dispatcharr_sensor/README.md

Dispatcharr Integration for Home Assistant

This is a custom integration for Home Assistant that monitors active streams from a Dispatcharr server. It provides sensors to track the total number of streams and detailed information for each individual stream.

Features

• Provides a sensor showing the total number of active streams (sensor.total_active_streams).
• Dynamically creates a unique sensor for each active stream, which is automatically removed when the stream stops.
• Pulls detailed program guide (EPG) information for each active stream, including program/episode titles and numbers.
• Displays stream-specific details like resolution, codecs, and client count.
• Includes an option to disable EPG fetching to reduce server load.

Installation and Configuration

Initial Setup

1. Copy the dispatcharr_sensor directory into your Home Assistant <config>/custom_components/ directory.
2. Restart Home Assistant.
3. Go to Settings > Devices & Services > Add Integration.
4. Search for "Dispatcharr" and select it.
5. In the configuration dialog, enter the following information:
   • Host: The IP address of your Dispatcharr server (e.g., 192.168.0.121).
   • Port: The port your Dispatcharr server is running on (e.g., 9191).
   • Username: Your Dispatcharr username.
   • Password: Your Dispatcharr password.

Optional Settings

To reduce the load on your server, especially on systems with limited resources, you can disable the fetching of detailed EPG (program guide) data. When disabled, sensors for active streams will still be created, but program-related attributes (program_title, episode_title, etc.) will not be populated.

To change this setting:

1. Navigate to Settings > Devices & Services.
2. Find your Dispatcharr integration and click Configure.
3. A dialog box will appear. Uncheck the box labeled "Enable EPG Program Data" to disable it.
4. Click Submit.

Sensors Provided

Total Active Streams Sensor

A single sensor that provides a numeric count of the total active streams.

• Entity ID: sensor.total_active_streams
• State: A number representing the count of active streams (e.g., 2).

Individual Stream Sensors

These sensors are created on-the-fly when a stream starts and are removed when it stops.

• Entity ID: Will be generated based on the channel name, like sensor.dispatcharr_amc.
• State: "Streaming"
• Attributes:
  • channel_number: The channel number from the EPG guide (e.g., 102).
  • channel_name: The display name of the channel (e.g., AMC).
  • program_title: The title of the currently airing program.
  • episode_title: The title of the specific episode, if available.
  • episode_number: The season/episode number (e.g., S1E18), if available.
  • program_description: The description of the current program.
  • program_start: The start time of the current program (ISO format).
  • program_stop: The end time of the current program (ISO format).
  • clients: The number of clients watching the stream.
  • resolution: The resolution of the stream (e.g., 1280x720).
  • fps: The frame rate of the stream.
  • video_codec: The video codec being used.
  • audio_codec: The audio codec being used.
  • avg_bitrate: The average bitrate of the stream.

Example Lovelace Card

You can use a Markdown card in your Home Assistant dashboard to display a clean summary of all active streams.

type: markdown
title: Active Dispatcharr Streams
content: |
  {% for stream in states.sensor | selectattr('attributes.channel_name', 'defined') | selectattr('entity_id', 'search', 'dispatcharr_') %}
    **{{ stream.attributes.channel_name }} ({{ stream.attributes.channel_number }})**
    *Now Playing:* {{ stream.attributes.program_title }}
    {% if stream.attributes.episode_title %}
      *Episode:* {{ stream.attributes.episode_title }} ({{ stream.attributes.episode_number }})
    {% endif %}
    *Clients:* {{ stream.attributes.clients }} | *Resolution:* {{ stream.attributes.resolution }}
    ***
  {% else %}
    No active streams.
  {% endif %}