54-04:00 live_delay=5.623847296s
2022/09/09 07:02:04.515980 [TNR] Opened connection to M3U-Frndly for ch9003 Hallmark Channel
2022/09/09 07:02:04.516830 [HLS] Starting live stream for channel 9003 from 192.168.1.16 (bitrate=27641)
2022/09/09 07:02:11.805689 [HLS] Couldn't generate stream playlist for ch9003-dANY-ip192.168.1.16: Timeout waiting for session to start after 8s
2022/09/09 07:02:11.805794 [HLS] Stopping transcoder session ch9003-dANY-ip192.168.1.16
2022/09/09 07:02:11.806024 [HLS] Probe failed for live stream after 7.288892004s and 0 bytes
2022/09/09 07:02:11.806841 [HLS] ffmpeg: ch9003-dANY-ip192.168.1.16-remux: pipe:: could not find codec parameters
2022/09/09 07:02:11.807793 [TNR] Closed connection to M3U-Frndly for ch9003 Hallmark Channel
2022/09/09 07:02:13.696395 [M3U] stream timestamps: frndly-1: start_at=2022-09-09T06:59:58-04:00 end_at=2022-09-09T07:02:06-04:00 live_delay=2.80438786s
2022/09/09 07:02:13.696609 [TNR] Opened connection to M3U-Frndly for ch9003 Hallmark Channel
2022/09/09 07:02:13.697432 [HLS] Starting live stream for channel 9003 from 192.168.1.16 (bitrate=27641)
2022/09/09 07:02:23.796699 [HLS] Probe failed for live stream after 10.099033644s and 0 bytes
2022/09/09 07:02:28.861038 [HLS] Couldn't generate stream playlist for ch9003-dANY-ip192.168.1.16: Timeout waiting for session to start after 8s
2022/09/09 07:02:28.861143 [HLS] Stopping transcoder session ch9003-dANY-ip192.168.1.16 (out: 0s, finished: false)
2022/09/09 07:02:28.862277 [HLS] ffmpeg: ch9003-dANY-ip192.168.1.16-remux: pipe:: could not find codec parameters
2022/09/09 07:02:28.862915 [TNR] Closed connection to M3U-Frndly for ch9003 Hallmark Channel
2022/09/09 07:02:28.863708 [SNR] Buffer statistics for ch9003 Hallmark Channel: buf=0% drop=0%
2022/09/09 07:02:30.046377 [M3U] stream timestamps: frndly-1: start_at=2022-09-09T06:59:58-04:00 end_at=2022-09-09T07:02:22-04:00 live_delay=3.154369692s
2022/09/09 07:02:30.046519 [TNR] Opened connection to M3U-Frndly for ch9003 Hallmark Channel
2022/09/09 07:02:30.047357 [HLS] Starting live stream for channel 9003 from 192.168.1.16 (bitrate=27641)
2022/09/09 07:02:40.079529 [HLS] Probe failed for live stream after 10.031943252s and 0 bytes
2022/09/09 07:02:45.388343 [HLS] Couldn't generate stream playlist for ch9003-dANY-ip192.168.1.16: Timeout waiting for session to start after 8s
2022/09/09 07:02:45.388436 [HLS] Stopping transcoder session ch9003-dANY-ip192.168.1.16 (out: 0s, finished: false)
2022/09/09 07:02:45.390628 [TNR] Closed connection to M3U-Frndly for ch9003 Hallmark Channel
2022/09/09 07:02:45.390782 [HLS] ffmpeg: ch9003-dANY-ip192.168.1.16-remux: pipe:: could not find codec parameters
2022/09/09 07:02:45.391099 [SNR] Buffer statistics for ch9003 Hallmark Channel: buf=0% drop=0%
2022/09/09 07:02:47.249785 [M3U] stream timestamps: frndly-1: start_at=2022-09-09T06:59:58-04:00 end_at=2022-09-09T07:02:38-04:00 live_delay=4.357778612s
2022/09/09 07:02:47.249932 [TNR] Opened connection to M3U-Frndly for ch9003 Hallmark Channel
2022/09/09 07:02:47.250735 [HLS] Starting live stream for channel 9003 from 192.168.1.16 (bitrate=27641)
2022/09/09 07:02:57.277668 [HLS] Probe failed for live stream after 10.02658392s and 0 bytes
2022/09/09 07:03:02.399793 [HLS] Couldn't generate stream playlist for ch9003-dANY-ip192.168.1.16: Timeout waiting for session to start after 8s
2022/09/09 07:03:02.399903 [HLS] Stopping transcoder session ch9003-dANY-ip192.168.1.16 (out: 0s, finished: false)
2022/09/09 07:03:02.401881 [TNR] Closed connection to M3U-Frndly for ch9003 Hallmark Channel
2022/09/09 07:03:02.403730 [SNR] Buffer statistics for ch9003 Hallmark Channel: buf=0% drop=0%

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I'm curious to know what you reported to them exactly.
Did you mention Channels DVR?

As far as they are concerned, you are supposed to use their service with their official apps. So if everything is fine to them with their apps, they won't care about anything else.
Actually, they may not like that somebody is trying to access their streams in a way that is not approved by them.

Let's hope that they don't decide to add DRM to all their channels. :crossed_fingers:

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TVE is used with many streaming apps. I didn’t share any particular streaming software details. I understand your concerns.

It's all good. :slightly_smiling_face:

By the way, Frndly TV is not the same thing as TVE because they are their own service, they are not dependent on a separate cable/satellite/streaming subscription. :wink:

Anyway, let's hope that the issue gets fixed very soon.
Thank you for going the extra mile to try and get this issue fixed. :+1:

Yeah, this Docker implementation is not TVE. That is why we need this Docker.

I have written them too. Avoiding mentioning of anything about any other type of viewing software. Otherwise their support at the very lease would stop looking in to the problem. Granted they haven't gotten back to me at all. I just mentioned that my Frndly apps are displaying the Hallmark Channels at bitrates 1/4 that of all their other channels. Which is accurate. I also mention I am paying extra for HD streams. Which is accurate. And I explain it is noticeable on 50" 4k TVs. Which is accurate.

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Thanks for your help too! :+1:

Of course, M3U-Frndly. As with many, I use docker. Attached is a screenshot of a ChromeCast stream working as expected this morning. I assume you use a network stream with URL and User/PW to initiate the stream. Confused why Chromecast works.

Thanks for the feedback.

Also, noted there is 302 error on the docker logs. I believe that is a page moved error.

GET /play/hallmark_channel.m3u8 HTTP/1.1" 302

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