Sat>IP support

Channels DVR Server Feature Requests
#360

I know this is a solved thread but it seems to be a good general SAT/IP discussion place. Happy for this post to be moved if preferred.

So as a late Xmas present to myself I got a Digital Devices Octopus NET Max M4 4 Tuner SAT/IP box.

My reason to justify the cost was that it does satellite scanning on it's own web interface so you don't need TVHeadend or to be trying to find the exact PID strings from Satellite websites as and when channels move (which they seem to more than I would have thought)

I'm still learning how it all works, but I have done a scan, got some channels to test and exported a M3U file for Channels to use.

It all works well so far. Channel changes are quick and the DVB Subtitles are all present and correct without me having to chase PIDs, so I'm going to try to set up a full channel list for proper testing.

However, I have noticed that even though the custom channels source is set up as MPEG-TS whenever I change channels the log has these errors:


2025/01/10 15:42:15.891167 [TNR] Closed connection to M3U-DVBS01 for ch505 Channel 5 HD
2025/01/10 15:42:15.891917 [HLS] ffmpeg: satip-DVBS505:  av_interleaved_write_frame(): Broken pipe
2025/01/10 15:42:15.891954 [HLS] ffmpeg: satip-DVBS505:  Error writing trailer of pipe:: Broken pipe
2025/01/10 15:42:15.891960 [HLS] ffmpeg: satip-DVBS505:  Error closing file pipe:: Broken pipe
2025/01/10 15:42:15.930229 [TNR] Opened connection to M3U-DVBS01 for ch504 Channel 4 HD

I am not sure why there would be HLS errors when it is using MPEG-TS and it doesn't seem to be causing any issues, but I just wondered what the advice was before I get too deep into it. I don't like having errors in the log if I can help it.

The default M3U file output from the device uses rtsp:// rather than http or satip so I wondered if that was causing a problem, but I have changed the rtsp to both http and satip on some of the test channels and it doesn't seem to make any difference, either to channel change speed or the HLS error messages which still appear.

Switching from HD Homerun to SAT>IP (UK)
#361

I get the same errors from my Digibit R1 both when recording and when watching live. I don't worry about them :grinning:

I use "satip://" URLs.

2024/12/18 20:59:00.018689 [TNR] Opened connection to M3U-Astra2 for ch9004 Quest HD
2024/12/18 20:59:00.042418 [DVR] Recording for job 1734555540-6 from M3U-Astra2 ch9004 into "TV/Salvage Hunters/Salvage Hunters S19E08 2024-12-18 2024-12-18-2059.mpg" for 1h5m59.995206s 
2024/12/18 20:59:00.142101 [IDX] Generating video index for job 1734555540-6
2024/12/18 22:05:00.001188 [ERR] Error during stream M3U-Astra2 ch9004 Quest HD: read |0: file already closed   
2024/12/18 22:05:00.001988 [TNR] Closed connection to M3U-Astra2 for ch9004 Quest HD   
2024/12/18 22:05:00.004107 [HLS] ffmpeg: satip-SATIP-9004:  av_interleaved_write_frame(): Broken pipe
2024/12/18 22:05:00.014936 [HLS] ffmpeg: satip-SATIP-9004:  Error writing trailer of pipe:: Broken pipe
2024/12/18 22:05:00.014988 [HLS] ffmpeg: satip-SATIP-9004:  Error closing file pipe:: Broken pipe
2024/12/18 22:05:00.027705 [SNR] Buffer statistics for "TV/Salvage Hunters/Salvage Hunters S19E08 2024-12-18 2024-12-18-2059.mpg": buf=0% drop=0%
2024/12/18 22:05:00.125811 [DVR] Finished job 1734555540-6 Salvage Hunters
2024/12/18 22:05:00.161750 [DVR] Processing file-1962: TV/Salvage Hunters/Salvage Hunters S19E08 2024-12-18 2024-12-18-2059.mpg

Dave

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#362

I get the HLS errors when I stream my security cameras, not when I stream via TVheadend, no HLS references at all.

#363

If everything works, then those errors would be the least of my worries.

#364

Seems the concensus is just ignore the errors then. Fair enough, I just wanted to check there wasn't a simple fix to stop them.

Other than that it's all working well so far.

I've gone back to using rtsp as that is what the device outputs in its M3U export file, and changing it to satip or http didnt get rid of the HLS errors anyway.

#365

The Digital Devices Max M4 is now working well and is live in my system. :+1:

So I've put my Kathrein EXIP418 on Ebay to try to recoup some of the cost!

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post links here, but AFAIK it is the only one listed on the UK Ebay site so if anyone here is interested it will be easy to find.

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#366

Hi all,

Are there any cheaper alternatives to the Kathrein EXIP418? I don't mind using TVHE but not looking to spend £350+ when I already have a HDHR. Just looking to get Freesat channels into Channels DVR.

Thanks

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#367

Does your HDHR support satellite signals? Then you should be good to go. Other than that, if you want any Freesat channels that you can't get with an arial, you'll have to get another device

#368

No it doesn't unfortunately. That was my question really - is there a more cost effective way of passing Sat/IP to Channels.

#369

There was the option of a Digibit Twin, made by Telstar. At one point these were on Amazon but I couldn’t find them just now. They also make an R1 which is a 4 tuner unit, but eBay is probably the only source. Megasat also make some models however only eBay for these as they’re discontinued as far as I can tell.

I did look into using a Linux based set top box as these are ubiquitous and more main stream and run minisatip or something similar on it but didn’t go that route in the end.

Unfortunately it’s not a plug and play system, however is it really good. But that’s probably why it hasn’t succeeded in the way the Freeview HDHomerun boxes have.

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#370

I have a digibit, its rubbish.

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#371

I did spot a few posts on the Vbox XTi-4134 Android TV Gateway. The satellite variant looks like it can output an m3u file and EPG which I wonder would work with Channels. Definitely more cost effective but I can't find any user cases for it actually working with Channels.

@alex_m was that the Linux based box you were looking at?

#372

Yes that was the other box I looked at - I would wager the m3u would be fine, part of your channels subscription would provide much better EPG data and you can map the channels.

Regarding the Linux based satellite receiver, I think it was a Vu box. There may be others, take a look at support by minisatip and SATPI applications as they support a lot of architectures.

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#373

Digibit R1 with Tvheadend ( in docker) work with no issues for years for me

#374

I've recently tried one and ended up sending it back. It has some potential but the firmware needs work especially as their frequency list for Astra 28.2 contains a lot of errors which meant manually entering a lot of it. It crashed quite a few times while I was trying to set it up. Their support was poor and didn't seem to understand the issue. I had a real fight to get a my money back too, because although they use a .co.uk website, they actually seem to be based in Israel and Czechia. Check out their returns page if you want a masterclass in trying to override consumer law!

Having said all that, I did get it to work with channels using its M3U output, but it was an uphill struggle.

#375

Cheers @GeoffT

Think I'll steer clear for now then.

#376

So quick update from me.

I bought a ZGemma H7S and have it working via TVHeadend. I did manage to get it working directly with the box using the exported M3U8 playlist from Openwebif but found some channels would just stop working. Used the guide on this forum to get the Freesat channels running in TVHeadend and then passed the M3U and EPG over to Channels from there.

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#377

Nice. I use the channels guide data and find it to be visually rich with photos etc, however for the UK, it's got americanized terms which one can't change so that's a shame.

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#378

Can you install TVH on the ZGemma, or is it running on a server elsehwere?

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#379

Sorry should have mentioned that. It's running on my Synology in Docker. I used SatPi on the ZGemma which exposes it to TVHeadend.

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