Locast to Tuner (locast2tuner) Windows Installation

[martincom 25]

Locast2Tuner is another utility for integrating Locast to Emby and other media servers.  It functions nearly identical to locast2plex, but offers a number of other features.  Most significantly, the ability to simultaneously stream multiple locations.  It is also simpler to install, requiring no additional, supporting, applications such as Python.

The software is located on github.com and is free of charge.  The author encourages a donation, none of which he retains, but passes the funds to non-profits that support girl functions.

If you write code for a living, it is probably obvious what the chain of events are to install it.  If you're a mere mortal such as myself, a fair amount of head scratching is required.  Many just don't have the hair to spare for the scratching process.  The following are instructions for us mere mortals:

Step 1

Download the application supporting files from https://github.com/wouterdebie/locast2tuner

Step 2

Extract the directory/files to your desired location.  I extracted them to "C:\Program Files\locast2tuner-main".

Step 3

Open the documentation link and utilize it as an installation and configuration guide:

If the contents listing is not displayed, click the contents icon in the upper left corner:

Step 4

Click "2.4 Windows" in the contents listing.  Within those instructions, click the link for the Windows binary file:

Step 5

Copy the binary file and paste into the directory you created when extracting the files in step 2.  Note: The other files listed are for different operating systems.

 

Step 6

Click the "3. Configuration" tab in the contents listing to open that window.  Within the configuration window, click on the link for the example config file.  Copy the contents of the example file and paste them into a text editor, such as Windows Notepad.

Step 7

Within the text editor (Notepad), edit the user and password entries supplying your Locast login credentials.  Be sure to retain the quotation marks around each entry.  I did not and that added a half an hour or so of head scratching.  At this point, if you save the file "as is", locast2tuner will function with channels determined for the region in which your internet IP address is associated with.  If you desire a stream for a different location or multiple locations, additional parameters will need to be edited.

In my application, I desired Locast streams from my nearest city (Minneapolis, central time zone), an eastern time zone city (Phillidelphia), a mountain time zone city (Phoenix), and a pacific time zone (Seattle).  I desired to multiplex all these streams within a single "tuner" to Emby.  Further, I desired that each additional stream's channel numbers be remapped by adding 100 to each successive stream.  This is explained very well within the documentation, so i will not digress into it.

Save the text editor configuration with the filename "config.toml" into the "locast2tuner-main" directory.  I've attached a copy of my config.toml file, less my Locast login credentials.

config.toml

Step 8

At this point, you can runlocast2tuner within a command prompt window.  This would be done by starting the windows binary (executable) file, with arguments, within the "locast2tuner-main" directory.  Actually, this is a great place to test your installation as any errors will be displayed, if encountered, or the actual command line reports.  Below is an example of the run command.  This is version dependent, so it will likely change soon.  The author is very proactive with updates.  As an example, the version release incremented at least three times the day I installed it!

"locast2tuner-0.3.9-x86_64.exe --config config.toml"  omit the quotation marks when entering

Step 9

Starting locast2tuner from the command prompt is anything but handy.  We have a dedicated server just for our media.  It runs 24x7 and is configured to re-start automatically after a UPS shutdown, due to an extended power outage.  As such, we have Emby configured as a service.  In this manner, it re-starts automatically upon power up of the server.  Likewise, we desire locast2tuner to start automatically upon power up.  Configuring both Emby and locast2tuner as a service is documented well here:  https://support.emby.media/support/solutions/articles/44001159984-running-emby-server-as-a-windows-service

Below is a sample NSSM configuration for locast2tuner:

 

Step 10

With locast2tuner and Emby running, configuring Emby within the dashboard is next.  The locast2tuner documentation provides an illustrated step-by-step procedure.  So I, again, will not digress further.  However, I will offer a few notes based upon my installation experiences:

1. Emby will accept either a HDHomerun or m3u tuner emulation.  I tried both.  The HDHomerun would not provide the xml guide, but would the Emby guide.  According to the locast2tuner documentation, the stream is first routed through locast2tuner and then Emby.  I'm going to speculate the xml guide data was lost in the locast2tuner pass thru.  When I configured lcast2tuner with a m3u tuner emulation, the xml guide functioned.  The m3u stream is not routed through locast2tuner but directly to Emby.

2. I chose to utilize the xml guide. The Emby guide functioned well.  However, I'm going to speculate there is a re-occurring cost associated with this guide.  As such, to minimize the operating expenses to the Emby administration, I opted for the xml guide.

3. With the multiple Locast streams, there were many duplicated channels and the guide became quite long and laborious to utilize.  To reduce the size of the guide, I displayed the guide on a TV and then utilized the Emby dashboard to deselect duplicates with identical programming at the same instance in time.  I retained those channels closest to me as primary, as they have relevant advertising, which pays for the programming.  To deselect a channel from the guide, uncheck the green arrow:

Edited August 28, 2021 by martincom

[Luke 37028]

Cool thanks for sharing !

[SHSPVR 119]

There no point in it now as Locast shut down all market

Edited September 3, 2021 by SHSPVR

[jspanitz 7]

36 minutes ago, SHSPVR said:

There point in it now as Locast shut down all market

That escalated quickly. Two days ago it was just them not broadcasting the donation ad and not stopping the stream right after that.  Yikes.