Alternatives to Channels DVR

A home DVR server that records live TV and streams recordings and personal media to your devices. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Channels DVR.

  • NextPVR

    A whole-home personal video recorder that records live TV and streams it to your devices.

    FreeProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hosted

    NextPVR records and streams broadcast TV with broad DVB, ATSC and SAT>IP tuner support, free for personal use only, and runs on Windows, Linux, macOS or Docker.

  • Jellyfin

    A free media server for your own films, shows and music, with no premium tier and no account.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hostedWeb

    Jellyfin offers live TV and DVR alongside films, shows and music under GPL-2.0 with no premium tier, but client apps on TV platforms vary in quality.

  • Emby Server

    A personal media server for video, music, photos and live TV, with the good parts behind a subscription.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hostedAndroidiOSWeb

    Emby Server combines live TV and DVR from tuners with a full media library and client apps, though hardware transcoding and offline downloads require a subscription.

  • Tvheadend

    A Linux TV streaming server and recorder for DVB, ATSC, IPTV and other live TV sources.

    FreeProprietaryLinuxSelf-hosted

    Tvheadend is a free Linux-only server that streams and records broadcast tuners and IPTV, without Channels DVR's personal media serving or its own Apple TV and Fire TV apps.

  • MythTV

    A free open source digital video recorder and home media center for recording and watching TV.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxSelf-hosted

    MythTV is a free, open source DVR and home media center in development since 2002, but needs tuner hardware and more configuration work.

  • Plex Media Server

    A polished media server for your own library, free on the home network, with a paid pass for remote streaming.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hostedWebAndroidiOS

    Plex Media Server serves a personal library with client apps on most smart TVs, free on the home network, while remote streaming needs a paid pass.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.