The Game Show Forum

The Game Show Forum => Game Show Channels & Networks => Topic started by: aaron sica on March 15, 2018, 08:13:25 PM

Title: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: aaron sica on March 15, 2018, 08:13:25 PM
And by "Live", I mean the actual CHANNEL, not the Twitch live stream.

Came across an IPTV service called nkt.tv which offers the option to pay for channels a la carte, of which Buzzr is one of them! For the paltry sum of $1 per month, you can bring Buzzr into your life via Apple, Android, Amazon, Roku, or web.

It appears to be the same feed that's on FTA satellite as I don't see any station ID between the shows.

Mods, if this is a violation, please delete.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: Clay Zambo on March 16, 2018, 10:09:05 AM
I'm seeing the lowest package at $4.95/month, which is still better than re-subscribing to cable. I'm not sure I'll bite for Buzzr, but if this service is still around next fall I might throw in for Hallmark Channel so my honey can get her fix of Christmas-romance movies.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: jalman on March 16, 2018, 10:23:11 AM
nkt.tv is run by an Ohio-based ISP (https://www.nktelco.com/). Looks legit.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: aaron sica on March 16, 2018, 11:12:47 AM
I'm seeing the lowest package at $4.95/month, which is still better than re-subscribing to cable. I'm not sure I'll bite for Buzzr, but if this service is still around next fall I might throw in for Hallmark Channel so my honey can get her fix of Christmas-romance movies.

Click on "Sign up", and then scroll down and you'll see the a la carte options, including BUZZR.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: chrisholland03 on March 16, 2018, 02:40:56 PM
I'm being told that to get Buzzr, I have to buy a set-top box for $79.95 :(

Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: snowpeck on March 16, 2018, 03:01:51 PM
I'm being told that to get Buzzr, I have to buy a set-top box for $79.95 :(
I looked through it all and no you don't. During the set up you can tell it you already have a box and then use the NKT.tv app on Roku, Amazon Fire, iOS or Android instead (or watch through their web interface.) Certain channels do require the $79.95 box, but Buzzr isn't one of them.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: vtown7 on March 16, 2018, 03:48:44 PM
I will vouch for the above - in step 2 you can choose “I would like to skip this step and not purchase a new NKT.tv” by clicking the box below it, then scrolling down to choose the big blue Next button. You can then scroll down and choose Next on step 3 which will then bring you to the payment screen on step 4. Hope that helps!
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on March 16, 2018, 08:09:10 PM
Anyone know what the 4th device from the left is in "Add-on devices" during sign-up? It looks like Fire TV but you'd think that would have been already represented by the Fire TV Stick to the left.

Very interesting. Looks skeevy as hell and I'm not sure how they are doing this legally, but I agree it's backed by something halfway reputable. Tempted to try it out. I assume it doesn't come with any kind of VOD service?
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: tvwxman on March 16, 2018, 08:39:13 PM
$1 and works perfectly on my phone.

Thanks for this find!
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: Casey Buck on March 16, 2018, 08:45:17 PM
My reaction to this:
(https://i.imgur.com/A9vNtMa.jpg?1)
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on March 16, 2018, 11:38:01 PM
Alright, I took the plunge. Being able to use PayPal and not have to give up any actual financial information to them directly was a big plus. Does Buzzr have an HD feed at all, or is it SD everywhere, being a digital subchannel and all? (Right now it's Celebrity Name Game and so it's letterboxing all around on my TV via Roku and Fire TV both. Works a treat on iDevices though.)

EDIT: According to the Wiki article, it's SD only, which a) absolutely makes sense considering 90% of their programming, and b) explains why it behaves how it does on my streaming devices.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: WhammyPower on March 16, 2018, 11:51:48 PM
Alright, I took the plunge. Being able to use PayPal and not have to give up any actual financial information to them directly was a big plus. Does Buzzr have an HD feed at all, or is it SD everywhere, being a digital subchannel and all? (Right now it's Celebrity Name Game and so it's letterboxing all around on my TV. Works a treat on iDevices though.)
SD only. :-(

/CNG is the only "HD" show they currently have on the schedule, anyways
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on March 17, 2018, 12:01:41 AM
SD only. :-(

/CNG is the only "HD" show they currently have on the schedule, anyways

Exactly so. See my edit above; makes perfect sense to me. Once I hit a commercial break and it filled up the vertical space I started suspecting that was the case and it was gonna be fine the rest of the time.

