DVB-IP Channel Scan: all channels get LCN 10000 (1 Viewer)

[rb338]

Hi all,

I'm running MediaPortal TV Server v1.8.0 on my Windows server. I'm trying to use an m3u-file for scanning of DVB-IP channels. The m3u file looks like this:

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:1,Nederland 1 HD
http://192.168.1.1:5555/rtp/224.0.xxx.xxx:xxx
#EXTINF:2,Nederland 2 HD
http://192.168.1.1:5555/rtp/224.0.xxx.xxx:xxx​

And so on. As you can see, the channels clearly have a number. When scanning, all the channels are found and saved with the name provided in the m3u file, but all channels get number 10000.

It's a huge PITA to change them all manually. I've seen topics about this problem dating back to 2010, but it seems this is still not resolved.

Am I doing something wrong? Is there a workaround possible, maybe even using SQL?

 

[mm1352000]

Hello and welcome

As you can see, the channels clearly have a number.

Yep, for your playlist that is valid. However AFAIK in general the interpretation of that number as a a channel number is not standard.

Here is the unofficial m3u specification:
http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?threadid=65772

That info says the number you're looking at is a duration. TV Server ignores that number because durations are irrelevant for IPTV streams. We look for the channel number within the stream itself (DVB format/standard).

When scanning, all the channels are found and saved with the name provided in the m3u file, but all channels get number 10000.

10000 is the TV Server default channel number. Your results mean TV Server is not finding channel numbers in the stream, which is almost certainly because your provider is not including them.

It's a huge PITA to change them all manually.

Sure.

I've seen topics about this problem dating back to 2010, but it seems this is still not resolved.

For IPTV/DVB-IP or satellite or...???
Yes, a few people have complained about channel numbers over the years. However, most reports come from people who receive channels from providers that don't broadcast channel numbers. Obviously TV Server can't pull channel numbers from the stream if the provider doesn't put them in. In short, there's usually nothing we can do.

Am I doing something wrong?

No.

Is there a workaround possible, maybe even using SQL?

Sure.
Use the import/export section to export the channels to XML.
XML files can be edited in any text editor (eg. notepad, wordpad etc.).
You can then more easily fix the channel numbers (for each "<channel"...).
Delete all the channels in TV Server (TV Channels and Radio Channels sections).
Finally, use the import/export section to re-import the channels from the modified XML file.

mm

 

[rb338]

Hello and welcome

Thanks!

Yep, for your playlist that is valid. However AFAIK in general the interpretation of that number as a a channel number is not standard.

Here is the unofficial m3u specification:
http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?threadid=65772

That info says the number you're looking at is a duration. TV Server ignores that number because durations are irrelevant for IPTV streams. We look for the channel number within the stream itself (DVB format/standard).

Point taken. However: it seems it's also an unofficial standard to put the channel number in that position when it's an m3u for IPTV streams. In fact, when I used DVBLink software to import the same m3u file, it worked like a charm. When it comes to generating specific IPTV playlists for channel scanning (which this is) it would make sense to use the value supplied.

For IPTV/DVB-IP or satellite or...???
Yes, a few people have complained about channel numbers over the years. However, most reports come from people who receive channels from providers that don't broadcast channel numbers. Obviously TV Server can't pull channel numbers from the stream if the provider doesn't put them in. In short, there's usually nothing we can do.

For IPTV as well. I agree that for other formats (DVB-T/S/C) MediaPortal should use the numbers supplied by the provider, but in case of IPTV, the only option is using an m3u file.

Sure.
Use the import/export section to export the channels to XML.
XML files can be edited in any text editor (eg. notepad, wordpad etc.).
You can then more easily fix the channel numbers (for each "<channel"...).
Delete all the channels in TV Server (TV Channels and Radio Channels sections).
Finally, use the import/export section to re-import the channels from the modified XML file.

mm

Thanks for thinking with me I went for the less time consuming approach: I've opened the m3u file with a text editor and used find&replace to turn the playlist into SQL UPDATE-statements for the channel table of the TvServer database.

Right now I've got a file like:

update channel set channelNumber = 1 where displayName = 'Nederland 1 HD'; /* 224.0.xxx.xxx:xxxx */
update channel set channelNumber = 2 where displayName = 'Nederland 2 HD'; /* 224.0.xxx.xxx:xxxx */

I simply executed the script from phpMyAdmin and that's all there was to it. Worked like a charm!

But I still feel that MediaPortal should pick up the number from the m3u file

 

[mm1352000]

But I still feel that MediaPortal should pick up the number from the m3u file

Now implemented for TVE 3.5. Thanks for the suggestion.