Start Up channel doesn't have any EPG data

Channels Apple TV
#1

When I turn on my Apple TV, Channels is set up to start on a specific channel (BBC1) which it does. But there is no EPG data, so if you hit the "up" button it brings up a timeline with no program data in it. Also the dropdown Quick Guide menu is also missing all EPG data, so just shows the channels names, not what is currently showing.

If I then go into Guide all the data is there and once I select a program from there both the timeline and dropdown menus are populated with the data.

Is this an Apple TV issue? I've never had this happen on my Shields with the same settings

EDIT This seems to depend on how long the Apple TV has been switched off. Both times it has happened, it was the first time in the day it was turned on. If I then turn it off and on again within a short space of time (30 mins for last test) the EPG data shows up OK.

#3

This morning on switch on, I just get the message "Streaming to the tuner failed. Press play and try again (Tuner Unreachable)

Pressing OK then does connect but there is still no EPG data as before. I have to go into Guide and back before the EPG data appears, which defeats the idea of a startup channel. Surely this isn't how it always works in Apple TV?! My Shields all start up perfectly on the same channel with all EPG data available.

It has been a disappointing start to my use of Apple TV - so far I haven't found anything that it does better than the Shield and plenty that is worse.

It is early days, but having used both now I'm not sure I understand why the Apple TV is the preferred client hardware.

What a shame the Android app lags behind in terms of features :frowning:

2 Likes
#5

We’ll check it out.

#9

I've just updated to the latest Apple beta v6.6.1722 and now it doesn't respect the Start Up Channel at all. It just comes back on at the previously watched channel.

I'm very much a newbie with Apple, should the App Launch & Resume condition occur every time the Apple TV is turned on and off?

1 Like
#10

If it has been less than 60 seconds since the app went into the background, it will not start playing the channel.

If there is something currently being viewed in the app when it goes into the background, it will not change the channel but will continue playing what was last playing.

The setting is only used when there is not something actively playing when the app goes into the background.

#12

The next time this happens, if you could leave the video player and submit diagnostics from the app, maybe that will give us some insight into what is happening.

#13

Ah, OK, that explains the issue with the start up channel. I am just trialling Channels on Apple TV at the moment, so have been testing it's start up behaviour by turning it off and on again fairly quickly, certainly less than 60 secs. I sometimes get "connection lost" at that point too.

I think the issue with missing EPG data at start up is still there though if the app has been off for a while. I will do some more testing later and submit diagnostics if it still occurs.

#14

Started up after some time (several hours) just now and the EPG data is missing again from the Start Up Channel.

Diagnostics submitted 0d9457e2-ab0c-4dc9-8f60-f8a217a3dc49

#15

I see something in the logs that looks like you are waking up the Apple TV and then immediately trying to play something in Channels and the Apple TV has not yet reconnected to the network so it fails.

After that failure, it looks like you tried again and succeeded in playing, at which point we fetched the updated guide data from the DVR, so I don't see anything in the logs that reflects what you're describing.

I have tried to replicate this issue locally and have been unable to. After half a second, the guide data appears in the timeline.

Could you take a video of this happening so I can see if there's something different about what you're doing compared to what I am in testing?

You can upload it here:

https://www.dropbox.com/request/MMjICRc053JJpSBPDIfQ

#16

I'm not doing anything other than turning on the Apple TV. I hit no other buttons or send any other commands at all. The startup channel is set in the server settings for all clients so if anything is playing something on start up it can only be that

I will take a video but in my testing the system needs to have been off for quite a while for this to happen (typically overnight) so it may not be until tomorrow.

#17

I recorded it starting up this morning, but unfortunately it started up in Guide (which is where I had left it) rather than Live TV as it should per Start Up settings (see Start Up settings thread ) so the missing EPG issue didn't occur.

#18

Another issue related to this:

I have the Start Up section and Channel set up in my server settings for all Clients. Other clients respect this and start on the correct channel (Chan 1 BBC 1 HD)

My Apple TV however always comes back on the last watched channel. I learned from @eric that you have to leave it off for more than 60 secs which I now do in testing but it still comes back in the previous channel.

