HDMI for Channels

[JT-DFW]

I wrote a .bat file for Windows testing to tune all of the channels in Fofer's bmitune.sh script - It works, but I can see a big problem - a lot of the links for live playback in YTTV did not work and I had to update them - I think the post containing the script is 9 days old and already, only msnbc, cnbc, golf, nfl, newsnation and bbcnews worked - all the others required a refresh

I think in order for this to be viable, there has to be some kind of automatic update of the links for live playback of the channels, (or I have to resort to the other method of tuning)

Is this something the Channels developers are willing to do? Or the community at large? Any thoughts on this?

[mjitkop]

What are the manual steps to update the links that would need to be automated?

[cyberskier]

Would someone who has this working be willing to share your source setup? I remember seeing examples for the main part of the window, but not the other parts.

[Fofer]

This is the setup and format working for me with Google TV devices and a YouTube TV subscription:

Obviously you’d use your own IP address.

[cyoungers]

@tmm1

Is the url and IP to the encoder correct?

Yes. I can use the URL in VLC and see that it just stays on the last station tuned.

[JT-DFW]

@mjitkop

What are the manual steps to update the links that would need to be automated?

The only way that I know how to do this is to go to youtubetv.com on a web browser, log in, navigate to live tv and start playing a channel - you can copy the link from the URL - for example, right now I am watching BBC News and the link is as follows:

"https://tv.youtube.com/watch/g5BmB1qXulc"

[Fofer]

@tmm1

here are the station ids for for those three est vs pst

//  "usa", "58452",
//  "usap", "74030",
//  "e", "61812",
//  "ep", "91579",
//  "bravo", "58625",
//  "bravop", "73994",

Thanks again for these, where can this list be found?

I'm looking for SYFYP. Also PST station ID's for MTV Classic and The Smithsonian Channel, if available...

[mjitkop]

127.0.0.1:8089/tms/stations/SYFYP

[{"type":"Satellite","name":"Syfy (Pacific)","callSign":"Syfy","stationId":"24533","bcastLangs":["en"],"preferredImage":{"uri":"https://tmsimg.fancybits.co/assets/s11097_ll_h15_ae.png?w=360\u0026h=270","height":"270","width":"360","primary":"true","category":"Logo","text":"","tier":""},"videoQuality":{"signalType":"Digital","videoType":"SDTV","truResolution":""}}]

[mjitkop]

I would love to help with this but I'm afraid this is something too complicated for me at this time.
Hopefully, somebody else will be able to provide assistance with this.

[Fofer]

@JT-DFW

It works, but I can see a big problem - a lot of the links for live playback in YTTV did not work and I had to update them - I think the post containing the script is 9 days old and already, only msnbc, cnbc, golf, nfl, newsnation and bbcnews worked - all the others required a refresh

Hmm, I just checked each of 14 of the channels I set up and they're still working over here. For me at least. Not sure what would explain that. We'll see if that's still the case in 2 weeks! Just wanted to mention it as a point of reference...

[Fofer]

@jagrim

Just a quick question. I use Directv Stream as provider. I know that when I use their app. I have to have activity or it’ll close the stream after 4 hours. I would think the other services have something similar but don’t know. Is it possible to send a command every couple hrs to defeat the “Are you watching screen”?

I don't have a solution to your question, but wanted to add this to the conversation, since I did get a chance to see it, at least on the YouTube TV app. When this pops up, the androidhdmi-for-channels script stops being able to change channels in the YTTV app

Fortunately there is a setting in the YTTV app, the "auto-pause" can be changed to 24 hours instead. Perhaps DTV Stream has something similar?

This made me think of this other question:

@Fofer

I'm not at home currently and see there's an HDMI stream continuing, I forgot to stop it before leaving. There's no easy, remote way to tune out from that channel, is there? Does't appear so.

So now I'm wondering if it's possible (or if it would make sense here) to add "dummy channels" to this particular Collection of HDMI, whose purpose would be to send shell input keyevent 86 commands via adb to each Google TV device, which would stop playing media (stopping streaming) from whatever channel YouTube TV may have inadvertently have been left on a few hours ago.

