I have been trying to get the Quadstream AppleTV app to work with Channels. I can get access to the web address, but it won't load on my LAN. Given that there is an :8089 in the address, do I have to open Port 8089 on my firewall? Do I have to enable remote streaming on my Channels Server? What am I missing?
QuadStream requires URLs that load channel streams, not the URL of the Channels DVR itself. So what is the format of the channel streams you are entering?
It should be:
http://x.x.x.x:8089/devices/ANY/channels/123/stream.mpg
(where x.x.x.x is the IP address of your DVR and 123 is the channel number you want to stream)
Here’s another IPTV app you can use with Channels DVR M3U and you can watch up to 4 streams in multi-view mode.
It works on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV and it can synch the M3U playlist/settings across devices as long you’re using the same iCloud account.
It’s a lot easier than QuadStream.
In the App Settings just Add Provider using Remote File m3u:
M3U URL:
http://DVRIP:8089/devices/ANY/channels.m3u?codec=copy&format=ts
EPG URL:
http://DVRIP:8089/devices/ANY/guide/xmltv?duration=604800
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Very nice, thanks! Over time I've tried QuadStream, CCTV Viewer as well as SurveilStream, they all work with Channels DVR streams for multiview on AppleTV, but each has their own pros and cons, and their interfaces and workflows are a bit clunky.
iProTV has some rough edges too, but overall I can already see it's the best of the bunch! I'm seeing a few features that have been on my wishlist for awhile. I appreciate you mentioning it.
I’m still hoping for Channels DVR to release builtin multiview mode.
I bought the Shield TV Pro using with Tivimate for multiview mode but it struggles with 8+ streams from time to time in TS mode and when switching stream.
HLS mode on the Shield TV Pro with Tivimate is more reliable but I don’t get 5.1 audio and it doesn’t auto start/stop the stream quickly.
The iProTV is my go to multiview App at the moment where you can create multiview group of channels and it sync across devices and launch them straight away.
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Agreed, that'd be nice. This was an explanation shared last year, for what its worth. All understandable stuff, but it's clear that it's something the developers been thoughtful about:
I still believe in the audacity of hope.
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So, my understanding is the Quadstream only worked with .m3u8 streams. Perhaps I have that wrong.
The address is http://XXX.X.X.X:8089/devices/ANY/channels/8.1/hls/master.m3u8
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I don’t think that’s right. Here’s what I suggest you try, for that channel entry in QuadStream:
http://x.x.x.x:8089/devices/ANY/channels/8.1/stream.mpg
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Two notes:
- If you use the
hls/master.m3u8endpoint, it will use the transcoding settings set in the web UI; and, - The
stream.mpgendpoint is the MPEG Transport Stream that Channels uses/records internally without any transcoding/remuxing—if your software expects HLS streams, you need to use the former, or change a setting to indicate MPEG-TS if it doesn't auto-detect.
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The mistake that I made with Quadstream and Channels was pointing Quadstream to the IP Address of the Channels application and not the IP address of my media server/computer.
Tying off on this for anyone who might come here in the future. Please note these instructions are specifically for a Mac, but most of this will likely work on other platforms.
1). Find the IP Address of your specific channel by using Safari and going to Live TV -> Grid in Channels. Click on the channel you want to watch and under "Watch Now" and click on Web Player. Right click on the video and click on "Open in a New Tab." Copy and paste the address in the navigation bar of the tab. It should be: http://XXX.X.X.X:8089/devices/ANY/channels/10.1/hls/master.m3u8?abr=false.
2). Remove the "?abr=false". Take this new address, "http://XXX.X.X.X:8089/devices/ANY/channels/10.1/hls/master.m3u8" and paste it into a new window on your media server/computer to make sure it works.
3). Replace the IP address, XXX.X.X.X" with the IP address of your computer.
4). Merge your new IP address with the "8089/devices/ANY/channels/10.1/hls/master.m3u8" listed above.
5). Please note that nomenclature works for all of your channels. You simply need to replace the "10.1" with the channel of the other addresses you want to stream to Quadstream.
6). Test this new address on a separate device on your LAN.
7). Enter the IP address into Quadstream
Enjoy!
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My one complaint about the other apps (like you, I've tried them all) is the difficulty in setting up, and switching between, different channel setups.
Quadstream is the best for setting up different streams to choose from, but the navigation between windows is terrible, when using.
CCTViewer is the best for switching between streams while using, but the setup of those streams is rage-inducing.
Does iProTV make this manageable? My situation is that i want to be able to choose which streams to grid out somewhat on-the-fly, and navigate between them in 1 click, like Fubo's multiview.
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I've found that channel management to be slightly better with iPro TV, but just better enough to make a difference. It integrates EPG (so you see program details of what you're watching,) you can choose channel streams on-the-fly (even though the UI is clunkier than Fubo) and also toggle between groups of channels that sync across devices. I do the latter, most of the time. These streams loads quicker and overall the app seems more capable than the previous multiview apps I've used.
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You convinced me, I'll blame you if this one drives me nuts too 
(kidding)
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lol, blame sok. His helpful post here got me started:
At the very least, the ability to ingest your own channels.m3u (instead of having to add each channel manually) was a great improvement.
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Agreed. The ability to get your setups ready on am iOS device is a big plus, too.
The tvOS interface for creating new setups is basically useless, though - at least at first try. I'll take a couple of more cracks at it, though.
I really REALLY wish they exposed channel numbers on the interface, though - would make things so much easier.
I started playing with iProTV this morning. I'm liking it a lot. Syncing across devices is great. Also, happy to find that the iPad app works really well on apple silicon Macs.
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I also like how we can view 4 channels with one enlarged window on the top and three small ones underneath it, instead of just a 2x2 grid. And yes, the sync between multiple device is a game-changer for overall channel management. It's definitely a big step up from QuadStream. Both apps seem to have stalled development though, hopefully we'll see improvements in the future. Because even though iProTV feels like the best option for this right now, it still has some limitations, bad UI and is incomplete, in a number of ways. Still feels like there's no single solution that works best across the board. Although if only Fubo added a couple more channels, I'd probably end up using their multiview exclusively. I'm also looking forward to seeing YouTube TV's "mosaic" interface, if the rumors are true: YouTube TV update will reportedly let you watch four channels at once - The Verge
With iProTV I'd like to be able to rearrange channel positioning in the 2x2 grid, on-the-fly, like we can with Fubo. Or at the very least I'd like for them to stay in the position I save them (as a group) when I re-open them. Because they don't even display in the position they're represented in, in the group thumbnail. Yes, we can replace channels on-the-fly but even with favorites it feels clunky. I'd also like to be able to rename channel groups. I couldn't figure out if that's even possible so I ended saving new ones and deleting the old ones they're meant to replace.
Also, my AppleTV can handle more streams, so I'd like more grid options, like 3x2. And I'd prefer audio focus switching to be quicker, if not instantaneous.
Until then I'll keep bouncing around between Channels DVR, Fubo and iProTV, and keep dreaming
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Yeah, it's soooooooo close.
The tvOS app, for viewing, is easily the best yet. Snappy fast, gives you the native (i.e. surround) audio (which Fubo doesn't) - it's great.
Managing anything on tvOS? Absolutely hopeless. I still haven't found the way to create a multiview setup on tvOS itself. Thankfully, the iOS/iPadOS app does it beautifully. If only the channel number was exposed anywhere, i would pretty much live with it as-is.
Longer term, it needs 3x3 or 4x4 to be competitive with other apps, but it's my go-to for now.
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Oh, cool! How?