Success! TVheadend on Windows 10 Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

Finally, I have a fully functioning TVH backend running on Windows 10 with Kodi clients.

Findings:
1. It takes 1 second to switch live TV channels with timeshifting on (vs 4 seconds w/ NextPVR)
2. Timeshifting is flawless. For example, if I record a 1-hr show at 2 pm, I can start watching at 2:20 pm from beginning and watch the entire show while skipping commercials without disruption (couldn't do this in NextPVR)
3. According to Windows task manager, TVH is using 4% of CPU and 18MB of memory, while recording/playing TV.
4. No stutter/pixelation (RPi3 TVH couldn't handle two 20mbps streams writing/reading simultaneously)

Installation steps:
1. Install Ubuntu 16.04 on Windows 10: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/ubuntu-1604-lts/9pjn388hp8c9 (18.04 didn't work)
2. Install TVheadend unstable version https://tvheadend.org/projects/tvheadend/wiki/AptRepositories (stable version found tuners but didn't find services)
3. http://localhost:9981 Start Wizard to set up user account, tuners, channels, EPG
https://dirtyoptics.com/how-to-configure-tvheadend-server/
4. Set up frontend client such as Kodi>TVheadend PVR addon (w/ IP address, user account in #3)

Tips:
1. WSL automatically mounts all HDD. I'm using E drive as the recording storage instead of default /home/hts.
2. Starting Linux background services on Windows startup https://dev.to/ironfroggy/wsl-tips-starting-linux-background-services-on-windows-login-3o98
3. (For USA) Free EPG XMLTV http://zap2xml.awardspace.info/
I couldn't get TVH to pull EPG XMLTV automatically daily. I used the above program w/ Windows task scheduler to pull 14 day guide at 6 am. Then TVH imports XMLTV file w/ "tv_grab_file" EPG grabber at 6:30 am.

Replies (6)

RE: Success! TVheadend on Windows 10 Subsystem for Linux (WSL) - Added by saen acro about 5 years ago

What's not working on 18.04?
Do you access tuners? I thing this is impossible to be done.

RE: Success! TVheadend on Windows 10 Subsystem for Linux (WSL) - Added by ace golfer about 5 years ago

saen acro wrote:

What's not working on 18.04?
Do you access tuners? I thing this is impossible to be done.

(18.04 + TVH stable) found tuner but couldn't find services.

RE: Success! TVheadend on Windows 10 Subsystem for Linux (WSL) - Added by tredman . about 5 years ago

I followed this to the letter (using unstable and 16.04) and still pick up no services with 'no data' reported on every MUX:

2019-09-03 09:27:53.835 mpegts: 618.167MHz in DVB-T Network - tuning on HDHomeRun DVB-T Tuner #1 (192.168.0.12)
2019-09-03 09:27:53.836 tvhdhomerun: tuning to t8qam64:618167000
2019-09-03 09:27:53.864 subscription: 0035: "scan" subscribing to mux "618.167MHz", weight: 6, adapter: "HDHomeRun DVB-T Tuner #1 (192.168.0.12)", network: "DVB-T Network", service: "Raw PID Subscription"
2019-09-03 09:27:53.910 tvhdhomerun: tuner_vstatus (0)
2019-09-03 09:28:08.865 mpegts: 618.167MHz in DVB-T Network - scan no data, failed
2019-09-03 09:28:08.865 subscription: 0035: "scan" unsubscribing

The hdhomerun works fine with normal tvheadend installs and actually shows the WSL tvheadend tuning:

Any ideas on why my results are different!?

RE: Success! TVheadend on Windows 10 Subsystem for Linux (WSL) - Added by saen acro about 5 years ago

Again to be clear WSL can use NETWORK TUNER's aka IPTV not real PCI or USB tuner
with same success you can use Vmware Player but there will work USB tuners.

RE: Success! TVheadend on Windows 10 Subsystem for Linux (WSL) - Added by tredman . about 5 years ago

Is that aimed at my post above? For clarification I am using an hdhomerun tuner which is a NETWORK device.

RE: Success! TVheadend on Windows 10 Subsystem for Linux (WSL) - Added by ace golfer about 5 years ago

tredman . wrote:

Any ideas on why my results are different!?

Honestly no. I assume you already installed HDHR apps/drivers on Win 10. The only difference is I'm using OTA ATSC instead of QAM. But I don't think it would make any difference. Good luck!

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