iptvnator/docs/architecture/remote-control.md

Remote Control Architecture

This document describes the current remote control implementation in IPTVnator, including:

• HTTP API exposed by Electron main process
• IPC bridge between Electron main and Angular renderer
• Feature support and integration points for M3U, Xtream, and Stalker
• Remote web UI structure and behavior

Related architecture docs:

• Stalker Portal Architecture
• Stalker Portal EPG Architecture

Scope

Remote control is a desktop-only feature that serves a mobile-friendly web app from the Electron backend and routes remote actions into the running renderer.

Current capabilities:

• Channel up / down
• Channel select by number
• Volume commands (implemented in command layer; active support currently in M3U flow)
• Playback status polling (portal, live-state, channel name/number, EPG now, volume capability)

High-Level Flow

1. User opens remote web UI (http://<local-ip>:<port>).
2. Remote web app calls /api/remote-control/*.
3. Electron main handles API request and sends IPC to renderer:
   • CHANNEL_CHANGE for up/down
   • REMOTE_CONTROL_COMMAND for numeric/volume commands
4. Renderer-specific feature module (M3U/Xtream/Stalker) applies action.
5. Renderer pushes status snapshots back to main via:
   • REMOTE_CONTROL_STATUS_UPDATE
6. Remote web app polls /api/remote-control/status and updates UI.

Backend (Electron Main)

HTTP server and static app hosting

• File: apps/electron-backend/src/app/server/http-server.ts
• Responsibilities:
  • Serves static remote app from:
    • dev: dist/apps/remote-control-web/browser
    • prod: <appPath>/remote-control-web/browser
  • Keeps every non-API request inside that configured static root: the request pathname is decoded once, malformed encoding and NUL bytes fail closed, and the platform-specific resolved path must remain the root or its descendant. Angular route fallback may serve only that root's index.html; it must never bypass the containment check.
  • Routes /api/remote-control/* to registered handlers.
  • Starts/stops/restarts on settings updates.

Remote control event module

• File: apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/remote-control.events.ts
• Bootstrapped in: apps/electron-backend/src/main.ts via RemoteControlEvents.bootstrapRemoteControlEvents()

Registered endpoints:

• POST /api/remote-control/channel/up
• POST /api/remote-control/channel/down
• POST /api/remote-control/channel/select-number with { number: <int> }
• POST /api/remote-control/volume/up
• POST /api/remote-control/volume/down
• POST /api/remote-control/volume/toggle-mute
• GET /api/remote-control/status

IPC emitted to renderer:

• CHANNEL_CHANGE payload: { direction: 'up' | 'down' }
• REMOTE_CONTROL_COMMAND payload:
  • { type: 'channel-select-number', number }
  • { type: 'volume-up' | 'volume-down' | 'volume-toggle-mute' }

Status ingestion from renderer:

• Listens on REMOTE_CONTROL_STATUS_UPDATE
• Maintains in-memory RemoteControlStatus object returned by /status
• Live updates (isLiveView: true or unspecified) MERGE into the previous status, so partial pushes (e.g. the M3U volume-only update) keep the channel fields. A non-live update (isLiveView: false) is an AUTHORITATIVE RESET: only portal survives (the update's value, else the last known one), supportsVolume is forced to false, and every other now-playing field is dropped — even if a caller accidentally includes one. This keeps the remote from advertising a channel that stopped playing.

Settings integration

• Main handler: apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/settings.events.ts
• On SETTINGS_UPDATE, reads remoteControl and remoteControlPort, persists to store, and calls:
  • httpServer.updateSettings(enabled, port)

Preload Bridge

• File: apps/electron-backend/src/app/api/main.preload.ts

Exposed APIs relevant to remote control:

• onChannelChange(callback) => unsubscribe
• onRemoteControlCommand(callback) => unsubscribe
• updateRemoteControlStatus(status) => void

Type definitions:

• apps/web/src/typings.d.ts
• global.d.ts

Renderer Integrations

All renderer integrations resolve the Electron remote-control bridge through RuntimeCapabilitiesService.supportsRemoteControl. A partial Electron bridge is treated as unsupported unless it exposes all remote-control methods: updateRemoteControlStatus, onChannelChange, and onRemoteControlCommand. This keeps PWA/self-hosted builds and partial test bridges from accidentally activating desktop-only remote-control behavior.

Every integration publishes the shared reset snapshot (REMOTE_CONTROL_RESET_STATUS in libs/portal/shared/util/src/lib/remote-channel-navigation.ts: { portal: 'unknown', isLiveView: false, supportsVolume: false }) in its ngOnDestroy/destroy hook, so leaving a live surface always clears the remote UI instead of freezing the last channel on it. The M3U player also publishes it when the active channel is cleared IN PLACE (e.g. quitting an external MPV/VLC session dispatches resetActiveChannel while the route stays mounted).

