Channels DVR Station Search & M3U Generator

This application allows you to search for stations from your Channels DVR server, select desired channels, and generate a custom M3U playlist. You can then download or copy this playlist for use with other media players or services.

The application is served via a lightweight, multi-container Docker setup using Nginx and PHP-FPM for optimal performance and a small footprint.

Features

• Search and Filter: Easily find Channels DVR stations by name, call sign, channel number, station ID, and more.
• Select Channels: Interactively select individual channels to include in your playlist.
• Custom M3U8 URLs: For each selected channel, you can provide a specific M3U8 stream URL.
• M3U Generation: Generate a standard EXTM3U playlist based on your selections.
• Download & Copy: Download the generated M3U file or copy its content directly to your clipboard.
• Multi-Arch Support: Docker images are available for linux/amd64 and linux/arm64, supporting a wide range of devices from standard PCs to Raspberry Pis.

Prerequisites

To run this application, you will need:

• A running Channels DVR Server.
• Docker and Docker Compose.

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Quick Start (Using Pre-Built Docker Hub Images)

This is the fastest and easiest way to get the application running. It pulls the pre-built images directly from Docker Hub.

1. Create a docker-compose.yml file with the following content.

   version: '3.8'
   services:
     nginx:
       image: rcvaughn2/cdvr-station-search-nginx:latest
       ports:
         - "5003:80"
       depends_on:
         - php-fpm
       restart: unless-stopped
   
     php-fpm:
       image:  rcvaughn2/cdvr-station-search-php:latest
       environment:
         - CHANNELS_DVR_IP=${CHANNELS_DVR_IP}
       restart: unless-stopped

2. Create an .env file in the same directory as your docker-compose.yml. This file will store the IP address of your Channels DVR server.

   # Replace with the IP address of your Channels DVR server
   e.g. CHANNELS_DVR_IP=192.168.86.64
   

3. Start the application by running the following command in your terminal:

   docker-compose up -d

4. Access the Application: Open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost:5003.

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Local Development (Building from Source)

Follow these instructions if you have cloned the repository and want to build the Docker images yourself.

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/nuken/CDVR-Station-Search-M3U-Generator.git
   cd CDVR-Station-Search-M3U-Generator

2. Create the Environment File: Create a file named .env in the root of the project. Add the IP address of your Channels DVR server to this file:

   # Replace with the IP address of your Channels DVR server
   e.g. CHANNELS_DVR_IP=192.168.86.64
   

3. Build and Run with Docker Compose: Use the docker-compose.yml file included in the repository to build and start the services.

   # This command will build the images and start the containers in detached mode
   docker-compose up -d --build

4. Access the Application: Open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost:5003 (or http://your-docker-host-ip:5003 if Docker is running on a different machine).

Usage

1. Initial Load: The application will attempt to fetch stations from your Channels DVR server.
2. Search for Stations: Use the search bar to filter channels by name, call sign, etc.
3. View All Stations: Click "View All Stations" to see a complete list.
4. Select Channels: Check the box on any channel card to include it in your playlist.
5. Enter M3U8 URLs: For each selected channel, you must enter a valid M3U8 stream URL in the input field that appears.
6. Generate M3U Playlist: Once all selected channels have a URL, click the "Generate M3U Playlist" button.
7. Download or Copy: Use the "Download M3U" or "Copy to Clipboard" buttons to save your generated playlist.

Troubleshooting

• "Error loading stations: Could not connect to Channels DVR server...":
  • Ensure your Channels DVR server is running.
  • Double-check that the CHANNELS_DVR_IP in your .env file is correct and reachable from the machine running Docker.
  • Check the container logs for more specific errors: docker-compose logs php-fpm.
• Application is not accessible at localhost:5003:
  • Verify the containers are running with docker-compose ps.
  • Check the Nginx container logs for startup errors: docker-compose logs nginx.
• "Please provide an M3U8 URL for all selected channels.":
  • You must enter a stream URL for every channel you have selected before you can generate the playlist.

Development Notes

• The application is split into two containers:

  1. nginx: A lightweight web server that serves the index.html file and proxies PHP requests.
  2. php-fpm: Processes the proxy.php script, which fetches station data from the Channels DVR server API. This proxy is necessary to avoid CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) browser errors.

• The setup is configured for automatic builds and pushes to Docker Hub via GitHub Actions.