("Fine" being a relative term; I'd forgotten how bad Temptation was....)
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: tpirfan28 on March 17, 2018, 04:06:47 PM
Anyone know what the 4th device from the left is in "Add-on devices" during sign-up? It looks like Fire TV but you'd think that would have been already represented by the Fire TV Stick to the left.
Opera TV.

Got the service (BUZZR plus MAVTV), runs like a champ on my Fire TV.  Wish they had an Apple TV app, though.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: BrandonFG on March 17, 2018, 05:32:17 PM
Watching Combs “Feud” as we speak. Thanks for the heads-up!
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: tvwxman on March 17, 2018, 06:12:24 PM

Got the service (BUZZR plus MAVTV), runs like a champ on my Fire TV.  Wish they had an Apple TV app, though.

Can't watch this on an apple tv?
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: tpirfan28 on March 17, 2018, 07:04:00 PM
Can't watch this on an apple tv?
Technically yes because the mobile app can be AirPlayed, but there is not a native app.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on March 18, 2018, 09:36:51 PM
Opera TV.

Well, today I learned that Opera TV is a thing. :) Thanks! :)
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: Clay Zambo on March 19, 2018, 03:16:50 PM
Well, today I learned that Opera TV is a thing.

Well, if NRATV is a thing, why not?

#PleaseletNRATVstopbeingathing
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: BrandonFG on March 20, 2018, 02:37:50 PM
I think I caught the stream late, but B&W Password is currently airing, and they kept a commercial in for Bufferin. Is this a regular thing for Buzzr? It's a cool little quirk that reminds me of the "Retromercials" from TV Land.

I wasn't close to the TV, so it's possible Allen said something along the lines of "We have a message from our friends at Bufferin", and it could've been easier to just keep the spot in there.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: PYLdude on March 20, 2018, 02:54:53 PM
Buzzr has been pretty good in leaving in the ads that were in the original broadcasts of the B&W shows. It's how I learned that Art Fleming was once a toothpaste salesman.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: TimK2003 on March 20, 2018, 03:17:20 PM
And it's the B&W eps that seem to be scheduled in 40 minute blocks.  I noticed that when I was staying at a hotel in Phoenix the other day, and they carried BUZZR on the local cable.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: snowpeck on March 20, 2018, 05:47:24 PM
They edit out any tobacco ads, of course, but all other original commercials are left in the B&W shows. It's pretty cool.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on March 21, 2018, 01:57:00 AM
Well, today I learned that Opera TV is a thing.

Well, if NRATV is a thing, why not?

#PleaseletNRATVstopbeingathing

Remember when Opera TV used to be Bravo?
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: Tim L on May 09, 2018, 02:30:45 AM
I've had the NKT $9.95 Package for a couple months now.  Aside from Buzzr and some public access and religious channels I get Comet, GetTV, CoziTV, Bounce, LightTV,   ThisTV, RFD TV and local WTLW-Channel 44 from Lima, Ohio..All but RFD are digital subchannels.  I also have HuluLive, which gives me only NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX from Cleveland but a decent selection of Cable Channels.(Plus all their on demand)  About $59 a month not including Internet Access..

Saves me 60 a month (Including Internet) from what I'd be paying Spectrum for their TV package.

Just saw TNTS and Nighttime Password the other day..
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: aaron sica on May 31, 2018, 11:02:13 AM
For those of you who don't want to pony up a dollar...

https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/game-show-net-buzzr-launches-live-streaming

Within the article: "Buzzr is eyeing a pair of “name-brand” game shows outside of the Fremantle collective, said the GM, and hopes to premier them later this year.", which helps explain the survey.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: Matt Ottinger on May 31, 2018, 12:09:59 PM
https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/game-show-net-buzzr-launches-live-streaming

Within the article: "Buzzr is eyeing a pair of “name-brand” game shows outside of the Fremantle collective, said the GM, and hopes to premier them later this year.", which helps explain the survey.

Marvelous news.  I think I get just about every retro subchannel except Buzzr.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on May 31, 2018, 12:30:33 PM
Wow, that's marvelous. I will be interested to see how well it works on tablets and phones and FireTVs and Rokus and such, because the NKT.TV app, while not fantastic, at least has a wide presence, and if it's a pain it may be worth continuing to pay the buck just to have remote device access.

