FastChannels

FAST channel aggregator — scrapes Pluto TV, Tubi, Roku, Samsung TV Plus, Sling Freestream, Plex, Xumo, LG Channels, Local Now, STIRR, FreeLiveSports, Bally Sports, Hallmark, TCL TV+, Vidaa Free TV, Vizio WatchFree+, Whale TV+, Adult Swim, Frndly TV, FreeCast, Fubo TV, DirecTV Stream, Cox Contour, Philo, PBS, C-SPAN, cable-network channels via TV Everywhere (NBCUniversal, FOX, FOX One, Discovery, AMC Networks, A+E Networks, Warner Bros Discovery), your own HDHomeRun tuner, and more, then outputs M3U playlists and XMLTV EPG guides for use in any IPTV player (Jellyfin, Plex, Channels DVR, TiviMate, etc.). DRM-protected sources play back through a real Widevine bridge (browser-based PrismCast, or FastChannels' own Fire TV / Android TV player app) rather than being dropped.

Deploy with Portainer

In Portainer, create a new stack and paste this:

services:
  fastchannels:
    image: ghcr.io/kineticman/fastchannels:latest
    container_name: fastchannels
    ports:
      - 5523:5523
    volumes:
      - db_data:/data
      - adb_keys:/root/.android
    restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
  db_data:
  adb_keys:

• Deploy the stack.
• Open http://:5523/admin/.
• On first boot, sources seed automatically and channels begin populating within a few minutes.
• If you want a specific published version, replace :latest with a version tag from the Releases page.
• Keep the /data volume mount so the SQLite database survives container recreation.
• Keep the /root/.android volume mount too: it holds the ADB key the FastChannels Player bridge pairs with your Fire TV / Android TV device. Without it, every container recreate forces you to re-approve the authorization prompt on the TV. Harmless to leave in place even if you never use the bridge.

Deploy with Docker

docker run -d \
  --name fastchannels \
  -p 5523:5523 \
  -v fastchannels_data:/data \
  -v fastchannels_adb:/root/.android \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  ghcr.io/kineticman/fastchannels:latest

Then open http://localhost:5523/admin/.

If you prefer Docker Compose with the published image:

docker compose -f docker-compose.ghcr.yml up -d

Getting Started

After deploying, follow these steps to get a clean, working lineup:

1. Let the scrapers run. On first boot all enabled sources scrape automatically. Give it a few minutes — channel counts on the dashboard will climb as each source finishes.

2. Configure Settings. Go to Admin → Settings and set two things:

• FastChannels Server URL — the LAN address other devices use to reach this server (e.g. http://192.168.1.50:5523). Stream URLs in your M3U will use this address.
• Channels DVR Server URL — if you use Channels DVR, set this now so the one-click "Add to Channels DVR" button on the Feeds page works.

Most sources ship disabled by default because they need credentials, a local device, carry mostly DRM content, or have a diminished channel lineup: Pluto TV, Tubi TV, Sling Freestream, Local Now, Amazon Prime Free, Frndly TV, Fubo TV, FreeCast, Vidaa Free TV, DirecTV Stream, Cox Contour, Philo, PBS, C-SPAN, every TV Everywhere source (A+E Networks, AMC Networks, Discovery, FOX, FOX One, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros Discovery), and HDHomeRun. Enable the ones you want and fill in their settings. In particular, Pluto TV now requires a login (a free account works), Tubi TV also requires a free account (its anonymous channel list stopped working), Frndly/Fubo/FreeCast/DirecTV Stream/Cox Contour require account credentials, Philo signs in with a passwordless emailed code, and the TV Everywhere sources authenticate once via Settings → TV Everywhere rather than per-source. See Source Notes for per-source details.

4. Run Stream Audits. Once channels are populated, run a Stream Audit on each source (see Stream Audit below). This identifies dead and DRM-protected channels and disables them automatically — highly recommended before building your feeds.

5. Clean up duplicates. If you have multiple sources enabled, you'll likely have the same channel appearing more than once. Go to Admin → Channels, filter by Duplicates, and click ⚡ Resolve Duplicates to sort them out in bulk.

