Is viewing BBC UHD iPlayer channels possible ?

[i0zjh02]

Hi All.
Looking for some advice/help. I'm trying to setup the 5 BBC UHD channels (Not 24/7) to work through NextPVR. The M3U file works OK through VLC player but the channels dont work in the IPTV tuner as a channel list in NextPVR.

Is this a restriction of BBC/iPlayer that only supports VLC as a player or is there some trick/tweak to get them to work in NextPVR ?

Thanks Dave

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,BBC UHD 1
https://ve-uhd-push-uk-live.akamaized.ne...uhd_v1.mpd
#EXTINF:0,BBC UHD 2
https://ve-uhd-push-uk-live.akamaized.ne...uhd_v1.mpd
#EXTINF:0,BBC UHD 3
https://ve-uhd-push-uk-live.akamaized.ne...uhd_v1.mpd
#EXTINF:0,BBC UHD 4
https://ve-uhd-push-uk-live.akamaized.ne...uhd_v1.mpd
#EXTINF:0,BBC UHD 5
https://ve-uhd-push-uk-live.akamaized.ne...uhd_v1.mpd

[mvallevand]

Typically NextPVR support HLS format IPTV and those are DASH so we would need to see your logs to show why ffmpeg isn't decoding the properly.

Martin

[i0zjh02]

Typically NextPVR support HLS format IPTV and those are DASH so we would need to see your logs to show why ffmpeg isn't decoding the properly.

Martin

Thanks Martin, I've attached logs, hope that helps :-) FYI I think these streams are geo-locked so not sure if you can test outside of UK ? I've also attached a screenshot of the information it gives in VLC about the stream

[mvallevand]

Thanks it is getting passed to ffmpeg but it is not clear if NextPVR is using the correct transcoding.

If you run this do you get any errors

Code:

"C:\Program Files\NextPVR\Other\ffmpeg.exe" -y -user_agent "VLC/2.2.6 LibVLC/2.2.6"  -i "https://ve-uhd-push-uk-live.akamaized.net/x=3/i=urn:bbc:pips:service:uhd_stream_01/iptv_uhd_v1.mpd" -codec:v:0 h264_nvenc -codec:a:0 aac -strict experimental -ac 2 -ab 128000 -f mpegts  bbc.ts

Martin

[i0zjh02]

Thanks it is getting passed to ffmpeg but it is not clear if NextPVR is using the correct transcoding.

If you run this do you get any errors

Code:

"C:\Program Files\NextPVR\Other\ffmpeg.exe" -y -user_agent "VLC/2.2.6 LibVLC/2.2.6"  -i "https://ve-uhd-push-uk-live.akamaized.net/x=3/i=urn:bbc:pips:service:uhd_stream_01/iptv_uhd_v1.mpd" -codec:v:0 h264_nvenc -codec:a:0 aac -strict experimental -ac 2 -ab 128000 -f mpegts  bbc.ts

Martin

Hi Martin
Here's the results (I had to change your string to use Stream 5 as thats the only one broadcasting at this time)

