TiviMate Users - Channel Number Issue

Channels Android TV
#4

Just curious. I am also trying to use TiviMate (Channels as server) to take advantage of some features like a clock, video play in guide and multi-screen that are not currently available in Channels. But I have to manually convert the hls link for each channel and then match each up with a correct corresponding id to come up with an epg guide in a format that's acceptable to TiviMate.

Is there an easier or automatic way to output all the channels you have on your Channels server into a m3u file that has the correct tvg-id, logos and a corresponding xml link for epg purposes so that one can easily import into TiviMate?

#5

Not sure I fully understand. Using TiviMate I use these two links

m3u:
http://x.x.x.x:8089/devices/ANY/channels.m3u

EPG:
http://x.x.x.x:8089/devices/ANY/guide/xmltv

4 Likes
#6

That's it. That's exactly what I was looking for. Thank you for pointing this out.

1 Like
#7 
http://x.x.x.x:8089/devices/ANY/channels.m3u?format=ts

BTW - adding format=ts at the end will send the streams in original format if you want.

2 Likes
#8

Great. Didn't know that. Will try it. Thanks again.

#9

Out of curiosity, as opposed to what format would they be in? I assumed the streams would be in the original format.

2 Likes
#10

By default, when using the channels.m3u endpoint, the URLs are for HLS streams using the default web/remote transcoding settings in the web UI. The format=ts parameter to the endpoint returns a playlist that serves original format transport streams (MPEG-TS).

1 Like
#11

Thanks for the insight. So if I use TiviMate with Channels DVR and I'm using their multiview feature, without the format=ts added, does that mean each stream is being transcoded? The reason I ask is because I have a bunch of streams at the same time and I noticed some frequent buffering. Im assuming the buffering will be resolved if I add the ts to the m3u.

1 Like
#12

Correct. It will use the transcoding settings set in the web UI for web/remote streams.

1 Like
#13

I've been using TiviMate for a few weeks now. Messed around and tested it out. The past few days I worked on a custom m3u that organizes the channel list from Channels DVR. I created "Groups" in the m3u that mimics the Channels Collections feature so that everything is organized the same way and the channels are in the same order as when I use Collections. The past few days I've been using this to watch TV. Truly impressed. I'm really impressed that Channels DVR can push out 9 streams to TiViMate with no issues (and record shows and play channels as well to the Channels Apps). That's 11 concurrent streams - no issues. Multiview for business news and general news is awesome. Regular TV shows or movies, not so much. Can't wait for NFL games.

ATSC 3.0 stations don't play audio on TiviMate, but that's not a issue really.

My Channels DVR sever runs on a WD PR4100 with bonded NICs. All streaming happens on a MOCA 2.0 network terminating at each TV/Shield.

Channels DVR continues to be a great investment. HDHR+TVE+Pulto+Stirr; it's like I'm my own cable company.

1 Like
#14

TiviMate does not support tvg-chno and AFAIK, they have no plans to add it.

1 Like
#15

You can always try the tvh-chnum tag.

Of course, another way to specify channel numbers is in the XMLTV file itself. The channel element can contain multiple display-name elements. A common practice is to use 3 display-name elements: the first contains the call sign, the second contains the channel's name or network affiliation, and the third is simply the channel number. (It is up to the software to decide what to do when the XMLTV contains multiple names, but the method I mentioned seems be standard across multiple programs.)

#16

AFAIK TiviMate does not support channel-id, tvg-chno, or #EXT-INF:-1 for channel numbers. I am unaware of tvh-chnum.

1 Like
#17

That -1 is not a channel number, it is the duration of the following item. Since live streams have an indeterminate length, the standard practice for M3U playlists is to put -1 for the stream's duration.

However, if the purpose is to inform Tivimate of your preferred channel numbers to be used, perhaps it would be better to contact them directly to inquire as to how they support this feature/option, if it all.

2 Likes
#18

Correct - that's why it is important to place the channels into the m3u in the order you want them to appear. TiviMate assigns each channel a number based on its position in the m3u.

#19

I have also been testing out Tivimate using Channels DVR as server in the past few days and really liking it. I also want the channel order in Tivimate to be in the same order as I have it in Channels. That makes adding and deleting sources and m3u's in the future much more organized and easily.

I have tried the method you described by creating groups in the "Channels Collections" tab of my Channels DVR settings tab but all the m3u8 links in the exported m3u file still on has one group, ie, group-title="HD".

Am I missing something or misinterpreting your description of how to create groups in Channels? If you can offer a more detailed instruction of how to accomplish this and incorporate it into Tivimate, I would very much appreciate it.

#20

This was a manual process. Sorry my description was too ambiguous. I did the following:

  1. Exported the m3u from Channels DVR
  2. Edited the m3u (by hand, in a text editor) to rearrange the channels in the order I wanted.
  3. Edited (by hand) the group-title to match what was setup in Channels DVR Collections.

I ended up writing a python script that does the m3u manipulation. Too much work doing it manually.

4 Likes
#21

That makes sense. Thank you for the clear explanation.

#22

Can anyone point me to a good resouce for TiviMate usage/setup? I've got it running but lots of questions on how to customize, get PIP working, etc. Is there a good website where one can pickup that type of info?

2 Likes
#23

https://www.reddit.com/r/TiviMate/