Need a "Playback Mode" switch for libraries with DVR and M3U content.

[Netfool 20]

If you try to watch a program from a live source before the first library scan after the program ends, Emby only plays the length of the file as of the last library scan.

It would be a huge improvement if we could set a switch for the Recordings library so Emby would just play to the end of the file.   The only alternatives currently available are using a web client to force a library scan manually, or to schedule library scans so close together that the scans are virtually continuous  (a huge waste of cpu and disk i/o).

[Luke 42078]

HI, is Emby doing the recording?

[Netfool 20]

1 minute ago, Luke said:

HI, is Emby doing the recording?

Yes.

 

[Luke 42078]

Then you shouldn't have to do this. Let's look at an example. Thanks.

[Netfool 20]

2 minutes ago, Luke said:

Then you shouldn't have to do this. Let's look at an example. Thanks.

Hmmm....   OK.. You're right, I checked the config and the M3U content is actually being recorded by Channels DVR directly into the Recordings directory that Emby reads from.  I'll do some testing and see if the problem exists for the content from the HDHR that also gets recorded there but by Emby.

Does that mean that if I used the IPTV or NextPVR plug-in to fetch the M3U content the problem wouldn't exist?   (I can't quite tell what IPTV does without installing it as there is no real description of any of the plugins in the catalog).

[Luke 42078]

I don't know about the plugin, there might still be a quirk there, but with Emby's built-in m3u feature it should be fine.

[Netfool 20]

4 minutes ago, Luke said:

...with Emby's built-in m3u feature it should be fine.

OH!   Didn't know there was one!     I'll check the Knowledge Base.  Thanks!

[mark-in-dallas 87]

51 minutes ago, Netfool said:

OH!   Didn't know there was one!     I'll check the Knowledge Base.  Thanks!

No need to do that, and its super easy to setup.  Just go to Live TV, create a new TV Source and select M3U Tuner, then provide the file or URL,  You can then setup the Guide Data Provider and you're good to go.

[Netfool 20]

On 12/2/2020 at 2:36 PM, mark-in-dallas said:

No need to do that, and its super easy to setup.  Just go to Live TV, create a new TV Source and select M3U Tuner, then provide the file or URL,  You can then setup the Guide Data Provider and you're good to go.

I've been staring at that, but it's not clear to me how to add login credentials for sites that require it.  Some of what I want I can get with ChannelsDVR which uses my SlingTV login to get those Sling channels with M3U interfaces (Sadly far too few).  Login credentials for these sites require a "TV Provider", a login and a password.  Is there a standard format for that in the URL querystring?   Hmmm....  maybe I just need to read the TV Everywhere spec?

[mark-in-dallas 87]

Sling, Hulu and other such proprietary sites won't work with Emby.  I realize that some do integrate with Channels DVR, but that is the exception rather than the rule.  You can feed the Channels DVR M3U file to Emby though, as indicated in this post:  

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by mark-in-dallas

[Carlo 4561]

On 12/4/2020 at 3:15 PM, Netfool said:

I've been staring at that, but it's not clear to me how to add login credentials for sites that require it.  Some of what I want I can get with ChannelsDVR which uses my SlingTV login to get those Sling channels with M3U interfaces (Sadly far too few).  Login credentials for these sites require a "TV Provider", a login and a password.  Is there a standard format for that in the URL querystring?   Hmmm....  maybe I just need to read the TV Everywhere spec?

You can use ChannelsDVR as a tuner for Emby. Try something like the following:

http://127.0.0.1:8089/devices/LOCAST-803/channels.m3u?format=ts
http://127.0.0.1:8089/devices/ANY/channels.m3u?format=ts

Change the IP address to be the ChannelsDVR IP address.

ANY should give you every channel setup in CDVR, You can also return only the "tuners" setup as well.  If you use it for getting all your SlingTV channels and don't have it set for Locast or other service just use the ANY device.

You then take that URL and plug in into Emby as an M3U tuner, Then add one of the built in guides for your area, map the channels and now your SlingTV is available in Emby via Channels and it works pretty smooth.  Emby has far better Guide data for movies and shows with a much better UI so you get the best of both worlds using CDVR as just a "smart tuner" for Emby.

