Random New ChanDVR User Questions

[MeatballB]

Hey all,

Just testing out and starting to use Channels DVR and had a couple of random questions I was hoping to pick your brains about.

1. Is there some way to set up a Library that points to a Music Library full of aac/mp3 folders?

2. Is there any way to setup a separate drive/folder for Channels to use as a transcode folder? I found when I was using Plex that pointing my transcode folder to a RAMDrive really helped. Was thinking of doing the same here, but don't see anyway to setup a separate transcode folder. Unless that's the DVR folder?

3. Speaking of which, what's the difference between the TV Sources Library and the DVR folder?

4. Running everything on a ProxMox VM with 4 CPU's and 8 GB of RAM (on a Win10 VM). That enough horsepower to handle at most 2-3 local users?

5. Any other tips/tricks that you know now that you wish you knew when you first started?

6. Has Channels DVR ever offered a lifetime type pass? I'd rather pay a bit more now than pay an annual or monthly sub.

Looking forward to diving down the Channels DVR rabbit hole and thanks in advance!

[racameron]

There are some great support documents that address many of these questions, and I think they're a great place for you to start looking:

Channels Support — Support Articles

@MeatballB

Is there some way to set up a Library that points to a Music Library full of aac/mp3 folders?

No. Channels is for video content, not music. It will not scan in audio files.

@MeatballB

Is there any way to setup a separate drive/folder for Channels to use as a transcode folder? I found when I was using Plex that pointing my transcode folder to a RAMDrive really helped. Was thinking of doing the same here, but don't see anyway to setup a separate transcode folder. Unless that's the DVR folder?

Not really. There is a recent discussion about this topic:

Data directories

just curious if there’s anything in the works to offer a bit more control over the data directories. i run channels in an lxc and i would really like to be able to have the database/app data, temp / stream segment data, and completed recordings data able to exist in separate paths.

@MeatballB

Speaking of which, what's the difference between the TV Sources Library and the DVR folder?

I am not certain what you are asking. I think your terms need to be clarified.

@MeatballB

Running everything on a ProxMox VM with 4 CPU's and 8 GB of RAM (on a Win10 VM). That enough horsepower to handle at most 2-3 local users?

That's more than enough.

@MeatballB

Any other tips/tricks that you know now that you wish you knew when you first started?

In addition to the myriad articles linked above, there is an entire section of the forum dedicated to just this:

Playground

@MeatballB

Has Channels DVR ever offered a lifetime type pass? I'd rather pay a bit more now than pay an annual or monthly sub.

No. There is no lifetime option, and there are no plans to ever introduce one. (Again, this has been discussed several times on the forum.)

Not to be "that guy", but other than your first question everything you asked is already answered either in this forum, or from within Channels own support documents.

[chDVRuser]

@MeatballB

Speaking of which, what's the difference between the TV Sources Library and the DVR folder?

Are you asking about this on the Settings page of the DVR web admin UI?

Local Content Import your existing media library into the DVR

Movie Sources
TV Sources
Video Sources

If so, there's a clickable button off to the right that will take you to a Support Article for it.

Another resource to explore are the recent Knowledge Base Articles

Knowledge Base