I'm currently on Channels Beta v6.13.134

Logs from server:
2024/06/13 11:08:21.573018 [SNR] Buffer statistics for 192.168.1.34 (Apple TV) for ch3 ITV SW HD: buf=0% drop=0%
2024/06/13 11:08:21.573313 [TNR] Closed connection to M3U-KatSatIP for ch3 ITV SW HD
2024/06/13 11:10:52.138282 [TNR] Opened connection to M3U-KatSatIP for ch3 ITV SW HD
2024/06/13 11:11:50.787930 [SNR] Buffer statistics for 192.168.1.34 (Apple TV) for ch3 ITV SW HD: buf=0% drop=0%

(Apple TV box turned off at 11:11.50 while watching Channel 3 ITV SW HD)

2024/06/13 11:11:50.788449 [TNR] Closed connection to M3U-KatSatIP for ch3 ITV SW HD

(Apple TV box turned on at 11:13.41 - goes to Channel 3 (not 1 as set up in settings)

2024/06/13 11:13:41.818652 [TNR] Opened connection to M3U-KatSatIP for ch3 ITV SW HD
2024/06/13 11:14:37.679786 [SNR] Buffer statistics for 192.168.1.34 (Apple TV) for ch3 ITV SW HD: buf=0% drop=0

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20240613_1115011920×1440 145 KB

#19

It looks like you discovered some differences in the implementation between Android and Apple TV.

On Apple TV:

  1. There is a 60 second delay before the Resume action kicks in. This allows for quickly leaving and re-opening the app to not hijack what you were in the middle of doing
  2. The Resume action does not get invoked if you are currently watching something in the player. This allows for you to quickly go do something else and come back to the thing you were watching (or have the screensaver start) without interrupting you and start playing the channel again

Thank you for highlighting the differences between the platforms. We will discuss if/how we want to make the experience more consistent across our apps.

#20

I'm not sure I understand. I get that it makes sense, after a short exit to something else, to then return to where you were before.

But at what point are the start up settings meant to take effect? Are you saying they don't at all on Apple TV? That is certainly been my experience - no matter how long my Apple TV has been switched off (even overnight) it still comes back exactly where it was. If I was watching Ch3, it starts the next morning on Ch3. If I was in Guide, it comes back in Guide the next morning. At no point have I seen it obey the Startup section/channel settings.

If that really is the case maybe it should say so in the Server side start up client settings (only on Android) like it does for features that are only available on iOS.

#21

This should be easy to test. With the Setting set to Live TV:

  1. Go to the Guide
  2. Press the button leave the app back to the Apple TV Home Screen
  3. Wait 90 seconds
  4. Open Channels

What happens?

#22

Well, in my case using TestFlight, it goes into Update because there is a new version available! :rofl: But once updated it does then go to Live TV and the start up channel.

So, just so I'm clear, the Start Up section/channel settings only works on Apple TV if you have manually left the app completely and gone back in? If you just turn off the Apple TV with Channels currently the active app, it will always return to where it was no matter how long it has been off when you turn it back on?

If so, isn't the "App Launch and Resume" text in the Start Up section settings wrongly worded? It certainly had me confused.

#23

No, that is not accurate. If you use the power button on the Apple TV remote and wait 70 seconds and awaken the Apple TV again, it will perform the selection.

If you leave Channels on the Apple TV playing a channel and then put the Apple TV to sleep, when you wake the Apple TV up, it will continue to play that channel. We do not ever want to override what is currently active on the player.

#24

Those 2 paragraphs seem totally contradictory to me. The first says turn it off, wait, turn it on and the start up settings will apply, and the second says it won't. Also your second paragraph seems to confirm what I said, but you quote it and say "that is not accurate".

I've re read it several times but am even more confused. :exploding_head:

#25

Is it inside the video player when you're putting the device to sleep?

#26

Yes, normally a Live TV Channel.

Edit. I presume that is still technically inside the video player. To people of our age "video player" conjures up images of a pile of VHS tapes!