Where to Get Help with Tunarr Channel and Stream Problems

Updated

Start with the Stream Troubleshooter in the documentation for playback failures, then check FAQ and Common Issues for known problems. If you need to dig deeper, use the Logging and Backup pages under System, and consult Development / Contributing only when you want to inspect or report the underlying code. These are the support paths listed in the Tunarr docs; there is no separate help desk described on the site.

Quick routing by symptom

What you're seeing First place to look Why
Channel won't play, buffering, or stream errors Stream Troubleshooter Purpose-built for diagnosing playback problems
Setup, configuration, or "is this expected?" questions FAQ Covers recurring questions
Known breakages or recurring faults Common Issues Collects documented problems
Need evidence for a bug report System → Logging Logs give you the detail to share
Worried about losing channel/programming config System → Backup Protects your setup before changes
Want to understand or fix code-level behavior Development → Contributing Entry point for deeper investigation

Using the Stream Troubleshooter

The Stream Troubleshooter is the dedicated path for playback problems. Work through it in this order:

  1. Confirm the client path. Tunarr exposes channels either as a spoofed Tunarr HDHomeRun tuner added to Plex, Jellyfin, or Emby, or as generated M3U files for third-party IPTV players. Note which one you're using — the troubleshooting steps differ.
  2. Reproduce the failure on one channel with one program, and note the time it happens.
  3. Check the stream path the troubleshooter describes, comparing your client setup against the documented expectations.
  4. Capture logs (System → Logging) around the failure time.
  5. Re-test after any change, one variable at a time, so you know what fixed it.

Expected result: you either identify a configuration mismatch (tuner, M3U, or client) or collect enough log detail to describe the fault precisely.

Common sticking points

  • Tuner vs. M3U confusion. If the HDHomeRun tuner doesn't appear in Plex/Jellyfin/Emby, verify you added the spoofed Tunarr tuner rather than expecting an M3U to work inside those apps. Conversely, IPTV players need the M3U, not the tuner.
  • Media source problems look like stream problems. Channels are built from Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, or Local sources. If a channel is empty or a program is missing, check the Media Sources configuration before blaming playback.
  • Scheduling gaps. Missing programming often traces to scheduling (slots, flex, filler) rather than streaming. Review the Scheduling concepts and the relevant slot type.
  • Changing things without a backup. Before reconfiguring channels or migrating, take a backup via System → Backup so you can restore a working state.

When to go deeper

If the FAQ and Common Issues don't cover your case and logs point to a defect, the Development → Contributing section is where to look for how the project is structured and how to report or investigate. Tunarr began as a fork of dizqueTV and was largely rewritten, so older dizqueTV guidance may not match current behavior — prefer the current docs.

For first-time setup problems rather than playback, the Getting Started path (Install → Run → Setup) is the right starting point before the troubleshooter.