6. Create your feeds. Go to Admin → Feeds and build filtered channel lists for your players (see Feeds below).

Admin UI

| URL | Description | |-----|-------------| | /admin/ | Dashboard — source status, channel counts, feed links | | /admin/sources | Enable/disable sources, run scrapes, configure credentials | | /admin/channels | Browse, enable/disable, inspect, and resolve duplicate channels | | /admin/feeds | Create and manage named output feeds | | /admin/guide | Preview the EPG grid as your players will see it | | /admin/settings | Server URLs, Gracenote options, TV Everywhere sign-in, and system stats | | /admin/bridge | DRM bridge setup — HDMI Capture, ah4c Capture, PrismCast, post-install healthcheck, tuner authorization checks | | /admin/logs | Live log tail | | /admin/reports/channel-changes | Inferred New / Now Inactive / At Risk channels (BETA) | | /admin/help | In-app help and source gotchas |

Channels Page

The Channels page is where you fine-tune your lineup after scraping.

Filtering — seven ways to slice the list:

• Free-text search by channel name
• Filter by source, category, or language
• Show only Enabled, Disabled, or All
• Filter by stream health (DRM only, Dead only, or clean only)
• Filter by Gracenote coverage (has it / missing it)
• Duplicates only — channels whose name appears in more than one source

• Enable/Disable toggle — removes a channel from M3U/EPG output without deleting it
• Gracenote ID — click any Gracenote field to edit it inline; auto-saves on tab-out. Useful if a channel is missing guide data and you know its station ID.
• Preview (eye icon) — shows current/next program info and an in-browser stream preview
• Inspect (magnifying glass) — does a live check of that one channel's stream: confirms it's Live, or tells you it's DRM, Dead, VOD, or not sending data. Useful for spot-checking without running a full audit.

Duplicate resolution: The Duplicates filter shows channels whose name appears in more than one source. Hit ⚡ Resolve Duplicates to sort them out in bulk — it lets you drag-to-reorder sources by priority (recommending the one with the best Gracenote coverage), then disables all lower-priority duplicates at once.

Feeds

Feeds are the primary way to get output out of FastChannels. Each feed is a named, filtered slice of your channels with its own stable M3U and EPG URLs.

A built-in Default feed is created automatically and includes all enabled channels. Create additional feeds to build filtered outputs for specific players or purposes — by source, category, language, or a manually picked channel list.

/feeds/default/m3u
/feeds/default/epg.xml
/feeds/sports/m3u
/feeds/sports/epg.xml
/feeds/sports/m3u/gracenote    # Channels DVR Gracenote variant

Feed outputs are cached and served from disk — fast for players polling on a schedule.

Feed filter options:

• Sources — only include channels from specific sources (e.g. Roku, Pluto, Plex)
• Categories — filter by genre (News, Sports, Movies, etc.)
• Languages — filter by language code (e.g. en, es)
• Gracenote — only channels that have a matched Gracenote ID; great for a clean-EPG feed
• Manual selection — pick specific channels by hand for full control

Example feeds to get you started:

• Sports Only — filter categories: Sports
• English Only — filter languages: en
• Guide-Ready — filter Gracenote: has (all channels have matched EPG data)
• Pluto Everything — filter sources: Pluto TV
• Movies — filter categories: Movies
• Anime — filter categories: Anime

• Channel Number Start — numbers all channels sequentially from a given value. Fresh installs start the built-in Default feed at channel 5000.
• Add to Channels DVR — registers the feed as a custom M3U source in Channels DVR with one click. Configure the DVR server URL in Settings first.
• Max Channels — Channels DVR works best with 750 or fewer channels per source. The feed modal warns you if you're over.

Using with Plex (unsupported)

Jellyfin, Emby, and Channels DVR accept a feed's M3U + EPG URLs directly — paste and go. Plex is the exception: its Live TV & DVR only ingests from HDHomeRun-style tuners, so it needs a bridge (Channels DVR's Plex-tuner mode, or Threadfin) in front of FastChannels. It works but we **don't officially support it** — if you have the choice, use one of the apps above instead. For power users who want to make Plex work anyway, docs/plex.md covers both bridge paths.

