Creating IPTV channels

Create IPTV channels to allow end user to access TV content. You can have an unlimited number of channels.

Before you can create a channel, you must do the following:

Configure your streaming servers (such as Flussonic or Wowza).
If you want to provide catch-up TV, set your storage devices for DVR Digital video recording in Storage > Storage list.

Read more Adding DVR storage locations

To create a new channel

Navigate to IPTV channels > Channels.
Select + Add a channel.
Add the channel details.

Read more Channel details

Information

The channel number is shown in the channel listings in IPTV channels > Organize channels.

Tip

MinistraPRO allows you to set multiple streams for each channel, to provide the optimal format or protocol for viewer platforms such as Tizen, LG, iOS, and so on.

Read more Output streams
Add output streams by selecting Add stream.

Information

If you want to enable DVR Digital video recording, make sure to add the necessary URL.

Read more DVR stream settings
Select Save.

Your channel is now included on IPTV channels > Channels and IPTV channels > Organize channels.
After you have created your channels, you can organize your channels.

Read more Organizing IPTV channels

Information

Channels are only available to subscribers when the channel is included in a service package which is part of a defined tariff.

Channel details

Configure your channel using the Channel fields.

Basic settings

Setting	Description
Channel number	The number of the channel in your channel list. There is no limit on the number of channels you can have. For example, 2043. Read more Organizing IPTV channels
Channel name	The name of the channel. You can use letters A to Z, numbers 0 to 9, and the following symbols: !@#$^&*()_-+:;,.
Genre	The primary genre of the channel. MinistraPRO provides default genres. Genres can be added, removed, or edited in IPTV channels > Genres. Read more Adding genres and categories
Languages	The languages used by the channel. You can select multiple languages.
Volume Correction	Information This setting is supported only for Linux STB Set-top boxs. To correct the volume across all of your platforms, we recommend you configure the volume level in the streaming server. For example, if you are using the Flussonic streaming server, refer to https://flussonic.com/doc/change-stream-volume/. Allows you to adjust the value by which the audio output of the channel is higher or lower than the default value. The value you add is divided by 10. For example, if you set the volume correction to -5, the audio output is reduced by 2.5. This setting does not change the volume indicator values displayed by the STB Set-top box.
Channel logo	The logo for the TV channel. You can add the TV channel logo in its original format, or resize the image. We recommend a maximum file size of 1 MB.
Output streams	Read more Output streams

DVR settings

Information

MinistraPRO can synchronise DVR Digital video recording settings with Flussonic.

Setting	Description
Type	The type of DVR Digital video recording recorder, for example, Flussonic DVR.
Storages	The Flussonic DVR Digital video recording storage server added in Step 1. Read more Adding DVR storage locations
Stream ID	The stream ID for the DVR Digital video recording recorder. For example, the stream ID of the Flussonic stream URL `https://dvr.ministra.pro/infomir/index.m3u8` is infomir.
Duration	The maximum amount of time, in hours, that content is archived, or that live content can be paused or rewound. The duration must match the duration configured on the Flussonic server.

EPG Electronic programming guide settings

Setting	Description
XMLTV ID	The value of the `id` attribute of the `channel` element in the EPG Electronic programming guide XML source file. For more information about the XMLTV format, refer to https://wiki.xmltv.org/index.php/XMLTVFormat. If you are using multiple EPG Electronic programming guide files, you can prefix the the XMLTV ID with the EPG Electronic programming guide filename using the format `<prefix> <XMLTV ID`. For example, you have three channels, Eurosport, HBO, and TLC. You do not have an EPG Electronic programming guide source that contains EPG Electronic programming guides all of the channels, but you find two sources that cover all three channels. EPG Electronic programming guide source 1 with the prefix 1_ contains: `channel_id = "HBO"` `channel_id = "Eurosport"` EPG Electronic programming guide source 2 with the prefix 2_ contains: `channel_id = "TLC"` `channel_id = "Eurosport"` The `channel_id` for Eurosport is the same in both sources. With the prefix, you can specify from which source to take the EPG for the Eurosport channel. You have decided to take the EPG from the second source for Eurosport. The XMLTV ID for these three channels would be written as follows: `HBO` `TLC` `2_Eurosport` Read more Managing IPTV EPGs
Time correction for EPG Electronic programming guide	The time zone adjustment, in hours, to align an EPG Electronic programming guide with the IPTV Internet Protocol Television channel. For example, an EPG Electronic programming guide is for Australia at UTC+09:30 but the channel is being broadcast in Europe at UTC+02. The time correction value would be -7:30.

Setting

Description

XMLTV ID

The value of the id attribute of the channel element in the EPG Electronic programming guide XML source file. For more information about the XMLTV format, refer to https://wiki.xmltv.org/index.php/XMLTVFormat.