(On the other hand, if a browser bookmark is all it takes, yay! I gotta think someone will make a Roku app if that's all it takes, and them offering it for free means they *want* that stream out there, unless they are counting on the revenue through ad views on the page, which isn't going to end well for them.)
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: BrandonFG on May 31, 2018, 05:44:18 PM
So, would it be correct to assume that Buzzr is putting affiliate expansion on the back burner, and realizing that streaming may be the more feasible option?

Not complaining either way, but it seems like they're taking a more aggressive approach to streaming (and of course cord-cutters), which is smart IMO. A Roku app would be awesome.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: KWJCDon on May 31, 2018, 06:05:08 PM
While a buck a month is great I am not impressed with the app. It freezes on me constantly. The only way to get it going again is to restart my phone. Loving the programming though! Just my .02 cents worth.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: snowpeck on May 31, 2018, 07:42:37 PM
As of now, it looks like Buzzr's stream will only be on their website, but depending on certain factors, there may be hacks to get it on a Roku or Fire stick or whatever.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on May 31, 2018, 07:49:03 PM
As of now, it looks like Buzzr's stream will only be on their website, but depending on certain factors, there may be hacks to get it on a Roku or Fire stick or whatever.

Fires and tablets have browsers, so I'm not overly worried about them. The concern is Roku, I think, and I'm a pretty Roku-enabled household, so that's of interest to me. (That said, I have workarounds for both TVs if needed, but Roku is WAY easier.) And yeah, the ability to make even an unofficial app is going to depend on how exposed they make the stream (and whether the stream is Roku-friendly).
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: parliboy on May 31, 2018, 09:28:03 PM
As of now, it looks like Buzzr's stream will only be on their website, but depending on certain factors, there may be hacks to get it on a Roku or Fire stick or whatever.

The first thing I’ll be doing is seeing if I can stream it from the tv cast app on my iPad.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: snowpeck on May 31, 2018, 09:33:38 PM
A little clever deduction allowed me to figure out that the stream is already up, just not linked on their homepage yet: http://buzzrplay.com/watch
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: WhammyPower on May 31, 2018, 10:15:49 PM
A little clever deduction allowed me to figure out that the stream is already up, just not linked on their homepage yet: http://buzzrplay.com/watch
And looking at the source code, it looks like it may be damn easy (https://buzzr-zixi.global.ssl.fastly.net/BUZZR_HLS_TEST.m3u8) to put onto a Roku.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: Kniwt on May 31, 2018, 10:34:49 PM
A little clever deduction allowed me to figure out that the stream is already up, just not linked on their homepage yet: http://buzzrplay.com/watch

Can anyone outside the U.S. report whether it's geoblocked?
 
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: Sodboy13 on May 31, 2018, 10:58:28 PM
For a channel based entirely on old programming that traditionally skews toward an older audience, Buzzr has been rather impressive in making their product accessible on non-traditional platforms.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: aaron sica on May 31, 2018, 11:21:37 PM
Can anyone outside the U.S. report whether it's geoblocked?

I'm not outside the US, but I connected with my VPN and a Toronto IP address and it played fine.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on June 01, 2018, 01:23:43 AM
Their player stretches the image (on a PC with web browser) at full-screen. That's gonna be an issue. Hopefully apps show up soon.

(It's better on an iPad (and will run the stream in Mini-mode or whatever they call it), but still skewed. For now, for me, it's worth the $1 a month for the uniform experience. Hopefully apps show up soon.)

(Usefully, though, that direct stream URL will play back just fine in VLC Media Player, which opens a LOT of windows. Good job, WP!)

EDIT: Turns out there are LOTS of ways to skin this particular cat: ChannelPear will set you up to get it into a Roku or Plex (though installing the ChannelPear plug-in might be a little techy), but the VLC route a) seems to be the most global (there's a VLC for Xbox One, didja know that?), b) doesn't require making any new accounts anyplace, and c) allows the most control over aspect ratio for us nitpicky folk who care about that. I am betting there is a simpler Roku method since all you are doing is playing what seems to be a very Roku-friendly stream.)
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on June 01, 2018, 01:48:53 AM
And looking at the source code, it looks like it may be damn easy (https://buzzr-zixi.global.ssl.fastly.net/BUZZR_HLS_TEST.m3u8) to put onto a Roku.

