Total cost?

[Michael_Carson]

I'll be honest. I had to look up what Stream Links were. I never heard of collecting links to media that you personally didn't have. Glad Channels found somebody that uses that feature. I just wish they would do a better job of showing media collections that people do have locally like Emby/Plex do.

[babsonnexus]

@Michael_Carson

I never heard of collecting links to media that you personally didn't have.

This recent article is a quick overview:

Streaming Services are About to Change with Content Aggregators

Also, just check the product pages for Chromecast with Google TV, TiVO Stream 4K+, Plex, and Apple TV. Content aggregation is the #1 issue they talk about.

And it's not that I "don't have" the media. I pay for these services; it's just that I have outsourced the storage, maintenance, and collection to Netflix and Disney.

@Michael_Carson

If you only care about OTA TV, a Tivo or SageTV would probably work better than Channels.

Having had an OTA TiVO, I will respectfully disagree, especially from a support perspective. Xperi/Rovi/TiVO could not even get the stations right for my market and I had a couple with zero guide data and wrong channel numbers. It was infuriating, and they did nothing.

@Michael_Carson

The killer feature that Channels has is still TVE.

I think you need to check out Channels integration with Custom m3u's, notably Pluto. No one else has anything close to this, and @HankLloydRight's work has made it stupid easy.

Non-Docker source for PlutoTV and Stirr m3u playlists and EPG

Hello everyone, I've created a little PHP project (repo) that can replace the need to have a local Docker instance for PlutoTV and Stirr. It's very simple. For PlutoTV, the project runs a slightly modified version of the pluto-for-channels script by @maddox in nodejs on my web server (thanks @maddox and the dev team!) . Then my PHP script just replaces the deviceID and sid URL parameters with uniquely generated UUIDs upon each page load. So every use/access of the playlist.m3u file from the…

Many people have zero need for TVE at all with the hundreds upon hundreds of stations available between Pluto, Stirr, Samsung TV+, Plex, and others. Not saying the TVE integration isn't great, and I use it too, so I'm making no qualms about it. I'm just saying if it died tomorrow, I'd only be about 5% sad.

[Michael_Carson]

Emby has had this via the fHDHR for about as long as Channels has. The real exclusive that Channels has is TVE.

fHDHR

@babsonnexus

I think you need to check out Channels integration with Custom m3u's, notably Pluto. No one else has anything close to this, and @HankLloydRight's work has made it stupid easy.

[marcuscthomas]

I agree. I still use Plex for my library. It is far better looking than either Channels, Jellyfin, or the crappy DS that Synology provides. I use Jellyfin for live channels since I use Roku and there is no Channels app sadly for Roku. But, when I want to look for stuff to watch and record, it is the Channels web app that I go to.

[Jay1987]

I think this topic has gotten delightfully offtopic. Instead of talking about cheapest options for channels. Its now "my favorite feature is better then your favorite feature"

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@Michael_Carson

had to look up what Stream Links were. I never heard of collecting links to media that you personally didn't have.

I had never heard of *.strmlinkd or *.strm files ever. I see a lot of underutilized potential. They have ability to content aggregate external sources into CDVR. But without a constantly update public repository of links, that auto-sync with channels I think its wasted.

I am glad some users like @babsonnexus find it useful. I am glad that devs keep implementing kool ideas.

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@Michael_Carson

A full guide with PIP or simply as a transparency over the live TV has been a feature of almost every cable box/Sat provider

I agree. I want to use TV Guide while watching a show. Going to guide causes me to loose my buffer.

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@babsonnexus

Channels integration with Custom m3u's, notably Pluto.

The unified TV guide is what got me truly on board.

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@marcuscthomas

I still use Plex for my library

I do to. I use Plex for my downloaded, pirated, ripped, long term storage media. I find the UI of plex very pleasant (usually)

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@Edwin_Perez

I have Channels DVR recording New Prime Time shows as I do not have time to research Show names or release dates. Which all the pretend dvr Require I do the work.

Ty for sharing that advance pass. I haven't thought to creating a pass to record all new primetime shows.

Its kind of like Dish had PrimeTime anytime and it recorded all prime time shows.

[Joseph_Rubin]

@Jay1987

I agree. I want to use TV Guide while watching a show. Going to guide causes me to loose my buffer.

My one biggest issue with Channels! If I wanna see the guide, it means giving up my live TV buffer. Which usually means .. not happening! So I stay on my Channel and look for a guide on my phone instead. It sucks

[Absenm]

I have never lost my TV buffer when using picture in picture and going to the guide. Just make sure not to change channels while in the guide. That is on Apple TV and Fire Stick. I would prefer the PiP did not block a portion of the guide, and there are much more elegant solutions out there (Plex is really pretty), but the Channels PiP is pretty good at keeping you current program and buffer going while browsing the guide and what not.

Edit: It works really well on the Apple TV. But seems a little clunky on the fire stick.

[Joseph_Rubin]

Hmmm. Good point! Thanks for pointing this out.
Idk why but I had this feature turned off in the settings, and never really used it, other than testing it once.
But good point! That should totally take care of not losing the buffer and going back out to the guide.
I'm gonna turn it on and test it more.
Thanks again for pointing it out

[Edwin_Perez]

Yeah I always have PIP turned on for LiveTV many times I had hit the home or back button by accident and lost the buffer ... but with PIP no worries.... It works great on FireTV long press of the home button will give you the option to maximize or close it.