Recommendations on IPTV Provider in USA

[pkscout]

With the recent discussions about the (maybe not immediate) demise of cable cards in the US, I thought I'd start exploring options for an IPTV provider in the US that is legit, does live streams of channels (so not Channels DVR or anything with TV Everywhere), and provides M3U files. The initial research has felt more like an accidental dive into the dark web, but I did find this link to a few providers that, at least on the surface, look like possibilities.

https://exploring-usa.com/best-iptv-serv...iders-usa/

Has anyone had any experience with these (or other suggestions)? I actually wouldn't mind doing something like SlingTV, but it doesn't appear M3U files (or any reasonable integration into NextPVR) are an option.

The really frustrating part is that my provider (Spectrum) provides live streaming of every channel in your package if you are on their IP network (i.e. a cable internet subscriber), but it's only available via a web browser, and there isn't any obvious way I can find to get the stream (or the URL of the stream) to pass to NPVR. Maybe if I get REALLY bored I could try and write an extra that would figure all that out, but that feels like an incredibly complicated thing.

Followup note: see post below about how I did, in fact, get ChannelsDVR to connect to TV Everywhere for Live TV and then use it as an IPTV source for NextPVR.

[mvallevand]

Those won't be legal in the US basically anything that is legit will cost the same as a cable and will have a normal number of channels. The rule of thumb on reddit is don't post providers names and reviews are not allowed to avoid police take down who monitor public forums like this. VPNs, Bitcoin transactions etc, it's all too dark for me

Are you sure that Channels DVR doesn't do live tv?

Also most cable company app's will typically work in a Android too and they are easily loaded from Kodi a easily as an addon.

Martin

[pkscout]

It looks like Channels only does live TV if you provide the source (i.e. an HDHomerun). Everything I can find on their site leads me to believe that the streaming stuff if TV Everywhere, which is just a repackage of various web site offerings and not linear TV streams (and thus doesn't include everything, like I can't get Doctor who from the BBC America site, only linear live TV). But the site isn't well organized, so I could be wrong. I don't mind paying cable rates, I just want to be able to use my DVR. But I suspect in the US that isn't going to happen. When cablecard dies I'll end up with a hodge podge of stuff that doesn't integrate and where shows will just randomly disappear because of changes in content agreements.

[shspvr]

With the recent discussions about the (maybe not immediate) demise of cable cards in the US, I thought I'd start exploring options for an IPTV provider in the US that is legit, does live streams of channels (so not Channels DVR or anything with TV Everywhere), and provides M3U files. The initial research has felt more like an accidental dive into the dark web, but I did find this link to a few providers that, at least on the surface, look like possibilities.

https://exploring-usa.com/best-iptv-serv...iders-usa/

Has anyone had any experience with these (or other suggestions)? I actually wouldn't mind doing something like SlingTV, but it doesn't appear M3U files (or any reasonable integration into NextPVR) are an option.

The really frustrating part is that my provider (Spectrum) provides live streaming of every channel in your package if you are on their IP network (i.e. a cable internet subscriber), but it's only available via a web browser, and there isn't any obvious way I can find to get the stream (or the URL of the stream) to pass to NPVR. Maybe if I get REALLY bored I could try and write an extra that would figure all that out, but that feels like an incredibly complicated thing.

There none, but there always this Free and Legal IPTV List https://github.com/geonsey/Free2ViewTV

[dgeezer]

We have been using channels for a couple years now. I run their backend on a an unraid server. I have 2 hdhomeruns using antennas, with each antenna pointed in a different direction. This gets me my local stations.

I have Spectrum internet at my house but no TV not even basic cable. We own half of a second house on the NC coast and do have spectrum cable at that location. I use my login from that location for spectrum cable to get the channels we pay for there on my home channels setup with TVEverywhere. So I am paying for the stations I get and I feel like this is within their terms of service. I can both record these stations and watch them live. We only have "expanded cable" so I don't know if any of the premium services like HBO etc. will work.

Channels is much less robust as far as tuner support than NPVR. The hdhomerun is the only tuner that will work afaik. However, it does offer a good DVR experience and works on a variety of clients. I use an Nvidia Shield on one TV and also the android app directly on a Sony TV. Comskip is supported and works pretty well.

[pkscout]

We have been using channels for a couple years now. I run their backend on a an unraid server. I have 2 hdhomeruns using antennas, with each antenna pointed in a different direction. This gets me my local stations.

