VLC not able to change channel for Network Stream / IPTV

lib1 · September 9, 2023, 9:39am

Hi,

I’d like to watch some network streams/IPTV on VLC, as I don’t know other software that can do so in Haiku.

VLC opens fine the stream in the first channel but when I try to change to another channel, it fails to do so.

Steps to do it:
Open VLC | Media | Open Network Stream
Enter a network URL
Play

or press Alt + n after starting VLC.

Log (from menu Tools | Messages) after performing the action:

-- logger module started --
main debug: VLC media player - 3.0.17.3 Vetinari
main debug: Copyright © 1996-2022 the VideoLAN team
main debug: revision 3.0.13-8-g41878ff4f2
main debug: configured with ./configure  '--prefix=/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self' '--sysconfdir=/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.settings' '--datadir=/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self/data' '--datarootdir=/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self/data' '--bindir=/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self/bin' '--sbindir=/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self/bin' '--libdir=/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self/lib' '--includedir=/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self/develop/headers' '--oldincludedir=/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self/develop/headers' '--docdir=/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self/documentation/packages/vlc' '--infodir=/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self/documentation/info' '--mandir=/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self/documentation/man' '--libexecdir=/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self/lib' '--sharedstatedir=/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self/var' '--localstatedir=/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self/var' '--build=x86_64-unknown-haiku' '--prefix=/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self/apps/VLC' '--bindir=/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self/apps/VLC' '--libdir=/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self/apps/VLC/lib' '--datarootdir=/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self/apps/VLC/data' '--datadir=/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self/apps/VLC/data' '--disable-rpath' '--with-default-font=/boot/system/data/fonts/ttfonts/NotoMono-Regular.ttf' '--with-default-font-family=Sans' '--with-default-monospace-font-family=Monospace' '--disable-dependency-tracking' '--enable-run-as-root' '--disable-update-check' '--enable-fast-install' '--disable-lua' 'build_alias=x86_64-unknown-haiku' 'CFLAGS=-lgnu -lnetwork' 'CXXFLAGS=-lgnu -lnetwork' 'BUILDCC=gcc'
main debug: searching plug-in modules
main debug: loading plugins cache file /packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self/apps/VLC/lib/vlc/plugins/plugins.dat
main debug: recursively browsing `/packages/vlc-3.0.17.3-1/.self/apps/VLC/lib/vlc/plugins'
main debug: plug-ins loaded: 402 modules
main debug: opening config file (/boot/home/config/settings/vlc/vlcrc)
main debug: looking for logger module matching "any": 3 candidates
file debug: opening logfile `/boot/home/vlc.log'
main debug: using logger module "file"
main debug: translation test: code is "C"
main debug: looking for keystore module matching "memory": 2 candidates
main debug: using keystore module "memory"
main debug: CPU has capabilities MMX MMXEXT SSE SSE2 SSE3 SSSE3 SSE4.1 SSE4.2 FPU 
main debug: Creating an input for 'Media Library'
main debug: Input is a meta file: disabling unneeded options
main debug: using timeshift granularity of 50 MiB
main debug: using default timeshift path
main debug: `file/directory:///boot/home/config/settings/vlc/ml.xspf' gives access `file' demux `directory' path `/boot/home/config/settings/vlc/ml.xspf'
main debug: creating demux: access='file' demux='directory' location='/boot/home/config/settings/vlc/ml.xspf' file='/boot/home/config/settings/vlc/ml.xspf'
main debug: looking for access_demux module matching "file": 9 candidates
main debug: no access_demux modules matched
main debug: creating access: file:///boot/home/config/settings/vlc/ml.xspf
main debug:  (path: /boot/home/config/settings/vlc/ml.xspf)
main debug: looking for access module matching "file": 17 candidates
main debug: using access module "filesystem"
main debug: looking for stream_filter module matching "prefetch,cache_read": 25 candidates
cache_read debug: Using stream method for AStream*
cache_read debug: starting pre-buffering
cache_read debug: received first data after 0 ms
cache_read debug: pre-buffering done 296 bytes in 0s - 12567 KiB/s
main debug: using stream_filter module "cache_read"
main debug: looking for stream_filter module matching "any": 25 candidates
playlist debug: using XSPF playlist reader
main debug: using stream_filter module "playlist"
main debug: stream filter added to 0x116554ad8990
main debug: looking for stream_filter module matching "any": 25 candidates
main debug: no stream_filter modules matched
main debug: looking for stream_directory module matching "any": 0 candidates
main debug: no stream_directory modules
main debug: attachment of directory-extractor failed for file:///boot/home/config/settings/vlc/ml.xspf
main debug: looking for stream_filter module matching "record": 25 candidates
main debug: using stream_filter module "record"
main debug: creating demux: access='file' demux='directory' location='/boot/home/config/settings/vlc/ml.xspf' file='/boot/home/config/settings/vlc/ml.xspf'
main debug: looking for demux module matching "directory": 53 candidates
main debug: using demux module "directory"
main debug: looking for meta reader module matching "any": 1 candidates
main debug: no meta reader modules matched
main debug: `file/directory:///boot/home/config/settings/vlc/ml.xspf' successfully opened
main debug: looking for xml reader module matching "any": 1 candidates
main debug: using xml reader module "xml"
main debug: EOF reached
main debug: removing module "directory"
main debug: removing module "record"
main debug: removing module "playlist"
main debug: removing module "cache_read"
main debug: removing module "filesystem"
main debug: creating audio output
main debug: looking for audio output module matching "any": 4 candidates
main debug: using audio output module "haiku"
main debug: keeping audio output
main debug: looking for interface module matching "hotkeys,none": 9 candidates
main debug: using interface module "hotkeys"
main debug: looking for interface module matching "globalhotkeys,none": 9 candidates
main debug: no interface modules matched
main error: no suitable interface module
main error: interface "globalhotkeys,none" initialization failed
main: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface.
main debug: looking for interface module matching "any": 9 candidates
main debug: looking for extension module matching "any": 0 candidates
main debug: no extension modules
qt error: Unable to load extensions module
main debug: using interface module "qt"
main: playlist is empty
main debug: nothing to play
-- logger module stopped --