Soooooo...do we know how we might make this happen? I was looking up packaging up Roku apps and was just running into a billion fly-by-night operations who are hawking their app-making abilities.

EDIT: Figured it out. It involves this thing: https://channelpear.com/help/how-to-watch-channel-pear-on-your-roku-device/
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: Casey on June 01, 2018, 11:28:36 AM
Streaming it right now on my iPad and AirPlaying it to the Apple TV in my living room.  *Finally* I get to watch it!
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: Setsunael on June 01, 2018, 12:50:51 PM
A little clever deduction allowed me to figure out that the stream is already up, just not linked on their homepage yet: http://buzzrplay.com/watch

Can anyone outside the U.S. report whether it's geoblocked?

Can confirm it's not geoblocked in France, so likely not geoblocked at all likely :)
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: vtown7 on June 01, 2018, 01:16:54 PM
Yep good to go north of Toronto!
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: chargeradiocom on June 02, 2018, 12:04:58 AM
The simplest fix I've found, if you're using iOS devices and a non-Apple TV streamer, is 2kit's Video & TV Cast app. I've tried it today with both Roku and Chromecast. Other than the Chromecast stream dropping a couple times when I first launched it, the casts to both devices have been rock solid.

They have Android apps as well, though I can't speak on their performance.

The basic versions of the app are free. There is a paid version, but if all you're looking for is an easy, reliable way to cast the streams to your TV, I don't see any real reason to buy it.

(Full disclosure... There is a bit of stretching--sorry clemon79--though not to the full edges of the screen.)
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: cyclone45 on June 02, 2018, 12:09:16 AM
We don't even know if it will continue beyond 2am today. Not getting my hopes up. Already shut the stream down cause I don't wanna feel like I'm watching it illegally. Buzzr was very vague about the birthday stream, whether it was supposed to be 24 hours or permanent, so I just shut it to avoid "bending" the rules.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: Dbacksfan12 on June 02, 2018, 01:09:23 AM
We I don't even know if it will continue beyond 2am today. Not getting my hopes up. Already shut the stream down cause I don't wanna feel like I'm watching it illegally. Buzzr was very vague about the birthday stream, whether it was supposed to be 24 hours or permanent, so I just shut it to avoid "bending" the rules.
You do realize this feed is on their official site, right?
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: cyclone45 on June 02, 2018, 02:51:24 AM
Yes but they may have forgotten to close it. If this IS permanent I'm in game show Heaven.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: chargeradiocom on June 02, 2018, 12:12:02 PM
I can respect your desire to do things honestly. I'm something of a stickler myself when it comes to licensing, piracy and such.

But I honestly don't think you've got anything to worry about with this. BUZZR said absolutely nothing to imply that this was a one-day thing. Nothing on their website, Facebook page, press stories or the stream itself like, "Enjoy this free preview of BUZZR." Instead, everything I've seen from them is more like, "Watch Live! Stream BUZZR TV now from anywhere!"

Now, they could pull the plug today, and it would be their right to do so. But they'd also have some upset ex-viewers, and rightly so, if they had implied this was a new way for people to watch then reneged after a couple days.

So I really don't see anything illegal or dishonest about watching this, as long as you're not stealing your internet access or something like that.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: cyclone45 on June 02, 2018, 01:07:32 PM
I can respect your desire to do things honestly. I'm something of a stickler myself when it comes to licensing, piracy and such.

But I honestly don't think you've got anything to worry about with this. BUZZR said absolutely nothing to imply that this was a one-day thing. Nothing on their website, Facebook page, press stories or the stream itself like, "Enjoy this free preview of BUZZR." Instead, everything I've seen from them is more like, "Watch Live! Stream BUZZR TV now from anywhere!"

Now, they could pull the plug today, and it would be their right to do so. But they'd also have some upset ex-viewers, and rightly so, if they had implied this was a new way for people to watch then reneged after a couple days.

So I really don't see anything illegal or dishonest about watching this, as long as you're not stealing your internet access or something like that.

But tyhey also said absolutely nothing about it being permanent. I thought it was a "birthday celebration". They were very vague. That said, I'm glad it's still up.

Speaking of licensing...I made an album as you may know, and I'm glad I googled it...found a site offering the mp3s for free and got them taken down. It wasn't so much that they were offering the music for free, it's not about the money...but damn, at least ASK me first.. sheesh.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: snowpeck on June 02, 2018, 01:34:54 PM
No, the press release they sent out (which I received in my email) indicates that it's an attempt to reach a younger, more tech savvy audience, so it's not temporary.

Quote
“We are thrilled to be celebrating our third anniversary by offering a simulcast of BUZZR on the network’s website for the first time,” said Mark Deetjen, general manager of BUZZR.  “BUZZR will be the only game show network available via live stream, and we can’t wait to allow even more of America to experience the very best in vintage game shows.  BUZZR has always reached an extremely broad demographic, but this new streaming option will allow us to reach a younger, more tech-savvy audience, looking for content on the go.”

Current hits from the past airing on BUZZR include Match Game with Gene Rayburn, Supermarket Sweep with David Ruprecht, along with other vintage favorites such as Family Feud, Sale of the Century, Card Sharks and Password Plus.  With BUZZR streaming their treasure chest of game show content, many of these gems will be seen on the latest tech devices for the first time.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on June 02, 2018, 02:05:32 PM
(Full disclosure... There is a bit of stretching--sorry clemon79--though not to the full edges of the screen.)

No worries; at this point making it aspect-ratio-friendly on Roku is strictly a completionist because-I-can task, since all of my screens have VLC support in one form or another, and I can directly control aspect ratio there. (Which (I think; haven't tested this yet) means I should be able to zoom the image to fill the screen for Celebrity Name Game, too.) Literally Roku is the one streaming device I own that doesn't.

/just cancelled my NKT.tv subscription
//I'll buy something for a buck at the Mariners game tonight in tribute
///that tiny cup of nacho cheese will be delicious
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: cyclone45 on June 02, 2018, 02:32:10 PM
Not for nothing, but since Buzzr went live, why would they need the twitch channel now?
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: nowhammies10 on June 02, 2018, 03:50:40 PM
Twitch channel doesn't mirror the network feed; it's its own animal with its own schedule and no commercials with Twitch Prime, which comes free with Amazon Prime.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: chargeradiocom on June 03, 2018, 06:20:05 PM
No worries; at this point making it aspect-ratio-friendly on Roku is strictly a completionist because-I-can task, since all of my screens have VLC support in one form or another, and I can directly control aspect ratio there. (Which (I think; haven't tested this yet) means I should be able to zoom the image to fill the screen for Celebrity Name Game, too.) Literally Roku is the one streaming device I own that doesn't.
Interesting that the stretching seems to be largely related to Roku. With the 2kit apps, I had noticed that the stretching was virtually undetectable on the Chromecast (as opposed to the Roku), although my Chromecast is on a smaller TV so I thought it might just be my eyes tricking me.

That said, I did get the stretching on a later Chromecast reload. So it seems to be inconsistent on Chromecast.

Not for nothing, but since Buzzr went live, why would they need the twitch channel now?
Networks generally want their brand on as many platforms as it makes sense to be on.

Cheddar, an online news channel targeting young adults, has feeds on Twitch, Sling, Amazon Video, Pluto TV, Philo, and their own site and apps. Plus they run select live programs on Facebook and Twitter. The feeds don't all run the same thing at the same time. But they have their brand on 8 different live streaming video platforms (plus some audio-only platforms), which means added exposure.

As nowhammies10 said, BUZZR's Twitch channel doesn't run the same thing as the live channel. So the future of the Twitch channel will depend on their digital strategy going forward. They may keep the Twitch channel going as it is, may sync it to the live broadcast, or may shut it down entirely. But it definitely wouldn't surprise me to see BUZZR added to a few more platforms, for the sake of additional exposure. If they're trying to make a serious digital run, I expect it.

(Pure speculation/hope, but I recall reading a while back that FremantleMedia had signed a deal with Pluto TV, and I think I've caught a few of their non-game show programs on Pluto lately. So I'm hoping to see BUZZR there soon.)
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: snowpeck on June 03, 2018, 06:34:12 PM
The highest bitrate feed is being transmitted at the weird size of 720×450. The player on Buzzr's website resizes it to 4:3. The medium quality feed is a more standard 640x480 and the lowest is 320x240.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on June 04, 2018, 12:51:14 AM
The highest bitrate feed is being transmitted at the weird size of 720×450. The player on Buzzr's website resizes it to 4:3. The medium quality feed is a more standard 640x480 and the lowest is 320x240.

That explains why it doesn't skew immediately when it's streaming from a source with no aspect ratio control. It has to spin up to the bad size first.

Can an argument be passed through the URL to have it top out at 640x480? Doesn't seem like there is any reason to go past 480p anyhow.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: WhammyPower on June 04, 2018, 09:57:16 AM
One step ahead of you guys... I've made a modified feed of Buzzr (https://www.nicholastodor.com/buzzr/live.m3u8) that removes the problematic aspect ratio.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on June 04, 2018, 10:52:29 AM
One step ahead of you guys... I've made a modified feed of Buzzr (https://www.nicholastodor.com/buzzr/live.m3u8) that removes the problematic aspect ratio.

I am extremely impress. How'd you do it?

EDIT: I now see how you did it. :) I wonder, would it be possible to "fix* that top-end feed? Just tell it "hey, be 1024x768" and see what happens?

MOAR EDIT: Oops. Thought it worked, didn't, because I screwed something up when I was first munging the code. :P Nick's got it right, just better to flat remove that weird-ass stream.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: WhammyPower on June 04, 2018, 12:05:37 PM
Oh yeah, I tried that at first, too.  Just sacked it when it didn't work.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on June 04, 2018, 12:48:36 PM
Oh yeah, I tried that at first, too.  Just sacked it when it didn't work.

Yeah, makes way more sense, especially when you notice that it's an SD feed the whole time anyhow, so there is literally no need for it to be any better than 640x480. The question goes from "why not use that stream?" to "why waste the bandwidth?"

The real beauty of having the fixed playlist is that instead of needing to open the stream in VLC on Apple devices, it's now simply a browser bookmark in  Safari, and THAT player will happily reduce to the mini-player view in the corner for multitasking purposes.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: snowpeck on June 04, 2018, 12:51:18 PM
Can someone explain a little better how to get it on Roku? I'm having a little trouble.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on June 04, 2018, 01:07:43 PM
Can someone explain a little better how to get it on Roku? I'm having a little trouble.

It's a bit of a pain, but I'll try to break it down:


There you go. Then add your BUZZR stream to Favorites and save yourself some navigation steps in the future. (There is also a ChannelPear plugin you can add to Plex if you use that but that setup is slightly more advanced math. The above seems to be the path of least resistance, for now.)
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: snowpeck on June 04, 2018, 01:13:29 PM
The problem I'm having is that the stream won't play in ChannelPear. I had the Plex setup done but when I get there it says the stream is invalid.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on June 04, 2018, 01:46:25 PM
Okay, here's what I did in CP:

1) From the Library: Add > Media
2) URL is the URL to the M3U8. If you are using Nick's, it's https://www.nicholastodor.com/buzzr/live.m3u8.
3) The other items (name, logo, etc) are whatever you want them to be.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: Casey Buck on June 04, 2018, 09:42:54 PM
I know this is pretty nitpicky, but I wish they streamed at 60 FPS, so that the shows would have the motion from the 480i videotape accurately shown. There is a workaround with SmoothVideo Project (https://www.svp-team.com/), though it's the PC equivalent of the motion interpolation feature of modern TVs, which causes some artifacting.

For that matter, Youtube clips have the same problem, unless you deinterlace your capture so that each field is a separate frame (instead of blended together), and you upconvert it to 720P or higher.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on June 04, 2018, 11:12:25 PM
I know this is pretty nitpicky, but I wish they streamed at 60 FPS, so that the shows would have the motion from the 480i videotape accurately shown.

Well, suddenly I don't feel as bad for whining about aspect ratio. :)
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: snowpeck on June 11, 2018, 04:17:49 PM
Never got the Plex method to work, but I did get it to work through the private Roku playlist channel. Thanks!
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on June 11, 2018, 08:16:04 PM
Never got the Plex method to work, but I did get it to work through the private Roku playlist channel. Thanks!

Good deal. I ended up fixing up an .m3u file to host on my web space (along with a local copy of Nick's .m3u8; the former needs to be able to point to the latter) that I could use the Plex IPTV plugin to point to, removing CP from the equation entirely. Works well but was mostly a proof-of-concept thing. (Although if I could figure out how to whip up a basic .html file that then embeds the m3u in an HTML5 player, that would also be extremely useful. Hmm.)
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: WhammyPower on June 11, 2018, 08:59:36 PM
(Although if I could figure out how to whip up a basic .html file that then embeds the m3u in an HTML5 player, that would also be extremely useful. Hmm.)
Again, already done (https://www.nicholastodor.com/buzzr).
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on June 11, 2018, 10:10:04 PM
Yeah, I was trying to do it without the .js 'cuz I don't understand it, but I guess there's no way around that in Chrome. Bah.

