====================================================================== DUNE HD STB -- SIMPLE IPTV CONFIGURATION ====================================================================== There are several approaches allowing to use Dune HD STB as a simple IPTV channel zapper w/o the need to use a complicated server-side middleware. These approaches are described below. Related documentation: http://files.dune-hd.com/partners/sdk/dune_media_playback_howto.txt http://files.dune-hd.com/partners/sdk/media_url.txt Installing IPTV channels from M3U file -------------------------------------- In this approach, you put URLs of your IPTV channels into a simple M3U playlist file and install this file into the flash memory of the STB. Additionally you can configure the STB to automatically launch this playlist on STB boot. Details are below. NOTE: This requires Dune firmware version *_b5 or higher. Put the URLs of all IPTV channels into a standard M3U text file (one URL per line). The file should have ".M3U" extension. Copy the M3U file into the flash memory of Dune: - Put the M3U file on to a USB flash drive (or any other suitable media that can be connected to Dune). - Boot into native Dune UI. - Attach the USB flash drive with the M3U file. - Choose the M3U file in Dune's file browser. - Press "POP UP MENU" RC button, choose "Add to Favorites". - Optionally: in the appeared dialog, edit the name of the item that will be added to Favorites menu. - Choose "Add Copy". After that, the playlist will be copied in the flash memory of the STB and will become available via the created item in the "Favorites" menu. Select this item and press "ENTER" RC button to start the playback. Hint: You can also select this item and press "0" RC button to see the list the of URLs in the playlist directly in Dune file's browser. During playback, use the following RC buttons to switch between URLs in the playlist: - "NEXT": switch to the next URL. - "PREV": switch to the previous URL. - "ENTER": show OSD with the list of URLs. - "STOP": stop the playback and return to the main menu. You can also configure Dune to automatically launch the installed playlist on STB boot: - Choose the installed playlist in the "Favorites" menu. - Press "POP UP MENU" RC button, choose "Launch on Power-on". After that, when STB boots, it will automatically launch this playlist (just as if it was launched manually from the "Favorites" menu). Creating a TV plugin -------------------- In this approach, you create so called "PHP plugin" which is installed into the flash memory of the STB and provides the simple IPTV channel navigation and switching functionality. More information about PHP plugins is available here: http://files.dune-hd.com/partners/sdk/plugins.txt The list of IPTV channels could be hard-coded into the plugin, or the plugin can be configured to download the list of IPTV channels from an HTTP URL. The provided UI is the standard "TV" UI of Dune HD STB, there are limited possibilities to customize it and add additional features (although there are some possibilities for this). Qualification required: you should be able to pack/unpack ZIP files and edit text files in XML and PHP formats. Understanding of XML, PHP and HTTP is desired. The easiest way to create such a plugin is to use an existing demo/template plugin and modify it as needed. See here: http://files.dune-hd.com/partners/sdk/plugins.txt => "dune_plugin_demo2" plugin This "demo2" plugin provides the following possibilities: - You can configure the plugin to download the list of IPTV channels (in an extended format or in a simple M3U format) from the given HTTP URL. - You can also hard-code the M3U file containing the list of IPTV channel URLs directly into the plugin. - Additionally, the plugin supports retrieval of EPG information from the server (if you need it). - Additionally, the plugins supports simple VOD functionality (if you need it). More details about how "demo2" plugin can be customized and used: - Download the ZIP file with the plugin. - Create a folder named "dune_plugin_demo2". - Extra the ZIP file into this folder. - Edit the "demo_config.php" file as needed, e.g. alter the following configuration parameters: - USE_M3U_FILE - *_URL - *_SUPPORTED - Edit the "dune_plugin.xml" file as needed, e.g.: - Alter the value of "media_url" element depending on whether you want to use M3U. - Remove VOD and Setup entry points if you do not need them. - Put the modified content of the folder back into dune_plugin*.zip file. - Install the plugin into Dune as described in the PHP Plugins SDK documentation (put the ZIP file onto a USB flash drive, choose the ZIP file in Dune's file browser, press "ENTER" Rc button. An item to launch the plugin will appear in the "TV" menu (or in the menu you configured). Creating an HTML application ---------------------------- In this approach, you create an HTML application (using HTML and JavaScript languages) which is installed into the flash memory of the STB and provides the simple IPTV channel navigation and switching functionality. The list of IPTV channels could be hard-coded into such an application, or application can be designed to download the list of IPTV channels from an HTTP URL. The HTML application can be designed to completely reside (including all graphic resources etc) in the flash memory of the STB w/o the need to host any web application on the server-side (unless you need to add have functionality on the server-side). This is the most flexible approach, any functionality and any UI can be potentially implemented. More information about SDK for creating HTML applications is available here: http://files.dune-hd.com/partners/sdk/sdk.txt "JS STB SDK" Qualification required: you should be able to create HTML applications from the scratch. Knowledge of HTML, JavaScript, CSS (and most probably AJAX, HTTP, XML, JSON) is required. An experience in designing and optimizing HTML+JS applications for embedded devices and TV screens is desired. HTML application example ------------------------ A simple example of HTML application providing simple IPTV channel navigation and switching functionality is available here: http://files.dune-hd.com/partners/sdk/plugins/dune_plugin_iptv_demo.2013_09_03.zip Features of this HTML application: - The list of IPTV channels can be hard-coded in the application (by default, the application uses a hard-coded list for the demo purposes), or loaded from an HTTP URL. - Simple EPG display is optionally supported. - RC buttons: - UP, DOWN, P+, P-: Switch channels. - ENTER: Show an OSD listing all channels (and EPG, if enabled).