I know it's already been asked, but about a multi-person household

[madplanet]

So in a multi-person household how do people deal with playback of recordings or anything from libraries, specifically how do you keep track of playback position?

It's happened to me a few times now where I was watching a recorded film, and then my wife continues the film in my absence and then when I come to watch, I can't remember where I'd got to! We're finding it annoying to have to write down a timestamp on a post-it, it's a shame that even after all these years local accounts are still not a thing.

Is there a plug-in I'm missing, or an upcoming feature that would address this?
Thanks

[Edwin_Perez]

Multi person household is why We must use EMBY to watch Channels DVR recordings in my household.

[racameron]

@madplanet

So in a multi-person household how do people deal with playback of recordings or anything from libraries, specifically how do you keep track of playback position?

In my own experience, if I (or someone else in the household) continues watching in-progress content to completion, I (or the other individual) restart(s) the movie/episode, and queues it up to the point where it was resumed. (A common scenario is if someone fell asleep while watching together; this way the other person can resume watching from approximately where they fell asleep.)

@madplanet

Is there a plug-in I'm missing, or an upcoming feature that would address this?

Channels does not support plugins, and there are no stated plans to support this functionality.

Other users have mitigated/emulated this feature by having multiple Channels DVR instances running on their home networks, one for each person.

[madplanet]

Cool, thank you for the response.

Running multiple instances sounds interesting, but we share a single Apple TV which works fine for other streaming apps which either rely on a separate Apple account or have their own account management but... wait, actually would that work? Could I then use the same installed Channels app but the settings are stored in the Apple account? That might work.

Just then need to figure out which instance is recording and then share the recording library with the other instance.

I think we're going to have to live with a manual pen and paper, given running two instances and then trying to figure out how to set sources so that it doesn't interfere with scheduled recordings is prone to failure. Seems a shame that something amazing like this has no solution but then I'm probably in the minority here in requiring multi-accounts. Might have to use an alternative as suggested for the library which is also a shame as I do find Channels playback quality better than Plex. Again that's just me and my opinion

Anyway thanks for your suggestions, I do find this community very helpful!

[Rice]

@madplanet

then trying to figure out how to set sources so that it doesn't interfere with scheduled recordings is prone to failure

I’m not understanding how having two servers would cause any interference. One dvr gets its sources from the other dvr.

@madplanet

Just then need to figure out which instance is recording and then share the recording library with the other instance.

I don’t think you would set it up this way. Each persons dvr would record its own passes for the person who that dvr belongs to. If both people set up to record Monday night football then there will be two separate recordings of Monday night football. Not a single shared MNF recording

I already have a couple servers running, I’m going to try your idea of different Apple ID logins on my ATV and see if that works. Stay tuned

[Edwin_Perez]

@Rice

I’m not understanding how having two servers would cause any interference. One dvr gets its sources from the other dvr.

I have a DVR that Handles all the sources and feeds my other DVR's ... that way if 2 DVR's are recording the same Channel only 1 source/stream is used.

[Fofer]

@madplanet

Could I then use the same installed Channels app but the settings are stored in the Apple account? That might work.

@Rice

I’m going to try your idea of different Apple ID logins on my ATV and see if that works

This does not work. All Apple Accounts on the same AppleTV share the same Channels app configuration. You would need an additional client device per person. Maybe consider an "onn. Google TV Streamer" for $20? Using its remote will automatically switch the TV to the appropriate port, thanks to HDMI-CEC. Just offering it as a suggestion...

[Rice]

Ya this is what I’m seeing as well. At least switching from one family id to another family id. I would assume it would be the same switching to another non-family id.

Personally I think the best way to do it is just have another client device atv or android hooked up to a different hdmi port on the TV and each user uses their own client device attached to their own server on their own hdmi port. It is actually faster to switch inputs then to switch Apple ID’s on the ATV.

[Fofer]

@Rice

I would assume it would be the same switching to another non-family id.

Yes, that's correct.

@Rice

It is actually faster to switch inputs then to switch Apple ID’s on the ATV.

I suspect the speed of HDMI switching depends on the make/model of TV, but switching between Apple Accounts on an AppleTV is practically instantaneous via tvOS' Control Center. Tap and hold on the Home button to get it to appear. But this speed distinction doesn't matter because switching Apple Accounts doesn't solve the OP's issue anyway.

@Rice

Personally I think the best way to do it is just have another client device atv or android hooked up to a different hdmi port on the TV and each user uses their own client device attached to their own server on their own hdmi port.

Agreed. Then everyone has their own personalized experience with their own favoriites, recordings, and saved playback positions. It's not as streamlined as a real, unified multiperson-household solution, but it would do the trick for now. It's certainly better than requiring family members to manually record where they've left off, using pen and paper.

[madplanet]

Thanks for all the responses. I must admit I didn't realise you could use one ChannelsDVR instance as the source to other instances, really like this approach!

Going to test this out, easy enough to spin up another container so there's very little impact the host, although I'm still stuck with a convoluted solution to what seems like a simple problem.

Now I'm going to have to colour-code the ATV remotes, that or I give colour-coded post-its to each family member.

Many thanks all.

[Jean0987654321]

For stuff like that Jellyfin, Emby and Plex are usually the options there. You can set up as many users as you like and log them in and their playback progress is tied to their accounts

[Rice]

@madplanet

colour-code the ATV remotes

I like the glow in the dark green.
Amazon link Here
Started with a black cover but it’s hard to find in black leather.

[madplanet]

I tried switching to Plex, but live channels support, albeit better than Jellyfin was no where near as good as Channels. It does however give me better playback timestamps per user for attached libraries as you said.

[Fofer]

@Jean0987654321

For stuff like that Jellyfin, Emby and Plex are usually the options there. You can set up as many users as you like and log them in and their playback progress is tied to their accounts

Of those options, only Plex has a tvOS client, correct? This might not be a bad idea for someone looking to stick with one HDMI input, they could still use the Channels app for one person, and Plex with user setups for the others. Or Channels DVR for live TV, with Plex and its server sharing the recorded and imported content.

Personally I'd probably stick wtih the Channels everywhere, but it's nice that these alternative ideas are avaiable...

[madplanet]

Does this also work for watching (live) channels, so if both DVR's are watching 'channel 1' does it use only one source/stream?

[Edwin_Perez]

Yes

Below is how a 2nd DVR is setup ... No guide source is defined as it uses gracenote ID's.

[daldana7296]

Emby does have clients for tvOS, they call it Apple TV. Also for iOS and macOS.

[Jean0987654321]

Yep. Sans for JF. There's Swiftfin and Infuse for AppleTV. JF has apps for Tizen and LG too.

[racameron]

@Fofer

Of those options, only Plex has a tvOS client, correct?

Swiftfin is a Jellyfin client for Apple devices with Live TV support. (Infuse only supports libraries, not live TV, IIRC.)

[racameron]

@madplanet

if both DVR's are watching 'channel 1' does it use only one source/stream?

If they are being fed from a single master Channels DVR, then only one stream is used, regardless of how many DVRs and/or clients access the same channel.