Dispatchwrapparr - Super wrapper for Dispatcharr

🤝 What does dispatchwrapparr do?

✅ Builtin MPEG-DASH Clearkey/DRM Support — Either append a #clearkey=<clearkey> fragment to the end of the URL or include a clearkeys json file or URL for DRM decryption
✅ High Performance — Uses streamlink API's for segment dowloading which significantly improves channel start times
✅ Highly Flexible — Can support standard HLS, Mpeg-DASH as well as DASH-DRM, Youtube, Twitch and other livestreaming services as channels
✅ Proxy Support — Full support for passing proxy servers to bypass geo restrictions. Also support for bypassing proxy for specific URL's used in initial redirections
✅ Custom Header Support — Currently supports the 'Referer' and 'Origin' headers by appending #referer=<URL> or #origin=<URL> (or both) fragments to the end of the URL
✅ Cookie Jar Support — Supports loading of cookie jar txt files in Netscape/Mozilla format
✅ Extended Stream Type Detection — Fallback option that checks MIME type of stream URL for streamlink plugin selection
✅ Automated Stream Variant Detection — Detects streams with no video or no audio and muxes in the missing components for compatibility with most players

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⚙️ CLI Usage

• -i: Required input URL
• -ua: Required user agent string
• -proxy <proxy server>: Optional: Configure a proxy server. Supports http, https only.
• -proxybypass <comma-delimited hostnames>: Optional. To be used in conjunction with -proxy directive. Supply a comma-delimited list of hostnames to be bypassed from supplied proxy. Wildcards supported.
• -clearkeys <clearkey file or url>: Optional: Supply a json file or URL containing json URL to clearkey mappings.
• -cookies <cookie file>: Optional: Supply a cookies txt file in Mozilla/Netscape format for us with streams.
• -novariantcheck: Optional: Skips checks for streams containing video or audio only. Will not force muxing of missing audio or video. Cannot be used with -novideo or -noaudio arguments.
• -novideo: Optional: Designates the stream as containing no video. Forces muxing of blank video into the stream if it is not detected during variant checking automatically.
• -noaudio: Optional: Designates the stream as containing no audio. Forces muxing of silent audio into the stream if it is not detected during variant checking automatically.
• -loglevel <loglevel>: Optional: to change the default log level of "INFO". Supported options: "CRITICAL", "ERROR", "WARNING", "INFO", "DEBUG", and "NOTSET".
• -subtitles: Optional to enable muxing of subtitles. Disabled by default. NOTE: Subtitle support in streamlink is limited at best. May not work as intended.

Example: dispatchwrapparr.py -i {streamUrl} -ua {userAgent} [-proxy 'http://your.proxy.server:3128' -proxybypass '192.168.0.*,*.somesite.com' -clearkeys 'clearkeys.json' -loglevel 'INFO' -subtitles]

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🚀 Script Installation & Update

1. This command will install or update Dispatchwrapparr to the latest version into your Dispatcharr docker container.

docker exec -it dispatcharr bash -c
  "mkdir -p /data/dispatchwrapparr && \
  curl -sSL \
    'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jordandalley/dispatchwrapparr/refs/heads/main/dispatchwrapparr.py' \
    -o '/data/dispatchwrapparr/dispatchwrapparr.py' && \
  chmod +x '/data/dispatchwrapparr/dispatchwrapparr.py'"

➡️ Create a Dispatchwrapparr profile

1. Create a new profile in Dispatcharr under 'Settings' > 'Stream Profiles'
2. In the 'Name' field, type in 'dispatchwrapparr'
3. In the 'Command' field, type in the location of the script as it would be inside the docker container, eg. /data/dispatchwrapparr/dispatchwrapparr.py
4. In the 'Parameters' field, type in -i {streamUrl} -ua {userAgent}
5. Now select 'dispatchwrapparr' as your preferred profile on any particular streams!

If you wish to use a proxy server, create a separate profile:

6. In the 'Name' field, type in 'dispatchwrapparr proxy'
7. In the 'Command' field, type in the location of the script as it would be inside the docker container, eg. /data/dispatchwrapparr/dispatchwrapparr.py
8. In the 'Parameters' field, type in -i {streamUrl} -ua {userAgent} -proxy http://your.proxy.server:3128
9. Now select 'dispatchwrapparr proxy' on any streams that you wish to use the proxy server for.

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✨ How can I play DASHDRM streams?

Easy! There are two methods, the first of which is the most simple for starting out.

Method 1: Append a #clearkey= fragment to the stream URL

You'll need the clearkeys in order to play DRM protected content. There are a number of ways to acquire the keys such as scripts and browser plugins. This script assumes that you have these keys already.

To play these streams, simply create a custom m3u8 file that places the #clearkey= fragment at the end of the stream URL. Below is an example that could be used for Channel 4 (UK):

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:-1 group-title="United Kingdom" channel-id="Channel4London.uk" tvg-id="Channel4London.uk" tvg-logo="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tv-logo/tv-logos/main/countries/united-kingdom/channel-4-uk.png", Channel 4
https://olsp.live.dash.c4assets.com/dash_iso_sp_tl/live/channel(c4)/manifest.mpd#clearkey=5ce85f1aa5771900b952f0ba58857d7a

More channels can be added to the same m3u8 file, and may also contain a mixture of DRM and non-DRM encrypted streams. Simply upload your m3u8 file into Dispatcharr and select dispatchwrapparr as the profile for any streams.

