TV Server - UK - IPTV? (1 Viewer)

[LeaUK]

Hi all

How do I configure TV Server to point to free IPTV streams over the net in the UK? I note TVCatchup provides the Free to Air channels I'm looking for (also called FreeView here)...

Or perhaps there isn't an option?

Maybe a traditional TV card is the only option, but the BBC and ITV provide iPlayer, 4OD, Chan5 etc which currently stream and I was hoping to use MedaPlayer as a PVR...

Any thoughts and assistance much appreciated.

Lea





This is the ticket:

YouView Digital TV Service Explored
YouView

 

[robbo100]

By IPTV do you mean the service provided by BT HomeHub or Orange?

The Plugin "Online Videos" works perfectly with BBC IPlayer, and I believe there is an update to include 4OD and ITV Player (and possibly 5 on Demand) planned for the near future.

Robbo100

 

[LeaUK]

Hi robbo

I may have my terminology muddled, sorry for that...something like TVCatchup or SKY Go?

Is the plugin for TV server? It's just that I use xbmc as the front end so don't run the full MediaPortal.

Cheers
Lea

 

[robbo100]

OK, well the Online Videos plugin is the one for you then! OnlineVideos - MediaPortal Forum

Or you could use multishortcut to run a separate programme from the MediaPortal menu. NevermissTV is a great 3rd party application for TV Catchup and covers all of the free services (google NevermissTV).

 

[LeaUK]

Downloaded plugin and read here: MediaPortal Wiki - MediaPortal Wiki) so I think this isn't for TV Server, rather the whole MP package?

And maybe I have misunderstood the technologies too...

My goal is to connect to BBC, ITV, 4OD, 5OD (Freeview) and utilise PVR features with xbmc as the front end. However rather stupidly I thought these services provided live feed, whereas it's probably only BBC.

I suspect the onlinevideo plugin deals with Internet streams and interfaces to MediaPortal (full version). So I think I've confused IPTV with streaming services.

But TVCatchup provides a live stream of the channels I'm interested in, and there's a xbmc plugin, but I thought I need MP TVServer (somehow) to add PVR features - hence I'm now a little lost!

Thanks for any further pointers...
Lea

 

[robbo100]

Right. Now I understand what you want.

You can download files using Online Videos, but you can not use it to watch (or record) live TV.

If you want to do anything with live TV, you need to have a Tuner Card in your TV and connect an aerial or satellite feed to that Tuner Card (technically, you can use proper IPTV too, but since you don't have this is is not relevant).

When you use the term "full version" you are probably confusing yourself

MP is split into two parts:

1) The Client - basically works just like XBMC to access media. You can add plugins to The Client software to allow databasing of TV Series or Movies, or for watching Online Videos etc (there are many many more plugins than that, just as there are with XBMC). Like XBMC, The Client will download fanart etc and provide a nice looking GUI.

2) The TV Server - This software runs in the background and communicates with any TV Tuner Cards installed in the PC and communicates with the Client (or clients - it is possible to have the client installed on multiple PCs on the network, all of which can access the TV Server resources). The TV Server streams the live TV feeds to The Clients (as well as providing them with EPG data and a database listing of recorded shows).

I believe it is possible to use the TV Server with XMBC (rather than using the MediaPortal Client front end), but this is a bit of a hack, and not supported on these forums. In any case, you would still need a TV Tuner in your PC to do this.

Does this help clarify?

 

[LeaUK]

Hi robbo (btw, this is my nick name in 'real' life too)

Brilliant explanation, thank you.

As you say, I would need a TV capture card, but I guess I was hoping to pipe TVCatchup to TV Server via some type of 'virtual capture card' to avoid the expense. Also TVCatchup has more channels than regular over the air Freeview ;-)

TVCatchup has an api so I wonder if developers would be interested in creating a TV Server plugin? Or there's the new up and coming youview.com?

Lea

 

[robbo100]

I would say that NeverMissTV is what you might be after NeverMiss.TV

You can watch some stuff live via the internet (definitely BBC IPlayer) and you can also access the stored catchup service too.

It is an application in its own right, so you should be able to run it from XBMC I would have thought.

Robbo100

 

[LeaUK]

Hi robbo

Looks interesting cheers, but I'm guessing no PVR support.... what is needed is some kind of virtual TVCard which presents itself to TVServer in the traditional manor but can be fed from live streams. Then we could all have inexpensive PVRs

sorry, didn't spot that you mentioned they host a stored catchup service....will download and give it a go... cheers

 

[robbo100]

I am still confused why you want/need PVR support for a watch again service??? Surely, if it is streaming live, and you miss it, you just watch it later anyway?

The only reason I can think of is that you want to download the content from Iplayer and keep it, which which normally wouldn't be possible because of DRM. Well, with that said, the content I have downloaded using the Online Videos plugin has had the DRM removed, so maybe that is what you are after.

Robbo100