Licensing idea

Channels DVR Server
#1

I recently started using channels dvr. However, I do not use it to record. I do not use it for it's guide data. I just use it to aggregate my TVE source into a .m3u file which I pipe into nextpvr. Nextpvr then combines the TVE streams with the streams from my colossus 2 card and I use my schedules direct subscription with that. There has to be a way to setup the licensing for that type of use, no recording, no epg, just TVE > .m3u. In any event, I would appreciate anything you could do. Thanks

#2

My two cents: This request sounds like a pretty large undertaking in order to create a new type of licensing for what is most likely a very, very small niche audience.

#3

Can I ask why you utilize this setup over just using Channels to view/record?

I understand how hard it is to change to a new platform - I was heavily invested in Windows Media Center for over 10 years and it was tough to give it up. I too had it heavily modified and used multiple services just to keep it running. At some point, jumping through all the hoops to get a platform up and running is just too much.

I am so much more relaxed knowing if I add a new Apple TV to my house, it takes about 4 minutes to have it up and running perfectly. I do like “messing” with this stuff and consider it a hobby, but it’s still nice when it “just works”.

I’m curious to hear your opinion on it.

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#4

I did this as while channels dvr has features that others lack, it is still missing some key features. I will list them below.

  1. Hauppauge colossus 2 support missing.
  2. External ir blaster support missing.
  3. USB-UIRT support missing
  4. Kodi pvr plugin missing (I know I could use iptv simple for this, however manually mapping every channel on every box is not an option)
  5. Emby plugin missing.
  6. Nextpvr v5 is extremely fast to tune my colossus 2 card.

As you can see, the setup I have is a best of both worlds situation except, I am paying for features that I do not need.

#5

Seems like you’re over complicating things just because you want to hold on to your existing hardware. Don’t expect the developers to basically rewrite their software for this request.

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#6

Instead of paying a licensing fee, just buy a network tuner and an Apple TV and enjoy. As others have said, you are making this more complicated than it needs to be.

Use a supported client device, then download Channels and Plex. Run the DVR server for live tv and recordings, and Plex server for everything else.

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#7

Except for a few problems,

  1. There is no compatible cable card tuner being produced today.
  2. I am not paying my cable company for an additional card every month.
  3. Channels dvr has no copy-once support.
  4. Ease of use, why would I look in 2 places when I have everything in 1 place with Kodi/Ebmy
#8

U can buy the HDHR Prime on ebay, some still sell it new open box.
yea, suck to pay for a cable card rental, but if u must stick to CATV, it is the best way to go.
Honestly, if u have a cable card tuner, then u already have an AIO solution, as both Emby or Plex are full featured for use with that and u get all your subscribed channels. I used a Prime and Emby for several years. There was no real reason for me to move to Channels DVR when i had a Prime tuner as that got all the channels and more that i was paying for, no need for TVE in that scenario.

I see no need for cable card tuner anymore...CATV cost way to damn much.
Dumped cable, and got OTA tuner and antenna, and thanks to TVE creds, I get 98% of the channels i care about, the couple i don't get which is A&E and Nick networks, I have no issues just opening the Philo app Saved shows tab and there are any new eps.

Went from paying ~ $180 a month with Xfinity, to $20 a month (Philo) plus $80 a year for Channels DVR.
($2,160 a year to $320 per year)
Still have all the same channel/show access i had before.

Non of the channels have copy protection, and as far as the networks/shows that are streaming app only and not TVE in channels, no different than get netflix or other streaming services/webdl rips, can find them online easy via torrents or video share sites, or i can record them manually with my HDMI capture card and OBS.

As far as your request, don't see that happening.
Channels DVR is a not meant to be just a TVE stream source for use on other programs.
They make a product to be what it is, a Live TV and DVR software solution.

Pretty sure there are other ways to just make use of the TVE URLs outside of Channels DVR which i think is easy to find and are public based links using the correct syntax. You could probably find your own way of making a program that does what you want alone. Maybe find someone on Github that has done something like that.

#9

I’m with Xfinity (Comcast) and I don’t pay for my cable card, I actually get a $2 discount. If I needed a second card, then I would have to pay for it. I believe it’s around $2.50 per month.

I know this differs across providers and areas but all of my channels are flagged copy freely. I can take any recording from channels and move/copy/play in whatever platform I choose.

I also have Plex and Emby but have never found them reliable with live TV and recording. I’ve not been impressed with the speed of tuning channels either. They do an exceptional job with importing movies and tv shows though. I know Channels is working on this so I’m sure I’ll be moving that content over soon once they complete it.

#10

It varies based on service location they told me. I only ever had one card. It was just $2 per month for years, then 3 yrs ago, they upped the fee. For me it was $9.99 a month minus a $1.99 "Customer Owned Equipment" credit.

They no longer stock new cable cards in my service area, due to the switch over to their Flex streaming box, which they offer to you free if you have CATV and internet bundle...so they told me.

#11
  1. Comcast is not in my area.
  2. My cable provider drm's most things.
  3. I have a tivo.
  4. I gave up on silicon dust when they started dicking around with the release schedule for the prime 6, discontinued the prime 3 and never released drm recording support,
  5. prime 3 is old and obsolete with no way to record drm content such as hbo.
  6. With my tivo mini, usb-uirt and colossus 2, I can record hbo.
  7. My family is old school and insists on every channel known to man but I do not want to pay for anything extra.
  8. used prime 3 units are old and prone to failure
#12

This is just not true.
it was the power supply(AC Adapter) on some of the older units that were wonky.
replace it, works fine.

