General ‐ Setup ‐ Prerequisites

In order to implement this solution, there are many things you are going to need to get, several of which can be quite expensive, and many that are going to require some technical knowledge. That said, most of it has been made as simple as possible to approach.

1. Deploy Docker Desktop

   • For those unfamiliar with Docker, it is fairly easy to install Docker Desktop as a stand-alone application.

   • If you are installing Docker in Windows, set up Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) first by following these directions.

   • Familiarize yourself with some Docker basic information, most notably dealing with upgrading containers when the time comes.

2. In Docker, deploy HDMI Capture container(s)

   Depending upon which streaming dongles you want to use, you will need to deploy one or both of the following. Users who have deployed OliveTin for Channels (including its core component Project One-Click), can use that, instead, to simplify the process. Otherwise, follow the directions on the pages linked below. Note that it's recommended to be on specific tags (in parenthesis) to make sure you have all the functions that this solution is based upon.

   • Android TV: ADBTuner (development)

   • Roku: Roku Bridge (HDMI-Encoder)

3. Purchase Equipment

   You are going to need the following:

   • A modern HDMI Encoder. It's specifically recommended to get a “LinkPi” one, many of which can be found here. These start at around US$100 and can go over US$1000 completely as a function of power and number of HDMI ports for processing. When a port is in use, only one thing can run on it. Thus, if you are only going to watch/record one thing at a time, a single port might be all you need. But should you think you’ll watch/record four things at a time, you’ll want to invest in more expensive models or buy multiple singles over time. Do note that some of these have USB ports that can be converted into HDMI ports with simple, inexpensive devices.

   • An Android TV and/or Roku streaming dongle for each of those HDMI ports, which range in price from around $20 to $150. They do not have to be the same brand and, again, can be switched out as needed. Most of these have limited space, so that can also control which apps you are able to install during that step. Storage is expandable, but again this is more costs, so it is completely up to you how far you want to go, or if you want to do more in the future.

   One of the benefits of ADBTuner and Roku Bridge is that they're completely expandable at any moment, so you can add or grow devices as your needs change. You just cannot mix with each other. In other words, Android TV and Roku are separate paths, although they can share the same HDMI encoder so long as the ports are assigned correctly.

4. Prepare Streaming Dongles

   On your Android TV dongle(s), you need to turn on “Developer Mode” and, within “Developer Mode”, make sure USB debugging is made available. How to do this varies a bit by device and Android version, but generic directions can be found here.

   Similarly, on Roku devices, navigate to Settings > System > Advanced system settings > Control by mobile apps and make sure that "Network access" is set to Permissive.

5. Install and Setup Apps

   On each dongle, you will need to install all or a subset of the following native apps, contingent on which of the stations you want:

   • NBC
   • MS NOW
   • CNBC
   • CBS
   • CBS Sports
   • VH1 [Roku Only]
   • BET [Roku Only]
   • ESPN
   • Disney+
   • FoxOne
   • PBS
   • PBS Kids [Not needed on Roku]
   • NFL
   • HGTV
   • CNN
   • TBS
   • TNT
   • truTV
   • TCM [Roku Only]
   • HBO Max [Uses "Deep Linking" method]
   • A&E
   • History
   • FYI
   • Lifetime
   • AMC
   • BBC America [Roku Only]

   With Android TV in particular, depending upon your device, not all apps may be readily available. For instance, the AMC app is missing from some devices like the TiVO Stream 4K+. In these situations, you can download the APK and sideload the app. It is highly recommended to use adblink for this activity. And to reiterate, if you don't want specific station groups, you do not need to install that app associated with them. You can just choose to either not install those stations, remove them after the fact, or disable/ignore them.

   Once the apps are installed, you will need to go into each one and log in with your TVE provider. As a pro tip, you can use the Link Pi “Push” area as your display instead of hooking up to a TV.

   

   You will probably want to launch each station, too, to confirm you have access as some of the providers list everything whether you can play them or not. Additionally, you may want to set other options, such as turning on closed captioning or turning off ad-tracking. After doing all this, it is recommended to force close each app.

6. Finalize HDMI Encoder(s)

   Follow ADBTuner’s and Roku Bridge's directions to set up your HDMI Encoder(s) and dongle(s). You should get all greens before proceeding.

   

   

   It is worth noting here that the specific "Streaming Endpoint"/"Encoder URL" can be quite finicky. The version shown in these screenshots with the port included seems to work best, i.e.:

   http://[IP ADDRESS OF DEVICE]:8090/[LINK PI HDMI PORT NAME]