Might be a useful shortcut of sorts?

[JT-DFW]

@Fofer

Hmm, I just checked each of 14 of the channels I set up and they're still working over here. For me at least. Not sure what would explain that. We'll see if that's still the case in 2 weeks! Just wanted to mention it as a point of reference...

Well, that's actually a good thing - maybe once the links are setup/refreshed for each individual, perhaps they will work for a long time - I will do more testing when my encoder arrives, but I am approaching all of this as experimental for now, with no real expectations.

There is a simple use case that exists outside of automatic tuning; the encoder could be for all channels clients to watch the same source simultaneously - for example if there is a football game on, multiple locations could watch the feed from the encoder without using up all 3 YTTV streams

[Kryptonyte]

Are you folks able to add a "stop playing" script [on the android stick] in some way once the recorded show is over, or does it just keep playing on that channel until it's instructed to do otherwise?

[tmm1]

yes:

@tmm1

and when you're done it can quit the app and put the android device to sleep:

androidhdmi-for-channels/stopbmitune.sh at main · tmm1/androidhdmi-for-channels · GitHub

[Kryptonyte]

Nice. Does that help with the "are you still watching" messages?

[matgeee]

Slightly different use case to the main conversation above, has anyone considered using this for game consoles? We have 3 xboxes and a nintendo switch which I'm thinking I might be able to put in a central location in the house (to take controller range out of the equation) and then setup each with it's own dedicated 'channel'. I would then be able to have the kids access any console they want from their room via their channels app on their apple TVs (even their iPads!). Could latency be a problem?

[Fofer]

@matgeee

Could latency be a problem?

Yes, absolutely, unfortunately

[fashioncents]

That’s a really cool idea. Please share with us what you find if you end up trying it.

[KompilerDJ]

How can we restore NBC, Bravo, Syfy back into the guide so we can map and record via HDMI?

[Fofer]

@KompilerDJ

How can we restore NBC, Bravo, Syfy back into the guide so we can map and record via HDMI?

With a Custom Channels M3U source, like so, with the channels mapped appropriately. This is what I cobbled together, working for me on the west coast of USA. You'd need to edit for your ingredients:

#EXTM3U

#EXTINF:-1 channel-id="NBC",NBC
http://10.0.1.21:7654/play/tuner/nbc

#EXTINF:-1 channel-id="MSNBC",MSNBC
http://10.0.1.21:7654/play/tuner/msnbc

#EXTINF:-1 channel-id=E!" tvc-guide-stationid="61812"  tvg-shift="+3",E!
http://10.0.1.21:7654/play/tuner/e!

#EXTINF:-1 channel-id="Bravo" tvc-guide-stationid="58625",Bravo
http://10.0.1.21:7654/play/tuner/bravo

#EXTINF:-1 channel-id="Oxygen"",Oxygen
http://10.0.1.21:7654/play/tuner/oxygen

#EXTINF:-1 channel-id="USA", tvc-guide-stationid="58452" tvg-shift="+3",USA
http://10.0.1.21:7654/play/tuner/usa

#EXTINF:-1 channel-id="SyFy" tvg-shift="+3",SyFy
http://10.0.1.21:7654/play/tuner/syfy

#EXTINF:-1 channel-id="CNBC",CNBC
http://10.0.1.21:7654/play/tuner/cnbc

#EXTINF:-1 channel-id="Golf",Golf
http://10.0.1.21:7654/play/tuner/golf

#EXTINF:-1 channel-id="NFL",NFL Network
http://10.0.1.21:7654/play/tuner/nfl

#EXTINF:-1 channel-id="NewsNation",NewsNation
http://10.0.1.21:7654/play/tuner/newsnation

#EXTINF:-1 channel-id="MTV Classic" tvg-shift="+9",MTV Classic
http://10.0.1.21:7654/play/tuner/mtvclassic

#EXTINF:-1 channel-id="BBC News",BBC News
http://10.0.1.21:7654/play/tuner/bbcnews

#EXTINF:-1 channel-id="Smithsonian" tvg-shift="+3", Smithsonian Channel
http://10.0.1.21:7654/play/tuner/smithsonian