😍 2022-09-19 12:00:00 – Paris/France.
If you've ever wished your TV setup in Streaming Sounds more like using a TiVo DVR in its heyday, Channels DVR might be what you're looking for.
This cord cutter DVR service can record from both antenna and live broadcast channels. It also includes nifty ways to import videos from other sources, from ripped DVDs to streaming services. Streaming such as Netflix, and it can even skip ads automatically.
Channels DVR is not for everyone, as setup requires putting together many disparate pieces from the hardware and software side. Those who are mostly satisfied with using apps like Netflix, Hulu, and Sling TV on a Streaming or a smart TV shouldn't care.
But for people looking for more control over their TV experience and who don't mind tinkering a bit, the payoff can be significant. Read on for details on how to put it all together.
This is the first in a two-part series on DVR Channels, covering basic setup requirements and process. In Part XNUMX, I'll discuss advanced features you can use to make your DVR even more powerful.
What exactly is Channels DVR?
Channels is a DVR service that you run on your own hardware, such as a desktop computer, NAS box, Raspberry Pi, or Nvidia Shield TV Pro. Channels' server software handles the recording, then streams the video to its companion apps, available on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, iOS, and Android mobile devices.
Eastern Channels not a source of content in itself, however; to power the DVR, you must supply your own video sources. Here is a list of sources that the DVR currently supports:
- Live or cable channels from an HDHomeRun tuner.
- Cable channels in Streaming from any service that supports TV Everywhere authentication. These include YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Xfinity, Verizon Fios and many more. (Note that not all channels work with TV Everywhere and not all sources work with Channels DVR. Check the support list first.)
- Home video collectionssuch as ripped DVDs or YouTube downloads.
- PlayOn Recordingsa separate service that allows you to record from services such as Netflix.
- Online Live Streams from any source that offers M3U playlist files. (More on this later.)
Channels bring together live and online sources Streaming in one place.
Jared Newman / Foundry
Channels DVR takes all of these disparate sources and brings them together in one app, with a unified channel guide for live TV, granular recording controls, and a single library for all your movies and shows. For more details on these features, check out my Channels DVR review.
The Channels DVR service costs $8 per month or $80 per year, but again, this subscription does not include content. If you want to integrate cable channels into the channels, for example, you will still have to pay for them separately.
Why use Channels DVR?
Despite the extra cost and setup involved, Channels is worth considering because of the control it offers.
For example, he offers auto trade jump, so you don't even have to touch the remote to browse the ads. You won't get this using YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV in their own apps.
DVR channels can detect commercials and skip them automatically.
Jared Newman / Foundry
DVR channels too bypass annoying restrictions that you often encounter with the services of Streaming. You can watch away from home from anywhere, even out of the country, and the videos you upload to the channels' mobile apps will never expire.
The service is deeply customizable also allowing you to create your own channel collections, set up custom TV guide filters, and even create your own "virtual channels" from movies and shows in your library. Ever wanted a channel that airs only your favorite comedies? You can do it.
Create your own channels around the clock from recordings in your library.
FancyBits
Even better, chains let you keep your content. If you record certain cable shows through a YouTube TV subscription, for example, you can cancel that subscription and still access all of your recordings. This means you can add, remove, or switch between TV services without losing your DVR library every time.
Choose your Channels DVR server
The server acts as the central brain of your DVR, fetching different content sources, saving them to local storage, and streaming the video to your smart TV or streaming player. The more powerful your server, the more it can handle in terms of Streaming and recording, so you need to choose this device wisely.
With a Channels DVR setup, your video is streamed from a server to your smart TVs or media players. Streaming
Jared Newman / Foundry
Here are your options:
- Desktop PC running Windows, Mac or Linux: This is the best option for most users, as it gives you plenty of power and a generally hassle-free setup. Personally, I run Channels DVR on an M1 Mac Mini, and it's been rock solid. If you don't already have a desktop computer, consider finding a cheap used or refurbished one on a site like Backmarket or eBay.
