Channel Management
View and access all available TV channels from your configured HDHomeRun tuners.
Overview
HD Homey automatically discovers channels from your HDHomeRun devices and makes them available for streaming. Channels are organized by tuner and sorted by guide number.
Viewing Channels
Channels List
Navigate to Channels to see all available channels from all tuners:
Display Information:
- Guide number (e.g., 2.1, 7.1)
- Channel name (e.g., CBS, ABC)
- HD/SD indicator
- Source tuner name
Actions:
- Click any channel to view details and streaming options
- Filter by tuner (if available)
- Sort by guide number (default)
Channel Details
Click a channel to view its details page:
Information Shown:
- Channel name and number
- HD status
- Source tuner
- Stream URL (with authentication token)
Available Actions:
- Watch in Browser - Start video player
- Copy Stream URL - For external players (VLC, Plex)
Channel Discovery
Channels are automatically discovered when:
- A new tuner is added to HD Homey
- An admin manually refreshes a tuner's lineup
What Gets Discovered:
- All channels available on the HDHomeRun device
- Guide numbers and station names
- HD/SD information
- Stream URLs
Channel Updates
Channels can be updated in two ways:
Automatic Updates
When a tuner is added, channels are automatically scanned.
Manual Refresh
Admins can manually refresh a tuner's channel lineup:
- Navigate to Tuners
- Select the tuner to refresh
- Click "Refresh Channels"
What Happens:
- New channels are added
- Missing channels are soft-deleted (hidden but data preserved)
- Existing channels are updated
- Takes ~5 seconds to complete
Accessing Streams
In-Browser Playback
- Navigate to a channel's details page
- Click "Watch in Browser"
- Video player loads and begins streaming
Works on all modern browsers without plugins.
External Players
For VLC, Plex, or other media applications:
- Navigate to channel details page
- Copy the stream URL
- Paste into your media player
Token Expiration
Stream URLs include time-limited tokens (default: 12 hours). Generate a new URL from the channel page when tokens expire.
Troubleshooting
Channel Not Playing
Check:
- Tuner is online and reachable
- HDHomeRun device has good antenna signal
- Stream token hasn't expired
Solutions:
- Refresh the channel page to get a new token
- Visit tuner details and check connection
- Test channel directly on HDHomeRun device
Channels Missing
Check:
- HDHomeRun device has performed a channel scan
- Tuner connection is working
- Channels exist on HDHomeRun device
Solutions:
- Visit HDHomeRun web interface (
http://TUNER_IP) - Perform channel scan on device
- Refresh tuner lineup in HD Homey
HD Channel Shows as SD
Possible Causes:
- Broadcaster transmitting in SD
- HDHomeRun detected incorrectly
- Signal quality issues
Solutions:
- Check HDHomeRun device directly
- Verify antenna and signal strength
- Refresh channel lineup
Next Steps
- Video Transcoding - How streams are processed for browsers
- Stream Security - Understanding authentication tokens
- Tuner Management - Managing HDHomeRun devices