FastChannels Player (experimental)

DRM channels that need real Widevine playback (Sling, PBS, Amazon Prime Free, Vidaa, Philo, Roku, NBCUniversal TVE, Warner Bros Discovery TVE, DirecTV Stream, Fubo) can be routed through a real Fire TV / Android TV device running FastChannels' own player app, captured back off its HDMI output and re-published as a normal channel — no browser/PrismCast bridge needed for these sources. An alternate HDMI-capture front end, ah4c, is also supported for installs that already have that hardware in place. Not every DRM source can ride this bridge — Cox is Widevine-only via PrismCast, blocked from FastChannels Player by an app-attestation check on Cox's end. Hardware-and-software setup, not a toggle: docs/fc-player-setup.md is the full walkthrough.

Configuration

Source credentials and options are configured on the Sources page — click into any source card to expand its settings. Changes take effect on the next scrape.

A few global defaults can optionally be set with environment variables (not required for a normal install):

environment:
  PUBLIC_BASE_URL: "http://192.168.1.50:5523"         # LAN address other devices use to reach FastChannels
  CHANNELS_DVR_SERVER_URL: "http://192.168.1.60:8089" # Channels DVR server

Values saved in Settings override environment variables. If a DB value is cleared, FastChannels falls back to the environment variable.

Architecture

Proxy-based stream resolution

M3U entries point to a proxy endpoint rather than direct CDN URLs:

http://host:5523/play/{source}/{channel_id}.m3u8

At playback time the proxy resolves the stream by:

• Substituting URL macros (cache busters, device IDs, etc.) with fresh values
• Resolving HLS master playlists to the best-bandwidth variant
• Handling JWT auth (Pluto TV stitcher tokens, Sling bearer tokens, etc.)
• Issuing a 302 redirect to the final CDN URL

Output caching

M3U and EPG XML outputs are cached to disk and served as fast file reads. The cache is invalidated automatically after each scrape. Cold builds of the full EPG can take a few seconds; subsequent requests are near-instant.

Validate a saved XMLTV artifact against the upstream XMLTV DTD with scripts/validate_xmltv.sh /path/to/epg.xml. The Docker image includes xmllint via libxml2-utils for this check. Note: output intentionally includes , a non-DTD element that Channels DVR requires for stable series/recording-pass identity — expect that one element to fail strict validation.

Stream Audit

Every scraped source has a 📋 Stream Audit button on the Sources page that health-checks every channel's stream URL and automatically marks dead or DRM-protected channels inactive. (Only the Custom Channels source, which you populate by hand, has no audit.)

Running a Stream Audit after your initial scrape is strongly recommended. It shows a live progress bar and a running count of DRM and dead channels found as it works through the list. Depending on channel count it may take several minutes.

Which sources tend to have the most DRM? Generally the ones carrying premium or cable content — Pluto TV, Sling Freestream, and Roku are the most common. Tubi, Samsung TV Plus, and Plex tend to be cleaner. Results vary by region, so running the audit on each source is the only way to know for sure.

After the audit completes, disabled channels are hidden from your feeds automatically.

Channel Inspect

The Inspect button on the Channels page tests a single channel's full resolve/playback path. Useful for diagnosing dead manifests, VOD-only streams, DRM-protected streams, and resolver failures. Also shows stream variant stats (resolution, bitrate, codecs).

Duplicate resolution

The Resolve Duplicates helper on the Channels page works on enabled channels with matching names across sources. It:

• prefers healthy channels over channels flagged DRM, Dead, or inactive
• uses source priority as a tie-breaker between otherwise healthy matches
• disables the whole group if every duplicate is unhealthy

Custom Channels

A built-in Custom Channels source lets you add any HLS/M3U8 stream by URL — a webcam, a personal re-stream, or anything else not covered by a scraper. Add channels from the Channels page; FastChannels auto-detects special stream types and handles polling and header quirks automatically. Custom channels are never auto-scraped and aren't part of the Stream Audit.

