Now there is finally an easy way to watch live TV in XBMC media center. In this start to finish guide, you will learn how to get live TV working on XBMC media center.
I am using OpenELEC XBMC Linux in this article as an example, but once you have setup the backend TV server, you can watch live TV on any operating system or media center that supports Home TV Streaming Protocol (HTSP).
This article may look like it is for advanced users only, but don’t be intimidated, the setup is easy for beginners, too.
If you are not already using OpenELEC Linux operating system, you can follow these instructions to install OpenELEC XBMC in 15 minutes.
The great thing with OpenELEC is that it comes with a tvheadend client service. Tvheadend is a TV streaming server for Linux which can be installed on your HTPC or to a separate backend server located in another room on your home network.
Just install the hts-tvheadend client from the system menu in XBMC (System – Add-ons – Get Add-ons – OpenELEC.tv Mediacenter OS Add-ons – Services – hts-tvheadend).
Next, we will configure the tvheadend backend server. As OpenELEC does not include a web-browser, you will need to use a separate computer such as your laptop in your home network.
Check HTPC’s IP address
Before you can connect to the backend server, you will need to know your HTPC’s IP address. You can check it from here: (System – Hardware – Summary – IP address (e.g. 192.168.1.38).
Login to tvheadend with web-browser
Login to Tvheadend server on another computer by typing the following URL in your web-browser: http://your_HTPC_IP_address:9981 (e.g. http://192.168.1.38:9981).
You will be greeted with a screen that looks something like the screenshot below.
Now, we will configure your TV tuner.
Tvheadend will now start to detect multiplexes and services. Wait for “Muxes awaiting initial scan” to become 0.
Then click “Map DVB Services to channels”. TVheadend will now try to open each channel and will add each channel that can be opened.
In principle these steps should be enough, but if you encounter any issues, please refer to tvheadend’s full user manual here.
There are couple of ways to add the live TV stream to your XBMC. The easiest way with OpenELEC is to add tvheadend as a source. The more advanced way is to install a custom XBMC-PVR distribution, which has built-in PVR features. However, in this article we will go with the easier option.
Add source
First go to Videos menu and select “Add Source”.
Type the htsp://your_HTPC_IP_address:9982 (e.g. htsp://192.168.1.38:9982) as shown in the screenshot below.
Create a shortcut to main menu
Go to the new source you just created (e.g. HTS Tvheadend client).
Press C-key in “Live channels” folder and select “Add to favorites”. Then, go to System – Skin – Favourites Shortcuts – Enable Favorite Button 1.
Add button label and favourite path as follows:
Enjoy your live TV with OpenELEC XBMC by selecting the Live TV from the main menu. You’ll see a list of channels as configured in the tvheadend backend server.
Please note that this article was made with the standard install of OpenELEC. Stay tuned for more advanced guide on installing the XBMC-PVR add-on.