GUIDE TO CREATING LIVE STREAM FOLDERS

RSS feeds may be created containing Live Streams but they must utilize a groovy to provide the live attribute to Serviio for each contained live stream item. This allows folders of live feeds to be created and maintained independent of the Serviio Console Live Stream Library and the folders then displayed in the Online Menu.

The attached LiveFeeds.groovy once installed will be invoked by all feeds with urls of the form .*?/LiveFeeds.*? eg: http://website.com/user/LiveFeedsMovies.rss and will process contained items that conform to the following rss template. This allows a single generic groovy to be used for any set of live streams.

The rss <channel> header must contain both a <title>, which will be used for the name of the menu folder, and the rss <link> with a filename beginning with “LiveFeeds”, which will cause the groovy to be invoked. You may also add your own <description> of the rss in the header.

Each item in the rss must contain a <title>, a unique http://<link>, a <media:stream and optionally a <media:thumbnail. The <media:stream must contain the live stream url and if it is an audio stream, the stream type for that item. that the groovy will match in order to extract the <media:stream for that item. The groovy will use the unique <link> value to match the item to extract the <media:stream info for that item and pass it to Serviio with the required live attribute. Serviio will then list the valid items in the menu and display the provided <media:thumbnail icon and the item <title>. If no thumbnail is available, that entry in the item must be omitted. (To maintain unique http:// link names it is best to use simple http://link1, http://link2 etc. numbered sequentially)

You can create these RSS feeds using a text editor such as notepad and store them as uniquely named LiveFeed.rss files at your site on the web using free services such as those provided by sites.google.com using steps as follows for example LiveFeeds_Movies.rss
In Google Sites https://sites.google.com/site/sites/
1. Create a site eg: /site/joe
2. Open it eg: https://sites.google.com/site/joe/
3. Click “more” in upper right“
4. Click “Manage Site” in pulldown to get https://sites.google.com/site/joe/system/app/pages/admin/settings
5. Click “Attachments” on the left to get https://sites.google.com/site/joe/system/app/pages/admin/attachments
6. Click “Upload” on top line and select the rss or icon file you want to upload. eg: LiveFeeds_Movies.rss
7. The file may then be accessed using https://sites.google.com/site/joe/LiveFeeds_Movies.rss
8. Click “Sharing and Permissions” on the left and “allow anyone with link to view” so the LiveFeeds plugin can also access it.

Similarly, the <media:thumbnail for each live stream can be created, stored and shared at your site on the web, using icon creation tools, one of the simplest being the online text to image service provided at http://www.text2image.com. It allows the text, font, font size, icon size, colors and alignment to be specified and the icon generated immediately for saving on your PC, from where they can be uploaded to the web.

These thumbnails can also be used when adding live streams directly in the console to provide a more meaningful menu than provided by the live stream urls alone.

Serviio is a free media server. It allows you to stream your media files (music, video or images) to renderer devices (e.g. A TV set, Bluray player, games console or mobile phone) on your connected. RSS feeds may be created containing Live Streams but they must utilize a groovy to provide the live attribute to Serviio for each contained live stream item. This allows folders of live feeds to be created and maintained independent of the Serviio Console Live Stream Library and the folders then displayed in the Online Menu. Serviio is a Java-based DLNA media server. Like the other home media servers in this list, Serviio lets you to stream your media files to DLNA-compliant devices on your home network.

Once completed each “LiveFeed” rss should be added to the Serviio Console as an “Online RSS/Atom feed” with the appropriate media type for display as an online folder by Serviio.

Note that when opening a livestream in Serviio, live feeds will display within a few seconds, however valid but inactive streams will attempt to load for 20 some seconds and then on my Samsung will display a “Not Supported File Format” message, indicating the stream was not found.

Note that the proper format of these files is XML, so any links containing an & should be changed to &amp;. The groovy however will detect any &'s and perform that conversion for you so you may use the same live stream url's that are used for direct entry in the console. You feeds however will not display correctly as xml's.

THE RSS TEMPLATE

Here is the template used to create each LiveFeed rss file. Note the type=“audio” attribute is only required for live audio streams, however type=“video” should also be used to comply with rss xml rules.

<?xml version=“1.0” encoding=“UTF-8” ?>
<rss version=“2.0” xmlns:media=”http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/“>

<channel>

Serviio Youtube Live Stream

</channel>
</rss>

AN EXAMPLE RSS

Here is a completed Example of a LiveFeedsMymovies.rss:

<?xml version=“1.0” encoding=“UTF-8” ?>
<rss version=“2.0” xmlns:media=”http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/“>

<channel>

Serviio Live Stream Live

</channel>
</rss>

THE GROOVY

The latest LiveFeeds.groovy may be obtained from the available plugins thread. http://forum.serviio.org/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=6645 Just download it and add to the Serviio plugins folder.

THE LIVESTREAM LIBRARY - A SET OF WORKING LIVESTREAM RSS FOLDERS

Here are 19 RSS livestream folders that were originally created to use with the above groovy.
You can use them as examples of how to create your own.

You can also copy the rss links to the Serviio Console under “Online Sources/RSS-Atoms/Videos” to try them,
Note however that these folders have not been maintained in over a year and most of the links are no longer working.
Any time a stream is not transmitting and you will get an error after a 30+ second “loading” delay when you attempt
to open them. On my Samsung the error is “Invalid File Format”.