- NAS device: Channels support a variety of devices with app support, including Synology, QNAP, and WD MyCloud. True, I do not have experience with this option, so I cannot speak about its reliability.
- Raspberry pie: These mini computers are extremely hard to find in 2022, but they can run channels if you own one and have the technical chops to complete the installation. Just note that the lightweight processor may take longer to score ads and will struggle to transcode i.e. reduce bandwidth for the Streaming and recording, for more than one stream at a time.
- Nvidia Shield TV Pro: This is by far the easiest option to set up, but I found poor performance, with sometimes freezing or crashing videos.
Either way, you'll also need a hard drive large enough to store your recordings. I recommend a minimum 500GB drive, but you'll probably want a lot more storage than that. For desktop computers, an external or internal drive should suffice.
Note that if you want to use PlayOn Home to record videos from Netflix, Hulu and other services from Streaming, you will need a Windows PC. This is a separate $5 per month service and is only available on Windows 10 and above. As an alternative, PlayOn offers a cloud-based service that integrates with channels, although this uses a 'credits' system where you have to pay for each recording. (Part XNUMX of this series discusses these options in more depth.)
Connecting an antenna or CableCARD
An HDHomeRun tuner will allow you to record channels from an antenna.
Martyn Williams / Foundry
The final thing to consider is a SiliconDust HDHomeRun tuner, which you'll need to record live broadcasts from an antenna. Look for these three models in particular:
- HDHomeRun Flex Duo: Play or record up to two OTA channels at once ($110)
- HDHomeRun Flex Quatro: Play or record up to four OTA channels at once ($155)
- HDHomeRun Flex 4K: Play or record up to four OTA channels at once, including two with ATSC 3.0 support ($199)
Channels support multiple tuners, so you can add more HDHomeRun devices as you go and feed them all into a single DVR, but note that each will need its own antenna (the tuners above will only use all only one antenna).
Either way, the tuner picks up local broadcasts from an antenna, then plugs into your home Wi-Fi router to transmit the video to the server. That means you will need to install the tuner and antenna near your router unless your home has an Ethernet cable running through it or you have installed coaxial cable in another part of the house.
For cable subscribers, Channels DVR also supports HDHomeRun Prime, which costs $150 and can play or record up to three channels at once using a CableCARD.
Put it all together
Simply choose your sources in the Channel Setup Wizard, and you're good to go.
Jared Newman / Foundry
Once you've chosen and assembled all the individual parts, the setup itself is quite simple:
- Install the Channels DVR software on your server device.
- For desktop installations, select "Open DVR Settings" or visit http://localhost:8089 in your web browser.
- For a NAS box or a Raspberry Pi, you will need to replace "localhost" with your device's IP address. (Here's a helpful guide to researching that.)
- In the configuration wizard, choose the directory in which you want to store the recordings. (If you're using an external hard drive, be sure to set your storage location there.)
- Channels will automatically detect all HDHomeRun tuners and start a channel scan.
- For other sources, such as TV Everywhere channels or PlayOn Cloud recordings, select "Add a source manually", then choose your source from the list.
- Download the "Channels: Whole Home DVR" app for Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV, iOS or Android mobile. If your device Streaming is on the same Wi-Fi network, it should find your DVR automatically.
Now that you've got everything set up, it's time for the fun part. Use the Guide or Search menus to find upcoming shows and add them to your DVR list.
One last thing: In your TV's Channels app, go to Settings > Playback > Commercial Skip and make sure Commercial Skip is set to "Automatically". After going through this setup process, you deserve to sit back and relax.
Stay tuned!
The real fun with Channels DVR comes from customizing your setup and finding new sources to record. I'll cover all of this in part two of this series, coming soon.
In the meantime, subscribe to my Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter for more tips on giving up cable, or email me with any questions you may have.
SOURCE: Reviews News
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