NAS-Based TVHeadend Server IPTV Issues & Pi LibreElec Kodi frontend

David Brigner

Have been looking everywhere, trying to find snippets that might apply to my situation, but I'm still largely in the dark. Seems like what I do find is either out of date, or applies to a different platform.

I installed TVHeadend Server to my QNAP NAS, and it picked up my HDHomerun tuner without a hitch, so I've been able to create a HDHR Network config, and muxes for all my local OTA channels are there and scanned, and all mapped in Services. I can even play them from the Services mapped entries, via VLC, so TVH seems to be working.

The issue I'm having is with my IPTV subscription. I created a IPTV Automatic network entry for it, using the MPEGTS URL as given by my subscription provider. Over 1000 channel entries were automatically and immediately created in the Muxes tab, alongside my OTA HDHomerun channels. All show to be enabled and pending scan. These also showed up in the Systems tab, where I was able to Map All services. All show as being Enabled, but any attempt at playing them results in a VLC error:

[VLC is unable to open the MRL 'http://<my NAS IP>:9981/stream/service/<long character string>?ticket=<another long character string>'. Check the log for details.]

I can take the URL (http://myIPTVchanneladdress.m3u8) from one of the individual Mux channels and manually enter it into VLC, and it plays fine, so I'm not sure why these working URLs are getting passed to VLC the way they are, with the stream/service path.

Interestingly, I'm getting "NONE" in the Muxes Scan Results column for all of the IPTV entries, even after forcing a scan for that network.

I've only used the GUI environment on both my NAS, and the TVH Server to do all my setups and configurations; I've not done anything from the command line on any platform to create directory structures, add packages, etc.

Ultimately, I'm wanting to use a Raspberry Pi running LibreElec and Kodi on the front-end. I have the HTSP TVHeadend add-on installed, and configured with the NAS TVH IP information. So far, I'm only getting the OTA channels provide by the HDHomerun tuner in the TV channel section of Kodi.

What am I doing wrong? There has to be some fundamental configuration, or something, that I'm missing, but I can't find it.

Big thanks in advance for direction anyone can provide.

mpmc

* What version of tvh.
* If 4.3 (or 4.4 depending on your source) turn off "use A/V library" in the network.

Robert Cameron

Sounds like your IPTV channels aren't streaming in a format that Tvheadend recognizes. Does your provider supply streams as MPEG-TS format, it are they something else, like HLS or DASH?

David Brigner

Thanks for the replies, Mark and Robert!

I'm using TVH v4.3-1152~g2baa71998.

I did have "Use A/V Library" checked, and will turn it off and give it another go. Unfortunately, my IPTV trial subscription expired before I got a chance to try this, although I'm pretty sure I set it both ways while I was trying to get it going. Will re-subscribe and see if I have any luck.

Which brings up another question... Is there an IPTV provider that has been proven, or is recommended for use with TVH?

Robert, the provider gave multiple URL formats to use, including MPEG-TS and HLS for the streams, and GZ and XML for program guides. I used MPEG-TS in my setup.

Thanks, again for the assist!

David Brigner

Re-established a subscription, but it's still a no go. Oddly, once I recreated the IPTV Network, the Muxes were all created, but nothing shows up in Services anymore, even after forcing a network scan...

I do have a HLS link - should I attempt that? A far as I know, this would require the pipe command around the URL, correct? And I'd have to load ffmpeg somewhere. Recall that TVH is running from my QNAP NAS; I'm accessing the TVH config pages from my PC's browser, so ffmpeg would have to be installed to the QNAP somehow.

Of course it's all moot if I can't get the Muxes scanned to create and map services.

Beginning to think this is not the way to go.

David Brigner

Well, just as I posted my frustration and was about to throw in the towel, my NAS (where the TVH Server lives) stated that there was a firmware update available, which I installed. Following reboot, the IPTV Muxes began scanning, albeit very slowing. Still, they are showing up in the Services tab, and are available to map.

I'm thinking it wasn't as much the firmware, as the reboot that kicked things off...