Tunarr’s scheduling system is built around a handful of core concepts that appear throughout every scheduling tool. Understanding these terms before you start configuring a channel will save you a lot of trial and error — the same vocabulary shows up in the Slot Editor, Time Slots, Block Shuffle, and everywhere else. This page defines all the fundamental building blocks so you can make confident decisions about how to structure your channels.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/chrisbenincasa/tunarr/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Core Terms
Lineup
Lineup
A channel’s lineup describes its complete programming sequence. Lineups loop infinitely from the channel’s configured start time — once the last item in the lineup plays, Tunarr wraps back to the beginning. Every scheduling tool you run rewrites the channel’s lineup.
Programming
Programming
A channel’s programming refers to the actual media items in a channel lineup — the movies, TV episodes, or other videos that viewers watch. Programming is distinct from filler: programming is the content you want to air, while filler exists to fill the gaps around it.
Filler
Filler
Filler content is media used to round out a schedule. For example, a 22-minute television episode needs 8 minutes of filler distributed within a 30-minute slot to replicate a true TV experience. Filler comes from a dedicated filler list that you configure separately from your channel’s main programming.
Flex Time
Flex Time
Flex time refers to chunks of time in which one or more pieces of filler are placed within a channel lineup. Crucially, the content used to fill a flex period is not chosen until stream time — it is resolved at playback rather than when the schedule is generated. This means flex periods adapt to what has recently played, helping reduce repetition in your filler.
Padding
Padding
Padding generally refers to applying flex time so that content starts at “nice” times — for example, always starting a new show at exactly 12:00 or 12:30 rather than 12:08. Padding works by adding a flex block of whatever duration is needed to push the next item to the nearest target time boundary. Both the Slot Editor and Time Slots tools expose pad-time settings to control this behavior.
Slot
Slot
A slot is a grouping of programming with either a set duration (e.g., 30 minutes) or a set start time (e.g., 10:00 AM). The slot-based tools — Slot Editor and Time Slots — let you assign specific shows or movies to slots and control exactly how those slots are filled, ordered, and padded. Slots are the primary unit of control in Tunarr’s advanced scheduling tools.
Slot Isolation
Slot Isolation
By default, every slot is isolated: it maintains its own position in its program list, independent of all other slots. Two slots for the same show will each start at episode 1 and advance separately, which means duplicate episodes are possible unless the slots are linked. Isolation is intentional — it makes each slot predictable on its own, without side effects from other slots.
Slot Linking & Iteration Groups
Slot Linking & Iteration Groups
Slot linking lets you tie two or more slots together so they share a single episode iterator, forming an iteration group. Linked slots advance through their content as a coordinated group rather than independently. Once linked, you choose one of two link modes:
See the Slot Linking section of the Slot Editor page for configuration details.
| Mode | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Continue | The shared iterator advances every time any group member plays. Each slot picks up where the last one left off. Use this to spread a show across multiple schedule positions while playing every episode exactly once. |
| Rerun | The shared iterator advances only after every group member has played the current item. All members see the same episode until the whole group has consumed it. Use this to simulate same-day reruns at different time slots. |
Filler Types
When using slot editors, filler can be configured per slot and assigned one of several types. Each type controls where in a slot the filler appears.| Type | When It Plays |
|---|---|
| Head | At the beginning of each slot, before any programming |
| Pre | Before each program within a slot |
| Post | After each program within a slot |
| Tail | At the end of each slot, after all programming |
| Mid | Within a program, at mid-roll break intervals — simulates TV commercial breaks |
| Fallback | During flex time within the slot when no other filler applies |
The Mid filler type requires additional configuration in the mid-roll breaks panel and is the only filler type that interrupts a program rather than playing between programs. See Mid-Roll Breaks for full details.
Choosing a Tool
Not every scheduling tool is the right fit for every goal. Use the table below to pick the best starting point, then follow the link to that tool’s documentation.| Goal | Recommended Tool |
|---|---|
| Mimic traditional TV with set air times | Time Slots |
| Random variety with control over duration | Slot Editor |
| Simple random playback | Block Shuffle |
| Predictable rotation through content | Cyclic Shuffle |
| Coordinate episode progress across multiple slots | Slot Linking |
| Simulate TV commercial breaks within programs | Mid-Roll Breaks |
| Extend a schedule before applying other tools | Replicate |
| Clean up fragmented flex time | Consolidate |
Time Slots
Assign shows to specific air times, just like a traditional broadcast schedule.
Slot Editor
Build duration-based programming blocks with full control over ordering and filler.
Shuffle Tools
Block Shuffle, Cyclic Shuffle, Replicate, and Consolidate utilities.
Mid-Roll Breaks
Insert commercial-style breaks within long programs.