C:\Users\Home User>"C:\Program Files\NextPVR\Other\ffmpeg.exe" -y -user_agent "VLC/2.2.6 LibVLC/2.2.6"  -i "https://ve-uhd-push-uk-live.akamaized.net/x=3/i=urn:bbc:pips:service:uhd_stream_05/iptv_uhd_v1.mpd" -codec:v:0 h264_nvenc -codec:a:0 aac -strict experimental -ac 2 -ab 128000 -f mpegts  bbc.ts
ffmpeg version n5.1-1-g6d83c5f876-20220728 Copyright © 2000-2022 the FFmpeg developers
  built with gcc 12.1.0 (crosstool-NG 1.25.0.55_3defb7b)
  configuration: --prefix=/ffbuild/prefix --pkg-config-flags=--static --pkg-config=pkg-config --cross-prefix=i686-w64-mingw32- --arch=i686 --target-os=mingw32 --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --disable-debug --enable-shared --disable-static --disable-w32threads --enable-pthreads --enable-iconv --enable-libxml2 --enable-zlib --enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-gmp --enable-lzma --enable-fontconfig --enable-libvorbis --enable-opencl --disable-libpulse --enable-libvmaf --disable-libxcb --disable-xlib --enable-amf --enable-libaom --enable-libaribb24 --enable-avisynth --enable-libdav1d --disable-libdavs2 --disable-libfdk-aac --enable-ffnvcodec --enable-cuda-llvm --enable-frei0r --enable-libgme --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libjxl --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopus --enable-librist --enable-libtheora --enable-libvpx --enable-libwebp --enable-lv2 --enable-libmfx --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenh264 --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopenmpt --disable-librav1e --enable-librubberband --enable-schannel --enable-sdl2 --enable-libsoxr --enable-libsrt --disable-libsvtav1 --enable-libtwolame --disable-libuavs3d --disable-libdrm --disable-vaapi --enable-libvidstab --enable-vulkan --enable-libshaderc --enable-libplacebo --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --disable-libxavs2 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzimg --enable-libzvbi --extra-cflags=-DLIBTWOLAME_STATIC --extra-cxxflags= --extra-ldflags=-pthread --extra-ldexeflags= --extra-libs=-lgomp --extra-version=20220728
  libavutil      57. 28.100 / 57. 28.100
  libavcodec    59. 37.100 / 59. 37.100
  libavformat    59. 27.100 / 59. 27.100
  libavdevice    59.  7.100 / 59.  7.100
  libavfilter    8. 44.100 /  8. 44.100
  libswscale      6.  7.100 /  6.  7.100
  libswresample  4.  7.100 /  4.  7.100
  libpostproc    56.  6.100 / 56.  6.100
Input #0, dash, from 'https://ve-uhd-push-uk-live.akamaized.net/x=3/i=urn:bbc:pips:service:uhd_stream_05/iptv_uhd_v1.mpd':
  Duration: N/A, start: 1689603255.989333, bitrate: N/A
  Program 0
  Stream #0:0: Video: hevc (Main 10) (hev1 / 0x31766568), yuv420p10le(tv, bt2020nc/bt2020/arib-std-b67), 3840x2160 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 200 fps, 50 tbr, 200 tbn (default)
    Metadata:
      variant_bitrate : 24000000
      id              : pv54
  Stream #0:1: Video: hevc (Main 10) (hev1 / 0x31766568), yuv420p10le(tv, bt2020nc/bt2020/arib-std-b67), 2560x1440 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 200 fps, 50 tbr, 200 tbn (default)
    Metadata:
      variant_bitrate : 14000000
      id              : pv49
  Stream #0:2: Video: hevc (Main 10) (hev1 / 0x31766568), yuv420p10le(tv, bt2020nc/bt2020/arib-std-b67), 1920x1080 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 200 fps, 50 tbr, 200 tbn (default)
    Metadata:
      variant_bitrate : 10000000
      id              : pv46
  Stream #0:3: Video: hevc (Main 10) (hev1 / 0x31766568), yuv420p10le(tv, bt2020nc/bt2020/arib-std-b67), 1280x720 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 200 fps, 50 tbr, 200 tbn (default)
    Metadata:
      variant_bitrate : 7000000
      id              : pv45
  Stream #0:4: Video: hevc (Main 10) (hev1 / 0x31766568), yuv420p10le(tv, bt2020nc/bt2020/arib-std-b67), 960x540 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 200 fps, 50 tbr, 200 tbn (default)
    Metadata:
      variant_bitrate : 5500000
      id              : pv53
  Stream #0:5: Video: hevc (Main 10) (hev1 / 0x31766568), yuv420p10le(tv, bt2020nc/bt2020/arib-std-b67), 960x540 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 200 fps, 50 tbr, 200 tbn (default)
    Metadata:
      variant_bitrate : 2810000
      id              : pv52
  Stream #0:6: Video: hevc (Main 10) (hev1 / 0x31766568), yuv420p10le(tv, bt2020nc/bt2020/arib-std-b67), 960x540 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 200 fps, 50 tbr, 200 tbn (default)
    Metadata:
      variant_bitrate : 1600000
      id              : pv51
  Stream #0:7(en): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp (default)
    Metadata:
      variant_bitrate : 192000
      id              : pa9
Stream mapping:
  Stream #0:0 -> #0:0 (hevc (native) -> h264 (h264_nvenc))
  Stream #0:7 -> #0:1 (aac (native) -> aac (native))
Press [q] to stop, [?] for help
[h264_nvenc @ 0393bf80] 10 bit encode not supported
[h264_nvenc @ 0393bf80] No capable devices found
Error initializing output stream 0:0 -- Error while opening encoder for output stream #0:0 - maybe incorrect parameters such as bit_rate, rate, width or height
[aac @ 03921840] Qavg: 164.171
[aac @ 03921840] 2 frames left in the queue on closing
Conversion failed!

