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2025-10-24 06:47:40 -05:00
Stream-Mapparr
v0.3
2025-10-24 06:37:21 -05:00
README.md
Update README.md
2025-10-24 06:47:40 -05:00

README.md

Stream Mapparr

A Dispatcharr plugin that automatically matches and assigns streams to channels based on intelligent name matching, quality prioritization, and timezone filtering.

Features

  • Intelligent Stream Matching: Automatically finds and assigns streams to channels using sophisticated name-matching algorithms
  • Unlimited Stream Support: Fetches and processes ALL available streams regardless of quantity (no 10,000 stream limit)
  • OTA Callsign Matching: Direct callsign extraction and matching for Over-The-Air broadcast channels
  • Multiple Streams Per Channel: Assigns all matching streams to each channel, sorted by quality
  • Quality Prioritization: Sorts matched streams by quality (4K → FHD → HD → (H) → (F) → (D) → SD → Slow)
  • Channel Visibility Management: Automatically enables/disables channels based on stream assignments and duplicate detection
  • Timezone Filtering: Automatically excludes West/Pacific coast feeds unless explicitly requested
  • Networks.json Integration: FCC broadcast station database for OTA channel validation
  • Channels.txt Integration: Distinguishes between similar channel names (e.g., FX vs FXX vs FX Movie Channel)
  • Customizable Ignore Tags: Filter out unwanted tags during matching
  • Profile & Group Filtering: Target specific channel profiles and groups
  • Preview Mode: Dry-run CSV export to review matches before applying changes
  • CSV Export Management: Built-in cleanup tool to delete old export files
  • Real-time Updates: WebSocket-based frontend refresh for immediate visual feedback
  • Comprehensive Logging: Detailed matching logic and debug information

Requirements

  • Active Dispatcharr installation
  • Admin username and password for API access
  • A Channels Profile other than "All" (Profile Documentation)
  • Multiple streams of the same channel available in your setup
  • channels.txt file (curated channel list) - included
  • networks.json file (FCC broadcast station database) - included for OTA support

Recommendation

It is recommended to use the Channel Mapparr Plugin before using this plugin to standardize channel names. Standardized channel names significantly improve matching accuracy.

Installation

  1. Log in to Dispatcharr's web UI
  2. Navigate to Plugins
  3. Click Import Plugin and upload the plugin zip file
  4. Enable the plugin after installation

Settings Reference

Setting Type Default Description
Dispatcharr URL string - Full URL of your Dispatcharr instance (e.g., http://192.168.1.10:9191)
Dispatcharr Admin Username string - Username for API authentication
Dispatcharr Admin Password password - Password for API authentication
Profile Name string - Name of an existing Channel Profile to process (e.g., "Primary", "Sports")
Channel Groups string - Comma-separated group names to process, or leave empty for all groups
Ignore Tags string - Comma-separated tags to ignore during matching (e.g., 4K, [4K], [Dead])
Visible Channel Limit number 1 Number of channels per callsign group that will be visible and have streams added

Usage Guide

Step-by-Step Workflow

  1. Configure Settings

    • Enter your Dispatcharr URL, username, and password
    • Specify an existing Profile Name (cannot be "All")
    • Optionally specify Channel Groups (leave empty to process all)
    • Optionally configure Ignore Tags to filter out unwanted tags
    • Set Visible Channel Limit (default: 1 channel per callsign group)
    • Click Save Settings

  2. Load and Process Channels

    • Click Run on Load/Process Channels
    • The plugin loads channels from the specified profile and groups
    • Fetches all available streams (handles pagination automatically with no limit)
    • Review the summary showing channel and stream counts

  3. Preview Changes (Dry Run)

    • Click Run on Preview Changes (Dry Run)
    • Exports a CSV to /data/exports/stream_mapparr_preview_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.csv
    • Review matched streams for each channel
    • Shows which channels will be updated vs skipped
    • Identifies channels without matches

  4. Add Streams to Channels

    • Click Run on Add Stream(s) to Channels
    • Adds all matched streams to each channel (sorted by quality)
    • Only updates channels within the visible channel limit
    • Enables updated channels in the profile
    • Triggers real-time frontend refresh via WebSocket
    • Exports results to /data/exports/stream_mapparr_results_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.csv

