VirtualTV plugin

[strichmo 21]

I've just tried to set it up with a playlist and I get the following error: 

[pünktchen 1409]

1 hour ago, strichmo said:

I've just tried to set it up with a playlist and I get the following error: 

Your channel doesn't have any program data. Without that it will not work. Does the program preview in the channel config give you any results?

[strichmo 21]

3 hours ago, pünktchen said:

Your channel doesn't have any program data. Without that it will not work. Does the program preview in the channel config give you any results?

It just sits there loading forever:

[pünktchen 1409]

52 minutes ago, strichmo said:

It just sits there loading forever:

You did not select an Emby User under Common Conditions!

[strichmo 21]

24 minutes ago, pünktchen said:

You did not select an Emby User under Common Conditions!

I will give that a go. But you should set it as required then. And is it safe to use an admin user there? And can't we have watched state based on what user the client is?

[graytinc 1]

Does this work on STRM files?

[Rumbah 8]

If I watch a random series episode on the TV channel and I stop in the middle of it, it appears in the continue watching area. Is there an option that no matter what I watch on the TV channel, it should not change any status?

[podonnell 47]

I'm using a Playlist (Live) method to display content.

One thing I'd really like is to prevent the client watching from having their watched and continue watching status changed.
Essentially I'd like someone to be able to 'tune in' to a channel but not have every piece of content appear in continue watching.

Is there a way to set it so that clients who tune in do not have any watch status applied?

Thanks!

[pünktchen 1409]

On 11/11/2025 at 9:19 PM, strichmo said:

And is it safe to use an admin user there?

That's okay, but keep in mind that the users who will be playing the channel will also need access to the Emby library that will provide the videos.

 

On 11/11/2025 at 9:19 PM, strichmo said:

And can't we have watched state based on what user the client is?

If you mean the same channel will be used by different users but the watched state should be respected for each of them, then you have to duplicate the channel, enable the channels only for one selected user (General) and set that same user for accessing libraries (Common Conditions).

[pünktchen 1409]

On 11/12/2025 at 6:09 PM, graytinc said:

Does this work on STRM files?

If they are already probed by Emby for Media Info, then yes. The plugin needs the video runtime to work.

[pünktchen 1409]

8 hours ago, Rumbah said:

If I watch a random series episode on the TV channel and I stop in the middle of it, it appears in the continue watching area. Is there an option that no matter what I watch on the TV channel, it should not change any status?

Options to control this are under Playback Settings. But the plugin will not remove shows from Continue Watching if the show was already in that list prior to the channel playback.

[pünktchen 1409]

3 hours ago, podonnell said:

I'm using a Playlist (Live) method to display content.

One thing I'd really like is to prevent the client watching from having their watched and continue watching status changed.
Essentially I'd like someone to be able to 'tune in' to a channel but not have every piece of content appear in continue watching.

Is there a way to set it so that clients who tune in do not have any watch status applied?

Thanks!

Options to control this are under Playback Settings.

[Rumbah 8]

7 hours ago, pünktchen said:

Options to control this are under Playback Settings. But the plugin will not remove shows from Continue Watching if the show was already in that list prior to the channel playback.

I'm sorry but I don't really understand the settings. These are the blank settings:

I do want to change nothing for the viewer if they watch the channel, what do I have to set? Leave the watched state blank und tick all the rest for the Emby User and Client playback user?

[pünktchen 1409]

1 hour ago, Rumbah said:

I do want to change nothing for the viewer if they watch the channel, what do I have to set? Leave the watched state blank und tick all the rest for the Emby User and Client playback user?

Yes.

[Rumbah 8]

Thank you for your support.

[podonnell 47]

13 hours ago, pünktchen said:

Options to control this are under Playback Settings.

Ah, I think I misunderstood how these worked initially. Would this be correct for preventing any impact on the user? I'd like to have no changes to their library playback status:

I don't mind what happens to the user running the playlist content -- it's a dummy account -- but any user who 'tunes in' I'd like to have no impact.

Thanks!

Edited November 16, 2025 by podonnell

[pünktchen 1409]

2 hours ago, podonnell said:

Would this be correct for preventing any impact on the user?

Same answer as for the post above yours: Yes.

[jasonmcroy 316]

I just started trying this plugin tonight. Works great, however, I was wondering if there is any way to have it not report via the trakt plugin? I notice that it currently does. 

[Losey 4]

This plugin accomplishes at least in part something I've long desired to do with my collection. That said, I wish that it could segment a channel into scheduled programming blocks automatically instead of having to clutter up things with playlists; and having Bumpers being constrained to the Home videos and photos libraries is just a headache since I already am using those for Home videos and photos, and already have bumpers saved in each movie/show's existing file structure alongside the trailers and other extras. Being able to have a pool of shows on rotation at a specific time on particular days of the week and times of the year would be above-and-beyond amazing; incorporating Trailers and Commercials would be chef's kiss to top it off.

