Skip to content
ChannelWatch

First-Run Configuration

After the container starts, open http://your-server-ip:8501. Use http://localhost:8501 if your browser is on the same machine. Keep your Channels DVR host and port handy; the usual DVR port is 8089.

1. Choose how to protect the app

Section titled “1. Choose how to protect the app”

On a fresh install, choose Secure login (recommended) and create the first administrator account. Use no-auth mode only when every client that can reach ChannelWatch is trusted. See Security Modes if you are unsure which to choose.

ChannelWatch initial authentication setup card with Secure login selected, an alternative No authentication button, empty Admin username and Admin password fields, and disabled Finish setup
Initial access setupChoose sign-in protection before configuring your first DVR. Captured from ChannelWatch v1.6.0 with safe demo data.View full-size screenshot

CW_DISABLE_AUTH is a recovery override, not the normal fresh-install setup path. Existing installations may open the sign-in screen or dashboard instead of showing this choice again.

2. Find or enter your first DVR

Section titled “2. Find or enter your first DVR”

The welcome screen offers Discover on Network and Add Manually. Discovery is useful when ChannelWatch and the DVR share a local network with multicast access. For Docker bridge mode, a VPN, or a remote DVR, choose manual entry.

ChannelWatch first-run welcome dialog with Discover on Network, Add Manually and Skip for now actions
Find your DVRChoose network discovery or enter the DVR address yourself. Skip for now opens General settings so you can finish later. Captured from ChannelWatch v1.6.0 with safe demo data.View full-size screenshot

Discover on the local network

Section titled “Discover on the local network”

Choose Discover on Network, wait for the scan, then select a result to review it. If the scan finds nothing, choose Add Manually Instead. A missing discovery result does not mean the DVR is offline. See mDNS Auto-Discovery.

Add a DVR manually

Section titled “Add a DVR manually”

Enter these fields:

Field What to enter
Display Name (optional) A name you will recognize in activity and alerts, such as Living Room DVR.
Host / IP Address The DVR’s reachable hostname or IP address. In bridge mode, use its LAN address rather than localhost.
Port 8089, unless your DVR uses a different port.
API Key (optional) Your DVR key if its API requires authentication. Otherwise leave it blank.

Choose Test Connection. After the form shows Connected, choose Continue. Changing the host, port, or API key requires another successful test.

ChannelWatch Add DVR Manually form with sample Display Name, Host and Port, an empty optional API Key, Test Connection and a disabled Continue button
Test the DVR connectionThe manual form requires a successful connection test before Continue becomes available. Captured from ChannelWatch v1.6.0 with safe demo data.View full-size screenshot

3. Review and save the DVR

Section titled “3. Review and save the DVR”

On Ready to connect, confirm the displayed name, host, and port. Choose Save & Get Started to save the DVR and open the dashboard.

The wizard connects your first DVR. Timezone, logging, alert policy, and notification providers are configured afterward in Settings; they are not additional wizard steps.

If you choose Skip for now, ChannelWatch opens Settings > General. Monitoring needs a configured DVR, so return to the setup steps before expecting activity.

4. Finish settings and alerts

Section titled “4. Finish settings and alerts”
Where to go What to check
Settings > General Confirm your DVR host and port, timezone, log level, and log retention. Add further DVRs here.
Settings > Alerts Choose an alert preset and adjust individual event types.
Settings > Notifications Configure at least one destination before expecting delivered alerts.
Settings > Routing Choose which destinations receive each DVR’s event types, if the defaults do not suit your setup.

Fresh installs use Important Only: Disk Space, Recording Events, and DVR Health are enabled; Channel Watching and VOD Watching are disabled. Recording outcome alerts cover cancelled, failed, skipped, missed, and interrupted jobs. Scheduled, started, and completed alerts are disabled in this preset. Existing installs retain their saved choices.

See Core Settings, Notification Providers, and Per-DVR Notification Routing for the next steps.

5. Verify the setup

Section titled “5. Verify the setup”
  1. Return to the dashboard and check that the DVR reports connected.
  2. Review Diagnostics > System Information and Live Logs. Under Diagnostic Tests > Connectivity, DVR Connection checks DVR access and DVR API checks the DVR API. Both tests use the first enabled DVR. The unknown-test-name limitation on v1.6.0 was corrected in version 1.6.2.
  3. After configuring a provider, run one appropriate test under Notifications and confirm it arrives at the intended destination.
  4. Review the Notification Delivery Log if delivery fails or is retried.

Keep your configuration

Section titled “Keep your configuration”

Settings live in /config/settings.json. Back up the complete /config directory, including /config/encryption.key, to preserve settings, credentials, and history. Use Backup & Restore for the available backup options.

If an existing /config already contains DVR entries, ChannelWatch normally loads them instead of showing the first-run wizard. Follow Migrating from v0.7 for that older upgrade path.