  5. Manage Channel Visibility (Optional)

    • Click Run on Manage Channel Visibility
    • Disables all channels in the profile
    • Enables only channels with 0-1 streams (not attached to other channels)
    • Enables only the highest priority channel per callsign group
    • Useful for cleaning up duplicate channels
    • Triggers real-time frontend refresh via WebSocket
    • Exports visibility report to /data/exports/stream_mapparr_visibility_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.csv

  6. Clear CSV Exports (Optional)

    • Click Run on Clear CSV Exports
    • Deletes all CSV files created by this plugin from /data/exports/
    • Shows list of deleted files (up to 10 listed with count of additional files)
    • Useful for cleaning up old reports and freeing disk space

Matching Logic

OTA Channel Matching (Priority Method)

For broadcast channels like "CBS - IN South Bend (WSBT) [HD]":

  1. Callsign Extraction: Parses channel name BEFORE any cleaning to extract callsign

    • Pattern: NETWORK - STATE City (CALLSIGN) [Quality]
    • Example: CBS - IN South Bend (WSBT) [HD] → Callsign: WSBT

  2. Direct Callsign Matching: Searches all streams for the exact callsign using word boundaries

    • Matches: US CBS 22 (WSBT) South Bend/Elkhart Area (H)
    • Matches: CBS: IN SOUTH BEND WSBT
    • Excludes: WSBTV (different callsign)

  3. Fallback to Networks.json: If direct matching fails, validates against FCC database

    • Confirms network affiliation
    • Validates state and callsign combination
    • Searches streams for validated callsign

  4. Quality Sorting: All matched streams sorted by quality precedence

Standard Channel Matching

For non-OTA channels, the plugin uses a multi-stage process:

  1. Exact Match After Cleaning: Matches channel names after removing quality tags

    • Example: "TBS [FHD]" → "TBS" matches "US: TBS"

  2. Word Boundary Matching: Ensures complete word matches to avoid false positives

    • Example: "FX" matches "US: FX" but NOT "FXX" or "WFXR"

  3. Longer Channel Filtering: Uses channels.txt to distinguish similar names

    • Example: "FX" does NOT match "FX Movie Channel" (different channel)

  4. Call Sign Filtering: Excludes local TV station call signs

    • Example: "FX" does NOT match "WBKB FX (WBKBDT4)" (local FOX affiliate)

  5. Timezone Filtering: Automatically excludes West/Pacific feeds

    • Example: "SYFY [HD]" matches "US NBC SYFY (East)" but NOT "US NBC SYFY (West)"

Channel Grouping and Priority

Channels are grouped by callsign (OTA) or cleaned name (regular):

  • Within each group, channels are sorted by quality tag priority:
    • [4K] → [FHD] → [HD] → [SD] → [Unknown] → [Slow] → No tag
  • Then by channel number (ascending)
  • Only the highest priority channels (up to Visible Channel Limit) receive streams

Quality Sorting

Matched streams are automatically sorted by quality precedence:

  • 4K: [4K], (4K), 4K
  • FHD: [FHD], (FHD), FHD
  • HD: [HD], (HD), HD, (H)
  • SD: [SD], (SD), SD
  • Other: (F), (D)
  • Slow: Slow, [Slow], (Slow)

Example Transformations

OTA Channels (Callsign Matching)

Channel: CBS - IN South Bend (WSBT) [HD]
Matched Streams: US CBS 22 (WSBT) South Bend/Elkhart Area (H), US CBS 22 (WSBT) South Bend/Elkhart Area (F), CBS: IN SOUTH BEND WSBT

Channel: CBS - CA Monterey (KION) [FHD]
Matched Streams: US CBS 46 (KION) Monterey (H), US CBS 46 (KION) Monterey (F), CBS: CA MONTEREY KION, US: FOX Monterey (KION)

Channel: CBS - NM Albuquerque (KRQE) [HD]
Matched Streams: US FOX (KRQE) Albuquerque Santa Fe (H), US CBS 13 (KRQE) Albuquerque Santa Fe (H), US FOX (KRQE) Alburquerque (F), US CBS (KRQE) Albuquerque (F), CBS: NM ALBUQUERQUE KRQE, FOX: ALBUQUERQUE NM KRQE, US: CBS 13 Albuquerque (KRQE), US: FOX 13 Albuquerque (KRQE)