Say for example I were to build a single channel with a priority-stacked block of shows that runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1400-1700 with a pool of shows and movies, and it would assign shows to fill that period, running through each season and episode sequentially with each recurring at the same time slot until the series has no more episodes to play before assigning a different show to that time slot that isn't already running. I could then also have another block on the same channel scheduled to run Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at the same time with a different pool of shows, and entirely different schedules of blocks at other times being at the bottom of the stack. At the top of the stack would be seasonal scheduled blocks, such as a Christmas or Halloween special block that runs only during time slots within particular date ranges. Any schedule conflicts would be resolved by the priority stack, with higher stacked blocks overruling lower stacked blocks.

Perhaps a future version might incorporate such an idea?

[benjibarnicals 2]

8 hours ago, Losey said:

This plugin accomplishes at least in part something I've long desired to do with my collection. That said, I wish that it could segment a channel into scheduled programming blocks automatically instead of having to clutter up things with playlists; and having Bumpers being constrained to the Home videos and photos libraries is just a headache since I already am using those for Home videos and photos, and already have bumpers saved in each movie/show's existing file structure alongside the trailers and other extras. Being able to have a pool of shows on rotation at a specific time on particular days of the week and times of the year would be above-and-beyond amazing; incorporating Trailers and Commercials would be chef's kiss to top it off.

Say for example I were to build a single channel with a priority-stacked block of shows that runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1400-1700 with a pool of shows and movies, and it would assign shows to fill that period, running through each season and episode sequentially with each recurring at the same time slot until the series has no more episodes to play before assigning a different show to that time slot that isn't already running. I could then also have another block on the same channel scheduled to run Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at the same time with a different pool of shows, and entirely different schedules of blocks at other times being at the bottom of the stack. At the top of the stack would be seasonal scheduled blocks, such as a Christmas or Halloween special block that runs only during time slots within particular date ranges. Any schedule conflicts would be resolved by the priority stack, with higher stacked blocks overruling lower stacked blocks.

Perhaps a future version might incorporate such an idea?

Yes I second this request. Its making scheduling more like an actual TV station where a period/day/time is split up into blocks. Another prime example to add to the above is, here in the UK main channels would do "kids shows" when schools end on a daily basis (ie. 3pm to 5:30pm) every day, and then something completely different on the weekend. Very much like how TV channels used to work in the 90's, 00's (i know its a bit different today though still similar). Another example would be music channels like MTV, between 10am to 1pm show rock music videos, 1pm to 3pm show pop music etc etc.

This could be built into the existing way you setup a channel, you have an option of keeping it the same as-is (so as not to break existing installs), or a "blocked" setting where all the playlist/rules etc based settings are along with a time period., so you could create multiple blocks per day/24hr period.

[LongMan 112]

10 hours ago, Losey said:

This plugin accomplishes at least in part something I've long desired to do with my collection. That said, I wish that it could segment a channel into scheduled programming blocks automatically instead of having to clutter up things with playlists; and having Bumpers being constrained to the Home videos and photos libraries is just a headache since I already am using those for Home videos and photos, and already have bumpers saved in each movie/show's existing file structure alongside the trailers and other extras. Being able to have a pool of shows on rotation at a specific time on particular days of the week and times of the year would be above-and-beyond amazing; incorporating Trailers and Commercials would be chef's kiss to top it off.

Say for example I were to build a single channel with a priority-stacked block of shows that runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1400-1700 with a pool of shows and movies, and it would assign shows to fill that period, running through each season and episode sequentially with each recurring at the same time slot until the series has no more episodes to play before assigning a different show to that time slot that isn't already running. I could then also have another block on the same channel scheduled to run Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at the same time with a different pool of shows, and entirely different schedules of blocks at other times being at the bottom of the stack. At the top of the stack would be seasonal scheduled blocks, such as a Christmas or Halloween special block that runs only during time slots within particular date ranges. Any schedule conflicts would be resolved by the priority stack, with higher stacked blocks overruling lower stacked blocks.

Perhaps a future version might incorporate such an idea?

https://ersatztv.org/

[pünktchen 1409]

Or https://tunarr.com/

[podonnell 47]

Is it possible to create a filter such as this on language?

Essentially trying to create something that removes any items that have english audio tracks.

[FefeHern 1]

Thanks for the plugin, I've been setting up a few channels.

I have small 10-12 second bumpers I added to a Library under the "Home Videos and Photos" category

I am able to naturally run the videos on Emby, but here's my setup:

I'm using Playlist(Live) and Collections (TVShows). VirtualTV 2.1.7.0

The bumpers don't show up after each episode and I haven't seen them set up. I was wondering if there's a duration minimum limit.

Edited November 25, 2025 by FefeHern

[pünktchen 1409]

2 minutes ago, FefeHern said:

The bumpers don't show up after each episode and I haven't seen them set up.

They won't be shown in the guide but played after the normal program entries.