Current state of Freeview recorders in NZ

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allan

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#1855963 31-Aug-2017 14:14

Groucho:

I've read in the Panasonic's user manual they have 'multi-room TV streaming' aka DLNA. Any issues with this feature if you've used it particularly with streaming recorded HD content from TVNZ1, 2 or Three? I've heard HD content may be encrypted which won't be streamable. A great feature if it does allow it.

I have a Panasonic DMR-BWT760 and have used Panasonic's Android "Media Center" app to stream to, which as reported elsewhere can be a little flaky, but 8.5 times out of 10 it works fine for me. The issue usually seems to be it actually finding the Panasonic device. If it doesn't, killing the app and starting it again usually fixes it. I've streamed to both a Samsung Galaxy phone and a Galaxy Tab 4 tablet. You can stream both live TV (no channel guide*, but it will show the current programme name) and recorded content. Using Windows Media Player also shows DMR-BWT760 as an available library and it is also possible to stream content from it to Media Player. However the channel and programme names are either missing or completely wrong.

I've not found anything where encryption seems to be preventing streaming.

*There is a menu item for a TV guide, but it just takes you to the freeviewnz.tv TV guide web page. I do wonder if this is just a cludge for the NZ market and whether it is capable of pulling down actual prorgamme guide content in other markets that it's sold in - e.g. I wonder how it's implemented in Australia?

darthmeow

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#1855964 31-Aug-2017 14:20

browned:

darthmeow:

The recipe is still in development for the client side. The android TV box I had (running 6.0) has some issues with the live TV decode not kicking in properly sometimes (fine for anything recorded though which is all we watch here anyway).

Some quick pro's and cons though: Pro's are certainly the satisfaction that you rolled your own solution and it worked, being able to record multiple channels on one frequency using only one tuner, and the ability to watch from any device on your local network whether that's a tablet/phone with the appropriate app, VLC invoked from an m3u file via the web browser, Kodi or other media player that can talk to the server - it makes your TV viewing much more accessible. The cons I've found so far is the initial setup of the server, adding new channels is really daunting when you're new to it, EPG is a tad finnicky for "over the air" with terrestrial (fine for satellite), and if a new frequency goes live it often won't pick it up and you need to add it manually. Chances are they are remedied with a setting I just haven't found yet.

As far as the server (TVHeadend) side, you don't really need a lot. Linux of choice (Debian 9 here), compile and install, configure. Hardware I'm using is an old Dell Optiplex 745 (Core2Duo E8-something CPU), 2GB ram, cheap SSD for a boot drive and a 320GB chunk of spinning rust harvested from a laptop. I chose this particular system (I have a few kicking around) because ... well it's a Dell. It sits there, it's quiet, it does the job. I really should do a writeup of how far I've managed to get and how I got there. Project for my weekend I think.

If you wanted to venture down the same path of recording and storing on Windows look at NextPVR, very simple to setup, get the guide working, and record shows with a TV tuner card or network device. Kodi and Emby Server/Client integration is very good.

If all you want to do is just watch live tv on devices Silicondust HDhomerun Connects are great, plug in aerial cable, plug into home router/switch and then start the HDHomerun app on your device or Android's Live Channels app on Anroid TV and it works.

Indeed NextPVR is good, and have fiddled with it - however I set myself a guideline that I need to use Linux/Android/FOSS for everything. Kind-of eliminates Windows :) and I wanted to get my geek/tinker on and do something I've never properly tried before. Also was a good excuse to give Debian 9 a burl.

Nyan

Groucho

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#1855966 31-Aug-2017 14:25

allan:

I have a Panasonic DMR-BWT760 and have used Panasonic's Android "Media Center" app to stream to, which as reported elsewhere can be a little flaky, but 8.5 times out of 10 it works fine for me. The issue usually seems to be it actually finding the Panasonic device. If it doesn't, killing the app and starting it again usually fixes it. I've streamed to both a Samsung Galaxy phone and a Galaxy Tab 4 tablet. You can stream both live TV (no channel guide*, but it will show the current programme name) and recorded content. Using Windows Media Player also shows DMR-BWT760 as an available library and it is also possible to stream content from it to Media Player. However the channel and programme names are either missing or completely wrong.

I've not found anything where encryption seems to be preventing streaming.

*There is a menu item for a TV guide, but it just takes you to the freeviewnz.tv TV guide web page. I do wonder if this is just a cludge for the NZ market and whether it is capable of pulling down actual prorgamme guide content in other markets that it's sold in - e.g. I wonder how it's implemented in Australia?

Great, thanks Allan. Doing some serious research as my TiVo is about to be forcefully retired. I'm swinging between this Panasonic or a home made MythTV/TVheadend/Kodi type solution. Doing some costings each solution appears to be roughly the same.

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