Live channel return and playback order

Xtream and Stalker live views keep a component-owned playback queue through LiveChannelPlaybackQueue in portal-shared-data-access. Explicit selection captures the actual displayed order, including search/sort and a fullscreen panel's own filter. Remote up/down, numeric selection and the published channel number use that queue while category or search browsing remains independent. Xtream history handoffs from global search or Recently Added capture the eligible destination category in the selected channel sort order; an unrelated previous category/query does not define that queue. Explicit All Items clicks still capture their displayed list. Same-channel replay and remote selection preserve it. Source/type changes and view destruction discard it; ITV and radio never share an owner.

Stalker captures before asynchronous URL resolution and commits only the winning successful request. Paged lists extend the queue only as more rows arrive for the original category and search scope. They do not fetch a global catalog for remote navigation. Xtream excludes removed streams and hidden or removed categories from eligible queue entries.

A conditional Show playing channel icon in the channel header appears when the playing channel is absent from the browsed results and its category remains accessible. It clears q and the store query, returns to that category, expands the sidebar, then scrolls and focuses the playing row. It never starts playback or changes the playback/session/catchup identity. A collapsed sidebar first uses its existing restore action. Removed categories are not recreated or unhidden. Stalker reuses the already-resolved playing item as a temporary normal row when it lies beyond loaded provider pages. This row is deduplicated once it arrives in provider results and discarded on browsing or playback changes; returning never crawls the catalog. Raw provider rows alone extend the playback queue.

Shared helpers

• File: libs/portal/shared/util/src/lib/remote-channel-navigation.ts

Functions:

• getAdjacentChannelItem(...): wraps around on boundaries for up/down
• getChannelItemByNumber(...): 1-based number to list item mapping

Used by the M3U, Xtream, and Stalker live integrations and the unified live tab (collections).

• File: libs/portal/shared/util/src/lib/favorites-channel-sort.ts

deriveVisibleFavoriteChannels(...) computes the search-filtered, mode-conditionally sorted list a collection surface renders. The global favorites list and the unified live tab's remote navigation both call it, so the remote's channel order and numbering can never diverge from the rendered rows.

M3U integration

• File: libs/playlist/m3u/feature-player/src/lib/video-player/video-player.component.ts

Implemented behavior:

• Subscribes to:
  • onChannelChange (up/down)
  • onRemoteControlCommand (number + volume)
• Applies channel up/down by active channel URL over channels$
• Applies number select through existing switchToChannelByNumber(...)
• Dispatches remote channel changes as explicit playback requests so MPV/VLC starts immediately even when mouse channel rows require double-click before external playback.
• Applies volume commands:
  • up/down in 0.1 increments
  • toggle mute with last non-zero volume restore
  • persists to localStorage
  • propagates to built-in inline players: Video.js, HTML5, ArtPlayer, and radio AudioPlayerComponent
  • does not control external MPV/VLC sessions or the experimental Embedded MPV player; while one of those is the effective player, volume commands are a deliberate no-op (isRemoteVolumeSupported) instead of silently mutating the stored web-player volume
• Publishes status snapshots via updateRemoteControlStatus(...):
  • portal: 'm3u'
  • isLiveView: true
  • channel name/number
  • EPG now fields
  • supportsVolume reflects the EFFECTIVE playback: true for built-in inline playback (radio audio, the DASH-forced web player, HTML5/Video.js/ArtPlayer), false while MPV/VLC or Embedded MPV owns the audio. isRemoteVolumeSupported checks in order: radio first (its inline audio element is always mounted, so it stays controllable even past a lingering external session), then a live external session (covers both a diagnostic-recovery "Open in MPV/VLC" launch while a web player remains configured AND the managed clear-DASH fallback after Shaka's browser-support preflight fails — the session check must precede the DASH shortcut), then the DASH-forced inline player, then the configured player setting. An effect republishes the capability when the session starts or ends. The remote UI disables its volume buttons on false
  • volume, muted
• Cleans listeners/subscriptions and publishes the reset snapshot in ngOnDestroy.

Xtream integration (live view)

• File: libs/portal/xtream/feature/src/lib/live-stream-layout/live-stream-layout.component.ts

Implemented behavior:

• Subscribes to:
  • onChannelChange for up/down
  • onRemoteControlCommand for number select
• Up/down:
  • Uses selected live item selectedItem().xtream_id
  • Navigates inside the captured eligible playback queue
  • Calls playLive(nextItem, true) so remote actions explicitly start playback
• Number select:
  • Maps number to item in the same captured eligible queue
  • Calls playLive(channel, true) so remote actions explicitly start playback
• Publishes status via effect:
  • portal: 'xtream'
  • isLiveView only when selected content type is live and item is selected
  • channel name/number + current EPG item
  • supportsVolume: false
• Cleans listeners and publishes the reset snapshot in ngOnDestroy.