HD_Channels - all in 1280×720 HD.
Featuring Animal Planet, Biography, Comedy Central, Discovery, Disney XD, HBO, HBO2, History,
Home&Garden, MTV, National Geographic, National Geographic Wild, NASA, RCI TV and Sky Arts.

https://sites.google.com/site/serviiorss/LiveFeeds_HD_Channels.rss

HD_Movies - all in 1280×720 HD.
Featuring Cinemax, Film 4, MGM , Sky Action, Sky Cinema, Sky Comedy,
Sky Drama & Romance, Sky Family, Sky Modern Greats, Sky SciFi & Horror, and Sky Thriller.

https://sites.google.com/site/serviiorss/LiveFeeds_HD_Movies.rss

SD_Movies - all in 640×360.
The same as HD_Movies but in SD.

https://sites.google.com/site/serviiorss/LiveFeeds_SD_Movies.rss

HD_Networks - all in 1280×720 HD.
Featuring BBC-HD, ITV-2, and ITV-3 from the UK, TF1, 6M and France 2, from France, and Pik from Russia.

https://sites.google.com/site/serviiorss/LiveFeeds_HD_Networks.rss

HD_Sports - all in 1280×720 HD.
Featuring ESPN America, Eurosport, Eurosport2, SkySports 1, Sport1 and AlJazerra Sports.

https://sites.google.com/site/serviiorss/LiveFeeds_HD_Sports.rss

HD_ADULT - RESTRICTED
Featuring Hustler, Penthouse, Penthouse 2, Redlight and UK Babes in 854×480 HD,
and Amateur, PornoTV and Venus in Low Definition.
WARNING: These are Hardcore Porn Channels that will be offensive to some,
and should only be activated on the console when under adult supervision.

https://sites.google.com/site/serviiorss/LiveFeeds_HD_ADULT.rss

One_HD - all in 1280×720 HD
Featuring Classics, Dance, Jazz, Live, Pop and Rock
https://sites.google.com/site/serviiorss/LiveFeeds_One_HD.rss

TV_Channels - resolutions vary
Featuring A&E, Cartoon Network, Discovery Channel, Food Channel, History Channel, Pentagon Channel, Sky Arts, Speed Channel, Spike Channel, Starz Channel, SyFy Network, TBS, TLC, TNT Network, Tru TV and USA Network.

https://sites.google.com/site/serviiorss/LiveFeeds_TV_Channels.rss

TV_Networks - resolutions vary
Featuring ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC East from Tampa , CW East from Watertown,
PBS from Texas A&M, ABC and FOX West from Los Angeles, BBC-HD and ITV-1 from the UK.

https://sites.google.com/site/serviiorss/LiveFeeds_TV_Networks.rss

TV_Sports - Standard Definition
Featuring ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN America, EuroSport, EuroSport 2, FOX Sports, Fuel TV,
Motors TV, NBC Sports, Redbull TV, Sky Sports 1 and Sport 1(German)

https://sites.google.com/site/serviiorss/LiveFeeds_TV_Sports.rss

TV_Music - resolutions vary

Featuring American Top 40, California Music Channel, Country Music Channel, KISS TV, Legends TV, M1(Brazil),
M1(Brazil), MTV, MusicBox(Russia), Music Plus, Radio MonteCarlo TV,
Radio 105 TV, TCN - Country Network, VH1 Hits, and Virgin Radio TV

https://sites.google.com/site/serviiorss/LiveFeeds_TV_Music.rss

Bollywood_Music - resolutions vary
Featuring 9xM, 9xM Tashan, Channel V and Zoom TV.

https://sites.google.com/site/serviiorss/LiveFeeds_Bollywood_Music.rss

US_TV_News - resolutions vary
Featuring Blomberg TV, City TV News, CNBC, CNN, Current TV, CSPAN 1,2 & 3, FOX News, HLN, MSNBC and Weather.

https://sites.google.com/site/serviiorss/LiveFeeds_US_News.rss

INternational_TV_News - all in English - various resolutions.
Featuring BBC News, BBC World News, CNN International Asia and Europe, UK Sky News SD and HD,
China CCTV News, EuroNews, France 24 News, France BFM News, India News-X, India Times News,
Japan NHK News, Russia Today, Iran Press TV, and Al Jazerra.

https://sites.google.com/site/serviiorss/LiveFeeds_IN_News.rss

Miami_TV - All 720×400
Featuring AutoShow, Jenny Live, Music, Latin Music, DJ Music Videos, Videos, Models and Travel Scenes.

https://sites.google.com/site/serviiorss/LiveFeeds_Miami_TV.rss

Australia - resolutions vary
Featuring News, Sports News, Australian Football, Rugby, V8 Supercars and Music.

https://sites.google.com/site/serviiorss/LiveFeeds_Australia.rss

China National - all in Chinese - 640×480.
Featuring National CCTV and Bejing, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Shenzhen City Channels.

https://sites.google.com/site/serviiorss/LiveFeeds_China_National.rss

China Coastal - all in Chinese - 640×480.
Featuring 9 Channels from the Provinces along the Pacific Ocean (North to South).

https://sites.google.com/site/serviiorss/LiveFeeds_China_Coastal.rss

China Interior - all in Chinese - 640×480.
Featuring 10 Channels from China's Interior Provinces.

https://sites.google.com/site/serviiorss/LiveFeeds_China_Interior.rss

China Regions - all in Chinese - 640×480.
Featuring 10 Channels from the outer ring of Chinese Provinces and Autonomous
Regions of Inner Mongolia(Nei Mongol), Ningxia, Guangxi, Xinjiang, and Tibet.

https://sites.google.com/site/serviiorss/LiveFeeds_China_Regions.rss

Live News - no longer supported - replaced by US and IN News