YouTube Livestream

marc.lochrie · February 2, 2021, 3:58pm

Is it possible to have a YouTube livestream as a custom channel?

This would be really useful - especially in the UK for live news. We have separate apps for Sky News and Euro News neither are available (in HD) through antenna, but both stream live on youtube. If it was possible to get the youtube livestream inside channels this could be used as a custom channel as the EPG data already exists using a SKY TV guide.

It's impossible to get an m3u from a youtube live stream, so being able to access the streams would be amazing.

tmm1 · February 2, 2021, 4:16pm

You can use https://github.com/jnewland/hlstube with our Custom Channels feature

racameron · February 2, 2021, 4:17pm

If it's impossible to get the static URL for a stream, how is Channels supposed to retrieve the stream? Is this just a euphemism, or are you being serious?

If the former, does this mean you just don't know how to find it, and you're asking for someone do the integration for you?

If the latter, why not ask for them have Channels unlock time-control vaults at indeterminate banks for easy withdrawals?

marc.lochrie · February 2, 2021, 4:33pm

I meant it wasn't possible to get an m3u URL from a Youtube Livestream and was asking if it would be possible to put the direct link to a youtube live stream into channels.

For example use this link https://youtu.be/sPgqEHsONK8 instead of an m3u.

Sorry if that wasn't very clear, I'm just getting started with this and thought I'd ask the question. Certainly not expecting anyone to do anything for me.

Haven't posted in these forums much, glad people are so welcoming.

Richard_smith · February 2, 2021, 4:40pm

Aren't they on Pluto or is Pluto a US thing only?

maddox · February 2, 2021, 4:40pm

youtube-dl is your friend for finding streaming urls for things.

marc.lochrie · February 2, 2021, 4:47pm

The only news on Pluto UK is Cheddar.

alai · February 2, 2021, 8:12pm

As the devs already suggested, the easiest way to do this is to use youtube-dl (or streamlink) in some way. I've used both in Docker containers to get YouTube streams into Channels.

If you're looking for a non-Docker solution, I've also successfully used a simple script with youtube-dl and set it as a scheduled task on my Synology every 3 hours to save the stream URL to a local file, which I then point Channels to. This works because the stream URLs typically don't expire for at least 4-5 hours.

Naonak · February 3, 2021, 12:05pm

hmm, I seem to get the below error when installing to docker on raspberrypi - is there a pi version?

standard_init_linux.go:219: exec user process caused: exec format error

Sparky · June 24, 2021, 3:58pm

Hi all,
i'm clearly not at the level many are but i know enough that if i can generate or get a m3u i can get it to work in channels as a channel for me. this i came upon and this would be my holy grail of channels it has real time live ATC and ADSB data funneled through ms flight sim to generate this "simulated environment" in real time with real liveries and real atc.
can anyone convert and send me m3u? or "it doesnt work that way bub" here is step by step for you...???? thanks in advance....
i would simply like to view this on my tv within channels but since it has audio and data streaming (you will see as soon as you watch...) it just seems uber cool to me...
LAX AIRPORT 24/7 | Secondary View - YouTube

Accustiver · September 2, 2021, 8:14pm

Would you be able to provide the script and instructions for how you can schedule this task? I have a stream link as well that changes every several hours and right now all I know what to do is go get the new link every time it updates and paste it in my Channels custom channel settings. I am using Windows though so I’m not sure if that will work. I do have Docker Desktop for Windows running with some very basic knowledge and have the Pluto and Stirr containers running successfully. Appreciate any help you can offer.

meitis · September 8, 2021, 1:52pm

I use a scheduled windows batch file that funs every two hours using ffmpeg with the -f and -g switches to grab the m3u

sdust · September 8, 2021, 4:02pm

You mean youtube-dl, not ffmpeg?

meitis · September 8, 2021, 4:08pm

Yes Youtube-dl. I have the Youtube-dl executable in my ffmpeg folder. Why? Just because.

alai · September 8, 2021, 4:15pm

Here's what I have. I basically just overwrite the m3u8 every 3 hours, probably similar to what @meitis is doing.

printf '#EXTM3U\n#EXT-X-VERSION:3\n#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=2560000\n' > /volume1/web/m3u/FILENAME.m3u8 | youtube-dl -g 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxxxxxxx' >> /volume1/web/m3u/FILENAME.m3u8

Accustiver · September 8, 2021, 7:47pm

Wow! Thanks for this info! So, do I simply need to create a windows batch file then (.bat) containing this code you just posted and then set windows task manager to run it every 2,3,4 hours, or whatever?

alai · September 8, 2021, 8:30pm

Hopefully yes! I haven't run Windows on my personal machines in years but you should be able to use that code (or very similar to it, there might be some syntax differences?) to refresh the URL in a local m3u8 file. And then use a path to that file in your custom channels config in Channels DVR.

In my testing I got 4+ hours before a YouTube stream URL expired, so 3 hours should be sufficient. You can always change your config and refresh it more frequently if they change things around.

Accustiver · September 8, 2021, 8:59pm

Fantastic! Can't thank you enough for your help with this!

oklair · August 16, 2022, 6:52am

So simple and easy to use for YouTube live streams! Thank you!

cyoungers · August 16, 2022, 10:10pm

Could you post an example of your m3u8 that works for a livestream? I'm having problems getting to work using the example posted in Youtube Livestream - #15 by alai

This is the error I get when trying to create the custom channel.

This is what the m3u8 file looks like after getting the URLs from the "youtube-dl -g" command on the YT livestream URL. Note long URL is truncated.