How does Channels determine location?

I'm curious how Channels determines location when it is figuring out what TVE channels to give you access to? In my situation my ISP's IP address puts me in one town, but my physical location is in another. This results in me not being able to get certain feeds in TVE that I can watch on my PC's web browser or on my iPad because Chrome on the desktop relies on a host of things to determine my real location, as does the iPad (using GPS).

Is there any way Channels could possibly incorporate some sort of location "Verification" using a mobile device or some better form that it currently seems to use?

EDIT: I should have added I'm running Channels on a Synology NAS

I had this question recently. It is based on the client you use to add the TVE Source. In my case it is my iMac and my DVR is on 2x Synology Boxes.

1 Like

There is no location determination. It tries to tune each channel and sees which ones work.

What channels are not working and what error is shown on the channel editor?

Maybe I missed understood but pretty sure I got that answer to my question. Maybe I got a location "error" problem with my TVE Login and wanted to know where it was getting the location on the Synology and I think you said it would be on the Client. Maybe you meant the TVE Provider was checking my location which has nothing to do with Channels?

This was the thread which I believe you ended up changing the answer because Safari does not provide location services.

You're taking about Locast which is different than TVE

I just replied and YES I am talking about LOCAST = sorry for any confusion created on my part.

To follow onto this... what does TVE use for geolocation? Does it use the server's IP address? Does the channels app on the AppleTV, iPhone, etc that's receiving the stream transmit geolocation data to the server which in turn is used to "spoof" geolocation? Or is something else used?

Depends per channel. Most use the IP of your DVR, although some may use the billing zip code associated with your TVE login.

1 Like

I use an LTE hotspot without a GPS and had to figure out AT Codes to lock the modem down to a cellular tower that gave me the location I needed (tested using Locast authentication) and the fastest speeds (using a speed test website). I'm placing this here for reference if you have an access point with a Quectel cellular modem. These are some commands for various bands: https://forum.gl-inet.com/t/x750-spitz-is-there-a-way-to-lock-to-band/5687/9

Bands AT Commands Notes
2 AT+QCFG="band",0,2,1
4 AT+QCFG="band",0,8,1
5 AT+QCFG="band",0,10,1
2+4 AT+QCFG="band",0,a,1 This will likely be the fastest for urban environments
2+4+5 AT+QCFG="band",0,1a,1
12 AT+QCFG="band",0,800,1
2+4+12 AT+QCFG="band",0,80a,1
2+4+5+12 AT+QCFG="band",0,81a,1 This covers all T-Mobile bands
2+12 AT+QCFG="band",0,802,1
4+12 AT+QCFG="band",0,808,1
5+12 AT+QCFG="band",0,810,1 This will be best for rural deployments as 850MHz Band 5, and 700MHz Band 12 will reach the farthest distance
Reset to Default (All Bands) AT+QCFG="band",0,2000000003300185a,1