HDHomeRun

If you run an HDHomeRun network tuner, enable the HDHomeRun source and point it at the device's LAN address (its discover.json BaseURL). FastChannels pulls the lineup and the device's Gracenote-sourced XMLTV guide, and proxies the tuner streams alongside your FAST channels. Note that tuner streams are MPEG-2/AC-3 — fine for Channels DVR, but browser and mobile playback need transcoding; HDHomeRun EXTEND models can transcode in hardware via the Transcode profile option.

Gracenote

Gracenote station IDs link channels to Channels DVR's guide database for rich EPG matching. Each channel has one of three modes:

• Auto — a scraper or the community CSV assigns the ID automatically when available (e.g. Pluto's native station IDs)
• Manual — you set the ID yourself; a scrape never overwrites it
• Off — the channel is excluded from Gracenote routing entirely

Channel flags

• is_active — set by the scraper; means the channel still exists upstream. Updated automatically on re-scrape.
• is_enabled — set by you; means include this channel in M3U/EPG output. Survives re-scrapes.

Source Notes

"Default off" sources are seeded disabled — enable them on the Sources page.

| Source | Auth | Notes | |--------|------|-------| | Pluto TV | Login required | Default off. Free Pluto account required; per-country feeds; configurable session pool (default 10); JWT stitcher auth | | Tubi TV | Email/password required | Default off. Tubi no longer exposes its channel list to signed-out requests; a free Tubi account is required for channel discovery | | The Roku Channel | None | Session cookie auth, HLS variant selection; Cloudflare-sensitive — avoid hammering if you get 403s | | Plex | None | Session cookie auth | | Xumo Play | None | Public API | | Samsung TV Plus | None | Channel data and EPG via Matt Huisman's public mirror. Region configurable (default: us). | | Sling Freestream | Optional (paid) | Default off. Two modes: Freestream-only (free, anonymous) or paid Sling account for premium channels; streams are DRM-only for generic IPTV clients | | LG Channels | None | Country configurable (default: US) | | Local Now | None | Default off. Public API | | STIRR | None | Public API | | FreeLiveSports | None | Public API | | Vizio WatchFree+ | None | Public API; clear HLS | | Whale TV+ | None | Public API | | Adult Swim | None | 24/7 marathon streams | | Amazon Prime Free | Optional cookie header | Default off. Streams are DRM-only, bridged like the other DRM sources below | | Bally Sports Live | None | Free, unauthenticated | | Hallmark | None | Free, unauthenticated | | TCL TV+ | None | Country configurable (default: US) | | Vidaa Free TV | None | Default off. Free, unauthenticated; most channels are clear HLS but some are Widevine DRM, bridged like the other DRM sources below | | Frndly TV | Email/password required | Default off. Paid subscription required | | Fubo TV | Email/password required | Default off. Mostly clear FAST channels; a paid account unlocks ~835 subscription channels, some of which are Widevine DRM and play via the PrismCast/FastChannels Player bridge | | FreeCast | Email/password required | Default off. Free account at watch.freecast.com required for playback | | DirecTV Stream | Email/password required | Default off. Paid subscription required; streams are DRM-only, with browser playback via Widevine and M3U playback via PrismCast bridge | | Cox Contour | Email/password required | Default off. Cox Contour account required; streams are DRM-only (Widevine CENC) via the PrismCast bridge — not supported through the FastChannels Player bridge (blocked by a Widevine app-attestation check on Cox's end). Also usable as your TV-provider identity for the TV Everywhere sources below | | Philo | Email (passwordless code) | Default off. Requires a Philo subscription; sign-in sends a one-time code by email/text, no password. Streams are DRM-only, via PrismCast or FastChannels Player | | PBS | None (ZIP code optional) | Default off. Auto-locates your local station plus a curated set of national/secondary feeds (World, Create, NHK, FNX); add more ZIP codes for additional clear feeds. Stations that require DRM are served through an opt-in bridge feed | | C-SPAN | None | Default off. Free, unauthenticated congressional/public-affairs event streams (floor sessions, hearings, Washington Journal). The 24/7 C-SPAN 1/2/3 linear networks sit behind a separate TV-provider login and aren't scraped | | A+E Networks TVE | TV Everywhere sign-in | Default off. A&E, Lifetime, History, and sister networks. See TV Everywhere | | AMC Networks TVE | TV Everywhere sign-in | Default off. AMC, BBC America, IFC, Sundance TV. See TV Everywhere | | Discovery TVE | TV Everywhere sign-in | Default off. Discovery, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, and sister networks. See TV Everywhere | | FOX TVE | TV Everywhere sign-in | Default off. FOX broadcast plus FS1/FS2. See TV Everywhere | | FOX One | TV Everywhere sign-in (optional) | Default off. FOX Sports direct-subscription streaming; free content works anonymously, paid FOX Sports channels need a linked TV provider | | NBCUniversal TVE | TV Everywhere sign-in | Default off. Local NBC/Telemundo affiliate (auto-detected by IP, overridable) plus Bravo, USA, NBC Sports Now, and sister networks. See TV Everywhere | | Warner Bros Discovery TVE | TV Everywhere sign-in | Default off. TBS, TNT, truTV. See TV Everywhere | | HDHomeRun | Device address | Default off. Your own LAN tuner; optional hardware transcode (EXTEND models). See HDHomeRun | | Custom Channels | None | User-added HLS/M3U8 streams; never auto-scraped. See Custom Channels |