Starcrasher · September 9, 2023, 10:05am

Although you might receive some answers here, you should report this to Haikuports bug tracker where it has better chances to be fixed.

kim1963 · September 10, 2023, 12:11am

As a temporary solution, you can use the media player QMPlay2

BiPolar · September 10, 2023, 12:19am

+1 on the QMPlay2 suggestion by @kim1963.

or… yt-dlp (pkgman install yt_dlp), if you are not affraid of the Terminal, and/or want to keep the files you download.

lib1 · September 10, 2023, 2:22pm

I also use QMPlay2 to see Youtube videos, but this is about being able to see channel identified in .m3u files.

Can you really do it in QMPlay2?

Starcrasher · September 10, 2023, 2:54pm

A m3u.file is before all a list and can content many different things. Could you post an extract of this m3u.file so we can see better what you’re trying to play?

BiPolar · September 10, 2023, 4:36pm

Perhaps mpv + a script like the following might be of use? https://github.com/gthreepw00d/mpv-iptv. (will require pkgman install cmd:lua, not sure which version, thou ).

KitsunePrefecture · September 10, 2023, 7:46pm

Well, I thought I give a chance to this tool – even if I would not like how it’s layout and interface of github.

It was interesting I filtered “vlc” on haikuports/haikuports ‘Issues’ tab to see about resolutions. It was strange for me it enlisted other mm players’ issues as well.
It had not enlisted problems I have with VLC … but ONLY ONE :

Question marks in system tray after starting Qt applications #4881

Well I followed a bit the discussion in it and I lost the wire it turned out it had not appeared in some language versioning and hopped to conclosion at the end : it was closed waddlesplash on 24th of February, this year - noted as it was solved upstream in Haiku.
I also opened the referred Trac ticket of February 11 – unfortunately I had not checked it solved or not - as the last closing note stated : it was fixed, this way was closed this issue here on github site.
This way I enabled systray icon in my my VLC on R1B4 32 bit Haiku WHERE I DISABLED earlier ALL OF SUCH Systray icon stuff IN ALL APPS WANTED TO USE IT and CAUSED ANNOYING QUESTION MARKS.
After I started to view an anime short series I pasued for a while for other activities.
When I finished the remaining 4-5 episodes I was a bit surprised the horde of question marks that made running apps had not seen on deskbar as the systray part stretched beyond - howewver I have a 17 " laptop screen !..
LOL, so fixed … 8D
Now I went back the "enhancement ticket "

#18251 – Add mechanism to BDeskbar to locate replicant views

Well, I rank myself a power user - it may not be in case Haiku – I admit - but I mean basically I used some different OSes and was admin too on UNIX/ Linux as well, so I have a skillset to check things myself, but finally I also trusted closing note “fixed” - so it ment to be … not failing afterwards".
So what about generic user ?
I understand why people asks help here before run for github site to report.

All devs ,
thank you for your efforts - you worth every praise as we found very much good stuff on Haiku, but please
use haikuports/haikuports only among each others to track what happens and what should be fixed.
Us, users, who do not have developing purpose – just confusing follow our resolution there.
Recently I wrote an another post in this topic in another thread which was hidden there so I was deleted instead - as it was stated it is not related to that thread.Even others also did other posts not related to that title as well.
If it would be hidden as well I would became silent about it …
I am going ti think next time when offered to a generic user (or me) to report this on haikuports/haikuports on (github site)

LOL -

lib1 · September 10, 2023, 8:34pm

It seems a very good solution.
But the version of mpv available for Haiku doesn’t seem to like the option mentioned at the script home page: --script-opts=iptv=1.

~/Desktop> mpv --script-opts=iptv=1 m3u 
Error parsing option script-opts (option not found)
Setting commandline option --script-opts=iptv=1 failed.
Exiting... (Fatal error)

In a week, I’ll return to this.

BiPolar · September 10, 2023, 8:45pm

if you placed the script in ~/.config/mpv/scripts/, that might be the issue, as our mpv uses ~/config/settings/mpv/ instead (so you might try with ~/config/settings/mpv/scripts/ in this case. Hope that’s the only issue

lib1 · September 10, 2023, 9:23pm

That was the location I used.

~/config/settings/mpv> ls -l ~/config/settings/mpv/scripts/
total 14
-rw-r--r-- 1 user root 10993 Sep 10 18:42 iptv.lua

kim1963 · September 10, 2023, 10:17pm

IPTV m3u
work fine

lib1 · September 10, 2023, 11:01pm

Thank you, @kim1963!
I could make it work as well.

VLC downloads the m3u file and plays it.

QMPlay2 can play the channels after manual downloading of the m3u file, which is fine.

Top notch!