If you are using multiple EPG Electronic programming guide files, you can prefix the the XMLTV ID with the EPG Electronic programming guide filename using the format <prefix> <XMLTV ID.

For example, you have three channels, Eurosport, HBO, and TLC. You do not have an EPG Electronic programming guide source that contains EPG Electronic programming guides all of the channels, but you find two sources that cover all three channels.

EPG Electronic programming guide source 1 with the prefix 1_ contains:

channel_id = "HBO"

channel_id = "Eurosport"
EPG Electronic programming guide source 2 with the prefix 2_ contains:

channel_id = "TLC"

channel_id = "Eurosport"

The channel_id for Eurosport is the same in both sources. With the prefix, you can specify from which source to take the EPG for the Eurosport channel.

You have decided to take the EPG from the second source for Eurosport. The XMLTV ID for these three channels would be written as follows:

HBO

TLC

2_Eurosport

Parental control settings

Setting	Description
Age restriction	Enables password restriction for the channel, for example, to prevent children accessing unsuitable content. To access the channel, the end user needs to enter the account PIN. By default the EPG Electronic programming guide for password restricted channels is visible. Contact support if you do not want the channel to be visible. Information All devices for the account use the same password for accessing age-restricted content. You can configure the password in the account of the subscriber. Read more Subscriber accounts

Setting

Description

Age restriction

Enables password restriction for the channel, for example, to prevent children accessing unsuitable content. To access the channel, the end user needs to enter the account PIN.

By default the EPG Electronic programming guide for password restricted channels is visible. Contact support if you do not want the channel to be visible.

Information

All devices for the account use the same password for accessing age-restricted content.

You can configure the password in the account of the subscriber.

Output streams

MinistraPRO allows you to set multiple streams for each channel, to provide the optimal format or protocol for viewer platforms such as Tizen, LG, iOS, and so on.

Tip

Follow the guidelines for streaming formatting, such as for HLS HTTP live streaming, DASH Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP, MPEG Moving picture experts group, and so on. The following stream formats are recommended for smooth playback on all platforms.

Streaming protocols:
- MPEG-DASH for Tizen and WebOS
- HLS for iOS, Android, and Linux STB Set-top boxs
Video codec (HEVC High Efficiency Video Coding): H.264 AVC using baseline and main profiles
Video container: MP4
Audio format: AAC
Subtitles format: WebVTT

For vendor-specific supported formats, refer to the vendor documentation.

Linear stream settings

Linear streams are used for live IPTV Internet Protocol Television.

Setting	Description
Channel URL	The URL of the live broadcast stream. An example of an HLS stream is https://streamer.example.com/stream_name/index.m3u8 An example DASH stream is https://streamer.example.com/stream_name/index.mpd.
Temporary URL	The encoding that is used to ensure the viewer has permission to access the stream. Read more Configuring temporary URL protection
Enable monitoring	Allows MinistraPRO to check the availability of the channel URL. Caution If you select Enable Monitoring for an output stream and that stream stops working, MinistraPRO switches the channel to a lower-priority output stream. MinistraPRO may display unexpected behaviour if all the streams that are available to the watcher are not working.
FAST channels link	Enables free ad-supported streaming television (FAST).

DVR stream settings

DVR Digital video recording streams are used for catch-up IPTV Internet Protocol Television programming and allow for pausing, rewinding, and fast-forwarding media.

Setting	Description
Channel URL	The URL used for DVR Digital video recording.

Filter settings

If you are configuring multiple streams for a single channel, create a filter so that stream is delivered to the relevant devices. Filters are run sequentially based on priority for each channel, to determine which stream is delivered to the user device.

Setting	Description
Multi Filter	If the user's device matches the specified filter, then the streaming link is available to the user. Read more Creating filters If you are using a single stream for all devices, leave the filter field blank.
Priority	The place in the filter sequence when this filter is run. The highest priority is 0. You can set the same priority for multiple output streams. Where multiple streams have the same priority, channel watchers are distributed equally among the output streams. Tip If you select Enable Monitoring for an output stream and that stream stops working, MinistraPRO switches the channel to a lower-priority output stream.

Setting

Description

Multi Filter

If the user's device matches the specified filter, then the streaming link is available to the user.

DRM

You can apply DRM protection to output streams.

Setting	Description
Enable DRM	Enables DRM for the output stream.
DRM Group	The DRM security group for the output stream. Read more Digital rights management
DRM Type	The DRM type for the output stream. The following types are available: Widevine, by Google, for Android Fairplay, by Apple, for iOS Playready, by Microsoft, for webOS and Tizen

Load balancing

Load balancing is an optional feature of MinistraPRO.