Alternative: Lineuparr

Repository: Dispatcharr-Lineuparr-Plugin    

Goal

Mirror a real TV provider's channel lineup in one operation: create channel groups, create channels with the provider's channel numbering, fuzzy-match streams from M3U sources, assign EPG data, and assign logos. If you would rather not run the five-step workflow in this guide, Lineuparr is the one-click alternative.

Back up your database first

The full sync touches groups, channels, streams, EPG assignments, and logos in a single transaction. Back up the Dispatcharr database before running any actions.

Plugin Flow

flowchart TD
    A["Pick Lineup File<br/>e.g. DIRECTV Premier"] --> B["Set M3U Source and<br/>Channel Profile"]
    B --> C["Validate Settings"]
    C --> D["Preview Stream Match<br/>CSV preview"]
    D --> E{"Review CSV"}
    E -->|adjust| F["Tune Match Sensitivity<br/>or Custom Aliases"]
    F --> D
    E -->|looks good| G["Full Sync<br/>groups, channels, streams, EPG, logos"]
    G --> H["Re-sort Streams by Quality"]
    H --> Z(["Mirrored provider lineup"])

Supported Lineups

Provider	Country	Approx. channels
DIRECTV Premier	US	~300
DISH Top 250	US	~210
Verizon FiOS	US	~190
Sky TV	UK	~160
Foxtel Platinum Plus	AU	~140
Telus Optik	CA	~140
ODIDO	NL	~140

Configuration Options

• Lineup File: Default US_DirecTV-Premier_lineup.json. Pick the JSON file matching the provider you want to mirror.
• M3U Source: The M3U source whose streams will be matched against the lineup's channels.
• Channel Profile: Where the mirrored channels should land.
• Channel Group Prefix: Optional prefix added to all groups Lineuparr creates (useful for keeping multiple lineups separate).
• Category Detail: Default Normal. Controls how granular the auto-created groups are.
• Match Sensitivity: Default Normal. Loosen if streams are not matching to known channels; tighten to reduce false positives.
• Channel Numbering: Default Use Channel Database Numbers — uses the provider's actual channel numbers.
• Starting Channel Number: Optional override if you want sequential numbers from a base value instead of provider numbers.
• Order Matched Streams by Quality: Default true. Sorts alternate streams by resolution / FPS.
• Rate Limiting: Default None. Raise if Dispatcharr returns errors during long runs.
• Custom Channel Aliases (JSON): Manual overrides for channels whose stream name does not match by fuzzy logic.
• EPG Sources: Default All EPG sources. Can be narrowed to specific sources.

Action Sequence

1. Pick a Lineup File, M3U Source, and Channel Profile.
2. Run Validate Settings to confirm the lineup file loads, the M3U source is reachable, and the profile exists.
3. Run Preview Stream Match to see how M3U streams match against the lineup's channels. Review the CSV.
4. Run Full Sync to create groups, create channels, assign streams, assign EPG, and assign logos in one operation.
5. Alternatively, run the partial actions individually if you want finer control:
   • Sync Channels Only — create groups and channels without touching streams / EPG / logos.
   • Apply Stream Match Only — fuzzy-match streams to already-existing channels.
   • Apply EPG Match — assign EPG only.
   • Assign Logos — apply logos only.
6. Run Re-sort Streams by Quality to re-rank alternate streams attached to each channel.
7. Use Clear CSV Exports to clean up old preview files.

Important Notes

• Requires Dispatcharr v0.20.0+ and at least one M3U source.
• Lineuparr is an alternative to the main workflow, not a replacement for the individual plugins. You can run Lineuparr first and still apply the per-plugin steps for fine-tuning afterwards (e.g., Stream-Mapparr's quality re-ranking, EPG Janitor's heal pass).
• Custom Channel Aliases is the escape hatch when fuzzy matching fails for a specific channel — define the override once and Full Sync will respect it on every run.