Standard Channels

Channel: TBS [FHD]
Matched Streams: USA: TBS, US: TBS, US: TBS

Channel: FX (East) [HD]
Matched Streams: US: FX, US: FX, US FX (East) (S), US FX (East) (H), US FX (East) (A), US (F2) FX (East)
Excluded: US: FX Movie Channel, (US) (FOX1) WBKB FX (WBKBDT4)

Channel: SYFY [HD]
Matched Streams: USA SYFY, US: SYFY, US: SYFY, US NBC SYFY (East) (D)
Excluded: US NBC SYFY (West) (D)

Duplicate Channel Handling

Channels in Profile:

  • CBS - AL Birmingham (WIAT) [FHD] ← Highest priority (enabled, receives streams)
  • CBS - AL Birmingham (WIAT) [HD] ← Lower priority (skipped)
  • CBS - AL Birmingham (WIAT) [Slow] [HD] ← Lower priority (skipped)

Result: Only the [FHD] channel receives streams and is visible

Action Reference

Action Description
Load/Process Channels Load channels from specified profile/groups and fetch all available streams (unlimited)
Preview Changes (Dry Run) Export CSV showing which streams will be matched to each channel
Add Stream(s) to Channels Apply matched streams to channels, enabling highest priority channels in each group
Manage Channel Visibility Disable all channels, then enable only channels with 0-1 streams (excluding duplicates and attached channels)
Clear CSV Exports Delete all CSV export files created by this plugin to free up disk space

File Locations

  • Processing Cache: /data/stream_mapparr_processed.json
  • Preview Export: /data/exports/stream_mapparr_preview_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.csv
  • Results Report: /data/exports/stream_mapparr_results_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.csv
  • Visibility Report: /data/exports/stream_mapparr_visibility_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.csv
  • Plugin Files:
    • /data/plugins/stream_mapparr/plugin.py
    • /data/plugins/stream_mapparr/__init__.py
    • /data/plugins/stream_mapparr/channels.txt
    • /data/plugins/stream_mapparr/networks.json

CSV Export Format

Preview CSV

Column Description
channel_id Internal Dispatcharr channel ID
channel_name Channel name
channel_number Channel number
matched_streams_count Number of streams matched
stream_names Pipe-separated list of matched stream names
stream_ids Comma-separated list of matched stream IDs
will_update Yes if channel will be updated, No if skipped

Results CSV

Column Description
channel_id Internal Dispatcharr channel ID
channel_name Channel name
channel_number Channel number
matched_streams_count Number of streams added
stream_names Pipe-separated list of added stream names
stream_ids Comma-separated list of added stream IDs
will_update Yes if channel was updated, No if skipped
status Updated, Skipped (over limit), No matches, or error details

Visibility Report CSV

Column Description
channel_id Internal Dispatcharr channel ID
channel_name Channel name
stream_count Number of streams attached to channel
reason Why channel was enabled/disabled
enabled Yes if channel is visible, No if hidden

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Profile Name must be configured"

  • Enter an existing profile name in the settings
  • Profile name is case-sensitive
  • Cannot use "All" - must create a separate profile

"None of the specified groups were found"

  • Verify group names are spelled correctly (case-sensitive)
  • Check available groups in the error message
  • Leave field empty to process all groups

OTA channels not matching streams

  • Verify channel name format: NETWORK - STATE City (CALLSIGN)
  • Example: CBS - IN South Bend (WSBT) [HD]
  • Check that callsign exists in stream names
  • Review logs for "Extracted callsign" and "Found callsign match" messages
  • Ensure networks.json contains the station data (fallback method)

Too many duplicate channels visible

  • Run "Manage Channel Visibility" action
  • Adjust "Visible Channel Limit" setting (default: 1)
  • Only highest priority channels per callsign group will remain visible

Channels not matching streams

  • Run Channel Mapparr first to standardize channel names
  • Check that streams exist for your channels
  • Use Preview mode to see matching details in logs
  • Verify channels.txt contains your channel names

