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Advanced Features Guide

Channel Number Ranges

You can now match channels by number ranges instead of just patterns!

How to Use

Pattern Format: START-END (where START and END are numbers)

Examples:

  • 100-200 - Matches channels 100 through 200
  • 5.1-5.9 - Matches subchannels 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, etc.
  • 1-99 - Matches channels 1 through 99

Creating a Number Range Rule

  1. Click "+ Add Rule"
  2. Name: Channels 100-299
  3. Collection: Select your collection
  4. Match Types: Check ✓ Channel Number (important!)
  5. Patterns: Add 100-299
  6. Sort Order: Select Channel Number (Low to High)
  7. Save

The app will automatically detect patterns like 100-200 as number ranges and match accordingly.

Combining Ranges with Other Patterns

You can mix number ranges with regular patterns:

Pattern 1: 100-200 Pattern 2: ESPN

This will match:

  • All channels between 100-200, AND
  • Any channel with "ESPN" in the name

Channel Sort Orders

Control how channels are arranged in your collections!

Sort Options

No sorting (default)

  • Channels added in default order (alphabetical by ID)
  • Good for most use cases

Alphabetically (A-Z)

  • Sorts channels by name: A → Z
  • Example: BBC, CNN, ESPN, FOX, NBC

Alphabetically (Z-A)

  • Sorts channels by name: Z → A
  • Example: NBC, FOX, ESPN, CNN, BBC

Channel Number (Low to High)

  • Sorts by channel number: 1, 2, 3... 100, 101...
  • Perfect for numbered channel ranges
  • Example: 2.1, 5.1, 7.1, 100.1, 200.1

Channel Number (High to Low)

  • Sorts by channel number descending: 999, 500, 100... 5, 2, 1
  • Example: 200.1, 100.1, 7.1, 5.1, 2.1

Events Last (Named channels first) ⭐ NEW!

  • Puts "Event XX" channels at the end
  • Regular named channels appear first, sorted A-Z
  • Event channels appear last, sorted A-Z
  • Perfect for IPTV channels with placeholder names

Events Last - Use Case

Many IPTV services use channel names like "Event 01", "Event 02" as placeholders. When a game or show is on, the name changes to the actual program name.

Example Before Sorting:

  1. Event 01
  2. Football: Arsenal vs Chelsea
  3. Event 04
  4. Rugby: England vs Wales
  5. Event 03

After "Events Last" Sorting:

  1. Football: Arsenal vs Chelsea
  2. Rugby: England vs Wales
  3. Event 01
  4. Event 03
  5. Event 04

This keeps your real content at the top, with placeholder events at the bottom!

How to Set Sort Order

When creating or editing a rule:

  1. Scroll to "Channel Sort Order" dropdown
  2. Select your preferred sorting method
  3. Save the rule
  4. Run sync - channels will be arranged in the specified order

Complete Example: Sports Channels with Events Last

Let's create a comprehensive sports rule:

Rule Name: All Sports Channels

Collection: Sports (slug: 8)

Match Types:

  • ✓ Channel Name
  • ✓ EPG (Callsign/Affiliate)

Patterns:

  • Sport
  • Football
  • Soccer
  • Rugby
  • Cricket
  • Golf
  • Tennis
  • ^ESPN
  • ^FOX Sports
  • Sky Sports

Sort Order: Events Last (Named channels first)

Result: Your sports collection will have:

  1. All named sports channels (BBC Sport, ESPN, FOX Sports, etc.) - sorted A-Z
  2. Followed by Event channels (Event 01, Event 02, etc.) - sorted A-Z

Pattern Tips for Number Ranges

Single Channel

Pattern: 100 Match Type: Channel Number Result: Only channel 100

Range of Channels

Pattern: 100-200 Match Type: Channel Number Result: Channels 100, 101, 102... 199, 200

Subchannels in Range

Pattern: 5.1-5.9 Match Type: Channel Number Result: 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, etc.

Multiple Ranges

Pattern 1: 100-200 Pattern 2: 500-600 Match Type: Channel Number Result: Channels 100-200 AND 500-600

Range + Name Pattern

Pattern 1: 100-200 Pattern 2: HD$ Match Type: Channel Number + Channel Name Result: Channels 100-200 that have "HD" at the end of their name

Common Sorting Scenarios

Scenario 1: Local Broadcast Channels

Want: Channels sorted by number (2, 5, 7, 11, etc.) Pattern: 2|5|7|11|13 or use names Sort: Channel Number (Low to High)

Scenario 2: Premium Movie Channels

Want: HBO, Showtime, etc. alphabetically, events at end Pattern: HBO|Showtime|Starz|Cinemax Sort: Events Last

Scenario 3: Sports PPV Events

Want: All sports PPV channels, numbered order Pattern: 400-499 Match: Channel Number Sort: Channel Number (Low to High)

Scenario 4: News Networks

Want: Alphabetical list of news channels Pattern: News|CNN|MSNBC|FOX News|BBC News Sort: Alphabetically (A-Z)

Testing Your Sort Order

  1. Create a rule with your desired sort order
  2. Click "Preview Matches"
  3. The preview will show channels in the order they'll appear
  4. Adjust sort order if needed
  5. Save and sync

Note: Preview shows channels sorted, so you can verify before syncing!

Troubleshooting

Channels Not Sorting

  • Make sure you've selected a sort order (not "No sorting")
  • After changing sort order, you must click "Sync Now" to apply
  • Check Docker logs for any sorting errors

Number Range Not Working

  • Ensure Match Type includes "Channel Number"
  • Verify pattern format: START-END with no spaces
  • Check that your channels actually have numbers in that range

Events Not Sorting Correctly

  • "Events Last" specifically looks for channels starting with "Event"
  • Case insensitive: "event", "Event", "EVENT" all work
  • If your placeholder channels have different names, contact us for custom logic

Advanced: Combining Multiple Features

Goal: Create a comprehensive sports collection

  • Channels 200-299 (sports block)
  • Any channel with "Sport" in name
  • ESPN, FOX Sports family
  • Sorted with real channels first, events last

Setup:

  1. Patterns:

    • 200-299
    • Sport
    • ESPN
    • FOX Sports

  2. Match Types:

    • ✓ Channel Name
    • ✓ Channel Number

  3. Sort Order: Events Last

  4. Result:

    • Named sports channels first (A-Z)
    • Event 01, Event 02, etc. last
    • Perfectly organized sports collection!

Performance Notes

  • Sorting happens during sync, not during preview
  • No performance impact on large channel lists
  • Sort order is applied every sync (keeps collection organized even as channels change)
  • If you change sort order, next sync will re-arrange all channels