• Roku: Cloudflare rate-limiting can cause occasional 403 errors during scraping or playback. If this happens, wait a few minutes before retrying — repeated attempts make it worse. Some channels also expose sparse future guide data; short EPG windows are expected on those channels.
• Amazon Prime Free: without a valid cookie header, channel discovery pagination is limited.
• Sling Freestream: streams are DRM-only for generic IPTV clients. Toggle on "Paid Sling account (premium channels)" to add premium channels. Off = Freestream-only (free, anonymous; no sign-in, no browser).

• Samsung TV Plus: EPG covers approximately the current day. All credit for the data to Matt Huisman.
• DirecTV Stream / Sling: both source cards have an Exclude FAST channels toggle to leave out free, ad-supported channels. Saving a change to this toggle on an enabled source queues a full scrape. That scrape marks excluded channels inactive without waiting for the normal miss-threshold grace period, while retaining their saved settings.
• DirecTV Stream: resolves Gracenote IDs from its own API first, with community-map fallback, and filters out non-streamable satellite-only lineup entries.

TV Everywhere (TVE) sources

A+E Networks, AMC Networks, Discovery, FOX, FOX One, NBCUniversal, and Warner Bros Discovery all authenticate the same way: through your TV provider (MVPD), not a per-source login. Go to Settings → TV Everywhere, pick your provider, and sign in — a real browser session opens in an admin-UI modal for the provider's pairing flow. Sign in to all repeats that flow for every TVE-backed network in one pass, with a short pause between each to avoid tripping your provider's rate limiting.

🧪 Beta: the sign-in dropdown lists every provider Adobe Pass supports, but it's only been verified working with Cox, Sling TV, and Xfinity/Comcast. Other providers may fail. All of these channels are DRM-only (Widevine CENC) and play back via the PrismCast browser bridge; NBCUniversal TVE and Warner Bros Discovery TVE are additionally eligible for the FastChannels Player bridge, the others currently are not (see FastChannels Player).

Advanced

These settings are only needed in unusual setups and should be left at their defaults for most installs.

EPG scrape timeout (SCRAPE_EPG_TIMEOUT)

FastChannels limits how long the EPG fetch phase can run per source. The default is 900 seconds, which covers all known sources including per-channel-per-day scrapers like Plex and TCL with multiple days of guide data.

If you're routing traffic through a VPN or have high-latency network conditions and a source's EPG scrape is timing out (you'll see epg phase timed out in the logs), you can raise this ceiling:

# docker-compose.yml
services:
  fastchannels:
    environment:
      SCRAPE_EPG_TIMEOUT: "1800"

The value is in seconds and applies to all sources. Individual sources that need a higher ceiling (Roku, Vidaa) already override it internally — this env var only raises the floor for everything else.