[mvallevand]

You've got your answer

h264_nvenc @ 0393bf80] 10 bit encode not supported

Maybe try cpu transcode or direct play clients not the browser

Edit: I remembered the NextPVR doesn't support direct play of dash streams so you would need to do that using a an Exra. It would be something like this

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<extras>
        <channel name="BBC UHD 1">
                <command>ffmpeg</command>
                <args>-re -v panic -i "https://ve-uhd-push-uk-live.akamaized.net/x=3/i=urn:bbc:pips:service:uhd_stream_01/iptv_uhd_v1.mpd" -codec copy -f mpegts -</args>
        </channel>
        <channel name="BBC UHD 2">
                <command>ffmpeg</command>
                <args>-re -v panic -i "https://ve-uhd-push-uk-live.akamaized.net/x=3/i=urn:bbc:pips:service:uhd_stream_02/iptv_uhd_v1.mpd" -codec copy -f mpegts -</args>
        </channel>
        <channel name="BBC UHD 3">
                <command>ffmpeg</command>
                <args>-re -v panic -i "https://ve-uhd-push-uk-live.akamaized.net/x=3/i=urn:bbc:pips:service:uhd_stream_03/iptv_uhd_v1.mpd" -codec copy -f mpegts -</args>
        </channel>
        <channel name="BBC UHD 4">
                <command>ffmpeg</command>
                <args>-re -v panic -i "https://ve-uhd-push-uk-live.akamaized.net/x=3/i=urn:bbc:pips:service:uhd_stream_04/iptv_uhd_v1.mpd" -codec copy -f mpegts -</args>
        </channel>
        <channel name="BBC UHD 5">
                <command>ffmpeg</command>
                <args>-re -v panic -i "https://ve-uhd-push-uk-live.akamaized.net/x=3/i=urn:bbc:pips:service:uhd_stream_05/iptv_uhd_v1.mpd" -codec copy -f mpegts -</args>
        </channel>
</extras>

Martin

[sub]

You should be able to get it working by going to the Settings -> Transcoder page, and setting Video Encoder to 'CPU'.

Martin's Extra suggestion above is probably more optimal though.

[i0zjh02]

You should be able to get it working by going to the Settings -> Transcoder page, and setting Video Encoder to 'CPU'.

Martin's Extra suggestion above is probably more optimal though.

Thanks, I'd tried changing Video encoding to CPU from NVIDIA (Quadro P4000 GPU) but didnt help. 

Should this change work on the fly or would I need to restart the service for the change to be effective? 
  
I'll have a go with Martins extra suggections too. If not as I use Kodi as the front end I'll also try again to add them through their "simple IPTV" pvr client, I'd previously got it to at least tune the channel but would freeze after 10-15 seconds of playing. Would also like to keep to  asingle backend PVR client if possible as gets too complex

[mvallevand]

It might be a different problem, we'd need to see logs with it in CPU mode. It should work on-the-fly but it is browser based so caching might be involved.

Technically pvr.iptvsimple is not a PVR since it doesn't record.

Martin

[mvallevand]

I saw on the Kodi forum you are trying to use pvr.iptvsimple for these streams. Did the extra not work?

I did create an extra for non geo-blocked Arabic BBC URL m38 and mp3 which I can test here and the syntax seems ok.

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<extras>
        <channel name="BBC m3u8">
                <command>ffmpeg</command>
                <args>-re -v panic -i "https://vs-hls-pushb-ww-live.akamaized.net/x=3/i=urn:bbc:pips:service:bbc_arabic_tv/t=3840/v=pv14/b=5070016/main.m3u8" -codec copy -f mpegts -</args>
        </channel>
        <channel name="BBC mpd">
                <command>ffmpeg</command>
                <args>-re -v panic -i "https://vs-cmaf-pushb-ww-live.akamaized.net/x=3/i=urn:bbc:pips:service:bbc_arabic_tv/pc_hd_abr_v2.mpd" -codec copy -f mpegts -</args>
        </channel>
</extras>

Martin