What Will Channels Become After TVE?

Channels DVR Server TV Everywhere
#1

I'm new to Channels but I am learning quickly and really enjoying the open architecture, open development, and TVE.

Too bad because like others I suspect the TVE party will not last long. I was musing what would happen to Channels after that. Is there any chance that Channels might strike deals with media sources and be able to continue to cater to users who prefer an open environment over the turn-key but restricted apps? Imagine Channels with Hulu- or Fubo-like channel packages as a replacement for TVE. Would any media provider allow their streams to be bundled with an open product like Channels?

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#2

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#3

Unfortunately many of us cannot receive anything OTA, I'm one of them.

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#4

For you

This:

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#5

I'm hoping my HDHR Prime, free cable cards and Xfinity will still work.
That's the only source I had when I started using Channels DVR about 5 years ago.

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#6

Same here I only use Channels DVR to record Prime Shows mainly and Some old shows with 2 Cable Cards and OTA tuners.. I do not like their Personal Media and lack of Profiles... As I mostly use EMBY for that.... So if my Prime tuners die, I will say goodbye to home grown DVRs.

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#7

When I first went to Channels it was to replace my aging TIVO and Spectrums dwindling support for cable cards. I cut the cord and used a "family" streaming login to get all my sources by TVE.

Then I lost PBS and I can't get them OTA. Then I lost the NBC-Universal channels so I had to get a subscription to YTTV to be able to watch those. Now we lost even more networks this past week, making me go to the YTTV app even more. There are only a few reasons I am still sticking with Channels, but it is getting harder to keep the wife happy with the constant app swapping now needed.

I love the Channels DVR and commercial skip, much better than YTTV. I like going to networks directly by channel number. OTA picture quality for my locals is still better than their YTTV equivalent and in full 5.1 audio.

The final knife in the back will be when either Disney or Warner/Discovery owned services drop their TVE feeds. At that point there will be nothing left on Channels to watch when you consider how many networks those two companies collectively own.

I hear the main spring winding and I think the bell is about to toll.

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#8

Considering that Channels existed as a DVR for years before experimental beta support for TV Everywhere was added, I find this entire thread amusing.

Channels will continue to support OTA/Cable tuners, just as it has from the beginning. TVE support has always been a moving target. I imagine once it goes away completely the developers will give a sigh of relief, as the countless hours they spend trying to keep it working can be invested into other features for the platform.

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#9

True but with more and more cable companies no longer supporting cable cards since the FCC said they didn’t have to anymore, the ability to use Channels for that purpose is also in danger.

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#10

Yeah...in the end the HDHR will still work for OTA (and ATSC 3 in some limited capacity) but they'll still be custom channels and as long as people here chop in with great tools like, HDMI, ah4c, adbtuner and CC4C, we'll be fine

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#11

CDVR has been shifting more towards a Media Center then a DVR. This makes sense as the landscape is changing. But the community keeps coming up with work arounds for every issue.

TVE (Youtube tv, philio, etc). FASTTV (Pluto, roku, samsung), Various docker projects (espn+, mlb). Chrome Capture. HDMI capture. Local imports. OTA (antenna).

They have made many changes to help make CDVR more of a media center. Trailers, playlist, imports, more metadata options.

I am moving more and more away from linear TV. Other then NEWS and OTA sitcoms i don't DVR anything any more.

Then there is the sources we don't talk about (iptv). We will continue not to talk about. But is a viable option with a good provider.

I think the devs are keenly aware of the slow death of TVE and have been properly diversifing the software without abandoning its core features.

I see CDVR being around in some form or another for at least 5 more years, hopefully more. 5yrs in tech world is sooooooooo long. I think CDVR will survive as long as the devs are still passionate for the software. My fear is burnout and them either starting a new passion project or getting jobs elsewhere. Please dont burn out. Please. I love CDVR.

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#12

Yeah it was mostly Apple users a lot of other users came over because of TVE ... there are free options that can do regular DVR functionality.. If it is just OTA recording SageTV and NEXTPVR can do this also lifetime EMBY users and Plex users came over because of TVE.

I bet Channels DVR started growing when they introduced TVE

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#13

Me. I am one of those lot of users. I joined in 2020 specifically for the purpose of a unified linesr TV Guide (combine OTA + Philo). I stayed because it eventually became "wife aproved" that is a hard seal of aproval to get.

If all I wanted was OTA dvr i would just use plex/emby. But plex has lostvits way and vecome bloatware.

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#14

I think CDVR is to each person a specific solution. For me it was a way around Spectrum cable card issues and a TIVO that was failing. My need is linear TV and a simple interface that my wife does not give me crap about. I dont have a library of movies or other media. For many that is the exact reason they use CDVR and the loss of TVE has little to no impact on them.

So for me, and only speaking for myself, if TVE support becomes more limited than it has become this week, I will have to leave Channels and go to YTTV full time just to keep peace in the house and eliminate amplifying the side eye I already get when my wife has to change apps to watch her shows.

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#15

And even more specifically, for those who are looking for TVE replacements and/or cannot receive OTA signals, there are (but not limited to):

Yes, all not as turnkey of a solution, but all good options for integrating media from many different sources. Basically, if it exists somewhere, Channels has a way to integrate it.

And development continues...

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#16

Have not seen any new development in Android for quite a while.

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#17

See updates from 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, and more days ago:

Believe me, I'm all Android/Google, too, and would like more focus there and new features to make their way over at a faster clip, but your comment is misleading, at best.

#18

Those releases are just updating libraries ... no Playlist no downloading the list goes on. No new features at all. I guess you can call updating background libraries developing.

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#19

Yeah...or JF with Schedules direct. I used to use OTA on its own and grab whatever I need from streaming services but I'm a sports guy and Channels Collection is a nice feature I would miss...

#20

What about CDVR merging with Emby?

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