YouTube TV - Launch and Set a Specific Channel in MultiDisplay Manager

[zjbtllc]

Hi there,

 

We are looking for an elegant way to launch a specific channel i.e. ESPN, NFL Network, Golf Channel, etc from YouTube TV through Control4. We're working on the AV side of a backyard remodel for a client and would love for it to be simple for him to choose 5 different channels for 5 different TVs. NFL Sunday Ticket is a dealbreaker for him so DirecTV Stream won't work on this project. Any ideas are greatly appreciated and we are not tied to any specific streaming box like Apple TV or Roku.

 

Thanks in advance,

Zach

[Cyknight]

AFAIK there is no way of selecting a specific channel on YouTubeTV at this point in time - would love to see others prove me wrong.

[lippavisual]

Set-top box required for this functionality as far as I know.

[msgreenf]

Yup

[terminaldisclaimer]

Stay tuned. I’ve got a driver that will soon be listed on Driver Central that solves these issues. It works with Multi Display too

[zjbtllc]

Sounds awesome @terminaldisclaimer, would love to hear more details soon. 

[terminaldisclaimer]

2 hours ago, zjbtllc said:

Sounds awesome @terminaldisclaimer, would love to hear more details soon. 

The only relevant thing I'll mention now is that it works the best with Roku. It has also been tested on android as well (just requires a little more set up in the beginning). Haven't tried it on Apple TV, but I'd imagine it would work on that too. I built it because I wanted integration with Josh.ai channels ("hey josh, watch cnn" or "hey josh, watch the eagles game"). So it supports Josh too. . It also supports all of the standard room favoriting, etc like the real channels driver. 

[zjbtllc]

That is great. Let me know if you need a beta tester lol!

[cnicholson]

3 hours ago, terminaldisclaimer said:

I’ve got a driver that will soon be listed on Driver Central

Subscribed.   

Apple TV support would be awesome.  I have a room with two TVs, each with its own Apple TV.  I played around with MDM but kind of gave up on this functionality.

[zjbtllc]

I primarily use Apple TVs as well so Apple TV integration would be great. Happy to test it out on my end if that helps. Thanks all!

[therockhr]

im a little skeptical if this can work. this issue is that there are no API's available to make it happen. 

[zjbtllc]

I'd love to see a demo too but I think it is possible because Josh.ai seems to be doing very similar actions. 

[therockhr]

1 hour ago, zjbtllc said:

I'd love to see a demo too but I think it is possible because Josh.ai seems to be doing very similar actions. 

With Josh you are able to say something like "Tune to channel ESPN on YouTubeTV"? 

[zjbtllc]

I know you're able to say "Play Snowboarding Videos" and it will pull up a playlist of videos on YouTube. I'm assuming if they are able to do that, they can tune to a channel in YTV. Here is a video from their site. https://joshdotai.medium.com/josh-ai-doubles-down-on-apple-user-experience-launching-appletv-deep-linking-ios-app-684a29f823d4

[therockhr]

1 hour ago, zjbtllc said:

I know you're able to say "Play Snowboarding Videos" and it will pull up a playlist of videos on YouTube. I'm assuming if they are able to do that, they can tune to a channel in YTV. Here is a video from their site. https://joshdotai.medium.com/josh-ai-doubles-down-on-apple-user-experience-launching-appletv-deep-linking-ios-app-684a29f823d4

I think Roku allows for those extended calls for certain apps like Disney+ where you can have it search for a specific movie or something. I dont think YTV has this yet.

Hopefully in the next few years they start adding this functionality to these streaming services to make them more like cable boxes. I thin YTV just added a previous channel button. I think awhile back someone said Spectrum on Roku allows you to be able to use the number keypad to tune to a channel.

[eggzlot]

45 minutes ago, therockhr said:

I think Roku allows for those extended calls for certain apps like Disney+ where you can have it search for a specific movie or something. I dont think YTV has this yet.

Hopefully in the next few years they start adding this functionality to these streaming services to make them more like cable boxes. I thin YTV just added a previous channel button. I think awhile back someone said Spectrum on Roku allows you to be able to use the number keypad to tune to a channel.

this would get me closer to being allowed to cut the cord

the wife likes typing in a channel # and going there versus scrolling thru a menu....its why when I tried both Hulu Live TV and YTTV it got the thumbs down from the wife and back to cable we went...

