How to access the web player?

[butwhy]

I just signed up for this service, installed it on my Synology, connected a TV provider via TV Everywhere, and I'm all ready to go. How the fuck do I watch TV?? I can't find a single article on how to do so. It appears there's a web player but not sure what URL I'm supposed to use to access. How about default ports? No documentation on that. You also have two different apps in the iOS App Store. I am disappointed by this on-boarding experience. I am usually pretty smart but now I feel pretty dumb.

Edit: I think I figured it out? But the Guide is set to browse by Favorites by default instead of All Channels?? So when it first loads it's just empty and says "you don't have any favorite channels. add some"??

Edit: and apparently the TVE provider, Optimum, does not authorize any channels for TVE except back to back episodes of Samurai Jack? That is not necessarily a bad thing but definitely not what I expected. Can't get most mainstream cable channels. Have to go directly to the broadcaster's website and sign in with my provider on their site or app to watch.

[babsonnexus]

First, let me point out that that there is a large repository of support and "how to" documentation that will answer many of your questions and issues. Start here and let us know what you have done, which will help others in the community be able to provide useful support.

Channels Support — Support Articles

Next, in case you don't find an answer there (always likely and possible), this board has a ton of content. For instance, I did a quick search on you question about the two apps and saw this thread:

2 apps on App Store, which one should I be using on all my Apple TVs

One is our stand alone paid app that requires no subscription. The other is a free version that only works with active Channels Plus subscriptions.

Now, on to some of your questions:

@butwhy

It appears there's a web player but not sure what URL I'm supposed to use to access.

The admin interface you were doing the setup is the Web Player (https://[YOUR_SERVER_NAME].local:8089). You can watch TV under Live TV -> Guide

Just click on a program, and there will be a Play button. However, as you may have noticed by now, the experience is better through the Apps. It's a totally personal decision on which interface you want to use, but a lot of the features like Channels Collections are only available in the Apps.

@butwhy

But the Guide is set to browse by Favorites by default instead of All Channels?? So when it first loads it's just empty and says "you don't have any favorite channels. add some"??

If you are talking the web, then you can change that and it will stick:

If you are talking about the Apps, there are many "Server Side Settings" that let you pick what is available in those dropdowns.

Read more in the help documentation from above:

Server Side Settings

I highly recommend setting up a Channels Collection as you can put all the Stations you want in whatever order you want. Just remember, it is a Server Side setting to assign that collection to Apps.

@butwhy

apparently the TVE provider, Optimum, does not authorize any channels for TVE except back to back episodes of Samurai Jack?

Start here (again, just searched for "Optimum"):

Provider - Optimum

Please use this thread to discuss experiences and channel availability for Optimum. Current Status: All subscribed TVE channels work. Select your provider here Channels Support - TV Everywhere Availability to see what channels might be available with Channels DVR TVE

A quick glance tells me you should be getting a lot more and might be dealing with an authentication issue. Or you are only looking at Favorite'd Channels? Tough to say. But if you can go to broadcaster's website and watch, then TVE works, so Channels will work.

If you are wondering about local stations, make sure this is checked off in an HTTPS session:

Again, the documentation will provide a lot of what to do and troubleshooting:

TV Everywhere

If all else fails, email [email protected]. The Devs are super helpful and responsive, so no need to start cussing them out on your first day.

[butwhy]

Thank you for the very helpful and insightful reply, but I challenge you to find those screenshots you shared in any of the official documentation. However, it doesn't appear the web player is a "supported platform".

Do you know how to make sense of any of these logs from the TVE scan?

2022/08/04 03:36:04.621622 [TVE] action=science_stream error={[{access.denied.missingpackage  403}] {{[]}}}
2022/08/04 03:36:04.677165 [TVE] Channel scan 71/212 DISCOVERY failed: 403:  (access.denied.missingpackage)
2022/08/04 03:36:04.813938 [TVE] action=science_stream error={[{access.denied.missingpackage  403}] {{[]}}}
2022/08/04 03:36:04.963799 [TVE] Channel scan 72/212 FOOD failed: 403:  (access.denied.missingpackage)
2022/08/04 03:36:05.111842 [TVE] action=science_stream error={[{access.denied.missingpackage  403}] {{[]}}}
2022/08/04 03:36:05.263414 [TVE] Channel scan 73/212 ANIMAL-PLANET failed: 403:  (access.denied.missingpackage)
2022/08/04 03:36:05.369627 [TVE] action=science_stream error={[{access.denied.missingpackage  403}] {{[]}}}
2022/08/04 03:36:05.473609 [TVE] Channel scan 74/212 HGTV failed: 403:  (access.denied.missingpackage)
2022/08/04 03:36:05.610427 [TVE] action=science_stream error={[{access.denied.missingpackage  403}] {{[]}}}

or

2022/08/04 03:35:25.720043 [TVE] Channel scan 31/212 TCM failed: notAuthorized
2022/08/04 03:35:26.165402 [TVE] Channel scan 32/212 TOON failed: notAuthorized
2022/08/04 03:35:26.496342 [TVE] Channel scan 33/212 TOONP failed: notAuthorized
2022/08/04 03:35:26.893194 [TVE] Channel scan 34/212 AETV failed: notAuthorized
2022/08/04 03:35:27.252832 [TVE] Channel scan 35/212 HISTORY failed: notAuthorized
2022/08/04 03:35:27.503236 [TVE] Channel scan 36/212 FYI failed: notAuthorized
2022/08/04 03:35:27.774185 [TVE] Channel scan 37/212 LIFETIME failed: notAuthorized
2022/08/04 03:35:28.080890 [TVE] Channel scan 38/212 MSNBC failed: notAuthorized
2022/08/04 03:35:28.326748 [TVE] Channel scan 39/212 CNBC failed: notAuthorized
2022/08/04 03:35:28.707150 [TVE] Channel scan 40/212 USA failed: notAuthorized
2022/08/04 03:35:28.954928 [TVE] Channel scan 41/212 USAP failed: notAuthorized

and this

2022/08/04 03:36:49.274630 [TVE] action=foxsportsauth step=registered
2022/08/04 03:36:51.333918 [TVE] action=foxsportsauth step=done
2022/08/04 03:36:51.333968 [TVE] action=authed

does that technically mean success, and I should have access to the channel? If so, I don't see it in the list.

Thanks.
Apologies for the language and frustration.

[Rice]

After you sort out your not being able to login to nbc with your optimum credentials from your other thread

Try these steps:

1. Go to the settings on the web ui and update to prerelease
   

   

2. Go to web ui and choose support then troubleshooting. Ensure you have all green checkmarks
   

   

3. If all checkmarks are green, go to sources and rescan your tve provider

[babsonnexus]

4. If you are still having issues, after you rescan your TVE provider, go back to the troubleshooting page and click "Submit Diagnostic Logs".

Then send an e-mail with that info and a detailed description of what you have and have not done to [email protected].

5. Based upon @tmm1's response in the other thread, it sounds like Optimum is having a problem with the providers, so an authentication issue, but on Optimum's side.

Provider - Optimum

Yea you'll need to sort that out with Optimum support.

I'm also wondering if you have some type of ad-blocker like Pi-Hole running on your network that is being too aggressive. Like I had to whitelist a couple of sites to get some things to work: