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Jellyfin does not turn an ordinary media playlist into a clock-driven linear channel. Jellyfin’s Live TV feature is the player and integration layer: it accepts tuner streams and guide data. To schedule movies, episodes, music or other media at specific times, use a virtual-channel scheduler such as Tunarr or ErsatzTV. Build the playlist and timing rules there, expose the resulting channel feed and XMLTV guide, then add both to Jellyfin under Dashboard → Live TV.
This separation lets you create channels that behave like television: a program starts at a defined time, the next item follows automatically, and the electronic program guide (EPG) shows what is playing. The scheduler decides what airs; Jellyfin authenticates, displays and plays the channel.
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What Jellyfin can schedule—and what it cannot
Jellyfin’s native Live TV tools are designed to connect a tuner and guide-data provider. Supported tuner types include HDHomeRun and M3U. An M3U tuner can use a local file or URL and exposes options such as a user agent, simultaneous-stream limit and auto-loop behavior. Jellyfin can then show channels and programs in its Live TV interface.
That native layer does not provide a full linear-channel clock. A Jellyfin media playlist is an ordered collection for on-demand playback; it is not, by itself, a service that starts item 1 at noon, item 2 at 12:30 and item 3 at 13:00 while publishing an EPG. A virtual-channel scheduler fills that gap by generating the stream and guide.
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The three pieces of a scheduled channel
- Media source: Your Jellyfin libraries or files on disk.
- Scheduler: Tunarr or ErsatzTV creates channels, chooses the next item and produces a stream.
- Jellyfin Live TV: Jellyfin receives the scheduler’s tuner feed and XMLTV guide, then presents the channel to clients.
Keeping these roles separate prevents a common setup mistake: editing a Jellyfin playlist and expecting a timed channel to appear. The playlist and schedule must be created in the scheduler.
Choose a scheduler: Tunarr or ErsatzTV
Both applications can generate linear-style channels from a Jellyfin library, but their scheduling models and media-path requirements differ. Pick the one whose rule system matches the channel you want to operate.
| Decision area | Tunarr | ErsatzTV |
|---|---|---|
| Media source | Supports Jellyfin as a media source. FFmpeg processes and normalizes channel audio/video and interleaves flex content. | Can stream media through Jellyfin or read directly from disk. |
| Scheduling style | Configure channels and programming in Tunarr; exact rule choices depend on the channel configuration available in your release. | Playlists can contain collections, shows, episodes, movies, music and other media. Classic schedules and sequential (formerly YAML) schedules provide different levels of control. |
| Jellyfin connection | Offers M3U and HDHR-style tuner connections. Its Jellyfin guidance generally recommends HDHomeRun-style integration. | Documents an M3U tuner setup for Jellyfin. |
| Guide | Generates an XMLTV feed for the channel lineup. | Generates an XMLTV feed; playlist items can be shown or hidden in the EPG. |
| Media-path issue | Uses the configured Jellyfin source and FFmpeg for stream processing. | For direct disk streaming, paths must match Jellyfin’s paths or be translated with path replacements; Jellyfin streaming avoids that requirement. |
| Important caveat | Some users have reported instability at program boundaries when using M3U with clients that do not transcode or remux the incoming stream. This is a documented possibility, not a universal failure. | More explicit controls for playlist order, Play All, EPG visibility, multipart episodes, collections and sequential instructions. |
FFmpeg requirements for Tunarr
The Tunarr setup documentation reviewed lists FFmpeg 6.1 as the minimum known supported version and 7.1.1 as the recommended version at that time. Treat those numbers as release-specific guidance: check Tunarr’s current setup documentation before installing, because supported versions can change.
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Choose ErsatzTV when you need playlist-level controls such as Play All or Show In EPG, classic schedule options such as multipart grouping and random starts, or sequential schedules with reusable sequences and reset instructions. Choose Tunarr when its channel workflow and preferred HDHR-style connection fit your existing Jellyfin installation and you want a straightforward generated lineup.
Prepare your media and network
Connect the library
Add your Jellyfin server as a media source in the scheduler. ErsatzTV documents one-way metadata synchronization from Jellyfin. If ErsatzTV will stream from disk instead of asking Jellyfin for each item, configure matching paths or explicit path replacements; a path visible only inside a container or under a different mount point will otherwise fail.
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Tunarr supports Jellyfin as a media source and uses FFmpeg to normalize the channel stream. Verify that the scheduler can enumerate the libraries, artwork and playable files before writing schedules.
Keep the channel host reachable
- Use stable URLs for the generated M3U and XMLTV feeds.
- Make sure the Jellyfin server can reach the scheduler over the configured host and port.
- Allow enough simultaneous streams for the number of Jellyfin clients that may watch at once.
- Confirm that the scheduler’s FFmpeg process can read every file used by a channel.
A software-generated channel does not require a broadcast tuner. An HDHomeRun device is relevant when you are importing over-the-air or cable channels, not when Tunarr or ErsatzTV is generating the stream from your library.
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ErsatzTV treats a playlist as a programming object that can be inserted into a schedule. The playlist determines what media is eligible and in what order; the schedule determines when and how schedule items are played.
1. Create the playlist
- Open ErsatzTV and create or select a channel.
- Create a playlist and add the desired collections, shows, episodes, movies, music or other supported media.
- Choose a playback order. Documented choices include shuffle, chronological and random; shows also support season/episode ordering.
- Decide whether the playlist should use Play All. When enabled, the scheduler remains on that playlist item until all of its media has played instead of moving on after one selection.
- Set Show In EPG according to your guide preference. Enabled items appear as scheduled media in the electronic program guide; disabling it keeps the media out of the EPG presentation while it can still play.
2. Add the playlist as a schedule item
Insert the playlist into the channel’s schedule and assign its position relative to other items. A schedule can combine playlists, shows and other content sources. The order of schedule items matters when the scheduler advances from one source to the next.
3. Select classic-schedule behavior
ErsatzTV’s classic schedules expose controls that change the resulting clock:
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- Keep multipart episodes together: prevents a multi-part story from being split by another scheduled item.
- Treat collections as shows: lets a collection follow show-like episode behavior.
- Shuffle schedule items: randomizes the order of schedule items.
- Random start point: begins at a randomly selected point rather than always at the first item.
Schedule items are ordered and can play one or more items from each collection before advancing. Be deliberate with shuffle: ErsatzTV documents that enabling shuffle disables fixed start times and flood mode. If you require a program to begin at an exact clock time, do not enable the option that removes fixed-time behavior.
4. Use sequential schedules for explicit programming logic
Sequential schedules, called YAML schedules or playouts in older documentation, define content sources, reusable sequences, reset instructions and playout instructions. They are appropriate when a channel needs a repeatable sequence such as a news block, a fixed set of interstitials, then a rotating show. Define the sources and reusable sequences first, then specify how the playout advances and when it resets. This approach is more declarative than a simple shuffled playlist and is useful when the same blocks are reused across days.
Build a Tunarr channel
- Add Jellyfin as a media source in Tunarr and verify that the libraries and items you want are visible.
- Create a channel and add the shows, movies, playlists or other supported programming elements exposed by your Tunarr release.
- Set the channel’s ordering and timing rules. Use fixed-time rules only when the channel must hit a particular clock; avoid a randomizing rule when deterministic start times are required.
- Save the channel and copy Tunarr’s generated M3U and XMLTV URLs. Tunarr supports both M3U and HDHR-style tuner connections for Jellyfin.
Tunarr’s Jellyfin integration guidance generally favors the HDHomeRun-style connection. It also reports that some playback environments experience instability when a program boundary is delivered through M3U and Jellyfin is not transcoding or remuxing the incoming stream. Test the exact client and playback settings you intend to use before relying on the channel.
Add the generated channel to Jellyfin
Complete both the tuner and guide portions. Adding only the M3U creates a stream without reliable program information; adding only XMLTV creates guide rows without a playable channel.
1. Add the scheduler as a tuner
- In Jellyfin, open Dashboard → Live TV.
- Choose Add under tuner devices.
- Select the connection type documented by your scheduler. For ErsatzTV, add its M3U URL as an M3U tuner. For Tunarr, choose the HDHomeRun-style connection when possible, or use its M3U endpoint if that is the method you have chosen.
- If using Jellyfin’s M3U tuner, provide the local file or URL and review the optional user-agent, simultaneous-stream limit and auto-loop settings.
- Save the tuner and refresh the channel list.
2. Add the XMLTV guide provider
- Still in Dashboard → Live TV, open guide-data providers and add an XMLTV provider.
- Paste the XMLTV URL supplied by Tunarr or ErsatzTV.
- Save, fetch guide data and wait for the provider to finish processing.
- Map guide channels to tuner channels if Jellyfin does not associate them automatically.
Jellyfin also documents Schedules Direct and XMLTV as guide providers for conventional Live TV. Its setup documentation says those two providers cannot currently be used together in the same configuration. A generated channel normally uses the scheduler’s own XMLTV feed, so a paid guide subscription is not required for this workflow.
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3. Verify the result
- The channel appears in Jellyfin’s Live TV channel list.
- The current and upcoming programs have titles and times.
- The guide’s channel identifiers match the tuner channel identifiers.
- Opening the channel starts the expected media rather than an empty or unauthorized stream.
How playback rules affect the clock
“Play this playlist at 8 p.m.” can mean different things depending on the scheduler’s rules. Separate the playlist’s item order from the schedule’s advancement behavior.
| Rule | Effect | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Sequential playlist order | Items play in their defined order. | You need a predictable lineup. |
| Shuffle | Items or schedule entries are randomized. In ErsatzTV classic schedules, shuffle disables fixed start times and flood mode. | You want variety and do not need exact starts. |
| Random start point | The channel begins at a random position in the available content. | You want a channel that feels already in progress when started or restarted. |
| Play All | ErsatzTV stays on one playlist item until all media in that item has played. | A playlist represents a complete block that must not be interrupted. |
| Multipart grouping | Multipart episodes remain together. | Splitting parts would damage the story order. |
| Show In EPG | Controls whether scheduled playlist media is listed in the guide. | You want the EPG to show individual titles or keep a block compact. |
| Sequential/YAML playout | Explicit sources, reusable sequences, resets and playout instructions control advancement. | You need repeatable blocks and deterministic logic beyond a basic playlist. |
For a strict daily clock, use fixed start times and deterministic ordering. For a “television-like” channel that continuously fills time, a playlist with shuffle or a random start may be more appropriate, but it will not guarantee that a named episode begins at an exact minute.
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Run a short test through every client family you actually use—web, mobile, television or set-top app. A stream that works in one client can fail at a program boundary in another.
- Start the channel during a short test item and confirm that audio and video begin promptly.
- Watch the transition into the next program. Check for a stall, black frame, duplicated audio or a jump back to the beginning.
- Open the EPG and verify that the current program changes at the expected time.
- Stop and resume playback to check whether the client reconnects to the live position or starts a new session.
- Test two simultaneous viewers if your tuner or scheduler has a stream limit.
- Temporarily remove or rename one media file and confirm that the scheduler’s failure behavior is acceptable before putting the channel into regular use.
Tunarr’s M3U boundary warning makes this test especially important when Jellyfin is passing the stream without transcoding or remuxing. If transitions are unreliable, try the HDHR-style connection or adjust Jellyfin’s playback/transcoding path, then retest with the affected client.
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The channel exists but the guide is empty
- Confirm that the XMLTV URL is reachable from the Jellyfin server, not just from your desktop browser.
- Refresh the guide provider after saving it.
- Map XMLTV guide channels to tuner channels when identifiers do not match.
- Check that the scheduler is generating guide entries for the channel and that playlist items intended to be visible have Show In EPG enabled in ErsatzTV.
The guide has programs but playback fails
- Open the scheduler’s own channel preview, if available, to distinguish a source problem from a Jellyfin connection problem.
- Verify that every media path is readable by the scheduler. For ErsatzTV disk streaming, correct mismatched paths or add path replacements; alternatively use Jellyfin streaming.
- Check FFmpeg installation and version for Tunarr. The reviewed setup page listed 6.1 as the minimum known supported version and 7.1.1 as recommended, but current requirements may differ.
- Review simultaneous-stream limits and authentication settings.
Playback breaks exactly between programs
Use the target Jellyfin client to reproduce the transition. Tunarr documents reports of M3U transition instability in some conditions when Jellyfin is not transcoding or remuxing. Try the HDHR-style Tunarr connection, enable an appropriate remux/transcode path, or test another client before concluding that the channel schedule itself is wrong.
A remote M3U station does not appear
For Internet Radio entries, Jellyfin requires each M3U station line to include an #EXTINF directive naming the station. Directly entering a remote M3U also depends on the provider allowing that access. If it fails, save a local M3U containing the required channel metadata and point Jellyfin at that file.
Playlists disappear after a maintenance task
Jellyfin warns that its Clean up collections and playlists task can remove Jellyfin playlists when their media files are unavailable at the time the task runs. This warning concerns Jellyfin’s own playlists and task; it does not establish that the task edits an external Tunarr or ErsatzTV schedule. Make sure mounted libraries are available before running cleanup.
Design patterns for useful channels
A fixed evening block
Create a playlist containing the programs in order, enable Play All if the block must run uninterrupted, and place it at a fixed schedule time. Keep shuffle and random-start options off so the first item is deterministic. Show In EPG can expose each title to viewers.
An always-on variety channel
Combine several collections or shows in a playlist, use shuffle or a random start, and allow the scheduler to advance continuously. This produces variety but sacrifices exact episode start times; document that trade-off in the channel description.
A repeatable themed day
Use ErsatzTV sequential scheduling to define reusable sequences—for example, a morning sequence, a feature block and an evening sequence—then add reset and playout instructions that repeat the day. This is easier to maintain than manually rebuilding a long list whenever one source changes.
A channel with conventional broadcast input plus library content
Use Jellyfin’s native tuner integration for the broadcast source and a scheduler for the generated channel. Keep guide providers and channel mappings distinct, because the scheduler’s XMLTV data describes its generated lineup while a conventional tuner may use another provider.
Operational practices
- Keep a written list of each channel’s feed URL, XMLTV URL, intended playback order and randomization settings.
- After changing a playlist, refresh the scheduler output and Jellyfin guide, then check one current and one upcoming program.
- Use stable media paths and avoid changing mount points without updating ErsatzTV replacements or the Jellyfin source.
- Limit randomization to channels where exact clock times are not a requirement.
- Test after upgrading Jellyfin, Tunarr, ErsatzTV or FFmpeg; integration labels and supported versions can change.
- Monitor disk access, CPU and concurrent streams during a realistic multi-client test rather than assuming one successful preview proves capacity.
What a successful setup looks like
The scheduler owns the channel definition, playlist and playback rules. It produces a playable feed and an XMLTV guide. Jellyfin’s Live TV dashboard contains a tuner entry for that feed and a guide provider for the matching XMLTV data. The EPG shows the schedule, clients can open the channel, and transitions work on the devices your household actually uses. If any one of those pieces is missing, the result may look like a channel while still behaving like an unlisted stream or an on-demand playlist.
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