ErsatzTV/ErsatzTV
ErsatzTV
ErsatzTV is an IPTV channel simulator and linear media scheduler that transforms personal media libraries into simulated live television channels. It acts as a bridge and transcoding gateway, importing content from external media servers to create virtual broadcast channels delivered via M3U playlists and XMLTV program guides.
The system distinguishes itself through a complex automation engine for linear playback, using collection-based sequencing and dynamic schedule resolution to emulate a traditional broadcast experience. It supports advanced playback logic, including the grouping of multi-part episodes and randomized shuffling of media items to vary the viewing experience.
The platform covers a broad range of broadcasting capabilities, including hardware-accelerated video transcoding, automated audio and subtitle track selection, and channel branding. It also manages stream security through token-based authentication and integrates with identity providers for administrative access.
Features
- IPTV & Live TV - Serves simulated live television channels over network protocols compatible with IPTV players and receivers.
- Live Channel Simulations - Transforms a personal media library into simulated live television channels that mimic a traditional broadcast experience.
- Linear Media Scheduling - Organizes media items into timed sequences to automate exactly what content airs on a channel and when.
- Scheduling Collections - Organizes media into manual, dynamic, or nested collections to serve as the building blocks for channel schedules.
- Electronic Program Guides - Generates broadcast schedule metadata formatted as electronic program guides for IPTV clients.
- Linear Schedule Resolution - Calculates the current media item and playback offset in real-time to simulate a continuous linear broadcast experience.
- External Media Metadata Integrations - Synchronizes metadata and file paths from third-party media servers to populate the internal content pool.
- Live Broadcast Schedulers - Organizes media into timed sequences to automate content playback for simulated live broadcast channels.
- IPTV Playlist Generators - Serializes channel metadata into standard M3U and XMLTV playlist formats for external playback software.
- EPG-Enhanced Playlist Generation - Produces EPG-enhanced M3U playlists and XMLTV guides to map virtual channels to IPTV software.
- Player Connectivity - Delivers M3U playlists and XMLTV guides to enable external playback software and DVRs to tune into channels.
- FFmpeg Transcoders - Uses FFmpeg for on-the-fly media format conversion and watermarking for compatible network delivery.
- Hardware-Accelerated Transcoders - Converts video files in real-time using hardware acceleration to ensure compatibility across different IPTV devices.
- Virtual Channel Definitions - Defines virtual broadcast channels by configuring streaming modes, transcoding profiles, and audio selection logic.
- Remote Media Server Integration - Integrates with external media servers to import and organize content for simulated broadcast channels.
- Media Server Bridges - Acts as a connector that imports content from external media servers to populate virtual television channels.
- Playback Sequence Management - Defines ordered lists of media collections to manage the specific sequence of content played on a channel.
- Collection-Based Sequencing - Organizes media into nested or dynamic groups to automate the sequence of content on a virtual channel.
- Chronological Episode Grouping - Keeps related episodes or crossover events together to ensure they play in the correct chronological order.
- Media Asset Search - Provides a global search interface to locate movies, shows, and episodes across the media library.
- Library Collection Management - Groups library items into sets to simplify populating channels with related content.
- Library Synchronization - Scans media server libraries to synchronize files and metadata and maintain an up-to-date content inventory.
- Playlist Managers - Groups diverse media types into ordered lists with configurable playback sequences and shuffling rules.
- List Randomization - Shuffles the sequence of scheduled media items and picks random starting points to vary the viewing experience.
- Automatic Stream Selection - Automatically selects the most appropriate audio and subtitle tracks based on prioritized language and content preferences.
- Rule-Based Stream Selection - Automatically picks the most appropriate audio and subtitle streams based on prioritized language preferences.
- Media Transcoders - Applies specific encoding settings and watermarks to video streams to ensure compatibility across different devices.
- Token-Based Authentication - Secures media access by requiring signed cryptographic tokens in request queries to verify authorized clients.
- Related Ecosystem - Streams custom live channels using local media files.
Star history
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