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dream_machine @lemmy.dbzer0.com

I made a virtual remote to play any live TV channel natively on my Mac in one keyboard shortcut

saba.mintlify.app Saba

Saba is a Raycast extension that transforms your spotlight search into a virtual TV remote.

Saba

Hello! I recently built this Raycast extension that lets me browse and stream live TV in 720p@60fps or 1080p@30fps on VLC or IINA.

It includes more than 150 channels, a TV Guide, movie/show schedule, and a sports guide.

Also included are 24/7 re-runs of popular shows. I mean, guys, I can literally pull up the office in one key press from anywhere on my Mac, and it starts playing right in IINA player. The same goes for any sports game! I find myself using this extension more than any streaming service I pay for. Wanna look at the news real quick in the morning or right before a meeting? One key press and bam! I'm watching CNN or BBC. It's great!

This is obviously a biased review since I'm the developer, but I made this tool for myself initially. A couple of people, who looked over my shoulder, asked if they could use it too. So, I started to clean it up, get more computing resources behind it, and then I started to walk through some of my design decisions up to that point. After a few months of building while people used it and v.1.0 is finally live 🎉

It brings me so much joy, thought I'd share this tool with a few more people. Check out the website to learn more: https://saba.mintlify.app/

12 comments

  • This is pretty incredible. The site and Raycast extension look top-notch. But what guarantees come with this IPtv package? I’m assuming this is an unlicensed service, and if so, what happens when the provider’s streams get cut? Is that an assumed risk by the customer?

    • Yep. If the service gets shut down, you will not get your money back. There have been a lot over the years. IPTV is great because it's cheap but I've only ever had one service over the course of 8 years that was basically flawless. Most are going to buffer, loop, channels out for a while, etc. Most people are resellers too so if there's an issue, they won't be able to do anything about it. If you want easy to find shows & movies for cheap, Kodi + Real-Debrid will get you almost everything. If you're going to be using your computer for this, just use icelz.newsrade.com or daddylivehd.sx for live TV. I havent had any issues with icelz. DaddyLiveHD will sometimes freeze or buffer. Both completely free. Just make sure you have an adblocker installed.

      • This has also been my experience for a long time. I have personally spent more money than I'd like to admit trying to find quality and reliability. From the feedback after 2 months in beta, it streams flawlessly (according to me and everyone else who has used it. No complaints so far).

        I like these free solutions, and I still think that's the way to go for a majority of people. However, I really hate ads and ad-block detectors, buffering, low resolution streams and a user interface that does not consider the user's experience. These are the problems solved by this app. Also, not easy to come by good TV guide data and sports guide with match highlights. It's delightful to use and it's very reliable.

        EDIT: If you're on macOS, I'd recommend getting the 1-month subscription first to see if this is for you or not. Try it out for yourself and make your own decision, don't let my opinion or other comments sway you :)

    • Thank you and great question. To be transparent, there is a chance that this could happen. I've given this some thought. Two scenarios:

      First, if it attracts too much attention, Raycast could simply shut down the extension. In this event, you could still continue streaming on other devices (like your TV/Phone) but you will miss out on all the features that make it so nice to use on Raycast. If you only want to continue using it on Raycast and not on your other devices, I am willing to give you a full refund if you subbed for a year.

      The more unlikely scenario (at this stage), the servers are shut down. Here, the app can be migrated to work with another provider.

12 comments