Is there really no Channels Windows app?

If your router does hairpinning, it will resolve the remote address to your local network, and no data ever leaves your home LAN other than the initial DNS resolution.

Blockquote
If your router does hairpinning, it will resolve the remote address to your local network, and no data ever leaves your home LAN other than the initial DNS resolution.

Sounds like a nice trick. I am not sure how to do that, but if it's necessary for this to work I will look into it.

If you have Remote access disabled, both websites
Channels Plus Account
My Channels
will provide a local mDNS hostname link

In my case they both show the local mDNS hostname for my TVE DVR server
http://dvr-ds1513plus.local:8089/

The link will only resolve on your local lan if you haven't disabled Bonjour Discovery in your DVR settings
Your DVR

Yea. I wish Channels had a Windows software or app.
I do miss Emby Theater which was a awesome standalone software that rivaled Windows Media Center.
Not having said standalone software, i ended up buying a Nvidia Shield and us that instead of my PC. use far less power too and have all the other streaming app there and just more efficient than using my pc.
But would like full featured software to use on my laptop, the web browser acces...works, most of the time. but would prefer the same nice app ui experience all over. (Emby's web browser access UI and use is identical to their apps elsewhere.)

You can always go the Kodi route:

This will give you Channels as a PVR backend, and use Kodi for your media player frontend.

3 Likes

Hmm, interesting, I did not know that to be possible. In your opinion, does the Kodi client provide a better user experience than the Channels client? I have only tried the iOS Channels client and I like it. And I am told that he Apple TV Channels client is awesome.

Blockquote
You can always go the Kodi route:

Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems that development of that add-on stopped and it is currently not available in a stable version?

The latest version works with Kodi 18. As I understand, the Kodi team is changing a bit how PVR is done in 19, so until 19 is released, the developers have said they're not going to chase a moving target.

And while the PVR client for Kodi works well, there are a few limitations. But since Channels' focus is primarily tvOS/iOS/iPadOS, and secondarily Android/Android TV/FireOS, the ability to integrate Channels with desktop Windows/macOS/Linux via Kodi is a marked improvement over nothing. Also, using the DVR web UI—which was originally meant for administration and maintenance, not as a client—can lead to frustration.

I have messed with Kodi on Linux...and i can't stand it and never could get it to work well. It also looks super ugly, like form the late 90s.
There is an HDHR plug in, that is just as bad as the original software itself.
I also had an extreme amount of issues following setup instructions, do the varying versions of Kodi not having away to install add ons or the menus not being the same. Apparently, the version u install via the Software manager in many distros are way old, or not the "correct fork" or something....even when i followed a instruction sheet on installing manually the "correct" version to get the HDHR plugin, via cli code even, it was only a 50/50 result of actually getting the right thing, and several times, things got so borked that i had to wipe the whole Linux install. And i have to say, Silicon Dust was more than useless trying to help me when i pointed out their dedicated page of setup instructions were wrong and did not work, even sent then a video proving it...they dismissed it and told me i was wrong and not smart enough to use Linux and to go buy a Mac....yes they directly told me that. (Sure, i am not as good with Linux as Windows, but i do know my way around it well enough to have 2 other dedicated computer setup for Emby/Channels other things, and my Unifi controller system. )

Now, Emby Theater on the same distros.....download the installer package file, install. done. loaded and worked in 5 secs.

The few times i have tried Kodi on Windows, i just cant get it to work well, or at all at times. It does not like my 4K Dell Precision Laptop and when i can get video to play in it, it is super laggy and has bad tearing....again Emby and Plex even work flawlessly and work in just a few seconds after install. Kodi requires some sort of post setup config that is not straight forward.

All that hassle, ill just stick to the Channels web browser interface for the rare times i do use a computer to watch tv. on my desktop, the even more rare times, i just find it easier to launch my Android Emulator program and use the Channels app in that. NOX i think it is called. I have a Android TV one, but is is not that stable.