Stalker integration (ITV live view)

• File: libs/portal/stalker/feature/src/lib/stalker-live-stream-layout/stalker-live-stream-layout.component.ts

Implemented behavior:

• Subscribes to:
  • onChannelChange for up/down
  • onRemoteControlCommand for number select
• Up/down:
  • Uses selectedItem().id
  • Navigates inside the captured ITV/radio playback queue
  • Calls playChannel(nextItem, true) so remote actions explicitly start playback
• Number select:
  • Maps number into the same captured playback queue
  • Calls playChannel(channel, true) so remote actions explicitly start playback
• Publishes status via effect:
  • portal: 'stalker'
  • isLiveView for selected content type itv OR radio with an active item — the radio route reuses this layout and its remote handlers, so it reports live status too (channel numbering follows the radio list). EPG fields are published for itv ONLY: selectedItvEpgPrograms is fed by the ITV-keyed bulk cache, which survives itv→radio navigation, and Ministra assigns small integer ids to itv and radio independently — a radio id routinely collides with an unrelated TV channel. The index comparison uses normalizeStalkerEntityId, because radio ids (radio-1) are not numeric.
  • channel name/number + current EPG item
  • supportsVolume: false
• Cleans listeners and publishes the reset snapshot in ngOnDestroy.

Unified live tab integration (favorites / recent / global collections)

• Files:
  • libs/portal/shared/ui/src/lib/components/unified-collection/unified-live-tab-remote-control.ts (setupUnifiedLiveTabRemoteControl, called from the tab's constructor)
  • libs/portal/shared/ui/src/lib/components/unified-collection/unified-live-tab.component.ts

One integration covers every collection surface that plays live TV inline without routing to a portal live layout:

• M3U favorites/recent (/workspace/playlists/:id/favorites|recent)
• Xtream favorites/recent (/workspace/xtreams/:id/favorites|recent)
• Stalker favorites/recent (/workspace/stalker/:id/favorites|recent)
• Global favorites/recent (/workspace/global-favorites, /workspace/global-recent)
• Dashboard live clicks, which land on those collection routes with an auto-open item

Implemented behavior:

• Channel up/down and number select navigate visibleChannels() — the search-filtered, mode-conditionally sorted list derived by the same deriveVisibleFavoriteChannels helper the rendered sidebar uses
• Remote actions play via the same path as an explicit double-click (activateItem(item, false, true)), so external MPV/VLC starts immediately
• Publishes status via effect:
  • portal is the ACTIVE item's sourceType (m3u / xtream / stalker) — a mixed global collection reports whichever source is playing
  • isLiveView: true once a selection has resolved playback
  • channel name, visible-list channel number, and the current EPG summary (timeshift-aware)
  • supportsVolume: false (the collections player does not expose a remote-controllable volume yet)
• Publishes the reset snapshot when nothing is playing and on destroy; unsubscribes both command listeners on destroy.

Remote Web App

App shell

• App: apps/remote-control-web/src/app/app.ts
• Template: apps/remote-control-web/src/app/app.html
• Style: apps/remote-control-web/src/app/app.scss
• Renders shared library component: <lib-remote-control />

Shared remote UI library

• Component:
  • libs/ui/remote-control/src/lib/remote-control/remote-control.component.ts
  • libs/ui/remote-control/src/lib/remote-control/remote-control.component.html
  • libs/ui/remote-control/src/lib/remote-control/remote-control.component.scss
• Service:
  • libs/ui/remote-control/src/lib/remote-control/remote-control.service.ts

Implemented UI behavior:

• Channel pad (CH+, CH-)
• Numeric keypad (0-9, DEL, CLR, OK)
• Volume controls (VOL-, MUTE/UNMUTE, VOL+)
• Status card (portal, channel name/number, current program)
• Polls /status every 2s
• Uses action wrapper to refresh status after command execution

Settings UI and discoverability

• Files:
  • apps/web/src/app/settings/settings-remote-control-section.component.ts (+ .html) — the section rendered by settings.component.html
  • apps/web/src/app/settings/settings-remote-control.facade.ts — LAN address lookup and QR-code visibility state
• Features:
  • Toggle remoteControl
  • Configure remoteControlPort
  • Display local URLs and QR codes for remote access
  • Local IP list loaded via getLocalIpAddresses()

Feature Matrix (Current)

Capability	M3U player	Xtream Live	Stalker ITV/Radio	Collections (favorites/recent/global)
Channel up/down	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Number select	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Status publish	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Status reset on leave	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Volume command handling	Yes, for built-in inline playback	No	No	No
supportsVolume in status	true only for built-in inline players	false	false	false

Navigation scope differs by surface: the M3U player navigates the FULL playlist (its sidebar always renders the full list), Xtream/Stalker navigate the currently filtered category list, and the collections tab navigates the search-filtered, sorted collection exactly as rendered.

Known limitations

• Volume commands are currently no-op in Xtream, Stalker, and collection integrations; in the M3U player they are no-op while MPV/VLC or Embedded MPV owns the audio.
• Remote status uses polling from web UI (2s), not push/WebSocket.
• Number-based selection is list-position based (1-based index in active list scope), not global EPG number mapping (tvg-chno is not consulted).
• Remote API currently has no auth/TLS; intended for trusted local networks.

Operational notes

• UI updates in remote web app require rebuilding remote-control-web so Electron serves fresh dist assets.
• If stale UI appears, clear browser cache/hard-refresh mobile browser.

Future extension points

• Add optional auth token for /api/remote-control/* endpoints.
• Add WebSocket/SSE status push for lower latency and reduced polling.
• Add cross-portal volume abstraction and capability negotiation.
• Add last-channel, favorites navigation, and search/select commands.