I have Spectrum internet at my house but no TV not even basic cable. We own half of a second house on the NC coast and do have spectrum cable at that location. I use my login from that location for spectrum cable to get the channels we pay for there on my home channels setup with TVEverywhere. So I am paying for the stations I get and I feel like this is within their terms of service. I can both record these stations and watch them live. We only have "expanded cable" so I don't know if any of the premium services like HBO etc. will work.

Channels is much less robust as far as tuner support than NPVR. The hdhomerun is the only tuner that will work afaik. However, it does offer a good DVR experience and works on a variety of clients. I use an Nvidia Shield on one TV and also the android app directly on a Sony TV. Comskip is supported and works pretty well.

Well I'll be. I went ahead and download Channels DVR and got the free month trial (you need that to add TV Everywhere as a source). And it does appear to be live tv. I now have a bunch of "cable" channels available to NPVR by using the Channels stuff as an IPTV source. The tricky part is the guide. It looks like the TV Everywhere stuff is a mix of East Coast and West Coast feeds, and none of those times match up with my local (Hawaii) feed from Spectrum. So I'll have to go channel by channel and find the right guide data (by adding Los Angeles, CA and Raleigh, NC Schedules Direct feeds), but that's a one time hassle.  More testing to do, but it looks like I can get all the cable channels I want this way and get rid of my cable box and analog encoder (for another $80 a year, but it might be worth it).

[tfinney4@gmail.com]

"I now have a bunch of "cable" channels available to NPVR by using the Channels stuff as an IPTV source."

Can you please tell me exactly how you did this? Are you saying that you now a a full guide in NPVR with all the channels from Channels DVR TV Everywhere? I would love to do this as well.

Tom

[pkscout]

"I now have a bunch of "cable" channels available to NPVR by using the Channels stuff as an IPTV source."

Can you please tell me exactly how you did this? Are you saying that you now a a full guide in NPVR with all the channels from Channels DVR TV Everywhere? I would love to do this as well.

Tom

I'm getting ready to retire this particular setup (I've moved to a new location where I can get FIOS and get all the channels I want from my HDHR Prime using a CableCard), but my spouse is still in the old location and using this.  So I checked that setup, and I did finally figure out how to request the guide data from Channels so NPVR can use it.  You're going to have to change this IP address to match your Channels DVR setup, but hopefully this will help you get started:

to get the channels:

PHP Code:

http://172.16.1.8:8089/devices/ANY/channels.m3u?filter=favorites 


I included the filter favorites because I didn't want every channel in NPVR, so I just favorited the channels I wanted to show up in NPVR in Channels DVR web interface for managing channels.  If you want all the channels, you can omit the filter part of the URL.

to get the XMLTV guide:

PHP Code:

http://172.16.1.8:8089/devices/ANY/guide/xmltv?duration=1209600 


The duration is the amount of guide data in the future to get in seconds. That number is two weeks worth of guide data.

You can either add that URL when you create the IPTV source or add it separately as an XMLTV source in NPVR and then associate the channels to the guide data after the fact.  Honestly, it's easier to do it when you setup the IPTV source.

[tfinney4@gmail.com]

"I now have a bunch of "cable" channels available to NPVR by using the Channels stuff as an IPTV source."

Can you please tell me exactly how you did this? Are you saying that you now a a full guide in NPVR with all the channels from Channels DVR TV Everywhere? I would love to do this as well.

Tom

I'm getting ready to retire this particular setup (I've moved to a new location where I can get FIOS and get all the channels I want from my HDHR Prime using a CableCard), but my spouse is still in the old location and using this.  So I checked that setup, and I did finally figure out how to request the guide data from Channels so NPVR can use it.  You're going to have to change this IP address to match your Channels DVR setup, but hopefully this will help you get started:

to get the channels:

PHP Code:

http://172.16.1.8:8089/devices/ANY/channels.m3u?filter=favorites 


I included the filter favorites because I didn't want every channel in NPVR, so I just favorited the channels I wanted to show up in NPVR in Channels DVR web interface for managing channels.  If you want all the channels, you can omit the filter part of the URL.

to get the XMLTV guide:

PHP Code:

http://172.16.1.8:8089/devices/ANY/guide/xmltv?duration=1209600 


The duration is the amount of guide data in the future to get in seconds. That number is two weeks worth of guide data.

You can either add that URL when you create the IPTV source or add it separately as an XMLTV source in NPVR and then associate the channels to the guide data after the fact.  Honestly, it's easier to do it when you setup the IPTV source.

Thanks....that was easy....