What Happened to the NFL Network?

Channels DVR Server TV Everywhere
#1

Went to check the NFL Network because they were re-showing a couple of Bills games from last season and when I try to tune to it on Channels, I was getting a message:

"Connection Lost. Could not parse Playlist: dcs-live.my.lura.live: Cant’t detect playlist type".

I tried deleting Vidgo from my sources, then added it back in. At the same time I checked the version release and updated it to the current pre-release (2023.04.16.0234). After the new version and re-added Vidgo source, NFL Network no longer shows up when I go in and manage the Vidgo lineup.

I'm able to watch the NFL Network via the Fire TV Vidgo app, and on my laptop from the NFL site (NFL Network | Watch Live Football Games & Events | NFL.com) using my Vidgo credentials.

#2
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#3

That's an old post, it was working a few weeks ago (last time I checked). If I can use my Vidgo credentials to log into the TV Everywhere version of the NFL Network (NFL Network | Watch Live Football Games & Events | NFL.com) it should work in Channels.

Can someone from Channels Support verify that the NFL Network and NFL Redzone (when the season begins) is still accessible or not using TV Everywhere? Both used to show up in the list of available channels for Vidgo, and other streaming services.

#4
#5

Why is it available via

image

#6

They changed streaming methods to something that is incompatible with Channels DVR.

#7

Is this going to get the wave of the future? If you add the NFL Network app to Fire TV and log in with your Vidgo credentials, you can watch it too.

Is Channels going to work on a way to access it? If other channels start doing this, the channels app could become obsolete.

#8

I can't predict the future.

We are exploring possibilities, but the changes made are specifically to prevent recording

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#9

Is it possible to make it available for streaming (live) viewing only?

#10

That is through the NFL Network app, not the NFL Network website. While seemingly inconsequential differences, it is the crux of the issue.

If you cannot view the stream from the network's website in a browser that does not have DRM/EME enabled/available, then it will not work with Channels' TVE implementation.

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#11

Are you saying that Channels doesn't have DRM/EME enabled/available?

If you go out to the NFL site in your browser

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image1516×476 25.1 KB

that has DRM/EME enabled, it still requires you to log in using your providers credentials, but once validated, it will play.

If Channels can't play/record DRM/EME protected content and more companies do what the NFL is doing by moving off TVE for their on streaming sites, won't that render Channels worthless?

#12

for you.

#13

If all of the video provider services like Paramount, Fox ESPN, Discovery, etc., do the same thing that the NFL Network did and remove their content from TVE and force viewers to use 'their' mobile/browser app, Fire TV app, or a streaming service, where will Channels get the content?

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#14

Channels originally began as a OTA DVR to be used with an antenna and HDHomeRun network tuner. The TVE option was added later and is currently still in beta.

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#15

From a multitude of places. Read the manual.

#16

It was because Channels added the TVE option that I subscribed to Channels. I also have Plex, which also records OTA using an HDHomeRun. At one point they also offered subscription service that allowed you to record 'Live TV' streaming like Channels does, but it was reveled that the company they partnered with, was selling the service illegally, so they shut it down.

Silicon Dust (HDHomeRun) and Tablo both have apps that cost less a year to record OTA, but they don't have the ability to record streaming service content which is the reason I continue to use Channels. If that goes away and I have to use the shitty guide and DVR from my video provider (Vidgo), I'll go back to Plex for my OTA content and suffer with the Vidgo app.

I hope that doesn't happen anytime soon, but if Channels want's to continue to be the leader, they need to plan for the future.

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#17

At this stage of development I would say that all of those other OTA DVRs are inferior to CDVR. I started channels to try and backend it into Plex. After seeing how much better performance was I turned off my Plex server and just ran channels. TVE is a big plus, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not the main event for everyone. My family uses virtual channels far more often than live tv.

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#18

I've gotten NFL Network back with this workaround:

#19

@tmm1

Since I'm working on this as I am hoping to get NFL Network back due to the work of @babsonnexus and his workaround, I came across that the NFL channel is not DRMd and I can view the stream in Channels from NFL Network | Watch Live Football Games & Events | NFL.com using the following I pulled from the https://dcs-live-uc1.mp.lura.live/server/play/m10rvaXGcos8a0gx/rendition.m3u8?track=video-3&anvsid=m177626901-nc7ee69e1cd35e5a1e536949fd431d505&ts=1686946491 (understanding this URL is part of the authentication) is it possible that NFL Network could be re-added back to TVE?

I know I am by know way an expert in this so just a hope that we might be able to get this channel back given that all the Universal channels are gone due to DRM

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#20

And it's back with the latest prerelease!

The one caveat is I had to login on desktop first before Channels was able to grab the stream. Not sure if a full rescan would have gotten rid of that issue too; I didn't do one before accessing on desktop.

@tmm1 I submitted logs, most of the errors are ERR_ABORTED or ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS

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