[Netfool 20]

On 12/4/2020 at 1:01 PM, mark-in-dallas said:

Sling, Hulu and other such proprietary sites won't work with Emby.  I realize that some do integrate with Channels DVR, but that is the exception rather than the rule.

Sadly, Sling only partially integrates with Channels DVR.  CNN and TCM don't work with CDVR at all.

[Netfool 20]

23 hours ago, cayars said:

You can use ChannelsDVR as a tuner for Emby. Try something like the following:

http://127.0.0.1:8089/devices/LOCAST-803/channels.m3u?format=ts
http://127.0.0.1:8089/devices/ANY/channels.m3u?format=ts

Change the IP address to be the ChannelsDVR IP address.

ANY should give you every channel setup in CDVR, You can also return only the "tuners" setup as well.  If you use it for getting all your SlingTV channels and don't have it set for Locast or other service just use the ANY device.

You then take that URL and plug in into Emby as an M3U tuner, Then add one of the built in guides for your area, map the channels and now your SlingTV is available in Emby via Channels and it works pretty smooth.  Emby has far better Guide data for movies and shows with a much better UI so you get the best of both worlds using CDVR as just a "smart tuner" for Emby.

Thanks @cayars, I'll give that a try for the stuff I can get from ChannelsDVR.   Unfortunately LOCAST doesn't cover Oregon at all.   Which is unfortunate as even getting most of the Portland stations with HDHR here in Salem is marginal at best.   Next step is to try a Yagi with more elements I guess.

[mark-in-dallas 87]

49 minutes ago, Netfool said:

Unfortunately LOCAST doesn't cover Oregon at all.   Which is unfortunate as even getting most of the Portland stations with HDHR here in Salem is marginal at best.   Next step is to try a Yagi with more elements I guess.

Or you could use the plugin mentioned in this thread, which apparently allows you to override the geolocation using zip codes or GPS coordinates, and select a location that is covered.  I realize that wouldn't get you local news coverage or events, but could at least give you the main network channels.

 

Edited December 14, 2020 by mark-in-dallas

[Carlo 4561]

Channels is kind of cool with it's TVAnywhere thing and Locast.

Where I see it as a bonus is for those who already have cable.  That may seem odd but here are a couple of situations.

You have cable through Xfinity (or other cable provider) and have a tuner.  That device likely has 2 or 3 built in tuners.  So you have that setup as your main tuner.
Now you setup CDVR with TVAnywhere support and feed that to Emby and it acts like another set of tuners that are unlimited.

Now you have "old reliable" device for your main use but have a backup set of channels for those times when you need an extra tuner or two for recording.  Always using your main tuners first helps to cut down on your Internet use so you don't hit monthly caps some providers have. But at the same time essentially have unlimited tuners with CDVR/Emby combo.

Another situation I'd have used this for in the past would have been for my kids in college.  They got free Internet on campus but not TV service.  Since my kids have an account on my cable service under my account they also have legit access to TVA so an old laptop with CDVR & Emby on it would give them TV at their location including DVR.

This same type of "portable" solution could be used anywhere there's decent internet but not TV service.

 

[sross44 431]

On 12/14/2020 at 6:07 PM, cayars said:

Channels is kind of cool with it's TVAnywhere thing and Locast.

Where I see it as a bonus is for those who already have cable.  That may seem odd but here are a couple of situations.

You have cable through Xfinity (or other cable provider) and have a tuner.  That device likely has 2 or 3 built in tuners.  So you have that setup as your main tuner.
Now you setup CDVR with TVAnywhere support and feed that to Emby and it acts like another set of tuners that are unlimited.

Now you have "old reliable" device for your main use but have a backup set of channels for those times when you need an extra tuner or two for recording.  Always using your main tuners first helps to cut down on your Internet use so you don't hit monthly caps some providers have. But at the same time essentially have unlimited tuners with CDVR/Emby combo.

Another situation I'd have used this for in the past would have been for my kids in college.  They got free Internet on campus but not TV service.  Since my kids have an account on my cable service under my account they also have legit access to TVA so an old laptop with CDVR & Emby on it would give them TV at their location including DVR.

This same type of "portable" solution could be used anywhere there's decent internet but not TV service.

 

I used it for another reason. I have YouTube TV which I love for live TV. But I happen to love using Emby as DVR instead of YouTube's DVR. Just wish I could skip through commercials on either in a faster fashion. Commercial free hulu has me spoiled!!