v4.8.0 - 2026-03-05
Added
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Virtual Channels system
- Added a new Virtual Channels framework that allows RetroIPTVGuide to create built-in guide channels independent of tuner sources.
- Virtual channels are merged directly into the guide and include synthetic EPG data so they behave like regular channels.
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Built-in virtual channels
- Added News Now
- Added Weather Now
- Added System Status
- Added Traffic Now (SIMULATED)
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Virtual channel playback
- Virtual channels now play inside the existing video player using local looping video assets.
- Added per-channel loop assets, overlay types, refresh intervals, and virtual-channel metadata.
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Overlay engine
- Added a frontend overlay engine for dynamic virtual channel overlays.
- Added dedicated overlay renderers for News, Weather, Status, and Traffic.
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Virtual Channels admin page
- Added a dedicated Virtual Channels management page.
- Added enable/disable controls for each virtual channel.
- Added persistent virtual channel ordering.
- Added per-channel settings panels.
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News channel configuration
- Added support for up to 6 configurable RSS/Atom feed URLs.
- Added standalone News preview page.
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Weather channel configuration
- Added weather configuration for latitude, longitude, location name, and units.
- Added ZIP code lookup workflow.
- Added standalone Weather preview page.
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Traffic channel configuration
- Added simulated traffic channel with locally generated traffic/demo data.
- Added city rotation controls, city enable/disable toggles, weighting, and bulk actions.
- Added standalone Traffic preview page.
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Status channel
- Added standalone Status preview page and system-status virtual overlay rendering.
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Background music for virtual channels
- Added support for selecting uploaded audio files as virtual-channel background music.
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Virtual channel fullscreen controls
- Added fullscreen and mute controls for virtual channels.
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Navigation
- Added Virtual Channels entry to the admin/header navigation.
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Tests
- Added test coverage for audio handling, virtual channels, weather, and traffic demo functionality.
Changed
- Updated guide playback logic to support virtual channels alongside normal tuner channels.
- Split administration more cleanly between Tuner Management and Virtual Channels.
- Updated display-size and video-resize handling to support virtual overlay/fullscreen behavior.
Fixed
- Improved persistence and validation for virtual channel settings, including feed URLs, weather configuration, traffic demo settings, and per-channel audio selection.
- Improved guide behavior when switching between normal tuner channels and virtual channels.
Full Changelog: https://github.com/thehack904/RetroIPTVGuide/commits/v4.8.0