Generate TVHeadend 3.x channel/tag configuration files from VLC compatible IPTV M3U playlist.

Use m3u2hts.py [options] inputfile or m3u2hts.py -h for help with parameters. If you want to import the configuration directly, you should stop the TVHeadend service and delete current config first. Ubuntu example::

sudo service tvheadend stop
sudo su hts
cd ~/.hts/tvheadend/
rm iptvservices/* channels/* channeltags/* epggrab/xmltv/channels/*
m3u2hts.py inputfile.m3u
exit
sudo service tvheadend start

Alternatively, run the script somewhere else and transfer the files to TVHeadend config dir when service isn't running.

Channel and optional tag definitions are read from a M3U playlist file::

#EXTINF:duration,[channel number - ]channel name
#EXTTV:tag[,tag,tag...];language;XMLTV id[;icon URL]
udp://@ip:port

The #EXTTV line and its contents are optional.

sample.m3u::

#EXTINF:0,1 - SLO 1
#EXTTV:nacionalni;slovenski;SLO1
udp://@239.1.1.115:5000

#EXTINF:0,SLO 1 HD
#EXTTV:nacionalni,hd;slovenski;SLO1;http://cdn1.siol.tv/logo/93x78/slo2.png
udp://@239.10.2.56:5000

The script creates iptvservices, channels, channeltags and epggrab/xmltv/channels directories into which the following files are written::

#one file per channel:
iptvservices/iptv_X
{
    "pmt": 0,
    "channelname": "SLO 1",
    "port": "5000",
    "interface": "eth1",
    "group": "239.1.1.115",
    "mapped": 1,
    "pcr": 0,
    "disabled": 0
}

#one file per channel:
channels/X
{
    "name": "SLO 1",
    "xmltv-channel": "SLO1",
    "tags": [
             1,2
    ],
    "dvr_extra_time_pre": 0,
    "dvr_extra_time_post": 0,
    "channel_number": 1,
    "icon": ""
}

#one file per tag:
channeltags/X
{
    "enabled": 1,
    "internal": 0,
    "titledIcon": 0,
    "name": "nacionalni",
    "comment": "",
    "icon": "",
    "id": 1
}

#one file per channel with XMLTV id
epggrab/xmltv/channels/X
{
    "channels": [
        1
    ], 
    "name": "SLO1"
}

Experimental, use --newformat switch to create TVHeadend 3.9 compatible configuration. The file structure is:

input/iptv/config
input/iptv/networks/UUID/config                      - one network
input/iptv/networks/UUID/muxes/UUID/config           - one mux per channel
input/iptv/networks/UUID/muxes/UUID/services/UUID    - one fake service per channel, -o service option
channel/tag/UUID                                     - channel tags
channel/config/UUID                                  - channel (linked to services, tags), -o channel option
epggrab/xmltv/channels/UUID                          - EPG info (linked to channel), -o channel option

Unfortunately, M3U file is missing a few pieces of information Tvheadend now requires in order to form the mux -> service -> channel chain, most importantly the service id. The service that m3u2hts creates when you use -o service option sadly won't work in most cases and you'll have to scan muxes with tvheadend - open network properties, enable "Idle scan muxes" and limit "Max input streams" to something your network can handle. When the scanning is finished you'll have to map services to channels in either services or channels screen.

If you're lucky and your IPTV provider uses one service per mux and identical names for muxes, services, channels and EPG info, everything will go smoothly. OTOH, if your provider has 50+ services on a mux for a single working channel and wildly mismatched names, you're better off if you let m3u2hts create channels and optional EPG info with -o channel option and manually link them to scanned services.

Licensed under the MIT license: http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php