LibreElec
LibreElec (versions 10 and 11) and CoreElec (versions 19 and 20) provide a good foundation for running .Net 6.0 apps which allows the possibility of creating an inexpensive but stable NextPVR server. They also provide drivers and firmware for many digital tuners. You should be able to record or stream three channels with devices like the RPi3/RPi4 and Amlogic S904x3 or greater when transcoding and comskip are not required, however they are not as capable as Intel based devices.
Note for simplicity this guide will refer to LibreElec however CoreElec has the same functionality.
Installation of NextPVR is via the LibreElec repository. To install follow these steps:
Navigate to Addons-> Install from repository-> LibreElec Add-ons-> Services-> NextPVR Server
After hitting "OK" the screen will flash a few times and you will see multiple prompts as it is installed and configured for first time use. This involves downloading the prerequistes (.Net 6, ffmpeg etc) and it will take a bit of time. It is complete when you see a "finished" message. You will also need to install a Scan Table if you have a local hardware tuner, the steps are described below.
That's it for the LibreElec server installation. Now Make note of your device's IP and go to your browser and connect to http://IP:8866 and follow the wiki steps starting here to finalize configuration.
- Encrypted broadcasts are not supported but you can install and configure the minisatip server in LibreElec common decryption features
- It is recommended that you configure a static IP for your device in LibreElec or your router if you plan on accessing the remove from other clients
- Consider using some other storage device (rather than an SD card) for NextPVR Recordings and Live TV directories.
- If you use a PVR client on the same box, you would usually configure LibreElec to start Kodi after network startup in the network settings. The backend service will start independently but this will help keep thme in sync.
Control of the addon is via the Service category. There you find options to Disable and Enable the server. You may wish to disable automatic updates as these can happen unexpectedly. LibreElec will notify you whenever the addon is updated.
If some settings functions don't work, the Dependencies button should be clicked to confirm all the depencies are installed.
Two options are available on the Download screen
- Download and install Scan-Tables. This option is required for users of digital tuning devices (eg. DVB-T/S/C ATSC, QAM) connected via USB or PCI.
- Download current Linux NPVR.zip. LibreElec provides a link to a version of NextPVR that will automatically be updated when the repository is updated. You may wish to install a new verion of NextPVR when it is released but it may not have been tested with LibreElec. This is an Expert setting.
Several options are available on the Manage Server screen
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Startup uptime wait. This option allows you to delay startup of the service to allow required devices (eg tuners, networks, shares) time to load. This is the time in seconds from boot. Typically you would get this time from look in the dmesg or journalctl log for the device startup.
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Update guide. This will force an EPG update. Normally EPG updates will be scheduled by the server on a regular basis but if your server is powered off then updates won't occur. Update the EPG while you are using NextPVR for viewing or recording is not recommended. A tuner will also be used during the downloading any DVB OTA guide.
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Update IPTV m3u source. Use this to update your IPTV source if your m3u source URL's change. This is an Expert Setting
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Rescan tuning devices. Use this if your network tuners or local digital devices weren't installed on startup. This is an Advanced Setting
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Toggle custom HLS transcoding with default. The version of ffmpeg distributed with Arm32 devices does not provide libx264 transcoding so video transcoding is disabled in setup. Default generally will work with x64 devices and you may be able to use VAAPI with Default. This is an Expert Setting.
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Reset web credentials. If you have change your web login username or password and forgot what you changed them too, this option resets them to the defaults - admin and password.
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SAT>IP RTSP port The standard port for RTSP playback is port 554, but some devices, especially those running from a PC may use another port.
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No video in the browser. The default settings for NextPVR do not work with LibreElec arm32 devices and if your channels are not browser comptabile you will likely get audio only in the browser. Playback in Kodi via pvr.nextpvr uses Direct Play and you shouldn't have this problem.
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Web browser cannot transcode fast enough. For web playback from x64 see if VAAPI transcoding in the browser configuiration helps. Custom v4l transcoding profiles that work on arm32 should be provided to the NextPVR forum.
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Recordings don't play in the web browser. See 'No video in the browser' above. Additionally recordings can be configured to be transcoded after recording but this takes server resources too.
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Addon setup functions don't work. Check the Settings Dependencies.
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No guide data. If your device is not running 7/24 the guide data may empty out. You can use the 'Update Guide' setting to get new guide data but consider finding an XMLTV provider or use Schedules Direct.
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Addon doesn't install. Typically this means the mirror wasn't available when you attempted the installation. Generally a retry will work.
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Devices not detected on start up. Once devices have been configured you may wish to disable the detection of devices on starutp.
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No scanning file dropdown. Install the Scan-Table in settings - see above
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Channel(s) not found during scan. Ensure the scanning file you have used is correct, and your antenna is connected and aimed properly.
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Digital tuning device not showing in devices. Not all devices are supported. LibreElec provides additional drivers that are not in the kernel so review dmesg logs for any error messages. Search for other dvb driver repos in LibreElec. Note that the 4.9 CoreElec kernel does not support PVR-USB2 devices. Check the LibreElec forums for additional information on your device and if you can't find anything post on their forum if you aren't seeing a /dev/dvb device installed.
If these steps don't resolve your issue, search the NextPVR forum
If you can't find a solution, please create a new thread on the NextPVR Linux sub-forum attaching the zipped logs you can get from the web server Settings page.
If you have a problem with the pvr.nextpvr addon specifically, create a new thread in the NextPVR Kodi support sub-forum including the zipped NextPVR logs and the Kodi debug logs or included a link to the Kodi log showing the problem.