I did have one Prime unit start to act up on me after several years, and replaced it and that one ran fine for years with no issues. And look in the SD forums, there are many users with original units still in service. ( i think my older one may have taken a small surge in the coax line during a storm or something)

After commenting about my wonky and since retired to a junk drawer unit on their forums, they offered to have me send it in to them for testing, free of charge. I did so. they did find that an internal component failed, and sent me a new unit, sealed in box. No questions asked. Again, this was for a unit about 7 years old a now. so they stand by their hardware.

Prime 3 may be "old" but it is no way obsolete. It is still highly coveted and in use by many with home media setups world wide. They sell quick.

Comcast was only an example, whatever ur CATV provider is....make no difference to me. If your provider is DRM happy...well, that sucks.

Tivos are terrible imo. And cost way to much for their service.
Tivo been on the brink of going under as a company for ages.

Seems to me you already have your ideal setup for your requirements....qudos to that. Impressive and innovative.

Perhaps the Channels Devs may chime in their input on your "licensing idea" or give u a tip on how to do what u want to with something else....

#13
  1. All used electronics are more prone to failure than new. I do not buy used electronics.
  2. I had a prime 3 for many years, my family hated the slice ui, could not stand controlling a media center extender with a tablet (win 8.1 days). lid not like google live channels ether.
  3. My family insists on all of their channels copy-once included.
  4. Tivo may be more expensive but it has a far superior ui to the above.
  5. Tivo is simple, I no longer have to manually update 40 different programs/firmwares on 10 different devices every other day
  6. I already have my ideal setup, however I am paying for services that I do not need, hence the licensing idea.
#14

I like the always number lists u do...

  1. lolz. As a "tech pro" u should know that is not true at all. In my 30yrs of working and repairing electronics and computers, new things fail or are defective very often. Newer things often are made more cheaply with poorer quality materials these days. That is your preference. And like i said, u can still get new HDHRs, even the prime, may be old new stock, but still work and they warranty them.

  2. Slice UI? I can only assume u mean the HDHR app UI? they did update recently to be less terrible. Tablet? Its just an app that u install on a tv, stream box etc, no computer needed to view. I don't find this "hated UI" point valid as there are plenty of other software to use other than HDHR app if u dont like the UI. Most users agree the HDHR app is terrible, thus why they look elsewhere for software use. The HDHR hardware is in no way tied to the HDHR software exclusively.

  3. Them perhaps, they should be using the CATV cable box or Tivo for all their needs. That thing records too. Or if they insist on having X channels and package, and u thus have to pay for X to make it work...they then pay u the difference to make it work.

  4. Anything has better UI than HDHR app. But Tivo..is still...meh. Slow and dated. Also, what is it $500 for a "lifetime license" sure...for however long the company and its servers exist or they support that model. My folks paid that extreme amount for a Tivo box many years ago, and were shafted when they dropped support for it and it became a brick. Money in trash.

  5. Tivo is simple, for some, sure. So is most CATV boxes. Especially the Voice Command boxes these days. My Elderly grandparents can't figure out thier box, not even a Tivo these days, but they can press a button and talk into the remote and it just works. Tivo, s well as many other boxes alike, also is proprietary and u cant just pull the dvr files of recordings off of it fro use elsewhere as normal mp4.

5.5.Not sure where u think u have to manually update so much outside things so often. I am just going to assume you were exaggerating with this statement.
There is only 2 things to update in relation to Channels, or Emby/Plex setup, that woudl be the server software and the app on the device. Both automatically do this. If you have a newer HDHR tuner, the firmware also auto upgrades.

  1. That is your choice. And you are wrong by saying you are paying for something that you don't need. You need Channels DVR to do X for you...and you use that. Thus, u need Channels service. It is a package deal for $80 a year or $8 a month. It is up to you to accept or deny the value of the cost to have said service.
    Channels is packaged as a home Live TV and DVR solution. And you may not need the full use of it, but instead are basically utilizing, in a kinda hacky way, imo, only one feature of it, in a very rare use case that 99% of its user base never would or even know how really.

There are millions of examples one can give to software that are paid that a user may only want and make use of part of its feature set. I only want to play half of or only certainly levels of a game, Should I ask "big game company" to only charge me half the cost of their latest game, or charge only per level? I can, sure, but, what is the chances of them changing their pricing model? They set their product package and price model so that they can still stay in business and make profit too.

Don't expect Channels to offer some stripped down version of their software or service for such a rare use case, just because you want to save some money...especially since u are using that to input into a competitor product. ..is all I am saying.

However, you do bring up a interesting use case of "aggregating a TVE source into a .m3u file" to use else where. As far as I know, u can see the URLS and such in the Channels DVR server logs. There also is some tie in to Adobe Authentication, those urls also are shown in the sever. I do not know much further how TVE works on the backend, or if those URLs are static and do not change, aside from the auth keys.

But TVE in it self, is not something proprietary to Channels DVR, so, you can certainly dig into the use of TVE in your own program code for a script or small aggregate program of your own. That would take research and programming/coding skills to make, but should be possible. Then you would have no need for Channels DVR to do the aggregating for you at a cost. Perhaps there is already a way to do what u want using some other existing free or open source program./

VLC can load the TVE URLs and play fine i think. I have come across posts on the forum of some folks using other programs(VLC,MPV etc) to load a TVE stream for testing purposes. Maybe there is something there u can explore.

Edit to add: Forgot to mention, there is something called PlayON that allows one to record DRM services.