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emveepee · 2024-08-25, 16:36

A lot of development work in Kodi has been done on support for providers but over all the releases and improvements I haven't been able to read or figure out what they do or what benefit they provide. I do have the same channels that I can get OTA, OTA networked delivery, cable and IPTV but I fail to understand value knowing this gives me. Maybe some of you can explain how you use it, no doubt it is useful. If I can figure out what it is I might even be able to add it to pvr.nextpvr.

Also I merge my tuners and my experience with NextPVR users is they often merge channels too especially DVB-S and DVB-T so the provider won't even be known until recording or Live TV so there would be a lot of unknowns showing.

I looked at recent screen shots here https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/pull/25663 to me they look more like what are in Canada and US know as networks which are typically one network one channel (there are exceptions) Maybe this a feature for 'subscription' IPTV to help find the networks? Networks don't seem to really map to provider types though.

Martin

**phunkyfish** · 2024-08-25, 17:51

Let me give you two examples. The first is similar to your networks.

1) Where I live we have a terrestrial services and a satellite service, both of these are providers. Providers enable you to access the channels and recordings by provider.
2) PVR add-ons are also providers, this ties in with multi-instance, so using iptvsimple as an example, several video add-ons might use an instance of iptvsimple each. Each one would be a provider.

Does this makes sense?

emveepee · 2024-08-25, 20:31

No not really, perhaps I am too used to linear TV and entering a channel number but to me going into BBC, ARD to find me local channels doesn't make sense to me. I can get 3 timezones for one local CBC here but still not sure why I would bother.

1 - does it really matter there if it is DVB-T or DVB-S? I guess can understand Live TV potentially if the quality is going to be different based on reception but for recordings that's already a fact. Most channel icons I have seen internationally show the network anyway

If I look at Astra trying to figure this out I see where ARD might be used https://www.lyngsat.com/Astra-1KR-1L-1M-1N.html to filter but why wouldn't you want channel groups to capture a whole country?

2. This one I am lost on. I use multi-instance all the time so having the instance name already is very important on the details. Wouldn't you just name the instance to match the plugin? Certainly I'd rather see a nicer friendly name for the PVR, using the addon name is messy but I question why the provider is more important than the channel number (which isn't shown).

Martin

**ksooo** · 2024-08-25, 22:28

Organizing the different PVR media by provider is just another possibility to organize them visually. Some people will find this useful others not, depending on many different aspects, like amount of media, personal habits, … . It is like it always is with new features… 😉

emveepee · 2024-08-25, 23:51

Thanks I am really for real world examples of where it adds value for users. It is not a critique I there must be some practical uses cases I am still not yet understanding, in the examples I can think of it actually seems in theory more confusing if I was to add the support. There are certainly users of pvr.nextpvr that also have pvr.iptvsimple installed and it will be odd to only see providers from one PVR.

I probably need to install a new version of TVHeadend and see what I can get from my OTA channels to better understand it.

Martin

**phunkyfish** · 2024-09-03, 10:16

Every PVR instance will appear as a provider regardless. So you should be able to test it in a basic way with any PVR addon.

emveepee · 2024-09-03, 15:29

I am really struggling to figure out a concrete example of how these are of value to a user. I am old and remember when TVs had VHF and UHF tuners, but technology improved and there was just one channel list and I don't see any value going back. Why would I want to view providers and not groups? Grid lists for groups seem much more practical.

Martin

**phunkyfish** · 2024-09-03, 19:25

Here’s a crude example.

I have two IPTV Providers locally that have an instance of iptvsimple. As well as Euro and U.K. satellite, let’s say from enigma2. Each instance (3 in total) has 4 providers. Today I have no way of viewing those in groups without writing code for an addon.

Now, a different case. I have 12 video addons that integrate with iptvsimple. I each provides a different streaming service. How do I access just one of those services?

emveepee

1. in use case 1 I still don't know what providers is here "Each instance (3 in total) has 4 providers" given I now see you mean it is different from an IPTV provider.

2. I would just create groups by streaming service from one instance or create one instance for each addon and let the system generate the group.

Martin

**ksooo** · 2024-09-04, 07:02

Regarding groups. Providers cannot only provide channels, but also recordings and VOD. You see all three media types if available under the providers node.

Dumyat · 2024-10-13, 22:19

(2024-08-25, 17:51)phunkyfish Wrote: 1) Where I live we have a terrestrial services and a satellite service, both of these are providers. Providers enable you to access the channels and recordings by provider.

When using iptvsimple, can I ask where the provider name comes from?
I'm using an external server that creates Pseudo style TV channels and guide data using content from my local Kodi libraries. All I do is just enter the server URL on iptvsimple, so was curious how the provider name is derived in this scenario? Would it just be a case that the iptvsimple instance name would act as the provider for these channels?

**phunkyfish** · 2024-10-14, 10:37

(2024-10-13, 22:19)Dumyat Wrote:
(2024-08-25, 17:51)phunkyfish Wrote: 1) Where I live we have a terrestrial services and a satellite service, both of these are providers. Providers enable you to access the channels and recordings by provider.
When using iptvsimple, can I ask where the provider name comes from?
I'm using an external server that creates Pseudo style TV channels and guide data using content from my local Kodi libraries. All I do is just enter the server URL on iptvsimple, so was curious how the provider name is derived in this scenario? Would it just be a case that the iptvsimple instance name would act as the provider for these channels?

Correct