I’m not sure if this falls into the realm of DRM, but do you have any plans to integrate other apps into the Channels guide? This would be similar to the way the Live Channels app works in Android TV for the Nvidia Shield, which integrates apps like Pluto, Bloomberg, Haystack, Cumulus, Puppetmaster, etc into their channel guide. Also any plans to integrate any live TV streaming apps like Sling, PS Vue, or DirecTV Now into the Channels guide?
Unfortunate this is not possible.
On Android, those apps explicitly export their streams into Live Channels. tvOS has so such feature.
Sling, DirectTV Now, etc all use encrypted video streams and the only way to watch them is via their apps.
FYI… But really out of the scope of Channels. I assume.
But I use WatchAid Heavily. Which to me is much better the Apple’s TV App but they work similar.
The way WatchAid works is that it knows the TV Schedule for a lot of tv series (pretty much everything I watch) no matter if it is a Netflix Original or Hulu Original or On Demand (like current season of NBC, ABC, FOX). And when a new episode is available it then allows me to choose which Streaming App to watch it on (like Hulu (sub) or iTunes (buy) etc.). Once I select on it puts me in the App I choose (will open if not already open). Then on return it ask me to mark it as watched for next time.
I am currently in the beta where PLEX is integrated. So if a show is in my PLEX Library it will take me there.
My point is you could integrate the same way and have a central place for all shows but it would probably take a lot of work and maybe not have a good ROI. At least at this time.
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Here is somewhat of sidebar to his question:
perhaps watching/recording something like http://www.comettv.com that provides web (appears to be unencrypted) streams?
This i think would need a timed stop. Dunno simply inquiring.
I started using Watchaid but cannot get the Plex integration to work. It seems to import Plex shows (maybe) but there is no option to watch from the Plex Server. No response from the app developer.
I still use it all the time. But I am out of town until later this evening. You say "maybe" the import of Plex shows is working. This is hard to miss. In the upper right hand corner of the Apple TV screen will show how many "episodes" are in Plex (this does not happen every time you enter - close WatchAid and it will reload). This is very fast since just getting a list of the episode names. Then when you see a show available to watch and you click on it you will see the locations where you can what it from. Example: PLEX, NBC, HULU. And then you pick which App you want to watch the show from. Once you select it you will be transferred into that app to watch the show. PLEX works very well. Some Apps will get a little lost but not really a big problem.
You may have a problem with naming convention. The name is important but since I have been using it for multiple years I do not remember exactly what problems I had. It could have been a problem with the early betas and then improved because I was working with them at the time. I may have been one of the very first users. I remember when I requested it he said he was thinking the same thing.
As you probably already know WatchAid is the best TV Integration App available.
This is why I brought it up WatchAid to Channels originally. And recently I noticed other Apps starting to do this. I think I read Google Live Channels are doing this. Right now I have Channels for OTA and Premium TV. But since I am missing a number of channels I got Philo. What would be great is if my Philo Channels could integrate with Channels On Now (and Guide but mainly On Now) that would be awesome. And when I select a show that is On Now it would transfer to the Philo App. When done I could back out and be back in Channels. Of course I could not integrate the DVR but Live TV would be nice. I think WatchAid now support Directv Now as well as all the other options. I watch a lot of TV (more the most). My episodes come from CBS All Access (no commercials), Hulu (no commercials), Hulu Originals, Amazon Originals, HBO Originals and PLEX. For Live TV I use Channels and we record mostly sports and live events but some episodes not available with no commercials like day time shows.
Thanks for your quick reply. I very much agree that WatchAid is a fantastic integration App. The main issue that I have is the integration with Plex. I have OTA on Plex and have recorded one show that is in my Watchaid list (Dateline). The WatchAid settings have recognized my Plex server and when I click on "Import episodes from Plex" on the IPad I get a quick flash at the top that gives a show, season and episode count. I login to my Apple TV and find the episode but there is no option to play from the Plex Media Server. I have tried renaming Dateline to "Dateline NBC" as well as "Dateline on NBC" (the way WatchAid imports Dateline) but still nothing.
The other issue that I have is some shows do not show episodes that are scheduled to air?
On your iPad you get a quick flash at the top that gives a show, season and episode count. But you did not say you see the same thing on the Apple TV in the upper right hand corner. It is quick like on the iPad. Double check your Apple TV Settings you enable Plex. Also, you can not force reload like you can on the iPad (unless they changed that). You have to close WatchAid and reopen to get it to check Plex and reload.
Since you say you see it load on iPad. When you select the episode does it show Plex as an option? Like I said I am out of town but just waiting around for the wife :). Anyway, I added Dateline to my iPad and strangely it showed up under Upcoming TBD (strange with new episodes as recent as yesterday). But I change a few recent episodes as not watched and now I see it under Newly Available. When I select the 02/15 episode I see the NBC App as an option to watch it. Is that what you are seeing without the PLEX App Option? Even on the iPad?
I only get the "show, season and episode" flash message on the Ipad, not on the Apple TV. On Both the Ipad and the Apple TV it only shows an option to watch with the "NBC App", not with Plex. You mention "Apple TV Settings". I am not seeing any Plex settings in the WatchAid Apple TV settings nor in the Apple TV settings itself. I do have Plex installed and working on the Apple TV, just not getting the the Plex option within Watchaid.
I will be home later tonight and can check it out. I might be forgetting something. But for sure you should see the PLEX Loading on the upper right of the Apple TV like you see on the iPad. If not, then your Apple TV WatchAid App (maybe in the ATV Settings for apps) does not appear to be setup correctly. But again not positive until I get home. Again, you have to close WatchAid to force a reload (not just going in and out of the app).
But if you are seeing PLEX Option on the iPad where you see it loading episodes maybe it is your naming convention. Maybe include here you folder name and file episode name for Dateline. Maybe try a different show to see if it is just Dateline.
Thank you so much for you help. I really appreciate it. I finally did get something to show and in so doing I have narrowed the issue down to two potential problems with the Dateline that is recorded from the Plex DVR.
- The Plex DVR records to TS format. Does WatchAid recognize TS format? If not, do you know if Plex will record to MP4 format?
- Naming convention. If I can determine naming convention do you know if the recorded name format can be altered to name "correctly"?
I do not do a lot of DVR recording because of my other options.
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If you map either Channels DVR TV Recordings or PLEX TV Recordings WatchAid should be able to match them and when selected will start PLEX to play them back.
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The naming convention of both should be fine without changing.
My wife already had a recording of Mom S6E15 in Channels DVR. I noticed Mom is currently playing some old episodes from S4 so I recorded one on PLEX just now. I then added Mom to WatchAid and PLEX found both from the two DVR's and was able to tell PLEX to play them. WatchAid found all seasons of Mom so I just need to go to the correct season and episode to see the PLEX option on the Episode.
If you find TV Shows from other source like RIP from DVD and place them in PLEX WatchAid should find them and match them up to the correct series.
Based on my last post I am home now. Sorry about the confusion on the settings. As you figured out there is no PLEX Setting on the Apple TV. It must use your setting from iOS. But there is other setting on the Apple TV for WatchAid in the Settings App under Apps / WatchAid for other things you may find helpful.
Thank you for all of your help yesterday. Last evening I finally figured out the naming convention that needs to be used for Dateline NBC (I would assume other shows as well). With the exception of potentially having to set naming manually the Plex integration is working perfectly now. If Live ABC was available with Hulu in my area I probably wouldn't have even worried about the Plex integration. On the other hand, it was a fun dilemma to have solved.