A Python-based desktop application for discovering and viewing UDP Multicast streams. Built with PyQt5 and LibVLC, it features a modern dark UI, an embedded video player, and an intelligent network scanner that detects active MPEG-TS streams and extracts channel metadata (SDT) automatically.

• Modern Dark UI: A responsive, "Fusion" themed interface designed for desktop usage.
• Embedded Player: Uses LibVLC to play low-latency UDP multicast streams directly within the application window.
• SDT Metadata Parsing: Automatically extracts "Service Name" (Channel Name) and Provider info from raw MPEG-TS packets.
• Intelligent Network Scanning:
  • Smart Scan (Default): Uses a "Beacon" heuristic to hop common IPTV subnets (e.g., 239.255.x.1). If a signal is found, it automatically expands to scan the entire neighboring subnet.
  • Custom Range: Advanced users can define specific CIDR-style ranges (e.g., 239.100.0.*).
• Cross-Platform: Designed to work on Linux and Windows (with appropriate VLC backends).

.
├── assets/              # Stylesheets and visual assets
├── core/                # Core logic (Scanner, Packet Parsing)
├── ui/                  # PyQt5 Widgets (Sidebar, Player, Window)
├── test/                # Testing tools
│   └── streamer/        # Go-based multicast simulator
└── main.py              # Application Entry Point

• Python 3.10+
• VLC Media Player must be installed on the system (LibVLC bindings require the actual binary).
  • Linux (Debian/Ubuntu): sudo apt install vlc
  • Windows: Install VLC 64-bit.

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/cablecompany.git
   cd CableCompany

2. Create a Virtual Environment

   python3 -m venv .venv
   source .venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate

3. Install Dependencies

   pip install PyQt5 python-vlc

1. Run the Application

   python main.py

2. Scanning for Channels

   • On the sidebar, ensure Smart Scan (Auto) is selected.
   • Click Start Scan.
   • The app will scan common multicast beacons. If it detects a stream, it will populate the list with the channel name found in the stream metadata.

To test the application without a real IPTV network, a Go-based Streamer is included in the test/ directory. This tool generates 3 simultaneous multicast streams on different subnets with distinct metadata, specifically designed to test the Smart Scan logic.

You need Go installed to run the simulator.

cd test/streamer
go run main.go

This will launch 3 streams:

• 239.255.0.1: Sports 1 HD (Standard Block)
• 239.255.10.1: News 24 Global (Tests Subnet Hopping)
• 239.192.0.1: Cinema Classic (Tests Org-Local Block)

With the Go streamer running, open the Python app and click Start Scan. It should automatically discover all three channels, proving that the scanner successfully hopped between subnets and parsed the custom metadata.

• Multicast Routing: If you are on a managed network, ensure your switch supports IGMP Snooping and that your firewall allows UDP traffic on the target ports (Default: 1234).
• Linux VLC Embedding: The player uses --avcodec-hw=none and --no-xlib flags to ensure stability within the PyQt5 environment on Linux systems.