Provider - YouTube TV

I have the 4k plan and HBO Max. Not sure who asked but it worked for me as a test on Docker Desktop fine with my account that doesn’t work on Windows. Keep in mind that’s running on WSL2 so Linux.

So I just setup a new gmail account and got a 14 day free trial of YTTV without 4k and I am able to setup the YTTV source in the Window installation of Channels with no issues with that account. Then I added 4k to the new trial and it still works no problem. Then I added HBO and I am still able to add the source without issues.

So now I’m completely stumped as to why only certain accounts don’t work on Windows installs only.

So I have noticed that with Mac mani server where I can use my normal YouTube login I am able to view NBCSN. On the windows server where I had to set up the family account I dont see NBCSN and two other channels.

I'm trying to set up YTTV and tried my login without success. Also tried a family account. Tried to log in to https://www.nbc.com/live first. So I want to try Docker. Is there a link to the docker setup? I have Docker working with Pluto tv, Stirr tv. MLB so hopefully that will work for me.

Did you install the latest beta server software and did you make sure your additional family account just for youtube tv does not have two factor turned on.

I got it to work. When You go to https://www.nbc.com/live you have to make sure after you log in to your provider and it says provider linked you will see a popup in the upper right corner that gives you a choice to setup a profile. Once I clicked setup I went to add source and input my info and all is good. It wouldn't work until I setup the profile on NBC. hope that helps someone.

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Not sure if something changed on the Nvidia Shield working with YTTV but I just set up a server on one of my Shields and the login went well and all is working. By the way it is a Shield tube.

This didn't work for me on windows. Hoping there will be a fix or work around.

Didn't work for me on Windows either. Also for the trial YTTV account I setup I didn't have to even go to the NBC site at all to get it to work successfully.

Can anybody verify that NBCSN works with the family account they set up to get this working? I just used that account on a nvidia shield and it worked but I still dont get NBCSN in my channels list like I get with using my main account on a mac mini.

I am using a secondary account for YTTV in Windows, and it is working for me.

Interesting! That's a great development. Very good to know! I didn't realize the Shield Tube could handle this. What's your external storage setup?

I have a 128gb micro sd card in the tube. It seems to work real well so far.

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I setup a secondary family account per the instructions. And it used to work. But now that I resubbed YTTV, it's suddenly not working anymore when I try to re-add it.

EDIT: It's not working when I disable 2FA either on my main account.

This seems like there's something wrong with the method Channels DVR uses to authenticate. The error message reports that the browser may not be secure and to try a different browser.

EDIT 2: Just caught up with the thread. this is well known. And yes I'm using the Windows install too.

Exact same behavior here for over a month now. None of my family accounts work on Windows I have tried all work around.

I have had the same issue also for about a month, never gotten it working on Windows. Tried on a Raspberry Pi server and also get the same error. No way to use youtube TV with channels, so unfortunately I think I'm done with channels until TVE for YTTV is supported again.

I don't run Channels DVR on Windows or use YTTV so don't have a horse in this race.
But, people are saying it works in a Docker Container on Windows.
Curious if anyone running it in a container is having the problem.

(Running in a Docker Container solved my Science channel problem with Xfinity on a Synology NAS running DSM 7.0)

YTTV prompts for verification on Family Account with no 2FA enabled

Channels DVR is running on Unraid Docker container.
I followed the instructions to add a dedicated dvr Google family account to share YTTV with my main Google account.
I did not enable any 2FA on that dvr Google account. And I turned on the option to allow less secure access from apps.
But I still see a login failure when trying to use that account to add YTTV as a TVE source.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Screenshot Firefox 2021-08-24-16-47

I am running Channels DVR server on a Synology 920+ NAS running DSM 6.2.4. I have not updated to DSM 7, and I don't plan to do that anytime soon, if ever.

A week or two ago, after Channels quit recording anything, I updated Channels' Chrome from 76.x to 89.x by

  1. Clicking "Add source"

  2. Choosing a provider I don't have

  3. Entering test/test for username/password

  4. Clicking and holding the SIgn In button

And that fixed Channels for awhile.

Channels stopped recording NBC, and when attempting to get it working again, I found I was getting the "context canceled" error. I updated the DVR server to 2021.08.19.2122, made sure I was using a Gmail account without 2FA enabled, and logged into https://www.nbc.com/live first. I started over with Channels DVR Server's source, so Settings now says "No sources found". When I chose "Add Source", "TV Everywhere", put in the provider, login and password, then click and hold the "Sign In" button, I got the "context canceled" error, with this in the log:

(Edit: redacted all but the last line, the full logs were emailed to support)

2021/08/20 01:54:18.608728 [TVE] Auth failed for YouTubeTV: context canceled

Next, in this thread on Channels support forums:

I saw this:

I created an NBCUniversal profile, and added logging into it into the list of things to do, which is now:

  1. sign in to a Gmail email account with YouTubeTV subscription and without 2FA enabled

  2. sign in to www.nbc.com/live, linking it to YouTubeTV as provider

3, sign in to NBCUniversal profile

  1. choose "Add Source" in Channels DVR server Settings

  2. choose YouTubeTV as TV Provider, enter Gmail login and password, click and hold Sign In button

Then, I got different behavior: the error is now "Cable Provider Authentication Failed". The log for that error is:
(Edit: redacted all but the last few lines, the full logs were emailed to support)

.872888 [TVE] action=wait_for_auth

2021/08/20 02:15:55.371351 [TVE] action=tvejs msg="googleLoginPassword browser or app may not be secure"

2021/08/20 02:16:16.873473 [TVE] action=auth_timed_out

2021/08/20 02:16:16.873564 [TVE] action=screenshot

2021/08/20 02:16:16.943787 [TVE] action=screenshot size=26460

2021/08/20 02:16:16.943981 [TVE] action=capture_html

2021/08/20 02:16:17.083688 [TVE] action=capture_html size=1858083

2021/08/20 02:16:17.101169 [TVE] Auth failed for YouTubeTV: Cable provider authentication failed

The screenshot that Channels displayed reads:

(data entry field that says "Sign In With Google")

Couldn't sign you in

This browser or app may not be secure

Try using a different browser. If you're already using a

supported browser, you can try again to sign in.

(button saying "Try again")

I tried updating Channels' Chrome again, but it seems there are no new Chrome updates.

At this point, clicking the "Sign In" button without holding it down gets me the "Context canceled" error, while clicking and holding the "Sign In" button gets me the "Cable provider authentication failed" error. My Channels DVR Server has no sources to record from so it’s totally broken now.

I have gone to the Channels DVR Server Support Troubleshooting window, where all six items have green checkmarks, and submitted diagnostics logs along with an email to tech support with a copy of this post.

Edit: removed parts of logs that don't need to be in this post

Last official responses from the devs are above in this thread


I can only think YTTV=Google and Chrome=Google

I can confirm that running Channels on Docker is the solution to not being able to authenticate with YouTubeTV. chDVRuser posted a great writeup about how to do that on Synology here:

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