[therockhr]

3 hours ago, eggzlot said:

this would get me closer to being allowed to cut the cord

the wife likes typing in a channel # and going there versus scrolling thru a menu....its why when I tried both Hulu Live TV and YTTV it got the thumbs down from the wife and back to cable we went...

Same for me. 

[Cyknight]

6 hours ago, zjbtllc said:

I'm assuming if they are able to do that, they can tune to a channel in YTV

That's a lot to assume. How feasible it is for YTV to add it (and support it long term) will depend on how it's implemented int he back ground. ie if a call for a specific channel is based on a proxy style ID, that proxy ID is likely to change regularly...that makes it a lot more problematic to keep supporting it. Then the device it plays on needs to support it, and THEN whatever is controlling that device needs to support it.

5 hours ago, therockhr said:

Hopefully in the next few years they start adding this functionality to these streaming services to make them more like cable boxes.

Heh, they're all well on their way to becoming the new cable companies already anyway...

[therockhr]

11 hours ago, Cyknight said:

Heh, they're all well on their way to becoming the new cable companies already anyway...

I think what has been shown is that the only way to make money in the TV distribution business is to try and charge people for things they dont watch. Cable, satellite and now the streaming companies do it because they have to.

What seems to be happening is they are finally starting to get rid of all these channels that hardly got watched or just basically show reruns of old movies and shows all day (MTV, CMT, TV Land, etc. dont make any content). And the cable companies seem to be saying "hey our customers shouldnt have to pay for both these "live" TV channels and then have to pay the media companies to watch those same shows on demand with that companies streaming service". For example the deal Spectrum struck with Disney where you get access to Disney+ when you have Disney through your cable company. 

This was supposed to be what TV Everywhere was but of course Disney and the other big media companies wanted to have their own service like Netflix. They for some reason thought people were going to keep paying for cable and sign up for their streaming services with the same content.

[RAV]

1 hour ago, therockhr said:

I think what has been shown is that the only way to make money in the TV distribution business is to try and charge people for things they dont watch. Cable, satellite and now the streaming companies do it because they have to.

What seems to be happening is they are finally starting to get rid of all these channels that hardly got watched or just basically show reruns of old movies and shows all day (MTV, CMT, TV Land, etc. dont make any content). And the cable companies seem to be saying "hey our customers shouldnt have to pay for both these "live" TV channels and then have to pay the media companies to watch those same shows on demand with that companies streaming service". For example the deal Spectrum struck with Disney where you get access to Disney+ when you have Disney through your cable company. 

This was supposed to be what TV Everywhere was but of course Disney and the other big media companies wanted to have their own service like Netflix. They for some reason thought people were going to keep paying for cable and sign up for their streaming services with the same content.

The issue with TV service is the mother companies that force carriage of all their channels onto a service. You want ESPN, well, you've got to include Disney, Family, ABC, etc too. No true a-la-carte. Those other minor channels of reruns, cost the service pennies a subscriber per month vs like $20 per for the Disney cartel. (Paramount cartel includes your MTV, Nick, CMT, VH1, Bravo, BET ...)

[eggzlot]

just my $.02, and I said this about 5-7 years ago that I saw this coming, cutting the cord isn't really cheaper if you want everything.  If you are just a sports person, or only want to watch movies, its worth it.  But if you want access to all the shows and movies and sports and you got kids and need Disney or Nickelodeon or whatever, you just wind up paying 5-8 apps what you used to pay for cable.  And the cable companies are wise to it and now just charge more for broadband access and less for the TV services.

I am not a big TV person, so for me, I'd just get some sports and call it a day (ESPN and Big 10 Network) but my wife likes TV, so I just stick with Cable.  Still ~same price as a bunch of commercial free apps but I can select specific channels so it makes the viewing process easier versus flipping between apps, then scrolling through menus.  That is a nightmare.

[Cyknight]

7 hours ago, therockhr said:

or just basically show reruns of old movies and shows all day (MTV, CMT, TV Land, etc. dont make any content)

Except that those bring in money, because of ads - which are there only because a lot of people actually watch those channels. Nostalgia I suppose.

35 minutes ago, eggzlot said:

cutting the cord isn't really cheaper if you want everything.

It's not 'cheaper' period. Anybody that thinks Netflix, Disney, the cable companies or anyone at all would be looking to charge you LESS for MORE is delusional. It was always going to be about charging you MORE ('per pound' if you will if not in actual dollar numbers) for LESS.

And as long as people keep watching (and paying for) TV shows, big budget movies and so on that won't change - ever. I don't even blame the companies really: why WOULD they stop doing what brings them money?