Too many false positives

  • Add entries to channels.txt to distinguish similar names
  • Use Ignore Tags to filter out quality indicators
  • Check logs for matching logic details

Frontend not updating after changes

  • Plugin uses WebSocket-based updates for real-time refresh
  • If changes are not immediately visible, refresh your browser
  • Check logs for "Frontend refresh triggered via WebSocket" message

Many old CSV export files

  • Use the "Clear CSV Exports" action to delete all old reports
  • This will free up disk space in /data/exports/

"Plugin 'stream-mapparr' not found" error

  • Log out of Dispatcharr
  • Refresh your browser or close and reopen it
  • Log back in and try again

Updating the Plugin

To update Stream-Mapparr from a previous version:

  1. Remove Old Version

    • Navigate to Plugins in Dispatcharr
    • Click the trash icon next to the old Stream-Mapparr plugin
    • Confirm deletion

  2. Restart Dispatcharr

    • Log out of Dispatcharr
    • Restart the Docker container: 
      docker restart dispatcharr

  3. Install New Version

    • Log back into Dispatcharr
    • Navigate to Plugins
    • Click Import Plugin and upload the new plugin zip file
    • Enable the plugin after installation

  4. Verify Installation

    • Check that the new version number appears in the plugin list
    • Reconfigure your settings if needed
    • Run "Load/Process Channels" to test

FAQ

How do I improve matching accuracy?

Option 1: Use Channel Mapparr Plugin (Recommended)

  • Install and run the Channel Mapparr Plugin
  • This automatically standardizes channel names across your entire setup
  • Provides consistent naming that Stream-Mapparr can reliably match

Option 2: Edit channels.txt manually

  • Navigate to /data/plugins/stream_mapparr/channels.txt
  • Add standardized channel names (one per line)
  • Example entries: 
    TBS
FX
FX Movie Channel
SYFY
USA Network
  • This helps the plugin distinguish between similar channel names
  • Restart the plugin after editing

How many streams can the plugin handle?

Stream-Mapparr has no stream limit. The plugin automatically handles pagination and will fetch all available streams regardless of quantity. It has been successfully tested with libraries containing 10,000+ streams.

Why use Visible Channel Limit?

The Visible Channel Limit setting controls how many channels per group receive streams and remain visible. For example, if you have:

  • CBS - AL Birmingham (WIAT) [FHD]
  • CBS - AL Birmingham (WIAT) [HD]
  • CBS - AL Birmingham (WIAT) [SD]

With a limit of 1, only the highest priority channel ([FHD]) receives streams and stays visible. This prevents duplicate channels from cluttering your guide.

What happens to existing stream assignments?

When you run "Add Stream(s) to Channels", the plugin:

  • Removes all existing stream assignments from matched channels
  • Adds the new matched streams (sorted by quality)
  • Only affects channels within the Visible Channel Limit

Channels outside the limit or without matches are left unchanged.

Can I undo changes?

The plugin exports CSV reports for every action:

  • Preview reports show what will change
  • Results reports show what was changed
  • Visibility reports show which channels were enabled/disabled

You can use these reports to manually revert changes if needed. However, there is no built-in "undo" function.

How do I clean up old export files?

Use the "Clear CSV Exports" action to delete all CSV files created by Stream-Mapparr. This removes files from /data/exports/ that start with stream_mapparr_ and helps free up disk space.

Debugging Commands

# Check plugin files
docker exec dispatcharr ls -la /data/plugins/stream_mapparr/

# Monitor plugin activity
docker logs -f dispatcharr | grep -i stream_mapparr

# View processing cache
docker exec dispatcharr cat /data/stream_mapparr_processed.json | jq

# Check OTA callsign extraction
docker logs -f dispatcharr | grep "Extracted callsign"

# Check stream matches
docker logs -f dispatcharr | grep "Found callsign match"

# Check CSV exports
docker exec dispatcharr ls -lh /data/exports/stream_mapparr_*

Performance Notes

  • No Stream Limit: Version 0.3 removes the previous 10,000 stream limitation
  • Automatic Pagination: Plugin handles API pagination automatically, fetching all available streams
  • Large Libraries: Successfully tested with 10,000+ streams
  • WebSocket Updates: Real-time frontend refresh eliminates need for manual page refresh after changes
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