Questions About Channels DVR

#9

Thanks all for the quick response.
I do have 1 more, for now, question.
Is there an easy way to see a list of what recordings are in progress?

#10

Yes there’s a schedule view that would list it. They would also be found in the list of recordings which shows recording status.

I would implore you to just install Channels DVR Server and take advantage of the fact that it is free for the first 30 days.

#11

I do have the Channels Server installed on my Unraid NAS and the client app on a new AppleTV but not fully integrated into the system do to still using EyeTV everyday.
Also, apparently the free 30 days doesn't work unless I actually sign up with cc info, or am I missing something.

#12

Well yeah, none of it works until you sign up for the service.

#13

Don't worry, you can cancel before the 30-day trial expires, if you are not satisfied with the service. If that ever happened, you would be the first one in history to dislike it. :laughing: :wink:

#14

Hi Neighbor!

Everyone already gave you the correct answers, so I have nothing much to add, but just wanted to show you a little bit of what I am doing with the stations:

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So you can see I have WPRI as my favorite and WBZ not checked off at all. There is a priority order when it comes to recording, so HD > SD, Favorite > Non-Favorite, Higher Source Priority > Lower Source Priority, Higher Channel Number > Lower Channel Number. As an example, here is a scheduled recording for today showing the priority order based upon my settings:

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Also, I have nearly 15,000 "recordings" ("recordings means that, plus personal media files, plus stream links, plus .strm files) and the only thing it impacts is App startup time if it is completely closed. Mine takes less than 10 seconds nowadays. What you are describing is an old situation that is no longer true, at least for the past year and half. If you want to estimate what your experience will be like, I did a little math on this last year:

#15

To clarify this a bit further: As soon as a program starts recording, it appears on your list of recordings (as well as other places). On the list of recordings, it shows with a red circle next to it to indicate that the recording is in progress. When the recording is completed, the red circle turns green.

Yo can watch programs while they are in the process of recording.

#16

Thanks, so far looks good so far.
So I'd mostly be running the client on a new Apple TV which doesn't have a way to shut it down at a certain time like my Mac Mini. What happens if the server shuts down while Channels is running on it, Not Recording just idle? My server shuts down every night at 2:30 am (saves electricity, wear & tear and dust collection) and doesn't startup until ~ 4:00 pm next day. Does Channel Client on the ATV Panic or Get Confused, require a restart, just pick up where it left off etc?

#17

Channels DVR Server needs to be running at all times to work at all. If it's not running, the app will just simply not work.

I would seriously consider just leaving your computer running. These are not the computers of the 90s. They use very very little power when idle and need no concern for 'wear and tear'. Your life will be much easier if you just keep the computer running.

#18

Just to follow up...

An M1 Mac mini, uses 5 watts while idle, and at full load, it will only draw 20w. Compare that to what an incandescent light bulb uses (20-100 watts). And honestly, I would probably say that the computer idle for 8 hours, would probably use less power than what it has to use to boot up after being shut down.

These are not the computers of yore.

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#19

The channels server is running off of an Unraid Server, lots of hard drives and moves files after 1am and a few other task then shuts down. Leaving it running 24 hrs a day is not optional. Just want to know how Channels on the ATV will react.

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#20

You can of course do whatever you want, but understand that the software assumes that it will always be running and available. So you'll just have to plan around that on your end.

#21

Blockquote
You can of course do whatever you want, but understand that the software assumes that it will always be running and available. So you'll just have to plan around that on your end.
Blockquote

That's why I'm asking how it responds.
Easy Question I would think.
I need to have a wife proof solution.
Can't count on her shutting the ATV down.
If the Client ran on desktop I would have no problem since it can all be scripted but I can't do that on IOS.

#22

Shutting down the Apple TV is no problem; that's the client device. The device running the DVR—the server—is what should be always on.

Or am I misunderstanding your question. If no DVR is found in the network, then the app on the client device is useless.

#23

Blockquote
Or am I misunderstanding your question
Blockquote

Maybe.
If the ATV and Client app is running and the Server (Unraid NAS) and DVR, which is in a Docker, goes off line.
Will the client App crash or Just give a message that the Server can't be found and exit nicely or just wait for the Server to come back on line, etc?

Not to confuse the above,
but I am hoping when my wife shuts down the TV and ATV with the ATV remote that will be the end of it, but she may just shut the TV off (years of doing that may be hard to retrain) and the ATV will still be running and server will shut down at 2:30 AM or Docker will go off line.

#24

The app will present a message saying it could not discover a local server. You can then tell it to retry, or attempt to manually connect with a specific IP address. But no, the app won't crash.

Then when you next attempt to open the Channels app, it will just complain about not finding a server.

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#25

Thanks for the reply.

BlockquoteThen when you next attempt to open the Channels app, it will just complain about not finding a server.
Blockquote
Even though the server will be running the next time the Channels App is opened?
Again it needs to be easy for my wife to reopen next day without jumping through hoops to reconnect.

#26

Many of us have wives who are very untechnical and would give us grief if we made things too complex. I have not seen anything an untrained user can do to mess up the system.

#27

No, it will only complain when it can't find the server. If the server is back up when the app is re-opened, you won't notice any difference.

#28

Do yourself a favor and leave the DVR on 24/7. I would gladly pay the extra $2 a month in electricity to not have my wife complain that nothing worked when she decided to watch TV at a time when the server was off. Servers are made to run :slight_smile:

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