Introducing PrismCast: Browser-based Live TV Capture for Channels DVR and Plex

Playground Hacks
#263

Just got this setup. For what I need, it's excellent so far. May thanks for setting this up!

I'm looking to set up a new channel using my MGM+ account. Admittedly, I'm a complete novice at this, so forgive me. I'm stuck on what/how to enter in the first (Channel Key) box:

Add New Channel
Channel Key
(e.g., my-channel
Lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only. Used in the URL: /stream/channel-key)

I tried several iterations of (what I think) the example shows, but can't seem to get past that first part. Is there an example of how it should read/look that I could use for MGM+?

#264

Would anyone be able to help me find the right profile for the video player at https://www.wilx.com/livestream/?

#265

Disregard, read the question too quickly.

#266

I don't know, maybe your server is underpowered/too slow in loading the station for Channels. My server is on an M3 mac mini, and once I followed all the steps I mentioned every ESPN station played fine in the Channels app.

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#267

Are you running a headless server? Try logging into it with VNC and see if you can get ESPN to work. If it doesn't you might have to get a dummy HDMI plug. I know I had to because the server doesn't think you have a display without it. I had that same error until I figured out that I had an HDMI cable to my TV plugged in instead of the dummy plug.

If you're logging in with RDP it creates its own virtual display and makes you think that it'll work but it won't.

#268

My server is an M2 Mac Mini, and I'm logging into it over VNC. I can pull up a chrome browser on the server and log in and view ESPN in the browser, but I get nothing when I try to view it in Channels. I've been able to get most of the other prismcast channels to work using this setup.

Wait, I just read the part about the "dummy HDMI plug". What would that consist of?

#269

Just to be clear, it's not "a Chrome browser" on the Mac Mini you need to login with -- it's THE Chrome browser that PrismCast controls. There should already be two open tabs if you're using the correct instance. The first is about:blank, the second is the Puppeteer extension. You need to open a third tab, and login to ESPN. It'll be minimized in your dock.

#270

Have you tried quitting the Chrome browser on the PrismCast machine and letting PrismCast open it when you tune to the channel in Channels? This step has been posted a few times in this thread by now.

#271

I got this running as a test with a single channel (NBC) under Unraid and it is working except it is somehow set to channel 9000 which overlaps Pluto TV in my case - is there a way to set the channel number for each channel?

EDIT: found it under add a new channel

EDIT2: actually, that's not it - CDVR allows you to set the starting channel for the whole block of PrismCast, but that channel # field is for HDHR emulation

It would be nice to have an ADBTuner-like way to manually set each channel number as I have a variety of sources combined in the guide - if it exists, please let me know

#272

Dang. I can't believe this was the issue. I could've sworn I had logged into that one several times. One more time was the trick though. And it is entirely possible I was mistakenly using a different chrome window the whole time. Thanks so much for the help!

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#273

Let me know if you have issues with having to unlink and re-link your TV credentials. I use YTTV and for NBC based channels, seems like every 2-3 hours I have to reconnect (not just re-confirm but unlink and then relink). Happens even if an active stream is going.

#274

Does it give you your local NBC station?
YTTV NBC was going to be my test channel when I set it up tomorrow.
Figured recording the SB would be a good test.
May have to rethink that (I can already record NBC with CDVR using my HDHR Prime source).

#275

Node.js is listed as a requirement.
What are you running it on where you had to use sudo to install?

#276

ESPN channels are not a problem so far after being on for several hours. HGTV, Animal Planet, Food Network, TBS have all worked fine as well.

USA didn't work the first night but tried today and now is working. ABC shows me linked in, but won't show the stream even if I VNC to monitor. Pulling the same link and playing in my local PC has no problem with the video. Luckily I have OTA and also ADBTuner, so I have 2 sources already for this channel, so no biggie.

#277

Are you running PrismCast on a Mac Mini?
I'm wondering if it will work on my Mac Mini M4 since my display is attached to one of the Thunderbolt 4 ports via a USB-C cable and my display has a built-in KVM switch I use to switch between the Mac Mini and my Win 11 laptop.

#278

Are you running PrismCast on a Mac Mini?
I'm wondering if it will work on my Mac Mini M4 since my display is attached to it via a USB C cable and my display has a built-in KVM switch I use to switch between the Mac Mini and my Win 11 laptop.

I run/develop PrismCast on a headless M4 Max Mac Studio, FYI. :smile:

#279

ABC is weird, I've done a couple of test news recordings early in the morning and both failed. The ABC website would start up and start playing my local station and then immediately switch to an ABC player error screen (i.e. from their web player not prism). Prism would reload the tab over and over but it never got out of that error.

But I've tried it at other times during the day and it's worked fine so I don't know.

#280

Thanks, I take it you use VNC to access it via Screen Sharing, or Screen Sharing Mac-Mac?

#281

M3 mac mini. No idea why I didn't have admin privileges for terminal, but adding "sudo" to the command line let me type in my user password to install it.

#282

Sorry for asking this again, but is there any way to set the CDVR channel number for each channel independently?