How would I munge your code to autoplay?
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: PPatters on June 13, 2018, 02:49:20 PM
Are others not getting any sound from the feed or is it just me? I tried on different browsers and computers, but I thought I’d check with others anyway just in case I’m as crazy as I feel lol
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: snowpeck on June 13, 2018, 03:23:02 PM
Are others not getting any sound from the feed or is it just me? I tried on different browsers and computers, but I thought I’d check with others anyway just in case I’m as crazy as I feel lol
The sound is fine for me.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: PPatters on June 13, 2018, 03:52:32 PM
The sound is fine for me.

It seems to work for me too! So either I was crazy or it got fixed lol
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: aaron sica on June 13, 2018, 06:36:57 PM
The sound is fine for me.

It seems to work for me too! So either I was crazy or it got fixed lol

No, I think there was an issue for a little bit. I tried tuning in around 11:20 to find no sound.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on July 07, 2018, 12:49:12 PM
Discovered this morning that Buzzr switched up their feed, fixing the aspect ratio problem. Here's the new working m3u8.

#EXTM3U
#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=3450000,RESOLUTION=960x720,CODECS="avc1.4d001f,mp4a.40.2"
https://buzzr-zixi.global.ssl.fastly.net/BUZZR_HLS/BUZZR_SRC_primary-BUZZR_PLUTO_2400-Bj7tPpcpTV.m3u8
#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=2350000,RESOLUTION=960x720,CODECS="avc1.4d001f,mp4a.40.2"
https://buzzr-zixi.global.ssl.fastly.net/BUZZR_HLS/BUZZR_SRC_primary-BUZZR_PLUTO_1500-Bj7tPjfPSV.m3u8
#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=1450000,RESOLUTION=640x480,CODECS="avc1.4d001e,mp4a.40.2"
https://buzzr-zixi.global.ssl.fastly.net/BUZZR_HLS/BUZZR_SRC_primary-BUZZR_PLUTO_0750-Bj7tP2hQIV.m3u8
#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=1000000,RESOLUTION=320x240,CODECS="avc1.4d000d,mp4a.40.2"
https://buzzr-zixi.global.ssl.fastly.net/BUZZR_HLS/BUZZR_SRC_primary-BUZZR_PLUTO_0375-Bj7tP5i7HV.m3u8

(To save bandwidth, you can just chop out those top two feeds.)
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: MikeK on July 07, 2018, 09:44:27 PM
The changes Chris mentioned above also made Nick's link with the fixed aspect ratio no longer work, if you were like me and using that as your primary viewing link for the last 5 weeks.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: WhammyPower on July 07, 2018, 09:50:06 PM
Updated on my site (if we still need it).
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: snowpeck on July 07, 2018, 11:33:16 PM
It looks like they're going to be adding it to PlutoTV shortly, so these workarounds may not be necessary for much longer. I did find this, so it does seem to be in the works: https://pluto.tv/guide/test-2-july-3-2018
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: snowpeck on July 08, 2018, 07:19:25 PM
Also I think the URLs have changed once again.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: TalkingHeadsFan on July 08, 2018, 08:23:04 PM
I've been using VLC for FireStick and pointing it to:

https://buzzr-zixi.global.ssl.fastly.net/BUZZR_HLS.m3u8

-Doug
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on July 10, 2018, 05:37:03 PM
No sound right now, yes?
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: PPatters on July 10, 2018, 05:42:19 PM
No sound right now, yes?

I’m not getting any sound.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on July 10, 2018, 06:41:21 PM
No sound right now, yes?

I’m not getting any sound.

Long as it's not just me. They changed the stream names again too, so pretty clearly they are experimenting.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: snowpeck on July 10, 2018, 06:50:57 PM
No sound right now, yes?

I’m not getting any sound.

Long as it's not just me. They changed the stream names again too, so pretty clearly they are experimenting.

Sound is back for me now.
Title: Re: Buzzr for a buck - you too can watch Buzzr live
Post by: clemon79 on July 10, 2018, 09:21:57 PM
Sound is back for me now.

Agreed. Thanks Greg! :)