The #clearkey=<clearkey> can also be used in conjunction with other fragments. Eg: https://olsp.live.dash.c4assets.com/dash_iso_sp_tl/live/channel(c4)/manifest.mpd#referer=https://www.channel4.com&clearkey=5ce85f1aa5771900b952f0ba58857d7a

Note: If you are to use this option, be sure to remove the 'URL' item from the 'M3U Hash Key' setting. This can be found in 'Settings' -> 'Stream Settings' in Dispatcharr.

The reason why we remove the URL from the hash settings is because if the clearkey ever has to change (many channels rotate theirs regularly), then Dispatcharr won't treat the channel as new.

Method 2: Use -clearkeys argument to supply a json file or URL containing URL to Clearkey mappings

The -clearkeys argument can be supplied with a json formatted file or URL containing URL's which map to clearkeys, and performs this function in the following ways:

• Wildcards are supported. Eg. to match a clearkey to a specific URL, you can specify wildcards in the URL string. Eg. https://olsp.live.dash.c4assets.com/*/live/channel(c4)/*.mpd
• When a URL is supplied, it will ignore the -proxy directive for fetching clearkeys. It assumes that a proxy is not required for this request. This allows you to create your own clearkeys API that runs locally.
• When a file is supplied without an absolute path, it will assume that the file is in the same directory as the script. Eg. -clearkeys clearkeys.json would resolve to /data/dispatchwrapparr/clearkeys.json.
• Supports KID:KEY combinations, and comma delimited lists of clearkeys where multiple keys are required.
• If no stream URL matches a clearkey, the script will continue processing the stream as normal.

Below is an example of a clearkeys.json file or an expected output from an API/URL containing clearkeys. Again, below is an example that could be used for Channel 4 (UK):

{
  "https://olsp.live.dash.c4assets.com/dash_iso_sp_tl/live/channel(c4)/manifest.mpd": "5ce85f1aa5771900b952f0ba58857d7a",
}

✨ Can I use custom headers?

Yes, however at this time only 'Referer' and 'Origin' headers are supported.

To use a 'Referer' header, simply append the #referer=<URL> fragment to the end of the strean URL.

For both 'Referer' and 'Origin' headers, simply append the #referer=<URL>&origin=<URL> fragments together, delimited by an ampersand '&'.

The #referer=<URL> fragment can also be used in conjunction with other fragments such as #clearkey=<clearkey> if needed.

If required, more custom headers could be added later. If you have a good use-case for this, please feel free to log a feature request.

✨ Automated Stream Variant Detection

Plex/Emby/Jellyfin expects to receive both video and audio in any streams that it plays. If a stream contains one without the other, they generally won't play.

Dispatchwrapparr will attempt to autodetect if a stream contains only audio, or only video as part of its stream variant checking.

To disable auto-detection of audio-only and video-only streams, the -novariantcheck flag may be used in a custom profile or the #novariantcheck=true url fragment.

Audio-only streams (Eg. Streaming Radio)

If the stream is detected to have only audio, then dispatchwrapparr will mux blank video data into the stream so that it can be played.

If autodetection does not work as expected, there are two methods by which you can force the muxing of blank video into the stream.

Method 1: Use the -novideo argument in a custom profile

The -novideo argument can be supplied to dispatchwrapparr as a custom profile for radio station streams.

Using a streaming profile means that you could import manifests of radio streams from various sources and have them all treated as radio stations.

Method 2: Append #novideo=true to the end of the stream URL

This option works similarly to the other fragment options. In an m3u8 file, simply append a #novideo=true fragment to the end of the stream URL, and dispatchwrapparr will treat it as a radio station.

Below is an example of a custom m3u8 manifest with Channel X from New Zealand, and the #novideo=true fragment appended.

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-id="Radio.Channel.X" group-title="Radio" tvg-logo="https://images.mediaworks.nz/rova/Content/apps/images/ChannelX_600x600.png",Channel X
https://mediaworks.streamguys1.com/chx_net/playlist.m3u8#novideo=true

Video-only streams (Eg. Live Cameras)

If the stream is detected to have only video, then dispatchwrapparr will mux silent audio into the stream so that it can be played.

If autodetection does not work as expected, there are two methods by which you can force the muxing of silent audio into the stream.

Method 1: Append #noaudio=true fragment to the stream URL

In an m3u8 file, simply append a #noaudio=true fragment to the end of the stream URL, and dispatchwrapparr will generate dummy audio for the stream.

Below is an example of a custom m3u8 manifest with the SEN 4K Livestream from the International Space Station with multiple fragments including #noaudio=true appended.

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-id="ISS.SEN.4K" group-title="Miscellaneous" tvg-logo="https://about.sen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Sen_Logo_XL_RGB_White_Bitmap.png",SEN ISS (Raw 4K)
https://spacetv.sen.com/out/v1/058d27c98eb543c987d75d60085b61c7/index/index.m3u8#referer=https://www.sen.com/&origin=https://www.sen.com/&noaudio=true

Method 2: Create a custom streaming profile in Dispatcharr for Video-Only Streams

The -noaudio argument can be supplied to dispatchwrapparr as a custom profile for video-only streams.

Note: Using the novideo and noaudio arguments either as a fragment or a cli argument will disable the stream variant detection.

❤️ Shoutouts

This script was made possible thanks to many wonderful python libraries and open source projects.

• Dispatcharr development community for making such an awesome stream manager!
• Streamlink for their awesome API and stream handling capability
• titus-au who laid a lot of the groundwork for managing DASHDRM streams in streamlink!
• matthuisman this guy is a local streaming legend in New Zealand. His code and work with streams has taught me heaps!

⚖️ License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.