Does this include HD HomeRun? I found that the Channels server works great with HDHR, is Emby as good or better? (I know that this is a Channels forum, but let's get honest opinions out in the open, please.)

Emby works very well with HDHR. The server, not the client side app, handles the backend stuff for HDHR.
I used Emby for several years, after Windows Media Center went no longer supported. Only thing Emby/Plex/Kodi don't do, is TVE. and when i discovered Channels DVR software, and TVE, it gave me the ability to drop CATV and my HDHR Prime cable card tuner, and just use OTA and TVE to view the same channels i wanted...well, most of them. still a few that u can only get via CATV and cable card, or online streaming

the HDHR app itself and the addon on for Kodi, do function, on Linux, but, still not in the same league of Emby.

imo, Emby is FAR better than Plex and Kodi. It also is a excellent home local media server. something Channels, is kinda working on, but is not the main focus and use case software. Channels is LiveTV and DVR first over anything else....exactly what I want. not as sleek and mature as Emby when it comes to some things, but so far, Channels has been awesome and I am very much happy with it, for my TV and DVR needs. and save a huge amount of money each month.

What do you mean? Emby Theater is still available.

I mean I miss using it because I no longer use Emby for TV....I use Channels for tv. Since Emby can only see my OTA tuner and not the TVE channels.

Second since there is no dedicated channels app for PC I bought two Nvidia Shields and have switched to using those full-time for pretty much everything and the apps on them. I do use the Emby Android TV app to play certain local home media collection which is quite small actually.

Check out the thread "Use Channels-DVR as a tuner for Emby" this works fine in emby for TVE. I've not tried it yet for LOCAST but I think it will work the same.

I find the ChannelsDVR server great but I really do not care how the UI frontend handles viewing of TV and Movies.... so I added TVE to Emby via ChannelsDVR server. Hopefully we eventually get a new UI.

What is wrong with the Channels UI in your opinion?

I have used it on my iPad and so far it seems fine to me for live and recorded TV, which is my primary intended use.

Setup, including my Silicon Dust HDHomeRun could not have been easier. The guide if fine, provided through my HDHR, I guess.

In contrast, Emby requires that I pay before I try live TV + DVR while Channels gave me a free trial period. Once I paid for Emby I found that the guide requires either a SchedulesDirect account or xmlTv. On the SchedulesDirect home page I am told that it is not true that I can use it with Emby. However, I can use it with epg123 if I download and install that software, which will then provide the XML files which Emby xmlTv can use.

It may be great once I have gone through all that, but frankly I find it charming that Channels simply works with no hazzle, so I don't think I will bother trying out Emby.

In the Movies section there is no way to quickly see what movies you are watching in progress ... you have to dig down to find it. In Progress TV shows also has a problem where new shows push it further down the list. I have a lifetime EMBY pass and the guide data is included no need for schedules direct.

Channels is great if you are the only one in a household using it. In multiple people households you really need individual users. The only thing I really like about Channels DVR is the advanced pass.

I bought a year pass in Channels DVR so still hopeful for a new UI.

1 Like

Must be a recent change in the last few years. It was free to use for 30days when I started to use it. In fact, the main reason why i never tried Plex was because u had to pay to even get HDHR and live TV to work. I do recall a few years ago, Emby changed up and raised their prices/subscription model. I had paid for Lifetime of $80 many years ago.

As far as the Guide subscription, that is no longer true. Infact, Emby no longer uses Schedules Direct at all. It uses it own thing now. I have not had a S.D sub in over a year and have been using the built in Emby provide guide. works just as well. And u can find in their web forums my posts on asking about the change over and no longer using S.D.

Yes, multi user profiles, like Emby, is something been requested many times.
I really wish I could have separate profiles so that it would separate my recordings and such from that of others in the house hold. May be someday.

1 Like

I just finished adding everything through EMBY ... just cannot deal any longer with the way channels dvr handles viewing. It is good for the bachelor but definitely not for families. :smile: