Channels vs TVHeadend -- YTTV

[Ahole 17]

I am thinking about going down the road of YTTV and integrating with Emby using Channels or TVheadend.   My wife loves her Tivo but it died and the discussion about cablecards ending factors in.

Can anyone with experience tell me about succes and possibly which is better (more current development wise)?   I use portainer and docker for a LOT of things -- docker vs native app ?

Of course expense is an issue but the main issue is getting local TV channels AND Lifetime, LMN in a single place (easier for wife) AND DVR capabilities.

[Luke 42077]

Hi, if it's for down the road then it seems like things could change between now and then. Especially considering you're talking YTTV, however they're tapping into it now there's no guarantee it will last.

[Carlo 4560]

Hi,

I can definitely relate to the challenge of finding the right setup for integrating YTTV with Emby, especially with the end of cablecards and the need for a user-friendly solution for your wife.

From my experience and what I've gathered from the community, both Channels and TVHeadend have their pros and cons. Channels is known for its user-friendly interface and ease of setup, while TVHeadend offers more customization and flexibility, which might be a better fit if you're comfortable with Docker and portainer.

Regarding Docker vs. native app, Docker can simplify management and updates, as well as isolate dependencies, which can be a big plus if you're already using it for other services. However, some users report that native apps might offer slightly better performance, though the difference is often negligible.

For getting local TV channels and Lifetime, LMN in one place with DVR capabilities, both Channels and TVHeadend can achieve this, but Channels might be easier to set up initially. It might be worth trying both to see which one fits your needs better.

Hope this helps,

Carlo

[Ahole 17]

Thanks @Carlo

I have been playing with Channels - seems to be working well after some inital docker permission issues.

Maybe unrelated question -- is there a way to record programs from an IPTV. source in Emby?  The live TV from HomerunHD tuner source has a "record" button.  That button is not there when using the IPTV as a source for Live TV

Do you have suggestions for best source of local channels (I know Homerun OTA, but do you happen to know if you can source local cahnnels from YTTV for DVR in either EMBY or Channels?)?    Where to source Lifetime and LMN?    Thanks

 

[Carlo 4560]

Do you have TV Everywhere setup in Channels? The number of channels available through TVE is much smaller than your typical sat or cable channel list.
A few companies own probably 90% of the national channels. They are all building their own streaming services or already have them which isn't good for TVE long term. Instead of renewing broadcast rights to cable companies, including rights to stream some channels via TVE, I think these companies will push to drop rights to TVE as they will push to "upsell" a rights to stream live and VOD content from their streaming service.  For example, if the cable company wanted rights for having streams of NBC, NBC News, NBC sports, Hallmark channels, WWE, True Crime, Today, Sky & a dozen other channels, they would push the cable company to a deal for Peacock content. ESPN, FX, A&E, Nat Geo, Freeform Disney channels, ABC are all Disney propertied with a lot of leverage. But for now, we still have TVE, and it mostly works well with a glitch here or there and losses of the big 4 (ABC, CBD, NBC, FOX) quite often.

I don't think LMN is on Youtube TV but is on Philo, Hulu Live TV, Sling TV and DirecTV Stream might have it. https://thestreamable.com/channels#top-cable-channels they cover the most popular channels, but you want to check each directly.  Then make sure you can use it with TVE so you can get it in Channels and Emby.

You would be able to record in Channels or Emby (both actually). Depending on need, you may want to set Channels up to record and cut commercials with Emby having a library on top the Channels recording area. Channels have strong DVR functionality and the ability to bring in streams from lots of sources. Emby kills channels from a library management and client & streaming standpoint. Together they are a good partnership.  Any streams in Channels can be used in Emby via M3U setup. So all the streams are viewable in Emby and you can record here as well.